Trump fires BLS chief after weak jobs report

The Hill

6 days ago

President Trump said Friday the U.S. is positioning two nuclear submarines in 'appropriate regions' near Russia, saying the move corresponds with threatening rhetoric from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a close adviser to current Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a social media post, Trump cited Medvedev's 'highly provocative statements' and said the nuclear submarines are being moved to the region 'just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.'
Ukraine is set to receive its first two Patriot air defense systems 'in the coming days' as part of the deal the U.S. government struck with NATO last month.
A bipartisan pair of senators introduced legislation this week calling for tens of billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine, as Putin continues to rebuff Trump's calls for an end to the war.
The Hill's Laura Kelly writes:
'The bill's passage faces long odds in the Republican-controlled Congress, where GOP leaders in the House and Senate have deferred to Trump over which legislation makes it to the floor. The administration has slashed foreign aid so far, and administration officials and some GOP lawmakers regularly rally against sending U.S. military and other assistance abroad.'
MEANWHILE…
Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, visited an aid-distribution site in Gaza on Friday, as international pressure grows on Israel to address the humanitarian and hunger crisis in the enclave.
Witkoff was joined by Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The White House said Witkoff and Huckabee will brief Trump on their findings, setting the stage for a U.S. plan to assist in distributing aid to the war-ravaged region.
Trump this week said there is 'real starvation' in Gaza, breaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In Washington, Democrats and some MAGA-aligned Republicans are urging the U.S. to cut Israel loose.
On Wednesday, more than half the of the Democratic caucus in the Senate voted in favor of resolutions to block U.S. military sales to Israel.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) missed the vote while she was in New York taping a segment on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.'
Slotkin released a statement Thursday saying she would have voted to oppose U.S. military sales to Israel.
'I have been a strong supporter of the Jewish State of Israel my whole life. And I still am,' Slotkin posted on X. 'But despite the fact that Hamas began this bloody round of conflict—and refuses to release the hostages—the images of emaciated children are hard to turn away from.'
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said Friday 'the time has come' to recognize a Palestinian state.
Last week, France became the first Group of Seven (G7) nation to say it would recognize a Palestinian state.
Leaders in Canada and Britain said they'd follow suit if Israel's war on Hamas does not end soon.
Axios reports that Witkoff and Netanyahu this week discussed the need to secure a comprehensive deal for 'the release of all the hostages [held by Hamas], the disarmament of Hamas, and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.'