US lost business travelers in April as economic anxiety and border detentions cooled demand

(AP) –Business travel to the U.S. fell 9% in April as companies and workers grappled with economic uncertainty and anger over the Trump administration’s tariffs and border policies. The National Travel and Tourism Office released preliminary figures Thursday showing the number of airline and ship passengers who entered the country last month using business visas. The Middle East was the only region that saw higher business travel to the U.S., with arrivals up 9.4% compared to April 2024. But that didn’t make up for big losses from other regions; the number of business travelers from Western Europe fell 17.7%, for example. The new government data didn’t include people coming from Canada for business or who traveled by land from Mexico. Mexican arrivals by air for those holding business visas were down 11.8%, the government said.

Grand jury indicts Florida State student accused in a mass shooting on campus

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A grand jury has indicted a Florida State University student on murder charges for the killings of two people and the wounding of six others in a mass shooting on campus last month. Wednesday’s indictment presented new details of how 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner allegedly carried out the attack. Jurors described the rampage as “our community’s worst nightmare” but concluded the rapid response of law enforcement cut short the violence. That’s according to a grand jury report obtained by The Associated Press. The grand jury also found that the officer who shot and wounded Ikner acted lawfully and heroically.

Retail sales slow in April after a spending splurge as Americans sought to front-run tariffs

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers spent slightly more at retail stores last month after ramping up their shopping in March to get ahead of tariffs. Sales at retail stores and restaurants rose just 0.1% in April from March, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That is much lower than the previous month’s 1.7% gain, which reflected a surge in car sales as consumers accelerated purchases ahead of President Trump’s 25% duty on auto imports that went into effect this month. Last month’s tiny increase after the March surge makes it harder to get a clear read on consumer spending trends and reflects the ongoing turmoil and uncertainty in the economy in the wake of Trump’s stop-and-go tariff policies.

Space Force, governors at odds over plans to pull talent from National Guard units

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the U.S. Space Force is moving ahead with plans to pull talent from National Guard units to help build up the still new military service — but several governors remain opposed and argue it tramples on their rights to retain control over their state units. The 2025 defense bill directed the Space Force to pull 578 National Guard service members across six U.S. states and the Air National Guard headquarters who are assigned space missions. The consolidation will get the space missions under one authority — but also means that the states lose out on some of the most lucrative missions underway in the military today.