Luke Vargas

For weeks, the Trump administration has made it clear it wants to reduce consulting spending and that it expects firms to help. And that's it for What's News for this Friday morning. We had additional sound in this episode from Reuters. Today's show was produced by Kate Boulivant with supervising producer Sandra Kilhoff. And I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal.

For weeks, the Trump administration has made it clear it wants to reduce consulting spending and that it expects firms to help. And that's it for What's News for this Friday morning. We had additional sound in this episode from Reuters. Today's show was produced by Kate Boulivant with supervising producer Sandra Kilhoff. And I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal.

Chevron makes headway in lobbying the White House to keep pumping oil in Venezuela. Plus, Attorney General Pam Bondi pledges federal prosecutions against vandals targeting Tesla, calling attacks on vehicles and company property domestic terrorism. And we'll look at how efforts to crack down on corporate DEI in the U.S. are rippling across the Atlantic.

Chevron makes headway in lobbying the White House to keep pumping oil in Venezuela. Plus, Attorney General Pam Bondi pledges federal prosecutions against vandals targeting Tesla, calling attacks on vehicles and company property domestic terrorism. And we'll look at how efforts to crack down on corporate DEI in the U.S. are rippling across the Atlantic.

It's Thursday, March 20th. I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal, and here is the AM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today. We are exclusively reporting that President Trump is considering a plan to extend Chevron's license to pump oil in Venezuela and make it harder for other countries to get a foothold there.

It's Thursday, March 20th. I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal, and here is the AM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today. We are exclusively reporting that President Trump is considering a plan to extend Chevron's license to pump oil in Venezuela and make it harder for other countries to get a foothold there.

Trump expressed openness to reversing his recent decision to order the company to wind down its Venezuela operation next month during a Wednesday meeting at the White House with Chevron CEO Mike Wirth and other oil industry executives, according to people familiar with the discussion.

Trump expressed openness to reversing his recent decision to order the company to wind down its Venezuela operation next month during a Wednesday meeting at the White House with Chevron CEO Mike Wirth and other oil industry executives, according to people familiar with the discussion.

Journal correspondent Jenny Strasberg says that comes after months of counter-arguments from hardline Venezuela critics like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

Journal correspondent Jenny Strasberg says that comes after months of counter-arguments from hardline Venezuela critics like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

The White House didn't respond to requests for comment. Greenpeace has been ordered to pay more than $600 million to Energy Transfer, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The White House didn't respond to requests for comment. Greenpeace has been ordered to pay more than $600 million to Energy Transfer, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The lawsuit centered around months-long protests back in 2016 in which Greenpeace, Native American tribal groups, and other activists camped out to block construction of the pipeline that transfers crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois.

The lawsuit centered around months-long protests back in 2016 in which Greenpeace, Native American tribal groups, and other activists camped out to block construction of the pipeline that transfers crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois.

Energy Transfer alleged that the environmental activist group, as well as its international and funding entities, trespassed and caused damages on its property and published false statements about the pipeline. Greenpeace has denied the allegations, saying it would appeal the judgment to the North Dakota Supreme Court. The U.S. Agency for International Development could soon get a major overhaul.

Energy Transfer alleged that the environmental activist group, as well as its international and funding entities, trespassed and caused damages on its property and published false statements about the pipeline. Greenpeace has denied the allegations, saying it would appeal the judgment to the North Dakota Supreme Court. The U.S. Agency for International Development could soon get a major overhaul.

According to a memo viewed by the journal, the agency, which had been dismantled by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, would be renamed the U.S. Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance and fall under the control of the State Department, with a mandate to help enhance national security and counter adversaries like China.

According to a memo viewed by the journal, the agency, which had been dismantled by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, would be renamed the U.S. Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance and fall under the control of the State Department, with a mandate to help enhance national security and counter adversaries like China.

The memo stated that expensive programs that didn't provide strong returns to taxpayers should be scrapped and that those that remain shouldn't be solely philanthropic, but should advance American security, strategic and commercial interests. It's unclear whether a federal judge's ruling this week that Doge's dismantling of U.S. aid was unconstitutional would impact the new plans.

The memo stated that expensive programs that didn't provide strong returns to taxpayers should be scrapped and that those that remain shouldn't be solely philanthropic, but should advance American security, strategic and commercial interests. It's unclear whether a federal judge's ruling this week that Doge's dismantling of U.S. aid was unconstitutional would impact the new plans.