Author: potus
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Thursday did not rule out a U.S. and Ukrainian proposal for a monthlong cease-fire, but he set down numerous conditions that would most likely delay any truce — or could make one impossible to achieve.Mr. Putin’s comments during a news conference highlighted the balance he was trying to strike, exuding confidence in Russia’s position on the battlefield while seeking to continue talks with the United States and avoid upsetting President Trump. The U.S. president, having antagonized the country’s allies and realigned American foreign policy in Russia’s favor, has emerged as a key geopolitical…
Many years ago, I asked a friend who had been hired as a senior foreign policy official what he’d learned in government that he didn’t know beforehand. He replied: “I used to think policy-making was 75 percent about relationships. Now I realize it’s 95 percent about relationships.”It’s very hard to do big things alone. So competent leaders and nations rely on relationships built on shared values, shared history and shared trust. They construct coalitions to take on the big challenges of the age, including the biggest: whether the 21st century is going to be a Chinese century or another American…
President Trump escalated his trade war with the European Union on Thursday, threatening 200 percent tariffs on European wine and champagne that deepened anxiety among businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.Mr. Trump’s announcement, in which he called the European Union “hostile and abusive,” came a day after the bloc’s leaders unveiled plans to retaliate against a batch of U.S. tariffs that took effect this week by imposing 50 percent tariffs on imports of U.S. whiskey and several other American products.“If this tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200 percent tariff on all…
(The Center Square) – Corn and soybean farmers in Illinois look to benefit from another byproduct of their fields. Sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is made from non-petroleum feedstocks that reduces emissions from air transportation. It takes about 1.5 gallons of ethanol to make one gallon of sustainable aviation fuel. All conventional aircraft are capable of flying on a maximum 50% blend of SAF and jet fuel. However, by 2030, it is expected that a large portion of airplanes will be capable of flying with up to 100% SAF. At this week’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Beyond Conference in Rosemont, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the…
A screen displays the company logo for Toast Inc. during the company’s initial public offering at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City on Sept. 22, 2021.Brendan Mcdermid | ReutersEconomic concerns are hitting the stock market broadly, but they’re having an outsized impact on fintech companies that are tied closely to consumer spending and small and medium-sized businesses.While the Nasdaq fell 2.1% on Thursday, putting the tech-heavy index on pace for its worst week since September, shares of Shift4, Toast and Bill.com suffered much steeper drops, losing 6.7%, 6.2% and 4%, respectively. President Donald Trump’s disjointed rollout of…
President Trump said Thursday he saw “good signals” toward finalizing a 30-day cease-fire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, as U.S. officials visiting Moscow were expected to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.The remarks, delivered in the Oval Office while meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, came as Mr. Putin made clear he was in no hurry for a cease-fire, laying out numerous conditions before he could agree to a truce.“It doesn’t mean anything until we hear what the final outcome is, but they have very serious discussions going on right now with President Putin and others, and…
For the second time this week, President Trump has threatened to disrupt trade with a close ally for retaliating in a trade war that he started — a tactic that could lead to compromise, or to economic spats that spiral further out of control.On Thursday morning, Mr. Trump tried to cow the European Union into submission, threatening in a social media post to put a 200 percent tariff on European wine and Champagne unless the bloc dropped a 50 percent tariff on U.S. whiskey. The European Union had imposed that tariff in response to levies that Mr. Trump put on…
March, the third month in the Gregorian calendar, is well-known for its unpredictable spring weather (“in like a lion and out like a lamb”), NCAA basketball (a.k.a. “March Madness”), and, of course, St. Patrick’s Day and Mardi Gras celebrations. But March is also tied to ancient beginnings, historic events and even animal antics. Here’s a closer look. The Origins of MarchThe name March comes from the Latin “Martius,” named for Mars, the Roman god of war, as military actions often resumed after winter. Initially, it was the first month of the ancient Roman 10-month calendar. But in the 7th century B.C.E.,…
On March 14, 1951, Albert Einstein was sitting in the back of a car, getting ready to leave his 72nd birthday party at Princeton University. Photographers had been asking Einstein to pose for the camera all evening, and when UPI photographer Arthur Sasse turned his camera on him, the theoretical physicist playfully stuck out his tongue.The lighthearted photo Sasse captured pleased Einstein so much that he ordered multiple prints to send to friends. In an inscribed copy Einstein gave to news anchor Howard K. Smith, he hinted at what the photo meant to him. “This gesture you will like, because…
The fate of thousands of Afghans waiting to reach the United States after serving with American troops was thrown into limbo after President Trump took office. Now military veterans are scrambling to bring as many of them as possible to the country before the administration introduces a travel ban that could restrict their entry.In an executive order on Jan. 20, Mr. Trump instructed cabinet members, including the secretary of state, to compile a list of countries “for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those…