Author: potus

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, said negotiating with the United States was “unwise, unintelligent, and not honorable,” just days after President Trump said he was willing to revive negotiations with Tehran.But Mr. Khamenei stopped short of ordering Iran’s government, which for months has sent signals that it is interested in negotiations, not to engage with Washington. And though Mr. Khamenei made an unusual gesture last year of openness to talks, he has generally taken a publicly hostile posture toward Washington even while quietly allowing Iranian officials to negotiate.In comments on Friday, Mr. Khamenei argued that Iran’s previous experiences negotiating…

(The Center Square) – Colorado is slowly phasing out the last of its coal-fueled electrical power plants, even though they still generated a third of the state’s total in-state energy generation in 2023.The Colorado Department of Labor and Energy reports that 10 coal-fired units remain operational throughout the state. One of those 10 is scheduled to close by the end of this year, with the remaining nine units all set to close by the end of 2031.The department reports that the plants are closing for a “variety of reasons.”“The era of coal in Colorado appears to be ending, and that poses…

Vice President JD Vance’s White House portfolio is coming into sharper focus.President Donald Trump has tapped Vance, along with National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, to oversee a deal to sell and save TikTok, the Chinese social media company facing a ban in the U.S., two people familiar with the arrangement told NBC News.The assignment, first reported by Punchbowl News, tops a longer list of tasks Vance is tackling.His week began in his native Ohio, where, on the second anniversary of the toxic East Palestine train derailment, he committed the administration to completing cleanup efforts and defended Trump’s call for tariffs on…

(The Center Square) – Conflict over budget priorities is already growing in Michigan, just two days after the State Budget Office presented Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive budget to a joint House and Senate Appropriations Committee.While Democrats are applauding the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget recommendations, Republicans want more money for roads and infrastructure.“While I share Gov. Whitmer’s priorities: making the cost of living more affordable, our schools better, and our communities safer, I am not convinced that her plan will bring us closer to any of these goals,” explained state Rep. Ron Robinson, R-Utica. “We do not need more bureaucrats, we…

Employees package and sort express parcels at an e-commerce company on Nov. 1, 2024, around the Double 11 Shopping Festival in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province of China.Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that puts a pause on his closing of the de minimis trade exemption, a provision commonly used by Chinese e-commerce companies Temu and Shein.The order states that de minimis will be restored for small packages shipped from China, “but shall cease to be available for such articles upon notification by the Secretary of Commerce to the President that adequate…

Members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team have obtained “administrator” email accounts at the Department of Education, just as President Donald Trump announced that the billionaire will soon be examining the agency closely.The rapid deployment of Musk’s aides across multiple agencies has raised concern from federal officials, lawmakers and watchdog groups that his team has gained access to sensitive information and is leading a purge of government workers.When NBC News asked Trump at a White House press conference Friday about allegations that Musk and DOGE’s widespread staff cuts might be unlawful, Trump defended the approach, noting that the…

(The Center Square) – Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, said on social media that President Donald Trump’s administration cutting off funding to the Solar for All program would lock Illinois out of more than $100 million for solar energy projects.State Rep. Chris Miller, R-Oakland, said his “fingers are crossed” that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s pause will halt Illinois solar projects.”The first thing that we need to clarify is there is no climate crisis, period. CEJA [Climate and Equitable Jobs Act] and all the related legislation to the green bad deal is a complete scam and a complete hoax. Ultimately,…

The International Criminal Court on Friday condemned President Trump’s executive order imposing sanctions on it, saying that the action sought to harm the court’s “independent and impartial judicial work.” Key European allies of the United States also distanced themselves from his decision.Mr. Trump’s order on Thursday said that his administration would “impose tangible and significant consequences” on people who work on investigations that threaten the national security of the United States and its allies, including Israel.Last November, the court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and the country’s former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, accusing them of crimes…

A person walks by The Spheres at the Amazon.com Inc. headquarters in Seattle, Washington, on Nov. 14, 2022.David Ryder | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesAmazon has removed any references to diversity and inclusion from its most recent annual report.The company filed its report for 2024 on Friday following the release of its fourth-quarter earnings. The prior annual report included a mention of “inclusion and diversity” in a section titled “Human Capital,” language that does not appear in the latest filing.The previous report read, “As we strive to be Earth’s best employer, we focus on investment and innovation, inclusion and…

Countries condemn US sanctions on the ICC alleging impunity for serious crimes and weakening international law.Donald Trump’s decision to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) increases the “risk of impunity” for serious crimes, 79 parties to the global tribunal have said. In a statement on Friday, a group of 79 countries – about two-thirds of the court’s membership – affirmed its support for the ICC and said that sanctions would weaken international law after Trump signed an executive order sanctioning the court for investigating Israel. “Such measures increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes and threaten to erode…