President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered his assurances that U.S. troops would not be sent to Ukraine to defend against Russia, after seeming to leave open the possibility the day before. Trump also said in a morning TV interview that Ukraine\u2019s hopes of joining NATO and regaining the Crimean Peninsula are \u201cimpossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Details of the security guarantees and Trump\u2019s efforts to arrange peace talks continue to evolve after the U.S. president, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders held hours of talks at the White House aimed at ending Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n
European leaders said they want U.S. support for \u201crobust security guarantees,\u201d including the \u201cdeployment of a reassurance force\u201d as Trump pursues his campaign promise to end the grinding war.<\/p>\n
Here’s the latest:<\/p>\n
Justice Department probing whether DC police falsified crime data <\/p>\n
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether police officials in Washington, D.C., have falsified crime data, according to a person familiar with the probe who wasn\u2019t authorized to publicly discuss an open investigation.<\/p>\n
The investigation comes amid an escalating \u2014 and political \u2014 showdown between the Trump administration and the city over control of the police department. It wasn\u2019t immediately clear what federal laws could have been violated by the possible manipulation of crime data.<\/p>\n
The mayor\u2019s office declined to comment on the matter.<\/p>\n
The New York Times was first to report on the investigation. Earlier this year, a Metropolitan Police Department commander suspected of manipulating crime data was placed on paid administrative leave, NBC Washington reported.<\/p>\n
The IRS fired probationary workers without following protocol, says IRS Inspector General <\/p>\n
The IRS fired more than 7,000 probationary employees earlier this year without following internal procedures and failed to consider the workers\u2019 individual performance, despite firing them for bad performance reviews, a new report states.<\/p>\n
The report was released by the IRS\u2019 Inspector General, Tuesday. It does not contain recommendations and is informational only.<\/p>\n
Treasury\u2019s Inspector General for Tax Administration states that several senior IRS officials raised concerns to the IRS\u2019 inspector general that probationary employees did not have documented performance issues and were falsely terminated for bad performance.<\/p>\n
The report states that many workers never had a performance review since they had only been recently hired. And of the 3,599 probationary employees who received a performance rating,3,251 (or 90 percent) had a fully successful rating on their evaluation and 305 (8 percent) had an outstanding rating.<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s afterlife aspirations may be helping to drive his calculations on Ukraine <\/p>\n
Leavitt says she doesn\u2019t think Trump was joking when he suggested during a Fox News Channel interview that he was helping to seek peace between Russia and Ukraine, at least in part, because he wanted to go to heaven.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the president was serious,\u201d the press secretary said.<\/p>\n
She then added, to a smattering of laughter from reporters in the White House briefing room, \u201cI think the president wants to get to heaven, as I hope we all do in this room as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
White House: Commerce working on Intel deal <\/p>\n
The White House said Tuesday that the administration is working on a deal that would have the U.S. take a 10% stake in the computer chip maker Intel.<\/p>\n
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Commerce Department, led by Secretary Howard Lutnick, is working on it and \u201cironing out the details.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe president wants to put America\u2019s needs first, both from a national security and economic perspective,\u201d Leavitt said Tuesday. \u201cIt\u2019s a creative idea that has never been done before to ensure that we\u2019re both reshoring these critical supply chains, while also gaining something of it for the American taxpayer.\u201d<\/p>\n
White House says Putin promised Trump he\u2019d have a direct meeting with Zelenskyy <\/p>\n
The Kremlin has not yet said whether Putin has signed off on Trump\u2019s push to arrange direct talks between the Russian leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.<\/p>\n
But asked Tuesday\u2019s whether Putin has promised Trump that he\u2019ll meet directly with the Ukrainian leader, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded affirmatively.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has,\u201d Leavitt said of Putin.<\/p>\n
Trump early on Monday during talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders said that he was pressing for three-way talks among Zelenskyy, Putin and himself. But after speaking to Putin later in the day, Trump said that he was arranging first for a face-to-face between Zelenskyy and Putin and that three-way talks would follow if necessary.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an idea that evolved in the course of the president\u2019s conversations with both President Putin, President Zelensky and the European leaders yesterday,\u201d Leavitt explained.<\/p>\n
Top UN official welcomes US peace efforts on Russia-Ukraine, says talks should remain \u2018inclusive\u2019 <\/p>\n
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said Tuesday that his boss \u201cvery much welcomes\u201d President Donald Trump\u2019s focus \u201con achieving a peaceful settlement in Ukraine\u201d through the summits held in the last week. But he indicated that its crucial Ukraine remains at the table for any future negotiation.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor him, it\u2019s very important that all involved continue to stay actively engaged and we want to an inclusive dialogue to sustain the important momentum that was created to bring an immediate ceasefire and sustainable peace,\u201d Dujarric said.<\/p>\n
He added that the U.N. stands ready to provide any peacekeeping efforts as part of the security guarantees that are being discussed.<\/p>\n
Pediatricians: \u2018We need to make the right choices for children\u2019 <\/p>\n
The AAP is strongly recommending COVID-19 shots for children ages 6 months to 2 years. This age group is at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and it\u2019s important that recommendations continue to emphasize the need for them to get vaccinated, said Dr. James Campbell, vice chair of the AAP infectious diseases committee.<\/p>\n
Shots also are advised for older children if parents want their kids vaccinated, and are recommended for older children whose chronic lung diseases or other conditions put them at higher risk for severe disease, the AAP said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is going to be somewhat confusing. But our opinion is we need to make the right choices for children to protect them,\u201d Campbell said.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon said \u201cthe AAP is undermining national immunization policymaking with baseless political attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Read more about the differing recommendations on vaccines<\/p>\n
US pediatricians\u2019 new COVID-19 shot recommendations differ from CDC advice <\/p>\n
For the first time in 30 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics is substantially diverging from U.S. government vaccine recommendations.<\/p>\n
The group\u2019s new COVID-19 recommendations \u2014 released Tuesday \u2014 come amid a tumultuous year for public health, as vaccine skeptics have come into power in the new Trump administration and government guidance has become increasingly confusing.<\/p>\n
The AAP is strongly recommending COVID-19 shots for children ages 6 months to 2 years. Shots also are advised for older children if parents want their kids vaccinated, the AAP said.<\/p>\n
That differs from guidance established under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which doesn\u2019t recommend the shots for healthy children of any age but says kids may get the shots in consultation with physicians.<\/p>\n
Trump is trying to avoid a congressional check on his power <\/p>\n
Both Trump and the Democrats are looking ahead to 2026 knowing that the next midterm elections often go against the president\u2019s party, as they did during Trump\u2019s first term in 2018. Republicans currently have a seven-seat majority in the 435-member House.<\/p>\n
State legislatures draw the lines after each U.S. census in most states \u2014 including Texas \u2014 and only a few dozen House districts are competitive.<\/p>\n
In Texas, Republicans hold 25 of 38 seats, and they\u2019re trying to increase that to 30. In California, Democrats have 43 of the 52 seats, and they\u2019re trying to boost that to 48, to wipe out the advantage the GOP would gain from redrawing lines in Texas.<\/p>\n
Texas Democrat spends night in Legislature protesting police shadowing in redistricting battle <\/p>\n
Republicans are hoping to prevent more quorum delays as they redraw the U.S. House maps to give Trump five more seats, so they\u2019ve required Democratic legislators to agree to around-the-clock surveillance before they leave the floor.<\/p>\n
Rep. Nicole Collier, of Fort Worth, said she spent the night in the chamber rather than sign away her dignity and allow Republicans to \u201ccontrol my movements and monitor me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know these maps will harm my constituents,\u201d her statement said. \u201cI won\u2019t just go along quietly with their intimidation or their discrimination.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Department of Public Safety didn\u2019t immediately respond Tuesday to a message seeking comment.<\/p>\n
The Democrats\u2019 return to Texas puts the Republican-run Legislature in position to satisfy Trump\u2019s demands. If they do, California Democrats are preparing to retaliate by asking voters to approve their own new congressional boundaries.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Read more about redistricting battles<\/p>\n
It\u2019s gratitude diplomacy: Showering Trump with thanks <\/p>\n
World leaders understand that flattery is the way to winning over the unpredictable Trump, having taken their cue from Zelenskyy \u2019s disastrous White House scolding six months ago.<\/p>\n
With peace talks on the table, Zelenskyy thanked Trump and others nine times in the first minute of their initial public meeting at the White House on Monday. Appearing later with top leaders from Europe, Zelenskyy expressed his thanks at least seven more times, twice for a map Trump had presented him.<\/p>\n
He was not alone. Trump himself used the T-word about a dozen times in the later meeting. Starmer thanked the president four times. And NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called Trump \u201camazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Read more about how world leaders approach Trump<\/p>\n
Air Force\u2019s top uniformed officer will depart <\/p>\n
The Air Force\u2019s top uniformed officer is set to retire early in the most recent shakeup of military leadership during Trump\u2019s second term.<\/p>\n
An Air Force announcement Monday said Gen. David Allvin will continue as the service\u2019s chief of staff until the Senate confirms a replacement. It says Allvin expects to retire around Nov. 1, two years into his four-year term.<\/p>\n
Allvin, an appointee of President Joe Biden, has served since November 2023.<\/p>\n
Many Republicans doubt mail voting \u2014 but it also helped elect Trump <\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s push to do away with voting by mail will likely find support among Republican voters who doubt its reliability, but it could impact candidates in Trump\u2019s GOP: About 2 in 10 Trump voters in the 2024 presidential election cast a mail-in ballot, according to AP VoteCast.<\/p>\n
Republican voters were less confident in the accuracy of mailed ballots than independents and Democratic voters ahead of the 2024 election, according to AP-NORC polling from October.<\/p>\n
Only about 1 in 10 Republican voters were \u201cextremely\u201d or \u201cvery\u201d confident that ballots mailed using a drop box or via the U.S. Postal Service would be counted accurately. About one-quarter of independents and roughly 6 in 10 Democrats were confident in their accuracy.<\/p>\n
JD Vance to Georgia this week to tout GOP tax law <\/p>\n
The vice president is traveling to Georgia on Thursday to continue his nationwide tour promoting the new Republican tax law.<\/p>\n
Vance will be in the Atlanta suburb of Peachtree City, where his office says he\u2019ll \u201chighlight President Trump\u2019s One Big Beautiful Bill and the historic tax cuts it delivered for working class American families.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vance has already gone to Ohio and Pennsylvania to talk up the law, which preserved existing tax rates for individual earners while offering temporary tax breaks for tips and overtime.<\/p>\n
Georgia will have one of the most hotly-contested Senate races in the 2026 midterms as first-term Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff runs for reelection in a state Trump won in 2024.<\/p>\n
Trump offers \u2018my assurance\u2019 US troops won\u2019t be sent to Ukraine <\/p>\n
Trump has said the U.S. will help the European effort to provide Ukraine the security guarantees it seeks to prevent Russia from invading again after the war ends.<\/p>\n
On Monday, he did not rule out sending U.S. troops to join any such effort. But when asked during a TV interview on Tuesday to offer assurances that American troops won\u2019t be defending Ukraine\u2019s border going forward and after his administration ends, Trump said, \u201cWell, you have my assurance and I\u2019m president.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u2018Trump slump?\u2019 Tourism is down sharply in Las Vegas <\/p>\n
Vegas resorts and convention centers are reporting 11% fewer visitors in June compared to last year, and 13% fewer international tourists. Hotel occupancy fell by about 15%, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.<\/p>\n
Some officials are blaming Trump tariffs and immigration policies. Mayor Shelley Berkley said tourism from Canada \u2014 Nevada\u2019s largest international market \u2014 has dried from a torrent \u201cto a drip.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ted Pappageorge, head of the powerful Culinary Workers Union, called it the \u201cTrump slump.\u201d He said visits from Southern California, home to a large Latino population, were also drying up because people are afraid of the administration\u2019s immigration crackdown. \u201cIf you if you tell the rest of the world they\u2019re not welcome, then they won\u2019t come,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u25b6 Read more about the Trump affect on tourism in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u2018Coalition of the Willing\u2019 wants robust U.S. security for Ukraine <\/p>\n
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told a virtual meeting of the \u2018Coalition of the Willing\u2019 on Tuesday that there was \u201ca real sense of unity and shared goal of securing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine\u201d at their White House meeting with Trump.<\/p>\n
Starmer and Macron also discussed how more sanctions and other pressure could be placed on Putin until he shows he\u2019s \u201cready to take serious action to end his illegal invasion,\u201d according to the the Downing Street statement.<\/p>\n
The U.K. Chief of Defense Staff, Adm. Tony Radakin, is travelling to Washington as teams from the coalition of more than 30 nations meet with U.S. counterparts to strengthen \u201cplans to deliver robust security guarantees and prepare for the deployment of a reassurance force if the hostilities ended,\u201c the statement said.<\/p>\n
Putin’s arrest warrant complicates a Zelenskyy meeting <\/p>\n
French President Emmanuel Macron said it could happen \u201cin Europe\u201d and he\u2019s advocating for Geneva in Switzerland, although he said it could be another \u2019neutral\u201d country. He noted in an interview with French television TF1-LCI broadcast Tuesday that Istanbul hosted the most recent bilateral discussions, in 2022.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said his country would be prepared to organize such a summit, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported.<\/p>\n
Asked about the complication posed by the International Criminal Court\u2019s arrest warrant for Putin, Cassis said \u201cthe aim of receiving Mr. Putin in Switzerland without him being arrested is 100% achievable \u2026 of course, if he comes to Switzerland for the purposes of peace, for such a multilateral conference, not if he comes for private matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cassis said arranging for Putin to avoid arrest would require \u201ca certain procedure,\u201d but it could be done \u201cin a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n
A call for speeding up Ukraine\u2019s membership in the European Union <\/p>\n
European Council President Antonio Costa called for \u201cRussia must immediately end the violence\u201d in Ukraine after a virtual meeting of the 27 heads of state of the European Union\u2019s member nations. \u201cOur top priority must be to stop the killings \u2014 whether we call it a ceasefire or a truce is secondary,\u201d Costa told reporters Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Economic pressure via sanctions should be maintained on Russia to end the war, and Ukraine\u2019s candidacy to join the EU should be accelerated, he said: \u201cUkraine\u2019s future is not only about strong security guarantees and their finding a potential peace deal with Russia, but also about its European path. This is why we must move forward with the enlargement process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Views from Ukraine: No illusions for sudden peace <\/p>\n
A Ukrainian political analyst says this Zelenskyy meeting with Trump \u2018went satisfactorily.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThe task of this meeting was to prevent Trump from pressuring Ukraine with Russian demands. We managed to achieve that 100%. We managed to explain that the issue of territories is not just about land\u2014it\u2019s about people. There can be no exchange,\u201d Oleh Saakian said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Ukraine, the meeting with Putin is important to show Trump whether Russia is really ready to end the war. It is important to demonstrate that Ukraine has done everything possible on its side,\u201d Saakian said. \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone in Ukraine has the illusion that a meeting with Putin could suddenly bring peace. It\u2019s not as if at a meeting with Zelenskyy, Putin will suddenly say: \u2018Yes, I was mistaken, I confess, I withdraw the troops, I give back the territories.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump says leaders of Russia and Ukraine unlikely to become \u2018best friends\u2019 <\/p>\n
Trump says Putin and Zelenskyy are getting along \u201ca little better than I thought,\u201d noting the \u201ctremendous bad blood\u201d between them.<\/p>\n
He said his perception of their relationship is why he\u2019s arranging for them to meet one-on-one soon, instead of a three-way meeting with himself as sort of a mediator.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019re doing OK. I wouldn\u2019t say they are ever going to be best friends, but they\u2019re doing OK,\u201d the president told Fox News Channel\u2019s \u201cFox and Friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, they\u2019re the ones that have to call the shots,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWe\u2019re 7,000 miles away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump says he didn\u2019t speak with Putin with European leaders in the room <\/p>\n
The president said he thought it would have been disrespectful to handle the phone call that way since Putin and the European leaders meeting with him at the White House haven\u2019t had the \u201cwarmest relations.\u201d<\/p>\n
But despite that, he said during an interview on Fox News Channel\u2019s \u201cFox and Friends\u201d that he has managed to maintain a \u201cvery good relationship\u201d with Putin.<\/p>\n
Trump was holding talks at the White House on Monday with Zelenskyy and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Union and NATO on ending Russia\u2019s war on Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Trump says admitting Ukraine into NATO and the return of Crimea are \u2018impossible\u2019 <\/p>\n
The president, in a morning interview on \u201cFox & Friends,\u201d said that he\u2019s optimistic a deal can be made to bring an end to Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n
But Trump underscored that Ukraine will have to set aside both its hope of a returned Crimea, which Russia seized by force in 2014, and its aspirations to join the NATO military alliance.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth of those things are impossible,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
Putin, as part of any potential deal, is looking for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as recognition of Crimea as Russian territory.<\/p>\n
Judge dismisses part of \u2018Alligator Alcatraz\u2019 lawsuit, changes venue <\/p>\n
A federal judge in Miami dismissed part of a lawsuit over the legal rights of detainees at the \u201cAlligator Alcatraz\u201d immigration detention center and moved the case to a different jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz’s 47-page ruling late Monday says claims the detainees lack confidential access to their lawyers or to immigration hearings were rendered moot when the Trump administration recently designated the Krome North Processing Center near Miami as a site for their cases to be heard.<\/p>\n
The judge heard arguments from both sides in a hearing earlier Monday in Miami. Civil rights attorneys were seeking a preliminary injunction to ensure detainees at the facility have access to their lawyers and can get a hearing.<\/p>\n
The state and federal government had argued that even though the isolated airstrip where the facility is located is owned by Miami-Dade County, Florida\u2019s southern district was the wrong venue since the detention center is located in neighboring Collier County, which is in the state\u2019s middle district.<\/p>\n
The defendants made an identical argument last week about jurisdiction for a second lawsuit in which environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe sued to stop further construction and operations at the Everglades detention center until it\u2019s in compliance with federal environmental laws. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami ordered a 14-day halt on additional construction and said she plans to rule before the order expires this week. <\/p>\n
\u25b6 Read more about the lawsuit over the detention center<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy says meeting with Putin should be held \u2018without any conditions\u2019 <\/p>\n
Zelenskyy says that if he starts to set conditions for the meeting, regarding a potential ceasefire or other matters, then Russia will want to set conditions, too, potentially jeopardizing those talks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I believe that we must meet without any conditions,\u201d he told reporters.<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy said Trump showed him a map of the Ukraine front lines in the Oval Office and they got into a little debate about territories it showed. But they didn\u2019t argue, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a truly warm, good and substantial conversation,\u201d Zelenskyy said. <\/p>\n
NATO leader says \u2018Article 5 kind of security guarantees\u2019 will be discussed in coming days <\/p>\n
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says Trump agreed that the United States would contribute to Ukraine\u2019s security following a peace deal, a development he called \u201ca breakthrough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Membership in NATO is not on the table, but the U.S. and European leaders are discussing \u201cArticle 5 kind of security guarantees for Ukraine,\u201d Rutte said in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham. Article 5 of the NATO treaty says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all members, the heart of the transatlantic defense compact.<\/p>\n
Details around U.S. involvement in Ukraine \u201cwill be discussed over the coming days,\u201d which will give Zelenskyy the clarity he needs to decide whether Ukrainians can remain safe following a peace deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is important to also know what the situation will be with the security guarantees to prevent Vladimir Putin from ever, ever trying again to invade parts of Ukraine,\u201d Rutte said.<\/p>\n
The possibility of U.S. troops in Ukraine was not discussed Monday, he said. <\/p>\n
DC told of intent to arm National Guard troops <\/p>\n
Washington has been informed about the intent for the National Guard to be armed, though it has not received details about when that could happen or where armed Guard members could be deployed in D.C., according to a person familiar who was not authorized to disclose the plans and spoke on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
It would be a departure from what the Pentagon and Army have said about the troops being unarmed. The Army said in a statement last week that \u201cweapons are available if needed but will remain in the armory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson also said last week that troops won\u2019t be armed.<\/p>\n
In response to questions about whether Guard members in Washington would be armed in the coming days, the District of Columbia National Guard said troops \u201cmay be armed consistent with their mission and training.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maj. Melissa Heintz, a spokesperson for the D.C. Guard, didn\u2019t provide more details and said \u201ctheir presence is focused on supporting civil authorities and ensuring the safety of the community they serve.\u201d<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
\u2014 By Anna Johnson and Mike Pesoli <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered his assurances that U.S. troops would not be sent to Ukraine to defend against Russia, after seeming to leave open the possibility the day before. Trump also said in a morning TV interview that Ukraine\u2019s hopes of joining NATO and regaining the Crimean Peninsula are \u201cimpossible.\u201d Details of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4779,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n