The U.S. ambassador to Ukraine is leaving her post, the State Department announced Thursday, a move that may complicate the already delicate relationship between Washington and Kyiv, which has been strained by President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war.

“Ambassador Brink is stepping down,” a State Department spokesperson said in an email, referring to the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, Bridget A. Brink. “She’s been the ambassador there for three years — that’s a long time in a war zone.”

The State Department’s chief spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, later confirmed Brink’s departure at a daily press briefing, saying, “We wish her well.” She declined to discuss the matter further. Brink could not be reached for comment.

It was not immediately clear whether Brink resigned voluntarily, was asked to step down by the new Trump administration, or a combination of both. Trump has shifted America’s Ukraine policy since taking office, including temporarily cutting off military aid to Kyiv and pressuring it to sign a contentious deal to get a major stake in Ukraine’s minerals and energy projects.

The State Department did not say when exactly Brink would leave her post or who would succeed her. Amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, the position of U.S. ambassador in Kyiv has been among the most demanding in the foreign service, including involvement in coordinating the military and financial aid that has formed the backbone of Ukraine’s war effort.

Judge allows illegal immigrant registration

A federal judge is allowing the Trump administration to move forward with a requirement that everyone in the U.S. illegally must register with the federal government, in a move that could have far-reaching repercussions for immigrants across the country.

In a ruling Thursday, Judge Trevor Neil McFadden sided with the administration, which had argued that they were simply enforcing an already existing requirement for everyone in the country who wasn’t an American citizen to register with the government.

The requirement goes into effect Friday.

The Department of Homeland Security announced Feb. 25 that it was mandating that all people in the United States illegally register with the federal government, and said those who didn’t self-report could face fines or prosecution. Failure to register is considered a crime, and people will be required to carry registration documents with them or risk prison time and fines.

Registration will be mandatory for everyone 14 and older without legal status. People registering have to provide their fingerprints and address, and parents and guardians of anyone under age 14 must ensure they registered.

The registration process also applies to Canadians who are in the U.S. for more than 30 days, such as so-called snowbirds who spend winter months in places like Florida.

Rubio: Student targeted for his beliefs

Facing a deadline from an immigration judge to turn over evidence for its attempted deportation of Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, the federal government has instead submitted a brief memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, citing the Trump administration’s authority to expel noncitizens whose presence in the country damages U.S. foreign policy interests.

The two-page memo, which was obtained by The Associated Press, does not allege any criminal conduct by Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident and graduate student who served as spokesperson for campus activists last year during large demonstrations against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and the war in Gaza.

Rather, Rubio wrote Khalil could be expelled for his beliefs.

He said that while Khalil’s activities were “otherwise lawful,” letting him remain in the country would undermine “U.S. policy to combat anti-Semitism around the world and in the United States, in addition to efforts to protect Jewish students from harassment and violence in the United States.”

The submission was filed Wednesday after Judge Jamee Comans ordered the government to produce its evidence against Khalil ahead of a hearing Friday on whether it can continue detaining him during immigration proceedings.

Attorneys for Khalil said the memo proved the administration was “targeting Mahmoud’s free speech rights about Palestine.”

Nominee withdraws over Jan. 6 comments

President Donald Trump’s nominee to oversee an agency that manages a quarter-billion acres of public land has withdrawn her nomination following revelations that she criticized the Republican president in 2021 for inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The withdrawal of Kathleen Sgamma to lead the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management was announced Thursday morning at the start of her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

David Bernhardt, who served as interior secretary in Trump’s first term, said on X that Sgamma’s withdrawal was “self-inflicted” and he included a link to a website that posted her 2021 comments. He suggested that people whose views don’t align with Trump’s should not seek political appointments in his administration.

“I am disgusted by the violence witnessed yesterday and President Trump’s role in spreading misinformation that incited it,” Sgamma said in the comments earlier reported by Documented, which describes itself as a watchdog journalism project.

Sgamma confirmed her withdrawal on LinkedIn and said it was an honor to have been nominated.

Judge will allow parole program to continue

A federal judge on Thursday said she will halt the Trump administration from ending a program that allowed hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans to temporarily live in the United States.

The ruling is a significant, although perhaps temporary, setback for the administration as it dismantles Biden-era policies that created new and expanded pathways for people to live in the United States, generally for two years with work authorization.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani that she will issue a stay on the program, which was set to end later this month. The push to help more than half-a-million Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans is part of a broader legal effort to protect nationals from Ukraine, Afghanistan and other countries who are here legally.

Last month, the administration revoked legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, setting them up for potential deportation in 30 days. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they will lose their legal status on April 24.

Trump tackles 1944 Mexico water treaty

Trump says Mexico owes Texas 1.3 million acre-feet of water under a 1944 treaty, and he’s threatening sanctions to try and force its compliance.

An acre foot is the amount of water needed to cover 1 acre of land to a depth of 1 foot.

Trump posted on his social media site that Mexico is “unfortunately violating their Treaty obligation. This is very unfair.”

He wrote that Mexico “has been stealing water from Texas Farmers” and suggested that the U.S. southern neighbor’s holding out on its water obligations was to blame for Texas’ “only sugar mill” closing last year.

President just wants a good shower

President Donald Trump has long complained about modern rules that limit water flow for showerheads, making it harder for him to wash his “beautiful hair.’’

In his first term, Trump directed that restrictions on showerheads be loosened, an action that former President Joe Biden reversed.

Now Trump is going to let the water flow — again.

An executive order he signed Wednesday calls for an immediate end to water conservation standards that restrict the number of gallons per minute that flow through showerheads and other appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and toilets.

“I like to take a nice shower, take care of my beautiful hair,” Trump said Wednesday as he signed an order at the White House. “I have to stand in the shower for 15 minutes until it gets wet. Comes out drip, drip, drip. It’s ridiculous.”

— From news services