Russia has attacked eight Ukrainian energy facilities since announcing halt, Kyiv says
Ihor Zhovkva, speaking on national television, also said that, contrary to Russian statements, no preconditions were discussed with U.S. officials as they agreed a Black Sea truce with Russia during talks in Saudi Arabia this week.
The Kremlin said earlier that a number of conditions must be met before the Black Sea maritime security deal negotiated with the United States can be activated.
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The Hill
34 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump fires BLS chief after weak jobs report
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.'
35 minutes ago
Smithsonian removes references to Trump's impeachments from 'Limits of Presidential Power' exhibit -- for now
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History removed references to President Donald Trump's two impeachment proceedings from an exhibit on the "Limits of Presidential Power," a Smithsonian spokesperson confirmed to ABC News. The spokesperson said a future exhibit will include all presidential impeachments. The museum decided to "restore" the section of a permanent exhibition to its "2008 appearance" because various topics had not been updated since that year and therefore they removed references to Trump, the Smithsonian spokesperson told ABC News on Thursday. Trump is the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice. "In reviewing our legacy content recently, it became clear that the 'Limits of Presidential Power' section in The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden exhibition needed to be addressed. The section of this exhibition covers Congress, The Supreme Court, Impeachment, and Public Opinion," the spokesperson said. The exhibit now only includes references to the impeachment proceedings against Presidents Andrew Johnson in 1868, Richard Nixon in 1973 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Nixon is the only U.S. president to resign following the commencement of impeachment proceedings. While serving as the 45th President of the United States, Trump was first impeached twice by Congress during his first term – with the first proceeding beginning on Dec. 18, 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction in connection with an alleged quid pro quo call with the Ukrainian president. Trump was acquitted when the trial concluded in the Senate on Feb. 5, 2020. Following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Trump was impeached for a second time on Jan. 13, 2021, on the charge of incitement of insurrection, but was again acquitted on Feb. 13, 2021, days after he left office after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden. Trump denied all wrongdoing in both of his impeachment cases. Following Trump's first impeachment proceeding, the Smithsonian released a statement on Jan. 21, 2020, about the collection of objects regarding Trump's impeachment. The statement said that as the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History "actively engages," with history, curators are following Trump's impeachment trial and will determine "which objects best represent these historic events for inclusion in the national collection." The Smithsonian spokesperson on Thursday said the museum "installed a temporary label on content concerning the impeachments of Donald J. Trump" in Sept. 2021, which was "intended to be a short-term measure to address current events at the time, however, the label remained in place until July 2025." "A large permanent gallery like The American Presidency that opened in 2000, requires a significant amount of time and funding to update and renew. A future and updated exhibit will include all impeachments," the spokesperson added, in explaining the removal of Trump references. An online description of the exhibit of the Smithsonian's website still referenced Trump's two impeachments as of Friday morning. The removal of references of Trump's impeachments was first reported by The Washington Post on Thursday. The report cited "a person familiar with the exhibit plans, who was not authorized to discuss them publicly," who told the Post that "the change came about as part of a content review that the Smithsonian agreed to undertake following pressure from the White House to remove an art museum director." Asked by ABC News about this claim, the Smithsonian spokesperson did not immediately comment. The Smithsonian affirmed its autonomy from outside influences in a June 9 statement after President Trump announced that he fired National Portrait Gallery head Kim Sajet for allegedly being a "highly partisan person." Sajet resigned on June 13, a Smithsonian spokesperson confirmed to ABC News. "Throughout its history, the Smithsonian has been governed and administered by a Board of Regents and a Secretary. The board is entrusted with the governance and independence of the Institution, and the board appoints a Secretary to manage the Institution. All personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the Secretary, with oversight by the Board. Lonnie G. Bunch, the Secretary, has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian," the statement said. "The Board of Regents is committed to ensuring that the Smithsonian is a beacon of scholarship free from political or partisan influence, and we recognize that our institution can and must do more to further these foundational values," the Smithsonian added. Trump signed an executive order in March placing Vice President J.D. Vance in charge of supervising efforts to "remove improper ideology" from all areas of the Smithsonian and targeted funding for programs that advance "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology."
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Trump orders US nuclear subs repositioned over statements from ex-Russian leader Medvedev
The president added, 'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.' It wasn't immediately clear what impact Trump's order would have on U.S. nuclear subs, which are routinely on patrol in the world's hotspots, but it comes at a delicate moment in the Trump administration's relations with Moscow. Advertisement Trump has said that special envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Russia to push Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in its war with Ukraine and has threatened new economic sanctions if progress is not made. He cut his 50-day deadline for action to 10 days, with that window set to expire next week. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The post about the sub repositioning came after Trump, in the wee hours of Thursday morning, had posted that Medvedev was a 'failed former President of Russia' and warned him to 'watch his words.' Medvedev responded hours later by writing, 'Russia is right on everything and will continue to go its own way.' Medvedev was president from 2008 to 2012 while Putin was barred from seeking a second consecutive term but stepped aside to let him run again. Now deputy chairman of Russia's National Security Council, which Putin chairs, Medvedev has been known for his provocative and inflammatory statements since the start of the war in 2022, a U-turn from his presidency, when he was seen as liberal and progressive. Advertisement He has frequently wielded nuclear threats and lobbed insults at Western leaders on social media. Some observers have argued that with his extravagant rhetoric, Medvedev is seeking to score political points with Putin and Russian military hawks. Trump and Medvedev have gotten into online spats before. On July 15, after Trump announced plans to supply Ukraine with more weapons via its NATO allies and threatened additional tariffs against Moscow, Medvedev posted, 'Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn't care.' Earlier this week, he wrote, 'Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10″ and added, 'He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.' Associated Press writer Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.
