Trump says he is committed to pursuing Russia-Ukraine peace deal

Trump says he is committed to pursuing Russia-Ukraine peace deal

President Trump told CBS News on Wednesday that he remains committed to pursuing a peace agreement betweenRussia and Ukraine, despite mounting uncertainty over the prospect of face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Mr. Trump characterized his position as both realistic and optimistic, and said he is closely monitoring how both leaders are handling this crossroads in the negotiations. "I've been watching it, I've been seeing it, and I've been talking about it with President Putin and President Zelenskyy," Mr. Trump said in a phone interview. "Something is going to happen, but they are not ready yet. But something is going to happen. We are going to get it done." The president's comments come as Russia continues to strike Ukraine. Late last month, Russia carried out a massive drone and missile attack against Ukraine's capital, killing at least 15 people, including four children, according to a city official. Mr. Trump said he is unhappy with the carnage but will keep pushing for a peace agreement. "I think we're going to get it all straightened out," he said. "Frankly, the Russia one, I thought, would have been on the easier side of the ones I've stopped, but it seems to be something that's a little bit more difficult than some of the others," he said. Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Trump told reporters that he was watching asPutinjoined the leaders of China and North Korea for a grand military parade in Beijing. "I understand the reason they were doing it, and they were hoping I was watching, and I was watching," Mr. Trump said. "My relationship with all of them is very good. We're going to find out how good it is over the next week or two." Mr. Trump also told CBS News on Wednesday that his approach to many diplomatic negotiations, be it with Russia and Ukraine or with other warring nations, is to bring together key leaders into a room and have them broker an agreement in real time, often with his guidance on the transaction — and to not write off any possibility before that happens. That approach, he said, demands patience, even when a quick resolution is sought, but he believes it has paid off in other peace agreements this year. When asked whether he sometimes must "wait things out," Mr. Trump replied, "Well, you have to do that." "We've had some very good days, fortunately, and once I get them in a room together, or get them at least speaking together, they seem to work out. We've saved millions of lives." Last month, ahead of his closely watchedmeetingwith Putin in Alaska, Mr. Trump told reporters, "All I want to do is set the table for the next meeting, which should happen shortly." Beyond the Russia-Ukraine war, Mr. Trump has claimed in recent weeks that he should be credited forendingsix or seven wars during this term and that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. White House officials have pointed to a list of seven conflicts the president is referencing: Israel and Iran, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo,Armenia and Azerbaijan, Thailand and Cambodia,India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo. Some foreign policy analysts have criticized Mr. Trump's claim, saying that many of those conflicts remain unresolved or were not full-scale wars. Or they contended that Mr. Trump was not a central force in the discussions. Several Trump allies have told CBS News that Mr. Trump maintains that the work done by him and his administration has been crucial in furthering those negotiations. "A lot of times, they're fighting each other for so long," Mr. Trump told CBS News. "They're fighting each other so long, they don't even think in terms of peace. It just becomes a way of life. And when I get them together, I get the people in the room, I'm able to convince them. 'Let's go. Let's make peace. It's enough, already. You've lost enough lives.'" Mr. Trump told CBS News that he is not seeking the Nobel Peace Prize. The recipient of the 2025 prize is expected to be announced next month. "I have nothing to say about it," Mr. Trump said. "All I can do is put out wars." He added, "I don't seek attention. I just want to save lives." Trump blasts calls for Epstein files, makes claims about Chicago crime Khanna, Massie and Greene hold news conference on Jeffrey Epstein files Dream: Building AI Cyber Defense for Nations

byAlpha World

in

September 03, 2025

Trump says he is committed to pursuing Russia-Ukraine peace deal

Trump says he is committed to pursuing Russia-Ukraine peace deal President Trump told CBS News on Wednesday that he remains committed to pur...

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Left and right are joining forces to ban lawmakers from trading stock

Left and right are joining forces to ban lawmakers from trading stock

WASHINGTON (AP) — An unusual alliance emerged in theHouseon Wednesday as lawmakers who agree on little else rallied support for a bill that would prohibit members of Congress and their families from owning and trading individual stocks. The group included darlings of the far right, the left, moderates and many in between. They gathered to promote a ban that polls well with voters and appears to be finding new momentum after stalling out in previous sessions of Congress. "It's not every day you see this cast of characters up here," saidRep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican who represents a perennial swing district in Pennsylvania. "You're all smirking out there. That's a good thing. It speaks to the power of this cause." Congress has discussed proposals for years to keep lawmakers from engaging in trading individual stocks, nodding to the idea that there's a potential conflict of interest when they are often privy to information and decisions that can dramatically move markets. A Senate committee has approved legislation fromGOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missourithat would also extend the prohibition on stock trading to future presidents and vice presidents — while notably exempting Republican PresidentDonald Trump. The House bill unveiled this week is limited to Congress, but the sponsors said they were open to extending it to the executive branch if enough support emerged. Under current law, federal lawmakers are required to disclose their stock sales and purchases. The bill requiring disclosure, The Stock Act, was signed into law in 2012. At the time, lawmakers and government watchdogs predicted that public disclosure would shame lawmakers out of actively buying and selling stock. That hasn't happened. The sponsors said they merged their own, individual bills on banning stocks and came together with a single bipartisan effort. Rep.Chip Royof Texas, the bill's lead sponsor, said the group had been meeting for the last several months, and some sponsors had actually been working on this for years. About a dozen lawmakers from both parties joined Roy onstage. It was an unusually festive moment as the partisan lines in Congress have rarely been sharper. "I don't agree with some of these people on anything," said Rep.Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican often aligned with the the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus. Progressive Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., followed Burchett to the podium and fist-bumped him when doing so. She said she felt like the coalition showed how Congress should actually work. "It feels foreign and it feels alien and it's like, what's going on here?" she said. While the legislation would not allow lawmakers to own individual stocks and bonds, they would be allowed to own diversified mutual funds and ETFs and certain commodities. Lawmakers who currently own individual stocks and bonds would have 180 days to divest. New members would have 90 days to divest upon taking office. The mood was celebratory at Wednesday's unveiling, but even if the bill were to pass the House, it would face a more difficult climb in the Senate. At least 60 votes would be needed to advance the legislation in that chamber and some senators have expressed concerns about the concept. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., acknowledged that members opposed to banning stocks are "persistent." "Those of us who support banning stock trading in Congress are very vocal in our position, but that doesn't mean that there aren't opponents," Magaziner said. Some members expressed urgency in moving the bill through the House. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said they have "asked nicely for leadership to put this on the floor" and set a deadline for the end of the month before she would seek to force a vote. A version of the trading ban that advanced out of one Senate panel was described by Republican Sen.Ron Johnsonof Wisconsin as "legislative demagoguery." "We do have insider trading laws. We have financial disclosure. Trust me, we have financial disclosure," Johnson said. "So I don't see the necessity of this."

byAlpha World

in

September 03, 2025

Left and right are joining forces to ban lawmakers from trading stock

Left and right are joining forces to ban lawmakers from trading stock WASHINGTON (AP) — An unusual alliance emerged in theHouseon Wednesday ...

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US Open: Jannik Sinner rolls as No. 25 Félix Auger-Aliassime knocks off No. 8 Alex de Minaur in quarters

US Open: Jannik Sinner rolls as No. 25 Félix Auger-Aliassime knocks off No. 8 Alex de Minaur in quarters

Jannik Sinner's title defense at the US Open is alive and well. The top-ranked player in the world had absolutely no issue whatsoever in his quarterfinal match at the grand slam on Wednesday night. He rolled past fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to secure a spot in the semifinals. He'll now advance to take on Canada's Félix Auger-Aliassime on Friday, where a win will send him to a second straight championship match at the US Open. Sinner nearly blanked Musetti in the opening set, and started out 5-0 before finally dropping a game. Musetti simply couldn't get anything going. An in-form Jannik Sinner takes the first set 6-1.pic.twitter.com/D9QGznDDGr — US Open Tennis (@usopen)September 4, 2025 Though Musetti turned it on a little bit in the second — he won the first game, and kept things tight while taking a brief 4-3 lead — Sinner eventually took off. He won the last three straight games to seal the second set, which he did with a huge ace. Sinner's serve has been too much.He takes the second set 6-4.pic.twitter.com/Ta0emN5ptZ — US Open Tennis (@usopen)September 4, 2025 By then, Musetti was largely spent. Sinner cruised to the 6-2 win in the final set to close out his match in just under two hours. Sinner is attempting to win a second straight US Open this fall. He rolled over Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the championship match last season, which started a run in which he's been to every Grand Slam final since. Sinner beat Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open final in January, and he beat Carlos Alcaraz to win Wimbledon earlier this summer after Alcaraz got him at the French Open final. Tiebreakers in the second and fourth sets propelled Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime to a four-plus-hour victory over Australia's Alex de Minaur on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the US Open. Knocking off a top-10 seed for the second time in the tournament, Auger-Aliassime again bounced back from a first-set defeat, this time to pull off a 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5, 7-6(4) win. Auger-Aliassime, 25, and the former world No. 6, previously upset Germany's Alexander Zverev, the No. 3 seed, in the third round 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-4. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] This is Auger-Aliassime's second time reaching the US Open semifinals after a run in 2021, when he lost to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev. This is also only the third time since 2022 that Auger-Aliassime has advanced beyond the second round in a Grand Slam tournament. The 27-year-old de Minaur, meanwhile, is still searching for his first semifinal appearance in a major. He has reached six such quarterfinals. Auger-Aliassime recorded almost three times as many aces (22) as de Minaur (8). Auger-Aliassime also hit 51 winners, 22 more than de Minaur. Those stats, however, don't tell the full story of a tightly contested match that featured an 87-minute second set, the longest set on the men's side of this year's US Open. The match twisted and turned, particularly in the fourth set when de Minaur broke Auger-Aliassime in the fourth game, only to be broken on four straight points in the ninth game. That misstep allowed Auger-Aliassime to eventually force a tiebreak, which included four double faults: two each from the players. Auger-Aliassime ultimately pulled away, punching his ticket to the semifinals, where he'll take on Sinner.No. 2 Carlos AlcarazandNo. 7 Novak Djokovicwill meet in Friday's other semifinal.

byAlpha World

in

September 03, 2025

US Open: Jannik Sinner rolls as No. 25 Félix Auger-Aliassime knocks off No. 8 Alex de Minaur in quarters

US Open: Jannik Sinner rolls as No. 25 Félix Auger-Aliassime knocks off No. 8 Alex de Minaur in quarters Jannik Sinner's title defense a...

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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, fighting an illness, has 2 hits after opting not to pitch vs. Pirates

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, fighting an illness, has 2 hits after opting not to pitch vs. Pirates

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Shohei Ohtani's next start on the mound is uncertain as he deals with a lingering illness that led the Los Angeles Dodgers star to skip his scheduled turn in the rotation on Wednesday night against Pittsburgh. While Ohtani felt good enough to take his usual spot atop the order and finished with two ofLos Angeles' five hits in a 3-0 loss, manager Dave Roberts declined to put a date on when Ohtani be ready to make his 12th start of the season. "He still doesn't feel as strong," Roberts said after the NL West-leading Dodgers lost for the fourth time in five games. "He's in a better place, but certainly not there, and because of that, we just don't have a date on the day on when he's going to start." Roberts said Ohtani was "under the weather" and "didn't feel good" during a scheduled throwing session on Tuesday. He remained in the lineup despite dealing with what Roberts described as a "deep cough" and had three hits in a 9-7 setback, including his 100th home run with Los Angeles. Ohtani and Roberts later discussed whether Ohtani was up to pitch, and decided to play it safe. "When you're sick and potentially dehydrated, the tax of pitching in a game, it wasn't worth it," Roberts said. Emmett Sheehan made his first start since Aug. 25 and allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 4 2/3 innings. Ohtani's cough hasn't slowed down his legs. He doubled off Mike Burrows in the fifth, then beat out an infield single in the seventh, later making the rare move to go from first to second on a fly out to right field by Mookie Betts. "I think that he's a competitor, he's trying to help us win," Roberts said. "So if he's on the baseball field, if it means going back and tagging up to get to second base to get in the scoring position, he is going to do that. And so whatever it takes, he will do it." Ohtani isn't the only Dodger dealing with something. All-Star catcher Will Smith exited the game after the second inning with a contusion on the back of his right hand and was replaced by Dalton Rushing. Roberts said X-rays on Smith's hand were negative and described him as "day-to-day," though it's unlikely Smith will be available on Thursday when the Dodgers face Pirates ace Paul Skenes while trying to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of last-place Pittsburgh. Los Angeles is optimistic that Smith won't need to go on the injured list. The Dodgers are off to a bumpy start to the stretch run as they try to fend off San Diego for the NL West crown. Los Angeles has dropped four of its last five, allowing the Padres to stay within close striking distance even while they endure a sluggish stretch of their own. "I'm very much aware of that," Roberts said. "They're feeling the same thing we are and we've got to control what we can control and we're certainly not." ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

byAlpha World

in

September 03, 2025

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, fighting an illness, has 2 hits after opting not to pitch vs. Pirates

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, fighting an illness, has 2 hits after opting not to pitch vs. Pirates PITTSBURGH (AP) — Shohei Ohtani's next...

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These states are dumping RFK's CDC with a new vaccine alliance

These states are dumping RFK's CDC with a new vaccine alliance

Responding to thefederal government's shifting guidanceonvaccinesand turmoilat the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health officials in California, Oregon and Washington state have formed a new West Coast Health Alliance. The alliance's goal is to "ensure residents remain protected by science, not politics," according toa joint announcementon Sept. 3 from CaliforniaGov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson. The three Democratic governors said the alliance will provide recommendations to residents on immunizations and ensure the public gets credible information on vaccine safety and efficacy. The governors calledthe alliance a unified response to what they called the Trump administration's "destruction" of the CDC, the federal agency responsible forvaccine guidance. "President Trump's mass firing of CDC doctors and scientists – and his blatant politicization of the agency – is a direct assault on the health and safety of the American people," the governors said in a statement. "The CDC has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science, ideology that will lead to severe health consequences. California, Oregon, and Washington will not allow the people of our states to be put at risk." The announcement came the same day that a group of more than 1,000 current and former Department of Health and Human Services employeesreleased a letterdemanding that SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.resign. The Sept. 3 letter, addressed to Kennedy and Congress, said Kennedy "continues to endanger the nation's health." Kennedy's HHS has been the subject of several controversies, including thecuts to funding of mRNA vaccine developmentand an apparent conflict that led to the White House's firing ofCDC Director Susan Monarez. Kennedy is a longtime vaccine skeptic and has spreadconspiracy theories and misinformationabout vaccines, childhood diseases and COVID-19. Meanwhile, PresidentDonald Trump, in a Sept. 1Truth Social post, demanded drug companies"justify their success" in combating the COVID-19 virus, requesting theimmediate release of internal company data. "Many people think they are a miracle that saved Millions of lives. Others disagree!" said Trump about COVID-19 vaccines created by Pfizer, Moderna and other drug companies. "With CDC being ripped apart over this question, I want the answer, and I want it NOW." Letter urges RFK Jr. leave post:More than 1,000 HHS workers demand RFK Jr. resigns Health officials from Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania reportedly met in August to discuss coordinating their own vaccine recommendations separate from the federal government. However, it's not the first time California, Oregon, and Washington have teamed up on health-related issues. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the three states formed the"Western States Pact"to review federal vaccine recommendations and coordinate pandemic restrictions. Two more states, Colorado and Nevada, later joined the pact. California, Oregon, and Washington became the final three states in America to lift their mask mandates. As part of the West Coast Health Alliance, the three states said they will coordinate health guidelines by aligning immunization recommendations informed by respected national medical organizations. "This will allow residents to receive consistent, science-based recommendations they can rely on – regardless of shifting federal actions," they said. Accessing a COVID-19 vaccine:RFK Jr., the CDC and confusing vaccine recommendations. What to know right now. In June, Kennedyfired all 17 membersof the CDC advisory panel that makes recommendations about who should receive vaccinations, replacing many of them with so-called vaccine skeptics. Newsom, Kotek and Fergusoncondemnedthat move. On Aug. 27, the Food and Drug Administrationset stricter guidelinesabout who can receive the latest COVID-19 vaccines, recommending the shots to only people over the age of 65 or those with existing health problems. Previously, nearly everyone 6 months and older could get vaccinated. These changescould hinder access to vaccines, as health insurers typically only cover vaccines that are recommended by the CDC. "When federal agencies abandon evidence-based recommendations in favor of ideology, we cannot continue down that same path," Washington State Secretary of HealthDennis Worshamsaid in a statement. "Our commitment is to the health and safety of our communities, protecting lives through prevention, and not yielding to unsubstantiated theories that dismiss decades of proven public health practice." Public health agency in turmoil:There's a major CDC shakeup underway. What's going on? The alliance added they will "finalize shared principles to strengthen public confidence in vaccines and in public health" in the coming weeks, they said. "Together, our states depend on the best science and knowledge available to protect public health, including scientific information about immunizations," Newsom said in a statement. "We have grave concerns about the integrity and transparency of upcoming federal vaccine recommendations and will continue to collaborate to ensure that science and sound medicine prevail to prevent any loss of life." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Three states ditch RFK's CDC with new vaccine alliance

byAlpha World

in

September 03, 2025

These states are dumping RFK's CDC with a new vaccine alliance

These states are dumping RFK's CDC with a new vaccine alliance Responding to thefederal government's shifting guidanceonvaccinesand ...

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