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NBC News
2 minutes ago
- NBC News
Trump strikes a deal with the E.U., and a bipartisan duo wants the Epstein files: Weekend Rundown
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a trade agreement with the European Union that would set tariffs at 15%, ending what had been months of uncertainty surrounding trade with the United States' largest trade partner. The tariff rate is a reduction from the 30% that Trump threatened on July 12 and the 20% he said he would impose on April 2. Announcing the agreement, Trump said the E.U. will not impose a tariff on U.S. imports. He added this agreement was 'satisfactory to both sides.' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday alongside Trump that the pact 'will bring stability. It will bring predictability. That's very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.' However, Trump said 50% tariffs on steel would remain unchanged and more tariffs could still be on the way for pharmaceutical products, which Ireland is one of the top sources of. Trump recently threatened 200% tariffs on pharma goods. 'Meet the Press' Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who are working together to push the Trump administration to release federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein, disagreed over whether Trump should pardon Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Massie told NBC News' 'Meet the Press' during a joint interview with Khanna that 'whatever they need to do to compel [Maxwell's] testimony, as long as it's truthful, I would be in favor of.' Khanna, on the other hand, said, 'No, I don't' believe that Maxwell should be pardoned or have her sentence commuted and that he is 'concerned' that she met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last week. 'Look, I agree with Congressman Massie that she should testify, but she's been indicted twice on perjury. This is why we need the files,' Khanna added. In a separate interview, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he would defer to the president on whether Maxwell should be pardoned, telling moderator Kristen Welker, 'That's not my lane.' Johnson later added, 'If you're asking my opinion, I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least. I mean, think of all these unspeakable crimes, and as you noted earlier, probably 1,000 victims. I mean, you know, this, this is, it's, it's hard to put into words how evil this was.' Politics in brief Close to home: Democrats are planning to make Rep. David Valadao's support for Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' — and his vote for Medicaid cuts — a focal point of their campaign in a key midterm race. Charting old territory: As Texas Republicans plow ahead with a plan to redraw congressional maps ahead of schedule, many governors are increasingly grappling with the issue sooner than expected. First up: The Democratic Party shook up its presidential primary schedule in 2024, placing South Carolina out in front. State leaders want to keep it that way in 2028. More South Carolina: Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the Freedom Caucus, announced he is running for governor, looking to succeed GOP Gov. Henry McMaster. As Israel announces a 'tactical pause' in fighting, Sen. Lindsey Graham says there's no way to negotiate with Hamas Israel announced it was pausing fighting in some areas of the Gaza Strip to facilitate aid delivery after international outrage swelled in recent days over surging deaths by malnutrition and widespread starvation caused by Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid. The announcement issued by the Israel Defense Forces said it would be implementing 'humanitarian corridors' for the safe movement of United Nations aid trucks and 'humanitarian pauses' in some of Gaza's most densely populated areas. Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in an interview on NBC News' 'Meet the Press' that he believes there is no way for Israel to safely negotiate an end to the war with Hamas and that Israel would take over Gaza, comparing the move to U.S. actions at the end of World War II. 'They're going to do in Gaza what we did in Tokyo and Berlin, take the place by force and start over again, presenting a better future for the Palestinians, hopefully having the Arabs take over the West Bank and Gaza,' he later added. How armed gangs are hunting the internet's high rollers As the price of bitcoin rises, criminals are increasingly reaching beyond cyberspace, with a growing number of real-life kidnappings aiming to empty people's crypto wallets. Crypto-related abductions increased every year since 2019, an NBC News analysis found, with a review of news reports and legal documents identifying 67 incidents of crypto kidnapping in 44 countries involving a target or their family member. Muhammad Arsalan, a 23-year-old crypto influencer from Pakistan, was forced to surrender $340,000 worth of tether when he was kidnapped and held at gunpoint in December. 'I had no options left. This is my whole life savings. This is all my life's money,' Arsalan said. Food manufacturers across the U.S., big and small, are facing hurdles as they seek to phase out synthetic food dyes. Kraft Heinz, Nestle, General Mills and major ice cream makers have all recently vowed to shift to natural coloring amid the Trump administration's push to eliminate artificial dyes from the country's food supply, as well as a broader movement by states to ban them because of safety concerns. The transition presents challenges for food companies in developing reliable, cost-effective natural dyes, which are generally more expensive and difficult to make, requiring higher concentrations to achieve the same hue. The shift has also raised questions about the long-term impact of natural dyes on consumers' health. The Texas-based Atkinson Candy Company, which makes the Chick-O-Stick candy bar, is among smaller manufacturers struggling to maintain a distinctive hue while phasing out synthetic food dyes. 'They say in the industry that taste is king, but color is queen,' CEO Eric Atkinson explained. 'The queen is very important.' Notable quote The former senior CIA officer who helped oversee the intelligence assessment on Russia's interference in the 2016 election told NBC News that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the White House are 'lying' when they claim that it was an attempt to sabotage Trump. In case you missed it Michigan officials are seeking a terrorism charge in addition to 11 counts of assault with intent to murder against a man who allegedly stabbed nearly a dozen people at a Walmart in what they described as a seemingly random attack. The Illinois man who was sentenced to 53 years in prison for the murder of a young Palestinian American boy in a 2023 hate crime died in prison, authorities said. Four adults were arrested after being accused of abusing nine children in their home by caging them with plywood under a bunk bed and spraying them in the face with vinegar as a form of punishment, Florida officials said. Beyoncé reunited Destiny's Child for the final 'Cowboy Carter' tour date, with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams appearing onstage in Las Vegas. Thailand and Cambodia on Sunday an end to a deadly border dispute following mediation efforts by Trump, who has pressed for ceasefire talks. back-to-back Women's European Championships.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Democrats hear some criticism as redistricting talk picks up
Outside groups are raising concerns that Democrats risk violating the Voting Rights Act with redistricting plans, creating a new problem for the party as it seeks to answer GOP efforts to redistrict its way to more power. Democrats say they have to take action to draw new House districts in states they control in response to power plays by a Trump-driven GOP in Texas and other states. But the tit-for-tat has left groups leaving the door open to litigation. They also are making a moral case, arguing Democrats are thwarting the democratic process. 'This is dead wrong from a democracy perspective, I think it's very problematic for Democrats from a political strategic perspective,' explained Dan Vicuna, director of voting and fair representation at Common Cause. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is the only Democratic governor so far to signal he's considering several ways to counter the GOP's efforts in Texas. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Newsom said any move by California 'is predicated on Texas moving forward' with its own redistricting plan, which some have seen as a way for the Lone Star State to make it more likely to hold on to five House seats. Several other Democratic governors, including Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York, Phil Murphy of New Jersey and JB Pritzker of Illinois have left the door open to possibly changing their maps. The GOP may also not be done. The White House is reportedly pushing Missouri to consider redrawing its map. Civil rights and voting groups are worried actions by both parties could undermine or weaken the political power of historically marginalized minority communities. The issue is a thorny one for Democrats, who have positioned themselves as the prodemocracy party and championed racial justice initiatives. At the same time, Democratic states just like Republican states have been sued by civil rights groups over Voting Rights Act violations. Both Democrats and Republicans have also been found guilty of creating gerrymandered maps. 'We have sued both Democrats and Republicans on these issues,' said Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. 'So yes, we are concerned that when leaders of either party seek to take maximum advantage, partisan advantage of redistricting, they often neglect, if not ignore, the imperatives of the Voting Rights Act with respect to reliably Democratic voting groups.' Some groups are also frustrated given efforts by blue states to move beyond gerrymandering. 'Independent commissions like the gold standard in California were created specifically to avoid what's being considered here, which is voting maps drawn for the sole purpose of protecting incumbent politicians and political party interests to the exclusion of community needs and community feedback,' Vicuna said. California Common Cause was intimately involved in the creation of California's independent commission. It could be difficult for some Democratic-held states to answer Texas. Several would likely need to change their state constitution and work around their respective redistricting commissions. Should the Lone Star State craft new House lines, John Bisognano, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and its affiliates, in a statement said they would be met 'with a wall of resistance and a wave of legal challenges.' His statement did not address Democratic-led states mulling their own midcycle redistricting. Democrats argue that if Republicans are headed down that road, nothing should be off the table for them as well. 'Republicans should be careful what they ask for,' Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), chair of the House Democrats' campaign arm, told The Hill in a statement. 'And if they go down this path? Absolutely folks are going to respond across the country. We're not going to be sitting back with one hand tied behind our back while Republicans try to undermine the voices of the American people.' Democrats are also leaning into the issue of democracy, saying the longevity of the country is at stake if the party does not respond. Newsom painted the situation in grim terms, saying on Friday, 'I believe that the people of the state of California understand what's at stake. If we don't put a stake into the heart of this administration, there may not be an election in 2028.' 'We can sit back and act as if we have some moral superiority and watch this 249, almost 250-year experiment be washed away,' Newsom said. 'We are not going to allow that to happen. We have agency, we can shape the future.' Civil rights and voting-focused groups, however, are concerned about the ramifications midcycle redistricting could have moving forward, including the possibility of what was once considered a decennial process after each U.S. census turning into a cyclical issue. 'One of the concerns that we have is, even if blue states have power and have a majority in their legislature to redraw maps, our concern is that this could set a bad precedent, because those states could, at the same time, flip in the future,' said Jose Barrera Novoa, vice president of the far west for the League of United Latin American Citizens. 'And the same thing is going to happen where … other parties are going to look to redraw the map midcycle or even quarterly. Who knows?' he asked. 'It's all hypothetical, yet it's still very possible.' Not only could a potential redistricting tit-for-tat raise questions over whether this could be repeated in the future, experts also worry about the financial toll it could take on their resources and voters themselves. 'These are judges managing these cases, hearing these cases. Many of these people are paid out by state funds, and federal cases, of course, are also paid by voters directly,' explained Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters, noting cases that use taxpayer funds. 'Do we really want to spend this time doing this highly unusual activity when we're all going to have to pay for it?'
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
It's a year of rapid change, except when it comes to Trump's approval numbers, AP-NORC polling finds
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Advertisement But even those shifts are within a relatively narrow range, which is typical for Trump. Advertisement Those long-term trends underscore that Trump has many steadfast opponents. But loyal supporters also help explain why views of the president are hard to change even as he pursues policies that most Americans do not support, using an approach that many find abrasive. Trump has not had a traditional honeymoon period in his second term. He did not in his first, either. The recent slippage on immigration is particularly significant because that issue was a major strength for Trump in the 2024 election. Earlier in his second term, it was also one of the few areas where he was outperforming his overall approval. In March, about half of US adults approved of his handling of immigration. But the July AP-NORC poll found his approval on immigration at 43 percent, in line with his overall approval rating. Other recent polls show growing discontent with Trump's approach to immigration. Advertisement 'I understand wanting to get rid of illegal immigrants, but the way that's being done is very aggressive,' said Donovan Baldwin, 18, of Asheboro, N.C., who did not vote in the 2024 election. 'And that's why people are protesting because it comes off as aggression. It's not right.' Ratings of Trump's handling of the economy, which were more positive during his first term, have been persistently negative in his second term. The July poll found that few Americans think Trump's policies have benefited them so far. Even if he is not a fan of everything Trump has done so far, Brian Nichols, 58, of Albuquerque, is giving him the benefit of the doubt. Nichols, who voted for Trump in 2024, likes what he is seeing from the president overall, though he has his concerns both on style and substance, particularly Trump's social media presence and his on-again, off-again tariffs. Nichols also does not like the push to eliminate federal agencies such as the Education Department. Despite his occasional disagreements with Trump, though, Nichols said he wants to give the president space to do his job, and he trusts the House and Senate, now run by Republicans, to act as a safeguard. 'We put him into office for a reason, and we should be trusting that he's doing the job for the best of America,' Nichols said. Trump has spent the past six months pushing far-reaching and often unpopular policies. Earlier this year, Americans were bracing themselves for higher prices as a result of his approach to tariffs. The July poll found that most people think Trump's tax and spending bill will benefit the wealthy, while few think it will pay dividends for the middle class or people like them. Advertisement Discomfort with individual policies may not translate into wholesale changes in views of Trump, though. Those have largely been constant through years of turmoil, with his favorability rating staying within a 10-percentage-point range through the COVID-19 pandemic, a felony conviction, and attempted assassination. To some of his supporters, the benefits of his presidency far outweigh the costs. Kim Schultz, 62, of Springhill, Fla., said she is thrilled with just about everything Trump is doing as president, particularly his aggressive moves to deport anyone living in the country illegally. Even if Trump's tariffs eventually take effect and push prices up, she said she will not be alarmed. 'I've always had the opinion that if the tariffs are going to cost me a little bit more here and there, I don't have a problem with that,' she said. Across the country, Hildenbrand dislikes Trump's personality and his penchant for insults, including those directed at foreign leaders. But he thinks Trump is making things happen. 'More or less, to me, he's showing that he's on the right track,' he said. 'I'm not in favor of Trump's personality, but I am in favor of what he's getting done.'
