19 h. ago Trump administration briefing: US backs Russia ahead of G7, Republican spending bill boosts defense

US has reportedly rejected Canadian proposal to tackle Russian ‘shadow fleet’, Republican bill trims everything aside from defense – key US politics stories from Saturday at a glanceThe US has reportedly rejected a Canadian proposal to establish a task force that would tackle Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and pushed to soften language on Moscow ahead of a G7 foreign ministers meeting this week.In negotiations to agree a joint statement on maritime issues, the US is pushing to strengthen language about China while watering down wording on Russia, the reports said. Continue reading...

Politics

43 h. ago Trump administration briefing: defending Putin, Columbia cuts and Doge’s power over EPA spending

From Donald Trump’s latest remarks to actions taken against crucial government agencies – key US politics stories from Friday at a glanceDonald Trump has said he finds it it “easier” to work with Russia than Ukraine and that Vladimir Putin was “doing what anybody would do” after Russia launched a massive missile and drone strike on Ukraine days after the US cut off vital intelligence and military aid to Kyiv.“I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine. And they don’t have the cards,” Trump said in his latest attack on Kyiv. “In terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia. Continue reading...

Politics

68 h. ago Trump administration briefing: Trump changes tack on tariffs – again – as US plans to close consulates

Trump shelves Canada-Mexico tariffs; Musk says he is not to blame for mass firings of federal workers – key US politics stories from Thursday at a glanceDonald Trump has performed another reversal on tariffs, delaying duties on many goods from Canada and Mexico again. Trump said the reversal has “nothing to do” with turbulence in the stock market in recent days, as investors weighed his economic plans. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 fell 1.8% on Thursday. “I’m not even looking at the market,” he claimed.It was also a day where the focus fell on the power wielded by Elon Musk and the president’s plans for US consulates in Europe. Continue reading...

Politics

2 d. ago US plans to close European consulates and cut state department workforce

State department also looks into merging some bureaus in Washington amid Trump effort to slash US governmentThe US state department is preparing to shut down a number of consulates that are mainly in western Europe in the coming months and looking to reduce its workforce globally, multiple US officials said on Thursday.The state department is also looking into potentially merging a number of its expert bureaus at its headquarters in Washington that are working in areas such as human rights, refugees, global criminal justice, women’s issues and efforts to counter human trafficking, the officials said. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Trump administration briefing: trade turmoil, Zelenskyy peace offer and British fury at Vance

As the world awaits Donald Trump’s first key speech to Congress in second term, here are the key US politics stories from Tuesday at a glanceIn Donald Trump’s first address to Congress since returning to the White House – and his first major speech in a chilling six weeks in office – the president claimed a mandate justifying his sweeping executive orders, despite having won the popular vote by 1.5 points – the smallest margin for any successful presidential candidate since Richard Nixon in 1968.Trump’s second term has already seen him initiate sweeping mass layoffs of federal employees, and mobilize officers from nearly every federal law enforcement agency and the US military to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations. He has rattled Europe and other American allies with his pursuit of a peace deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine on terms preferential to Moscow. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Trump administration briefing: Vance defends US position on Ukraine; tariffs hit Canada, Mexico and China

China and Canada retaliate after tariffs come into effect – key US politics stories from Monday at a glanceDonald Trump has paused military aid to Ukraine following his clash with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, last week, according to US media reports.Vance told Fox News in an interview recorded before the announcement on Monday that giving Washington an economic interest in the future of Ukraine will serve as a security guarantee for the country that Russia invaded in February 2022. “If you want real security guarantees, if you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine,” Vance said in the interview. “That is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years,” he added. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Trump administration briefing: Israeli hostage to visit White House; Russia admires US foreign policy

Eli Sharabi expected to meet Donald Trump on Tuesday; Kremlin says US views now ‘largely’ coincide with Moscow’s own foreign policy vision – key US politics stories from Sunday at a glanceThe freed Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi has been invited to meet Donald Trump on Tuesday in Washington, his brother Sharon has said.When Sharabi and two other hostages, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, were released on 8 February after nearly 500 days in captivity, their physical condition outraged Israelis, which Trump echoed. Sharabi has since told Israeli media of the severe hunger and violence he endured in captivity. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Trump administration briefing: clash with Zelenskyy shakes Washington – and the world

A tense and angry exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy played out with the media in the front row – key US politics stories from Friday at a glanceAn extraordinary day in Washington with US military support for Ukraine now hanging in the balance and talks over a minerals deal collapsing following a disastrous White House summit.US president Donald Trump received the Ukrainian president on Friday to discuss a controversial mineral resources deal that Trump had said was the first step toward a ceasefire agreement that he is seeking to broker between Russia and Ukraine. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Trump administration briefing: hundreds fired from US climate agency as Americans feel economy getting worse

Democrats warn that cutting jobs at Noaa ‘will cost American lives’ – key US politics stories from Wednesday at a glanceThe Trump administration has fired hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), the US’s pre-eminent climate research agency housed within the Department of Commerce, the Guardian learned on Thursday.“This will cost American lives,” said Democratic congresswoman and ranking member of the House science, space and technology committee, Zoe Lofgren, in a written statement. Her comments were issued alongside congressman Gabe Amo’s, the ranking member of the subcommittee on environment, after news of the firings broke. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago USAID workers will be given 15 minutes to clear their workspaces as the agency gets dismantled

Thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development workers who have been fired or placed on leave as part of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency are being given a brief window Thursday and Friday to clear out their workspaces

Politics

1 week ago Trump administration briefing: chaos caused by Musk’s Doge; fears over far

From the latest in Musk’s fight to fire federal workers to concern over appointment of Dan Bongino – key US politics stories from Monday at a glanceConfusion continued on Monday over the demands made by Elon Musk of federal workers. Just hours after the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had directed agencies that responses to its email were optional, Musk again threatened federal workers. He wrote on X, the platform he owns: “Subject to the discretion of the president, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination.” President Donald Trump backed Musk earlier Monday, two days after OPM initially sent an email asking federal workers to list five things they accomplished last week. Several government agencies, including the FBI and state department, have told their employees not to respond.Here are the biggest stories in US politics on Monday, 24 February. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Trump administration briefing: Zelenskyy rejects US minerals demand; bomb threat sent to anti

From a fight over a $500bn minerals deal to Trump ‘surrendering to the Russians’ – here are the key US politics stories from Sunday at a glanceAs Ukraine prepared to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he would be willing to step down if it meant peace or membership of Nato, something the US and some other Nato member states oppose. Zelenskyy insisted he wanted good, “friendly” relations with America – a “strategic partner” – and shrugged off Trump’s bruising description of him as a “dictator” for not holding elections during wartime.But he also said that he would not sign a $500bn minerals deal proposed by the US. He said the figure was far higher than the US’s actual military contribution of $100bn. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago US politics briefing: Trump administration warns Kyiv and picks up court win in mass firings case

From the Trump administration’s latest moves abroad and in the US – here are the key US politics stories from Thursday at a glanceThursday saw a judge rule that the Trump administration can continue the mass firing of US federal workers, rejecting a bid by labor unions to stop the US president dramatically cutting the jobs of many of the 2.3 million people employed by the government. The IRS began laying off roughly 7,000 workers on Thursday.In his 16-page order, US district judge Christopher Cooper started by saying that Trump’s executive actions had “caused, some say by design, disruption and even chaos in widespread quarters of American society”. Continue reading...

Events