By FARNOUSH AMIRI and LISA MASCARO, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was pulling Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a stunning turnaround for his Cabinet pick after her confirmation had been stalled over concerns about Republicans’ tight margins in the House.

Trump confirmed he was withdrawing the New York Republican’s nomination in a Truth Social post, saying that it was “essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress.”

“We must be unified to accomplish our Mission, and Elise Stefanik has been a vital part of our efforts from the very beginning. I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress,” the president said, without mentioning who he would nominate as a replacement for his last remaining Cabinet seat.

Stefanik’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump had tapped Stefanik to represent the U.S. at the international body shortly after winning reelection in November. She was seen as among the least controversial Cabinet picks, and her nomination advanced out of committee in late January, but House Republicans’ razor-thin majority kept her ultimate confirmation in a state of purgatory for the last several months.

In recent weeks, it had seemed as if Stefanik’s nomination would advance to the Senate floor, given two U.S. House special elections in Florida in districts that Trump easily won in 2024. Filling those vacant GOP seats would have allowed Stefanik to finally resign from the House and given Republicans, who currently hold 218 seats, a little more breathing room on passing legislation in a growingly divided Congress. Democrats hold 213 seats.

But Democrats’ upset in a Tuesday special election for a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in Republican-leaning suburbs and farming communities surely gave the GOP pause.

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Stefanik is the fourth Trump administration nominee who didn’t make it through the confirmation process. Previously, former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration for attorney general, Chad Chronister was pulled for the Drug Enforcement Administration and former Florida congressman Dr. David Weldon was yanked from contention to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The former congresswoman had been in a state of limbo for months, not able to engage in her official duties as a member of the 119th Congress or to participate in the action at the U.N. The vacancy of a permanent U.S. ambassador was happening at a critical moment for the international body as the world leaders had been discussing the two major wars between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas.

In late February, the U.S. mission, under Trump, split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in votes on three U.N. resolutions seeking an end to the three-year war. Dorothy Shea, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has been the face of America’s mission in New York during the transition.

Amiri reported from the United Nations.

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and JOSH BOAK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Weak population gains and increased government spending will result in slower overall economic growth over the next 30 years, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Thursday.

The CBO’s latest long-term budget and economic outlook report — for a timeframe that spans 2025 to 2055 — projects publicly held debt to reach 156% of gross domestic product, or GDP, in 2055. That’s down from the agency’s March 2024 long-term budget projection, which said publicly held debt would be equal to a record 166% of American economic activity by 2054.

However, that’s not necessarily a positive.

The mix of slower population growth and unfettered spending will also result in weaker economic growth over the next three decades than what the CBO projected last year. Lower birthrates also mean that the United States is becoming more dependent on immigrants working to sustain growth.

“Without immigration, the U.S. population would begin to shrink in 2033,” the CBO report states.

The report assumes that all the laws set to expire, including certain provisions of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, will expire. But the White House and Republican lawmakers have said that the tax cuts will be renewed and potentially expanded, as well as suggesting reductions in government spending and an increase in revenues by taxing imports.

Still, the report’s warnings and its projections for the future also set the stage for the challenges on the debt, government spending and economic growth that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insists the Trump administration can fix.

Bessent has advocated for a “3-3-3” plan, which involves getting the federal budget deficit down to 3% of GDP, boosting inflation-adjusted annual GDP growth to 3% and producing the equivalent of an additional 3 million barrels of oil per day by 2028.

The treasury secretary has sought to discredit CBO scoring, calling it “crazy.”

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“I was in the investment business for 35 years, I thought I understood how crazy CBO scoring is,” Bessent told CNBC earlier this month. “And now that I’m on the other side of the wall, I can tell you it’s really crazy. And very unlikely that we are going to get any credit in the CBO scoring for tariffs.”

However, CBO warnings about population growth cut into Trump administration policy priorities related to mass deportations, as officials claim that immigrants are fueling high inflation by worsening the housing shortage and depriving U.S. citizens of job opportunities.

A decreasing population could have profound negative effects on the economy, as growth depends on adding workers as well as increasing their productivity. Falling population levels could cause a stagnation in living standards and create difficulties in paying down debts as well as funding programs such as Social Security, which is dependent on payroll taxes.

The report also comes as the U.S. is on track to hit its statutory debt ceiling — the so-called X-date when the country runs short of money to pay its bills — as early as August without a deal between Congress and the White House.

The CBO and the Bipartisan Policy Center this week detailed projections for the U.S. to hit its statutory debt ceiling sometime this summer — as soon as July or August, respectively.

In addition to the reporters who regularly cover the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild, the media scrum surrounding star goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin had an extra layer on Thursday morning at Xcel Energy Center.

In the last day or two, Capitals media relations officials have welcomed national reporters from ESPN, NHL.com, Canadian television network Sports Net and elsewhere, and they expect more to join the throng in the coming days as Ovechkin’s pursuit of the game’s all-time goals record gets down to numbers that can be counted on one hand.

Ovechkin, who needed six goals to tie Wayne Gretzky as he prepped for Thursday’s game in Minnesota, joked that the questions and the media hype started to get old about two years ago.

“You just get used to it,” he said.

Some players pursue milestones late in their careers when their effectiveness has waned and their teams are well out of the playoff race. That’s far from the case for Ovechkin, the on-ice leader for the top team in the NHL, with solid designs on bringing the Stanley Cup to the nation’s capital for the second time in a decade.

Add a crush of national media to a team that is already getting lots of attention, and it could get to be too much for some players. But the Capitals are enjoying the ride on the Ovechkin hype train.

“It’s been really fun to be a part of for sure. Obviously what he’s done this year has been absolutely insane,” said Charlie Lindgren, the former Lakeville North and St. Cloud State goalie that has made 31 appearances in the Washington crease this season. “Just his production and the way he’s scoring goals. … He’s just scoring at an elite clip and it just shows what a special player he is.”

Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek resume skating

A few hours before the Wild took to the TRIA Rink ice for their morning skate, injured forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek were out there with a skating instructor, taking their official first strides on the road to returning to the Wild lineup — although Wild coach John Hynes acknowledged that they had both been on the ice before Thursday, doing what he termed “rehab skates” without pucks.

Both players will accompany the Wild on the team’s three-game trip to New York City next week, and while their return to the lineup would have all of the hype and drama of a Broadway premiere, Hynes said it won’t happen that soon, classifying both players as week to week.

The regular season ends April 15 against Anaheim at Xcel Energy Center.

“Kirill is going to go back and see his doctor. Ekky’s gonna come (on the trip) but they will not play,” Hynes said. “When I (say) ‘week to week,’ and I’ll be up front with you guys if it looks like they’re progressing to go, this is truly the first step of getting back on. It’s nothing imminent.”

Ovechkin acknowledged being disappointed that Kaprizov has been injured for the two head-to-head meetings between the Wild and Capitals this season.

“He’s a tough player, obviously, when he’s healthy,” Ovechkin said. “It’s always fun to watch highlights on him. He’s great.”

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By JESSICA DAMIANO, Associated Press

Most houseplants are tropical plants that require the warm, somewhat humid conditions of their natural habitat. In the home, many can become tired-looking, especially over winter, when even your brightest window provides lower-than-ideal light levels.

So why not send your houseplants on a vacation from which they’ll return re-energized, invigorated and having grown like, well, a weed?

First, slip plants out of their pots to ensure their roots aren’t crowded. If they are, loosen them gently and replant them in a container exactly 2 inches larger (no more, no less), then make a game plan.

Make sure the weather is right

Just as you might avoid visiting certain areas during extreme seasonal weather events, your plants’ summer vacation plans should also be carefully timed. Jumping the gun, such as setting them out on the first warm spring day, could be injurious or even fatal. Some tropical plants can suffer severe damage when temperatures drop to just 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

This July 5, 2020, image provided by Kelly Jo Sandri shows a large tractor seat plant, several Pepperomia and fern species, a Bromeliad and a Tradescantia houseplant displayed outdoors on shelves in Blue Springs, Mo. (Kelly Jo Sandri via AP)

Wait until nighttime temperatures remain reliably above 60 degrees, then harden plants off by placing them in a shady outdoor spot (to avoid sunburn) for an hour or two. Then bring them back indoors. Repeat this daily over the course of a week, increasing their outdoor exposure by one hour each day. At the end of the week, they should be well acclimated to the stronger light, longer days and the wind of the great outdoors, where they can spend the summer.

Growing plants need nutrients

While on vacation outdoors, your plants will benefit from natural sunlight, rain showers that will cleanse their leaves and provide hydration, and breezes that will train them to stand stronger. They’ll also likely grow with reckless abandon.

This June 2020, image provided by Stacy Meli shows Ficus elastica, Strelitzia nicolai (white bird of paradise), Schlefflera, Ficus tineke and Caladium ‘Miss Muffet’ among houseplants spending the summer outdoors in the Gravesend section of the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Stacy Meli via AP)

All this added vigor means they’ll require the nutrients of a growing teenager. Apply a slow-release fertilizer according to package directions or a fast-release product diluted to half strength once every two weeks. Avoid fertilizing during heat waves or when plants are otherwise under stress; forced growth when they are struggling will only make them weaker.

Plants that would rather stay home

There are some plants, however, that are homebodies. Those with delicate, fuzzy or velvety foliage, such as African violets, should never be exposed to leaf-wetting rain, direct sunlight or wind.

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Low-light houseplants such as Pothos, ZZ plant, Chinese evergreen, snake plant and cast iron plant can be placed outdoors, but only in a shady spot. Even there, they should be monitored for signs of sunburn or scorch and returned home if they display symptoms.

In late summer or early fall, when temperatures threaten to drop below 60 F in your garden, reverse the acclimation process by moving plants into the shade for incrementally longer periods each day for a week. Then, inspect them for insects and, for good measure, give them a hose shower before bringing them back home.

They’ll be happy campers.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.