Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says Aug. 1 date for EU tariffs is 'hard deadline'
July 21 (UPI) -- The United States appears firm on its slated tariff increase on the European Union following comments made by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over the weekend.
Lutnick told CBS News' Face the Nation the Aug. 1 deadline President Donald Trump has placed on the EU is a "hard deadline."
"So on Aug. 1, the new tariff rates will come in," he said. "Nothing stops countries from talking to us after August 1, but they're going to start paying the tariffs on Aug. 1."
If the United States does follow through, it would place a 30% baseline tariff on the EU at the deadline.
Trump has sent letters to several countries that warn increased tariffs between 20% and 50% will begin Aug. 1 unless new trade deals are achieved.
The EU was the United States largest trading partner last year, when the 27-country bloc traded over $975 billion worth of goods, more than with any single nation.
Lutnick also expressed doubt that tariffs could lead to inflation, that he thinks prices will be "low, shockingly low," and that "You're going to see inflation is not going to change."
The EU was set to enforce tariffs on U.S. goods earlier this month in retaliation for a 25% tariff imposed by Trump on all steel and aluminum imports, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced last week those levies have been paused until Aug. 1 to allow for more time to negotiate.
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Russia ramps up grinding summer offensive as Ukraine seeks US battlefield aid
LONDON -- Russia is ramping up a grinding summer offensive in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv appeals to President Donald Trump for more military aid and intensified pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin's latest push comes at a pivotal moment. Prevailing Ukraine-skepticism inside the Trump administration may be softening as White House frustration with the Kremlin grows -- but the president, who has in the past often acted in an unpredictable and transactional manner toward Ukraine, could still turn away from Kyiv. The European Union is still marshalling its vast industrial resources to help arm Ukraine, having already taken the lead in economic support for the war-weary nation. The bloc does not yet appear willing or able to shoulder the military burden so far mostly carried by the U.S. And at home, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's apparent efforts to weaken anti-corruption bodies sparked street protests, while the armed forces' persistent manpower strain is necessitating difficult conversations about widening conscription brackets and hardening responses to draft-dodging. Russia's now-routine huge drone and missile attacks on Ukraine's cities are also increasing the pressure. What began as a broad Russian push all along the 600-mile front in eastern and southern Ukraine now appears to be narrowing into three axes of attack -- in the northeastern Sumy region and in the eastern Donetsk Oblast cities of Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka, two important defensive hubs. "The Russians did not have a very clearly definable beginning for this summer campaign season," Pasi Paroinen, an analyst at the Finland-based Black Bird Group told ABC News. "They intensified their attacks pretty much almost all across the front line around May and towards June." "The Russians are probably starting to reach the point where they will start to pick up the pace of the offensive," Paroinen said. "Overall, it is likely that the trend is going to be worse and worse for the Ukrainians over the summer. I don't see the Russians running out of steam anytime soon." Donetsk cauldrons In Donetsk, Ukrainian troops are engaged in a familiar dance, slowly ceding territory while seeking to inflict maximum damage on attacking Russian units. The costs appear high for Moscow's forces, with the Ukrainian army claiming to be "eliminating" around 1,000 Russian troops per day. But the attacks keep coming. There is growing alarm over Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka, which are at risk of being surrounded in the coming months. Russia has been struggling to take Pokrovsk for more than a year, but recently has managed to advance on the city's flanks. This means Russian forces are increasingly threatening Ukraine's supply lines, in part by intensively targeting them with drones. Russia last week also claimed to have finally captured Chasiv Yar, an important heavily fortified town that Ukraine has used to choke Russia's offensive towards Kostyantynivka for over a year. Although most independent analysts say the Russian claim was premature, the Washington D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War assessed Russia will "likely complete the seizure of Chasiv Yar in the coming days." It will open up more opportunities for Russia to strangle Ukrainian forces in Kostyantynivka. Many analysts remain skeptical that the mauled and plodding Russian forces are capable of achieving a significant breakthrough. But some Ukrainian and independent military analysts worry that small but accumulating Russian advances could snowball into a bigger crisis for Ukraine's frontline, as manpower shortages continue to worsen. The advances may also help persuade Putin he is right to maintain the war and continue rebuffing ceasefire demands from Kyiv and Washington. Earlier in the summer, Russian forces attacking in small groups with light vehicles -- among them motorcycles -- scored significant success, allowing them to "mitigate the effects of the Ukrainian drones by launching a lot of simultaneous assaults," Paroinen said. But those Russian units are now largely spent, he added, with time needed to train and equip their replacements. "In general, the basic tactics are relying even more on the manpower advantage and using those small infantry attacks in combination with heavy usage of firepower," Paroinen said. Fighting back in Sumy In Sumy, at least, Ukrainian forces say they have largely stalled the Russian push. Maj. Oleh Shyriaiev -- the commander of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment fighting in Sumy -- told ABC News that Russian forces pushed between 9 and 13 miles into the northeastern border region in places, though said that forward momentum has largely been arrested. In recent weeks, the 225th has advanced, taking back the villages of Kindrativka and Andriivka. But the Russians are also still pushing, Shyriaiev said. "They are trying to move forward in small groups" towards the city of Sumy, Shyriaiev said, speaking to ABC News from close to the front line while visiting wounded members of his unit at a medical facility. "Their troops constantly get new replenishments and they are still trying with so-called 'meat assaults' to find a way to move forwards," he added of the enemy forces, using a common term in Ukrainian military parlance to refer to Russia's unsophisticated, high-casualty assault operations. The city of Sumy, which is around 15 miles from the current front line, is already under fire. "Sumy is under constant threat," Yuriy Boyechko, the founder and CEO of the Hope for Ukraine charity, told ABC News. "Russian drones terrorize the city daily," added Boyechko, whose teams have been evacuating local residents from areas close to the fighting. "The area is relentlessly bombarded by missiles and smaller drones continue to target civilians," he added. Russian forces in Sumy are striking along roads, through towns and woodlands, Shyriaiev said. The later summer weather may offer new opportunities for Moscow's troops, with secondary roads and other terrain dried out and offering new avenues of assault. Among the Russian units in Sumy are some of the most celebrated within Russia -- and among the most reviled in Ukraine due to their alleged involvement in a litany of war crimes. The 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade, 40th Separate Guards Naval Infantry Brigade and 76th Guards Air Assault Division are all in the fight, Shyriaiev said, though added that even Russia's elite units are relying on "meat assaults." "All the advances that they were able to achieve were done at the cost of using a lot of infantry," the commander said. "Against every one fighter of the defense forces of Ukraine, they are putting up 10 people on the Russian side." Paroinen suggested Russian forces are thin on armor. "The Russians have been using fewer and fewer heavy vehicles like tanks and infantry fighting vehicles," he said. "In Sumy, for example, they have been almost completely absent." Perhaps the most punishing aspect of the Russian offensive is its use of so-called "glide bombs," munitions dropped by jets from as far as 25 miles from the front line, making it difficult for ground-based anti-air weapons to stop them. Glide bombs have been a constant danger to Ukrainians holding positions along the front, but recent months have seen the Russian air force significantly increase their use. "They really are just methodically pounding every Ukrainian position, using five to 10 glide bombs just to destroy one treeline," Paroinen said. "The accuracy of these weapons is enough to effectively dismantle the defenses." Addressing the glide bomb problem could prove "really important" for Ukrainian defenders, he added. Shyriaiev concurred, saying glide bombs are making operations "very difficult" in Sumy. "Every time our regiment has any type of success, the Russians are using glide bombs against them. They consider it worthwhile to use a glide bomb when they see a group even as small as four to five servicemen," he said. "When we were liberating Andriivka and Kindrativka, they were using 30 to 50 glide bombs in a 24-hour period," Shyriaiev recalled. American arms Throughout Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces have sought to address Russia's manpower advantage through technological superiority -- both by adopting Western-produced arms and innovating new weapons, prime among them first-person view drones. President Donald Trump's return to office has thrown the continuation of American military aid into doubt. Still, Putin's relentless long-range strikes and frontline offensives have prompted Trump to promise new weapons for Ukraine -- much to the relief of Kyiv. American weapons are still making a real difference at the front, Shyriaiev said. "All of the successful actions that we have, all of this success in liberating our territory that we have been able to achieve, have been accomplished with the help of American weapons," he explained. HIMARS missiles, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Claymore mines, grenades and 5.56 mm-caliber American assault rifles are particularly valued by the 225th, he said. Alexei Baranovsky, a military journalist and a veteran of the pro-Ukraine Freedom of Russia Legion, told ABC News that long-range defensive and offensive weapons could help shift the battle in Kyiv's favor. "We need air defense systems -- Patriots -- to protect our cities from missile and drone strikes," he said. "Second, long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory at military facilities," Baranovsky added, suggesting the American-made Tomahawk cruise missile would be top of Ukraine's shopping list. Soldiers at the front are hoping Trump's frustration with the Kremlin boils over into a sustained policy pivot in supporting Kyiv's war effort, Shyriaiev said. In July, the president set a 50-day ultimatum for Putin to accept a ceasefire or risk new U.S. economic measures. Trump then shortened the window to "10 to 12 days," citing "disappointment" at Russia's continued attacks. "Fifty days is nowhere near enough for Putin to make any meaningful advances or have any type of spectacular success in the Sumy, Kharkiv and Donetsk directions, which is where the main thrusts of his offensive are happening," Shyriaiev said. "I am sure that we will be victorious -- and we will be victorious with the help of the United States," Shyriaiev added. Nonetheless, Ukraine is suffering from severe manpower strain. Discussions continue in Kyiv about broadening conscription brackets in a bid to fill the ranks, a divisive and politically sensitive subject. "People are exhausted, there's no disputing that," Shyriaiev said. "But we would like to finish this war so that our children won't have to fight it again later." As to the swathes of Ukraine already lost to the invading Russian troops, the commander acknowledged it will be a "difficult" and "long process" to reclaim it. "For that, we need long-range weapons so that we would be able to strike the enemy's logistic pathways, their military industry centers, their oil processing industry and all of the places where their army is amassing," he said. "Plus, of course, we need the intelligence help from the United States."
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Interior Department allows Rosebud strip mine to reopen in Montana
1 of 2 | President Donald Trump displays a signed executive order during a ceremony with Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (from left), Doug Burgum, secretary of the Interior; Chris Wright, Energy secretary; and Will Scharf, White House staff secretary on April 8. Trump is moving to expand the mining and use of coal inside the United States to revive a declining fossil fuel industry. File Photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo Aug. 5 (UPI) -- The Department of the Interior announced Tuesday it has approved a mining plan modification for the Rosebud Mine in Montana. The decision for the 25,000-acre strip mine in Rosebud and Treasure counties allows the recovery of about 33.75 million tons of federal coal and extends the mine's operation through 2039. It marks the second-largest federal coal mine expansion approved since the beginning of the second President Donald Trump administration, a press release said. The approval from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement "ensures more than 300 high-paying jobs and strengthens Montana's economy, while advancing the Trump administration's commitment to American Energy Dominance," the release states. Coal from the Rosebud Mine powers the Colstrip and Rosebud power plants, which together can generate more than 1,500 megawatts of electricity. This energy helps deliver "affordable and reliable" power to American families and businesses across the region, the administration said. The projected annual royalties to be paid to the federal government are more than $9 million. "This administration is focused on unleashing American energy, creating good-paying jobs and restoring economic certainty for our communities," said Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Adam Suess. "By responsibly developing our domestic coal resources, we're reducing reliance on foreign energy, strengthening national security and powering America's future." The Rosebud Mine has a contentious history with Montana, environmental issues and the courts. In Nov. 2023, the Sierra Club announced it had won an important victory against Montana in its monitoring of the Rosebud strip mine. The court agreed with Sierra that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality failed to protect water quality from an expansion of the Area B permit area of the Rosebud coal strip mine near Colstrip, Mont., one of the largest coal strip mines in the nation. The court's order vacated the mining permit, finding that Montana's laws governing strip mining ban DEQ from allowing strip mining if a company can't assure that water resources will be protected. "All too often, the state agency that is charged with protecting water quality chooses to protect a mining company that has been polluting area waters for decades," said Anne Hedges, director of policy for the Montana Environmental Information Center, in a statement in 2023. "High levels of salts in water are harmful to agriculture and the environment. DEQ allowed a substantial increase in salt levels over an absurdly long length of time in a water body that is already overloaded with salts. This decision creates an opportunity to move in a new direction that protects water quality and everything that depends on clean water downstream of this mine. Now is the time to adjust course and put Montana waters first." The Rosebud Mine was then the sixth largest source of greenhouse emissions in the United States. Trump has touted "clean coal" and bringing coal mining back from laws imposed by environmentalists. The environmental group Green America maintains that "clean coal" is a myth. "While some policymakers support 'clean coal,' coal can never be clean. It is harmful to both people and the planet," Green America said in a website statement. "Coal combustion releases the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) during combustion." The Biden administration's Energy Department announced in October 2024 a $428 million investment in clean energy projects in coal communties as it sought a transition to clean energy. Biden's Interior Department in March of 2021 also made more than $260 million available for coal communities struggling with falling demand for coal. Coal fired power plants cause environmental pollution in air and ground water that led the Environmental Protection Agency in April 2024 to finalize new rules to reduce that pollution. Ignoring climate change science, Trump is doing the opposite, loosening coal mining restrictions.
Yahoo
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Young people comprise only 10% of Germany's population
Young people comprise only 10% of Germany's population, the Federal Statistical Office said in figures released on Tuesday. Around 8.3 million people in Germany were aged between 15 and 24 at the end of 2024. This proportion - a historic low - has remained unchanged since the end of 2021. The fact that it has not fallen any further since then but has stabilized is mainly due to the immigration to Germany of predominantly young people following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Without immigration, the proportion of young people in the overall German population would be even lower, or just 8.6%, the statisticians said. The proportion of young people was particularly high at 20.7% among descendants of immigrants, that is people who were born in Germany and whose parents both immigrated. Regional differences According to the Federal Statistical Office, there are also strong regional differences: the city states of Bremen (11.1%) and Hamburg (10.5%) and the south-western state of Baden-Württemberg (10.5%) had the highest proportion of 15 to 24-year-olds at the end of 2024. The lowest proportion of young people live in the former East German states of Brandenburg (8.7%), followed by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt (8.9% each). Germany below average in EU comparison According to the EU statistics authority Eurostat, there were proportionately fewer young people living in Germany (10%) at the beginning of 2024 than the average of all 27 EU member states (10.7%). Across the EU, the highest proportion of 15 to 24-year-olds was in Ireland (12.6%), ahead of the Netherlands (12.3%) and Denmark (12.2%). The lowest proportion of young people within the EU was recorded in Bulgaria (9.2%) and Lithuania (9.5%). Solve the daily Crossword
