State Department is firing over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan
The department is sending layoff notices to 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers with domestic assignments in the United States, said a senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters ahead of individual notices being sent to affected employees.
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The Hill
14 minutes ago
- The Hill
State Department halts Gaza visitor visas
The State Department on Saturday said it would halt Gaza visitor visas to the U.S. 'All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review of the process and procedures used to issue a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas in recent days,' the department wrote in a Saturday statement on the social media platform X. The Hill has reached out to the State Department for additional comment. The move comes a week after President Trump refrained from criticizing Israeli leaders' efforts to ramp up strikes and increase control in Gaza. 'I know that we are there now trying to get people fed. … As far as the rest of it, I really can't say. That's going to be pretty much up to Israel,' Trump told reporters in early August, committing to leading humanitarian aid efforts in the war-torn region. Several nations and human rights groups have said starvation is persistent among Gazans, urging countries and organizations to aid in food and resource distribution. In response to on the ground reports, Germany halted military exports to Israel, seeking to dismantle prior support for the use of force in the Gaza Strip. France, Canada and the United Kingdom also expressed concerns with Israeli operations and announced their intent to recognize Palestinian as an independent sovereign state. Seventy to 75 percent of Gaza is under Israeli control, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has denied reports about starvation. Netanyahu said the government's plans are to overtake parts of the Gaza Strip, which he said are under the control of Hamas. 'Israel's Cabinet, Israel's security Cabinet, instructed the IDF to dismantle the two remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the Central Camps,' he added, referring to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). 'Contrary to false claims, this is the best way to end the war, and the best way to end it speedily.' In Washington, leaders across the aisle have become increasingly critical of Israel and the situation in Gaza. 'We each have to continue to have an open heart about how we do this, how we do it effectively, and how we take action in time to make a difference, whether that is stopping the starvation and genocide and destruction of Gaza, or whether that means we are working together to stop the redistricting that is going on, taking away the vote from people in order to retain power,' House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) said during a Thursday event, referencing redistricting efforts across the country.
Forbes
16 minutes ago
- Forbes
Trump-Putin Meeting Details Were Left In A Hotel Printer In Alaska, Report Says
Several documents with U.S. State Department markings revealing undisclosed details about President Donald Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin were discovered in an Alaska hotel, NPR reported Saturday, including locations and meeting times of the summit and contact information for U.S. officials. One of the documents indicated Trump planned to give the Russian president an 'American Bald Eagle Desk Statue.' Getty Images Three guests at Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, Alaska, located near the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson where Putin and Trump convened, found eight pages that appeared to be produced by State Department officials in one of the hotel's public printers, NPR reported, citing images of the documents. The first page detailed the sequence of meetings between Russian and U.S. officials on Friday, including the names of rooms inside the Anchorage base, and that Trump planned to give Putin an 'American Bald Eagle Desk Statue.' Other pages featured the names and phone numbers of three U.S. government staff members, the names of U.S. and Russian state leaders and their phonetic pronunciations, while pages six and seven described how lunch—held in 'honor of his excellency Vladimir Putin'—would be served at the summit. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The first document indicated a joint press conference between Trump and Putin was scheduled to last for one hour between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. local time. The press conference concluded after roughly 12 minutes. What To Watch For Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he would meet with Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday, though specifics about the meeting have not been announced. Trump wrote on Truth Social another meeting would be scheduled with Putin 'if all works out' with Zelensky, who has requested involvement in peace talks. Trump said he was optimistic he and Putin were 'going to make a deal' during their Alaska summit. After their meeting, Trump said no peace deal was reached between Russia and Ukraine, suggesting he and Putin made 'headway' and 'great progress' in their discussions. Putin told reporters that Russia still held concerns in Ukraine that needed to be addressed before peace could be achieved. Trump previously said Russia would face 'economically severe' consequences if Putin failed to make progress toward a ceasefire agreement. Trump said Saturday a 'mere ceasefire agreement' was no longer the goal in peace talks, claiming it was 'determined by all' that the 'best way' to end Russia's war with Ukraine 'is to go directly to a peace agreement.' Some Ukrainian officials criticized Trump's shifting away from a ceasefire deal as siding with Putin's demands. Further Reading Forbes Trump Will Meet Zelensky In D.C. Monday After Alaska Meeting With Putin By Ty Roush
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Leading Hydrogen Producer May Abandon U.S. Projects Due to Trump's Actions
A Germany-headquartered company involved in the global hydrogen industry said it plans to abandon some of its projects in the U.S. due to actions from the Trump administration. Werner Ponikwar, chief executive of Thyssenkrupp Nucera, on August 13 said the company has been in discussions with stakeholders in its U.S. hydrogen projects and would cancel any that are no longer deemed viable due to tax and spending changes from the U.S. government. Ponikwar noted that global demand for green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy resources, has been curtailed as governments sort out what President Trump's policies, including elimination of tax credits for low-carbon energy sources, mean for the hydrogen industry. "We have sorted out all projects that have less chance of being realized due to the new framework conditions in the U.S.," Ponikwar said in a media call Wednesday after the company's earnings call with investors. Ponikwar noted that the administration's tax and spending rules are making it more difficult to develop clean energy projects in the U.S., particularly by phasing out renewable energy tax credits after 2026 if projects have not started construction. Ponikwar did say, though, that a revision in the deadline to year-end 2027 for projects to start construction could keep some U.S. projects in development, particularly those already in advanced stages. "We are convinced that the hydrogen electrolysis market continues to offer enormous potential," Ponikwar said. The executive said Thyssenkrupp Nucera will continue to be active in the U.S., though it will use resources "for other purposes" if hydrogen projects are canceled. Thyssenkrupp Nucera is the world's leading provider of electrolysis technology, the process used to produce hydrogen. The company said it has improved its revenue and profit year-over-year through the first nine months of its fiscal year, and is on track to achieve its financial targets for the full fiscal year. 'Thanks to its business model and strict cost management, Thyssenkrupp Nucera continues to generate positive free cash flow even in this difficult market for hydrogen solutions. This underscores our stable financial position," said Dr. Stefan Hahn, chief financial officer of Thyssenkrupp Nucera. The company in June of this year strengthened its strategic technology portfolio with the acquisition of a modular high-pressure electrolysis solution from Danish company Green Hydrogen Systems (GHS). The high-pressure electrolysis developed by GHS operates highly efficiently at up to 35 bar operating pressure, which is considered advantageous for certain industrial applications where hydrogen is required in compressed form. Thyssenkrupp Nucera previously has entered into a strategic collaboration with Germany's Fraunhofer IKTS on high-temperature electrolysis technology, known as SOEC. A pilot production plant for SOEC stacks was opened in Arnstadt, Germany, in May. "By further expanding our strategic technology portfolio, we at Thyssenkrupp Nucera are enabling hydrogen solutions with optimized levelized cost of hydrogen. This makes green hydrogen more attractive,' said Klaus Ohlig, the company's chief technology officer. Officials said Thyssenkrupp Nucera provided technology for about 1.5 GW of hydrogen production last year, with similar or better growth expected this year. "Europe is currently the most promising market. We are currently working on engineering orders totaling 1.5 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity," said Ponikwar. "This clearly shows that thyssenkrupp nucera's pipeline of green hydrogen projects is maturing and industrial projects are progressing. We are therefore looking ahead with confidence." Said Ponikwar: "Green hydrogen, a climate-friendly energy source, is and will remain the central pillar of the decarbonization strategies required by industry worldwide. The growth prospects for the hydrogen market remain intact, despite the challenges currently facing the global hydrogen market. With more than 60 years of experience in electrolysis technology, we at Thyssenkrupp Nucera have the necessary technological expertise." Ponikwar added, "although large-scale projects naturally have longer development times ... we remain one of the most sought-after partners on the market.' —Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
