➔ INTERNATIONAL: China & Congress: Lawmakers in both chambers and in both parties continue to express misgivings about the Trump administration's trade posture toward China and Chinese telecom giant ZTE. The Hill: Trump and Congress are on a collision course over ZTE as GOP lawmakers join with Democrats to pass measures to keep trade restrictions in place on the telecom giant. Lawmakers want explanations from the administration about its China trade policies and U.S. mixed messages. The Hill: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) again warned the administration Wednesday against letting China off the hook. 
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The Hill: Meanwhile, the Pentagon rebuked China for its militarization and aggression in the South China Sea and rescinded an invitation to Beijing to participate in a major international military exercise. China influenced North Korea's Kim Jong Un early this month to step back from denuclearization talks with the United States, according to analyst Gordon G. Chang, writing for the Daily Beast. "Beijing says it wants North Korea to denuclearize, and that may be true, but most of all it does not want to be left out of decision-making affecting the region." North Korea: The Hill — Trump said he expects to know next week whether a planned June 12 summit with Kim will take place. (Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters on Tuesday that it's possible the United States will not know whether a meeting is likely to take place until shortly before the June date.) Late Wednesday, North Korea's state media reported a foreign ministry official would recommend reconsideration of the U.S.-North Korea meetup. Vice President Pence was assailed Wednesday for his remarks, which North Korea described as "ignorant and stupid," The New York Times reported from Seoul. (During an interview broadcast on Monday on Fox News, the vice president warned that North Korea's government could end up like that of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, the former Libyan leader.) Trade: U.S. trading partners, unhappy with the Trump administration's steel and aluminum tariffs, are preparing to retaliate, according to Bloomberg. The United States risks a $3.45 billion tariffs bill. The president is exploring the idea of imposing tariffs on car imports, Reuters reports. Sources said Trump sees the move as pressure on Canada and Mexico to conclude a rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which includes important auto provisions. Sandeep Gopalan (The Hill, opinion contributor): Trump's jousting with China to try to reduce America's massive trade deficit has the potential to fundamentally alter global trade, at a cost to Europe and Asia. ➔ WHITE HOUSE & ADMINISTRATION: Kushner, the president's son-in-law, received a security clearance after more than a year serving as a presidential adviser working on a range of sensitive and international policies, according to The New York Times. News of the change suggested a transition from uncertainty about whether Kushner was in peril as part of the special counsel investigation. Trump is an unapologetic enthusiast about using Twitter as both a weapon and a shield, but he and managers of his social media accounts have occasionally blocked followers who have replied to the president with opposing opinions. On Wednesday, a federal district judge ruled the president is barred under the Constitution from preventing people from viewing his Twitter feed merely because he dislikes their views (The Hill). The decision was hailed as a victory for the First Amendment, but the Justice Department disagreed and plans to review the opinion (CNNMoney). IRS Guidance: The Hill — The GOP tax law enacted in December was designed to impose tough new requirements on people living in certain high-tax blue states, such as California and New Jersey, by imposing a new, lower deduction cap of $10,000 for state and local taxes. Now come the IRS and Treasury Department, which promise to issue guidance that can help taxpayers mitigate that pain with state workarounds. Foreign Aid: The Wall Street Journal — Trump repeated a vaguely detailed idea Wednesday for "radical" change to U.S. foreign aid programs, which he said would allow the government to withhold funds to unnamed countries through which illegal immigrants arrive in the United States. "Every time someone comes in from a certain country, we're going to deduct a rather large sum of money," he said during a Long Island event focused on immigration. ➔ POLITICS OF SPORTS: NFL owners on Wednesday approved a policy to fine players who do not stand when the national anthem is played before games (they have the option to remain in the locker room) (ESPN). Trump and Vice President Pence hailed the decision as a victory for the president's Twitter-fueled advocacy to stand out of respect when the national anthem is played. Trump has objected to athletes who "take a knee" to protest racial injustice and law enforcement mistreatment of African-Americans. The president, speaking during the Fox interview recorded Wednesday and broadcast this morning, said he approves of the NFL policy, but would like it to be tougher: "I don't think people should be staying in locker rooms, but still I think it's good you have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there, maybe you shouldn't be in the country. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem, and the NFL owners have done the right thing."  © Twitter
Last year, the president loaned his voice to a national sports controversy, recognizing an opening to speak to his GOP base in ways that repeatedly celebrate the American flag, faith, family, the military, law enforcement and veterans. Some of the president's detractors argued that Trump and NFL owners ignored the original reason for the athletes' protests. "It is meant to chill the speech of the players whose voices have grown louder than the players—and owners—imagined they could go," wrote Jonathan Jones in Sports Illustrated. 
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