Latest news with #Latvian
Euronews
an hour ago
- Business
- Euronews
Will EU fertiliser tariffs hit Russia's coffers?
Russia supplies 25% of the EU's nitrogen fertilisers, worth €1.3 billion each year, but from 1 July these will be subject to tariffs ranging from 6.5% this year to levels close to 100% by 2028. The tariffs will apply to products from Russia and its neighbouring ally Belarus, which has facilitated military action against Ukraine. In addition, 50% tariffs will be imposed on agri-food products from both countries, such as meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables. "There is a strong moral and strategic justification. Russia imposes a 23.5% export tax on fertilisers, which means that by buying these products, the EU is indirectly financing the war in Ukraine," said Euronews reporter Gerardo Fortuna, who's covered the topic. "There's also an environmental aspect, because the EU production of fertilisers has roughly half the carbon intensity of the Russian manufacturing of fertiliser. So, by importing this fertiliser from Russia, we also drive emissions," adds Fortuna. EU fertiliser producers are pleased with expectations of increased market share. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the sector has faced higher energy costs and has been unable to compete with cheaper Russian exports, leading to the closure of production facilities. "Our producers have already lost a lot because of Russia. There is at least three million tons of idle capacity, compared to the eight million tons that the EU exported to other countries," said Latvian MEP Inese Vaidere, from the centre-right EPP group, who steered the proposal through the Parliament. Farmers fear being squeezed Farmers fear having to spend more of their budget to purchase fertilisers as a result however. "There are some mitigation measures from the European Commission, but farmers don't consider them adequate to deal with the expected price increase," says Gerardo Fortuna. To reduce the risk of price spikes, the block could eliminate tariffs on other fertiliser suppliers to the EU, such as the US, Canada, Oman, Morocco and Algeria. "Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, around €500 billion has been spent to help farmers. The European Commission monitors monthly price fluctuations and will know what to do," said MEP Inese Vaidere. On the other hand, the bloc will not impose tariffs on Russian exports to third countries, as they are crucial for some developing countries, such as Vietnam and Bangladesh in Asia, and Kenya and Tanzania in Africa. Russia is the world's largest exporter of fertilisers, with its main markets being Brazil, India, the United States, China and Indonesia. Gas is an essential ingredient for fertiliser production, so the EU is indirectly trying to target this Russian asset as well. The EU justifies the measures on economic grounds, but also ethical imperatives, given the war in Ukraine. Watch the video here! Journalist: Isabel Marques da Silva Content production: Pilar Montero López Video production: Zacharia Vigneron Graphism: Loredana Dumitru Editorial coordination: Ana Lázaro Bosch and Jeremy Fleming-Jones
Boston Globe
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Tenor SeokJong Baek makes a stunning BSO debut in 'Tosca'
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up His phrasing in both of the character's big arias was supple and unforced, with no signs of strain, and his voice had a gorgeously gleaming resonant quality throughout the evening. Cavaradossi's big Act 2 moment, his extended cry of 'Vittoria, vittoria,' seared with raw defiance; triumphant while seemingly wavering on the edge of collapse. Baek also conveyed as much tender chemistry as the concert staging allowed with the Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais, the frequent BSO collaborator (and former wife of conductor Nelsons) who sang the title role. That the lovers ultimately meet tragic fates is no secret, but as they reached the apex of their act 3 duet, the ultimately futile plan to escape that of which they sang felt real enough to grasp, not simply a vain hope. Advertisement Baek is somewhat new to the tenor sphere, having originally trained as a baritone before transitioning to tenor during the height of the pandemic, when opera houses were closed. If he can consistently deliver performances of this quality and reliably follow through on his bookings, I predict full houses for him. Advertisement Baek's stunning performance was even more impressive given the two veterans with whom he shared star billing. Opolais performed the same role when the BSO did the opera's Act 2 in concert at Tanglewood in 2017, and she made a much stronger showing this time. She was unusually quiet in the first act, barely rising above the sound of the orchestra at some points, but she came back at full power for acts 2 and 3, limning 'Vissi d'arte' with silvery grace. Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel also returned from the 2017 Tanglewood cast; he has long counted Scarpia among his signature characters, and recently announced that he'd no longer be singing the role in staged performances of 'Tosca.' His voice is distinctly more weathered than it used to be, but Scarpia is maybe 90 percent acting, and those chops haven't gone anywhere. He didn't so much chew the scenery as devour it; sneering, leering, and purloining Tosca's scarf so he could conspicuously sniff it, he made for a power-drunk and easily detestable Scarpia. The supporting cast was also strong, from Neal Ferreira's brown-nosing Spoletta to Morris Robinson's puissant and panicked Angelotti and Patrick Carfizzi's pettily pious Sacristan. Extra special kudos is due to the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Vocal Program, who filled seemingly every square foot of stage for the 'Te Deum' at the close of Act 1, and demonstrated you don't need scenery to create a spectacle. Advertisement It's worth noting that the day before, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus also beautifully performed Rachmaninoff's contemplative, joyous 'All-Night Vigil' as a prelude concert to Sutton Foster and Kelli O'Hara's fabulous evening with the Boston Pops in the Shed, and Ozawa Hall and the lawn behind it were crowded with attentive listeners. Almost every Broadway baby was a choir kid at some point. Kelli O'Hara and Sutton Foster perform with the Boston Pops. Hilary Scott Sunday afternoon sweltered as piano diva Yuja Wang took the stage with Nelsons and the pre-professional ensemble Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra for Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2, and to the audience (and the rapt throng of young musicians), she delivered dynamite. Leading the student orchestra, Nelsons was visibly less free with his gestures than he is with the BSO, which seems to have mind-melded with him such that he can convey his intentions in ways opaque to outsiders. Wang is always a captivating performer, but there was something unusually elemental about her on Sunday afternoon; I spotted a few mouths on stage hanging open as she attacked the first movement's towering solo, her hands leaping through the score's twists and turns and attacking the keys with precise force. It was enough to drive all thoughts of the heat away. Not to leave without a parting encore, Wang threw down three before intermission; a Sibelius etude, a Schubert song, and a Horowitz 'Carmen' arrangement. In the second half, as the story behind Berlioz's fever dream 'Symphonie fantastique' took its dark turn in the third movement, staff fanned out across the lawn ordering everyone to shelter in the Shed; there had been lightning spotted nearby. The sun was still shining at that point, but twenty minutes later, the wind shrieked behind the bells of the Witches' Sabbath before a deafening boom of thunder ushered in the 'Dies Irae' chant and the sky cracked open, drenching the chairs and coolers left on the lawn. No one could leave until the weather emergency lifted, and the TMC Orchestra deservedly basked in a full house's worth of applause. Advertisement BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER ORCHESTRA Tanglewood, Lenox. A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Celtic ‘interested' in 57-goal ace, Rangers man ‘can leave', 39-cap Scotland star 'arrives'
The latest Scottish football transfer news on Friday evening - including the latest rumours surrounding Rangers, Celtic and the Scotland national team. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Here is the latest Scottish football transfer news and gossip on Friday evening, including the latest rumours surrounding Rangers, Celtic, the Scotland national team and more. Jerome Prior is set to sign a new contract at Livingston. Livingston given boost Newly promoted Livingston are set to be handed a big boost on their return to the Scottish Premiership by agreeing a new contract with in-demand goalkeeper Jerome Prior. The 29-year-old French stopper played a key role in the club's promotion back to the top flight last season, and had courted attention from FK RFS earlier in window. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Latvian outfit were understood to have had two bids for the stopper rejected, with Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph saying the offers from the Latvian champions 'fell well below' the club's valuation of the player. The club are now set to trigger a one-year extension, keeping him at the club for a further year. Motherwell head coach Jens Berthel Askou had completed his seventh signing of the summer at Fir Park. | SNS Group Motherwell agree deal Motherwell have confirmed their seventh signing of the summer with the arrival of Viborg winger Ibrahim Said. The Fir Park club's second signing in 48 hours, new head coach Jens Berthel Askou had agreed a deal to bring Birmingham City star Emmanuel Longelo to the club yesterday, and has now added Said for a reported fee of around £115,000. 'I am happy to be in the door,' explained Said. 'This move has been long in the making, and I'm excited about what the manager is trying to build here. There are good players in the squad, and I hope I can excite everyone who comes to watch us play.' Berthel Askou added: 'Ibrahim is a versatile winger who excels both in wide 1v1 situations and in tighter spaces within the opposition's structure. He has made a big impact at Viborg in the Danish Superliga over several strong seasons, and we're very excited to have him joining us at Motherwell. He will bring speed, dribbling ability, high-intensity pressing, and good finishing qualities to the team, and we're looking forward to getting him involved. Has Scott McKenna found his next club after departing Las Palmas earlier this summer? | SNS Group 39-cap Scotland ace 'arrives' at new club Scotland international centre-back Scott McKenna looks to have chosen his next club after leaving Spanish outfit Las Palmas, as per a new report. The 28-year-old former Nottingham Forest man joined La Liga outfit Las Palmas alongside fellow Scot Oli McBurnie last summer, but was unable to prevent the Spanish club from being relegated despite some strong early performances from the Gran Canaria-based outfit. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Loosely linked with a return to the Scottish Premiership as recently as last week, McKenna now appears to be closing in on a move to Dinamo Zagreb, with claiming he has 'arrived' in the Croatian capital. Dinamo head coach Zvonimir Boban is said to be in the market for a strong centre-back, and has identified McKenna as a player who can help plug a gap in his back four. The Scotland international is now 'expected' to sign a multi-year contract with Dinamo in the next few days. Jose Cifuentes could be see his contract terminated at Ibrox this summer. | SNS Group Rangers man 'can leave' Rangers will allow misfit midfielder Jose Cifuentes to leave the club on a free transfer this month just 24 months on from his £1.2million transfer from Los Angeles FC, according to reports in South America. The Ecuadorian international has endured a nightmare two-year spell at Ibrox after being signing by former head coach Michael Beale in the summer of 2023, playing just nine games, before being shipped out on loan to both Cruzeiro and, latterly, Aris Thessaloniki last season. The 26-year-old played regularly for Aris last season, however, the Greek Super League club opted against making his move permanent, meaning Cifuentes has arrived back in Glasgow this summer. He watched the club's 2-2 pre-season draw with Club Brugge last weekend from the Ibrox stands, but he is now expected to leave following a fresh report from Diario Expreso, which claims both the Gers and Cifuentes are considering to terminating the remaining two years on his contract in order to allow him to find a new club. Celtic have been credited with a surprise interest in former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. | AFP via Getty Images Celtic 'interested' in 57-goal striker Celtic have been credited with a surprise interest in former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is available on a free transfer after leaving the Toffees this summer. According to a report from CaughtOffside, the Scottish champions have joined Manchester United, clubs from the German Bundesliga, the MLS and Saudi Pro League in the race for the 28-year-old England international. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Business Insider
I moved from New York City to Raleigh 5 years ago. These 5 things have surprised me the most.
Growing up outside New York City, I often spent weekends in Manhattan, seeing Broadway shows or getting dinner. I knew how lucky I was to have the city at my fingertips. Although I temporarily moved to Boston for college, I knew I'd return to New York, and I couldn't imagine my adult life anywhere else. That New-York-or-nowhere confidence, however, lasted only five years. I loved the city's diverse offerings and endless entertainment, but I grew weary of the high prices, frigid winters, and hustle-or-bust work mentality. Once my now-husband and I adopted a dog and started talking about buying a house, the prospect of living somewhere cheaper and more spacious became very appealing. We'd previously visited Raleigh and been impressed by how much the fast-growing North Carolina city seemed to offer. So, in November 2020, we took the plunge and moved south. Nearly five years later, Raleigh has become our permanent home. Like other ex-New Yorkers we've met here, we fell in love with the city's many charms and opportunities — several of which took me by surprise. The food scene is diverse and high-quality. In New York, I loved having access to countless cuisines and trying new dishes. Since Raleigh is a smaller city, I was worried the food scene would disappoint me. Thankfully, that fear was unfounded. The restaurants here are so varied, with everything from Ethiopian to Latvian in my vicinity. The quality is excellent, too. I've had omakase in Durham better than any I've had up north, and for half the price. Even New York staples like pizza and Chinese food are great here — although the one thing Raleigh can't compete with is NYC bagels. I have easy access to four distinct cities. Raleigh is close to several other North Carolina cities, including Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, and Apex. I've been happily surprised by how easy it is to explore the area. Many cool spots in these cities are no further than a 20-minute drive away. I also like that each area has a unique vibe — Chapel Hill, for instance, is quiet and relaxed. Durham has a vibrant culture with tons of dive bars, live music, and a thriving LGBTQ+ scene. I feel like I actually get four unique cities in one, which reminds me a lot of exploring the different boroughs of New York. It's one of the most dog-friendly cities I've ever been. Back up north, it was fairly easy to take my dog around NYC and enjoy life with her by my side. So, I was surprised to find that Raleigh is even more pet-friendly. In addition to all the dog parks and hiking trails, it's hard to find a business here that doesn't welcome dogs inside. Even stores serving food and drinks regularly host dog-friendly days. Because snow days are so rare here, they're even more fun. That first Carolina winter, I reveled in the warmer temps and lack of slush on the ground. So, when I woke up to snow one day, I was at first bummed out — until I saw how fun a Raleigh snow day can be. Unlike in New York, where only a blizzard can cause everything to close, even just an inch of snow here can essentially shut down the whole city. Kids and adults alike can use it as a chance to spend the day enjoying themselves, whether that means sledding down their front lawns or inviting friends over for hot toddies. Speaking of which… Southern hospitality is very real — and so valued. Before the move, I'd heard about Southern hospitality but assumed the stereotype was exaggerated or faked. Like many New Yorkers who pride themselves on their self-sufficiency, I often assumed good deeds came with ulterior motives, which is why I was skeptical that people in North Carolina were truly that nice. I was proven wrong, though. When my husband and I moved into our house, multiple new neighbors came up to introduce themselves; some even brought flowers! Whenever we've been sick or in a tough situation, our neighbors rush to help us out with whatever we need. We were stunned at their kindness, and over time, it became clear that we didn't just get lucky with our neighborhood. The people I've met here are so friendly and truly look out for each other.
Politico
5 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Aspen's Euros cross their fingers about Trump and Ukraine
With help from Maggie Miller, Phelim Kine, Amy Mackinnon and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Eric Programming note: In light of the Aspen Security Forum, your favorite national security newsletter will hit your inbox a bit later this week to account for all the fun from Colorado. ASPEN, Colorado — President DONALD TRUMP's recent embrace of support for Ukraine is getting a cautiously optimistic reception from European officials at the Aspen Security Forum. And they're heaping on the praise in the seeming hope that he doesn't pivot again. On the mainstage and on the sidelines at the Rocky Mountain confab, European officials are lauding Trump for taking a much harder line on Russian leader VLADIMIR PUTIN. At the outset of the conference Tuesday, Latvian Foreign Minister BAIBA BRAŽE told the audience that 'it's great what President Trump has been doing with regard to coming to see that yes, Putin is just bluffing his way through and trying to delay any sort of decision-making in Washington or elsewhere.' That mood has continued throughout the gathering, as your hosts have talked to European officials over the last several days and successive panels have touched on Trump's about-face. 'He's come to the same conclusion as all of us, he's playing us,' one European official told our own Felicia Schwartz, referring to Trump's take on Putin. 'This is what all Ukrainians hope for,' said Ukrainian member of parliament HALYNA YANCHENKO during a panel Thursday. 'Putin does not understand the language of negotiations … he only understands force. So this is why I really keep my fingers crossed.' The U.S. is eyeing more support for Ukraine beyond Monday's deal to have Europe purchase U.S. weapons systems. Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY said today that Ukraine and the United States are working toward a deal that would enhance Kyiv's drone prowess. To be sure, even the optimists don't think what Trump's doing vis-à-vis Ukraine is earth-shattering. 'It's not that dramatic but it's good news,' the European official continued. Some Aspen attendees still think the president needs to do more right now to punish Moscow. In an interview Wednesday with Felicia, Braže said Trump shouldn't wait 50 days to impose harsh measures on Putin. Others are anxious to see more action by Trump before they fully believe the change in messaging. 'What matters is what you do, not what you say. So it's good that weapons are now being sent to Ukraine. That is crucial. But on others — I mean sanctions in 50 days and so forth — I will wait and see what happens,' said THORDIS KOLBRUN REYKFJORD GYLFADÓTTIR, Europe's envoy for the cause of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia amid the invasion. At the White House today, spokesperson KAROLINE LEAVITT stressed that Trump's 50-day deadline is here to stay. 'The president wants this war to end with a diplomatic solution. He has been pushing for it. This administration has spent many hours and a lot of time trying to solve this war very far away,' Leavitt said. 'But the president wants to stop the killing and he wants to save lives.' The Inbox DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: U.S. airstrikes against Iran last month mostly destroyed one of three nuclear enrichment sites that the Pentagon targeted, but the others were not as badly damaged and could resume work again in the coming months, according to a recent American assessment scooped by NBC News. The assessment, which NBC says was recently briefed to U.S. lawmakers, Pentagon officials and some American allies, appears to contradict Trump's own assessment that the Iranian nuclear program was 'completely obliterated' by the American strikes. Trump was reportedly briefed before the strikes on a plan designed by U.S. Central Command to hit more Iranian targets in a weekslong campaign but decided against it, given the possibility that it might bog down the Pentagon in an extended conflict. SHAKE UP AT UKRAINE HOUSE: OLHA STEFANISHYNA is set to be Ukraine's new ambassador to the U.S. as part of one of Zelenskyy's biggest government shakeups since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion more than three years ago. Stefanishyna will replace OKSANA MARKAROVA, who became controversial with Republicans following a visit by Zelenskyy to a Scranton munitions plant with Democratic candidates in 2024. Stefanishyna is seen as potentially more palatable to the Trump administration. It follows a major shakeup in Kyiv. YULIA SVYRYDENKO has become Ukraine's new prime minister. Meanwhile, MYKHAILO FEDOROV will become the first deputy prime minister instead of Svyrydenko and keep his role as digital transformation minister while Ukraine's trade representative and deputy economy minister TARAS KACHKA is set to become the new deputy prime minister on EU integration, Stefanishyna's old job. RUSTEM UMEROV, the former defense minister, is likely to be sent to the national security council in a role that will be announced on Friday. IT WASN'T ME: Remember that abrupt — and emphatic — Pentagon withdrawal from Aspen earlier this week? Don't blame Trump for it, the White House said. A White House official told our own Nahal Toosi that the White House did not direct any government agency to pull their speakers from the Aspen Security Forum taking place in Colorado this week. It's not an about-face from the administration, but it's a sign that the White House isn't going to defend Defense Secretary PETE HEGSETH on this one. The Pentagon chief appeared to celebrate the decision to withdraw DOD speakers on social media, and department spokesperson KINGSLEY WILSON slammed Aspen as 'promoting the evil of globalism.' 'At the [Pentagon] we are focused on WARFIGHTING,' Wilson posted on the social media site X this week as she touted the move. 'WE ARE NOT A THINK TANK.' Make sure to read the rest of Nahal's column outlining the vibes at Aspen. NETANYAHU'S MEA CULPA: Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU apologized after an Israeli strike hit Gaza's only Catholic Church this morning, following sharp international condemnation. The attacks killed two and injured several other people. The late POPE FRANCIS called the hundreds of parishioners who were sheltering in the church every night of the Gaza war, and the church became a symbol of the Vatican's opposition to the conflict. POPE LEO XIV condemned the attack. And joining him were two world leaders who have been reticent to criticize Netanyahu: Italian Prime Minister GIORGIA MELONI and Trump. Meloni, who has been a supporter of Netanyahu in the past but has recently become critical of military actions in the Gaza Strip, said that attacks against the region's civilians 'that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable.' 'No military action can justify such behavior,' Meloni wrote on the social media site X today. Asked about Trump's reaction to the incident, Leavitt said: 'It was not a positive reaction.' She added, 'It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic Church. That is what the prime minister relayed to the president.' The Israel Defense Forces said the incident is under review. IT'S THURSDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at ebazail@ and follow Eric on X @ebazaileimil. While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team on X and Bluesky at: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @ @PhelimKine, @ak_mack, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel Keystrokes START USING AI: Former government officials and private sector leaders used a panel at the Aspen forum today to call on the Trump administration to not only set policies around the use of artificial intelligence, but to start using it in day-to-day life so as not to counter national security risks from nations including China. As our own Maggie Miller writes in, KATRINA MULLIGAN, head of national security partnerships at OpenAI for Government, said on a panel that her company has found that China and nations in the developing world tend to trust AI-enabled technologies, such as OpenAI ChatGPT, far more than individuals in the U.S. and other Western countries. Mulligan warned this could mean the U.S. might lead on innovation, but be left behind on using it for national security purposes, something she said the government is having a 'hard time' realizing. 'It's not available at every workstation in the DOD for example, and we have to change it,' Mulligan said. 'The only way we're going to start seeing it bear fruit is getting that in the hands of users.' TARUN CHHABRA, head of national security policy at AI company Anthropic, warned that without faster adoption of AI by the federal government, 'we'll be in for some sort of strategic surprise, and that's the scenario we have to prevent.' The Complex PORT IN A STORM: The White House Office of Shipbuilding has found a new home port in the Office of Management and Budget under its powerful director RUSS VOUGHT, as Jack and Joe Gould reported this morning (for Pros!), just four months after Trump first announced it in a national address. The move to relocate the shipbuilding office under the remit of the powerful OMB chief comes after several staffers already left or reassigned amid a broader upheaval at the National Security Council. The office now faces the tricky task of restaffing, particularly after IAN BENNITT, who led the office, told Joe he has left the administration for the private sector. For his part, Bennitt told Joe that the budget office is 'the right place for this focus' since the Trump administration is now focused on implementing the April executive order to revamp U.S. commercial shipbuilding and spending the $43 billion to buy and build new vessels through the GOP megabill. But defense industry experts are urging the Navy to get moving, too. 'We — companies — need them to catch the pass from White House and move and buy stuff,' said Austin Gray, the co-founder and CSO of Blue Water Autonomy, a Boston-based builder of autonomous surface ships. 'We are excited about reform and innovation, but need consistent, clear demand for ships. Speeches only do so much. I've seen lots of good ideas and hard work behind the scenes and I'm hopeful.' On the Hill FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — DEMS KEEPING WATCH: House Foreign Affairs Committee members Reps. SARA JACOBS (D-Calif.), MADELEINE DEAN (D-Pa.) and JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-Texas) are introducing legislation to improve monitoring of U.S. weapons sent abroad to prevent war crimes or civilian harm, NatSec Daily has learned. It's unlikely the bill will become law, as Republicans have been loath to defy MAGA darling Hegseth, but it's a sign Democrats are trying to appeal to a growing section of voters concerned about the role of U.S.-made weapons in conflicts from Gaza to Sudan. The Pentagon has moved to shut down offices throughout the military designed to mitigate civilian harm from U.S. airstrikes. The Democrats' bill aims to create a monitoring program called 'Silver Shield' that would look into whether U.S. arms have been used in humanitarian or human rights violations. If passed, the law would also aim to explicitly prevent U.S. weapons sales to nations or military units that have committed rights violations. Broadsides FENTANYL FLIP OFF: The U.S.-China back-and-forth on Beijing's role in America's synthetic opioid overdose epidemic got testy (again) today. The Chinese government bridled in response to Trump's assertion on Wednesday that Beijing would soon start imposing the death penalty against Chinese citizens convicted of fentanyl trafficking to the U.S. That hit a raw nerve among Chinese government officials still smarting over Trump's imposition of a 10 percent levy on Chinese imports imposed in February as punishment for Beijing's alleged role in the fentanyl trade. 'We've repeatedly made it clear that fentanyl is the U.S.'s problem, not China's. It's the U.S.'s responsibility to solve the issue.' said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson LIN JIAN. The Trump administration has made reduction in China's exports of precursor chemicals that Mexican cartels process into fentanyl a key condition for a possible trade deal that Beijing hopes may reduce the current 55 percent tariff on Chinese products. The Chinese government took halting steps in that direction by tightening regulations last month on the production of two key precursor chemicals used to produce fentanyl. But Beijing continues to insist that the U.S. opioid overdose epidemic is a problem of domestic demand, not foreign supply. Transitions — Mach Industries named PAUL ARCANGELI, former House Armed Services Committee staff director, as senior vice president for government relations and strategy, and former White House National Security Council official IAN BENNITT — yes that Ian Bennitt from above — as vice president of government affairs. — Blue Water Autonomy hired the top three engineers off DARPA's unmanned ship program, including program leader RYAN MAATTA as its vice president of Marine engineering. Simultaneously, the firm opened a Washington, D.C., office in Navy Yard, where it plans to conduct remote demos of its ship-scale test vessel, where ALLAN CHILDERS and ANDREW VALLOWE are also joining from DARPA as members of the technical staff. — JACLYN KELLON is now a director on the global policy team at the Semiconductor Industry Association. She most recently was a foreign affairs officer in the Office of Critical Technology Protection at the State Department. — CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN is joining Morrison Foerster as a partner in its national security group. He most recently was a senior adviser at the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security. — GABRIEL SCHEINMANN is now Chief of staff to the U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco CHARLES KUSHNER. He was previously executive director of the Alexander Hamilton Society. What to Read — Pema Levy, Mother Jones: The State Department Guts Its Office Combating Human Trafficking — RAND: Building Taiwan's Resilience — Carter Malkasian and Zachary Constantino, Foreign Affairs: Nuclear Powers, Conventional Wars Tomorrow Today — Aspen Institute, 11 a.m.: 2025 Security Forum Thanks to our editors, Heidi Vogt and Ester Wells, who we always worry are playing us.
