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This is Peanut. 🐢🥜 Her figure-eight shell was the result of crawling into a plastic six-pack ring when she was very young.

That was in 1984. Now, Peanut is turning 41 years old, and a big birthday celebration is planned for Saturday. Read More...

@BlakeGriffin

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European leaders ‘doubling down’ on backing Zelensky after Trump blowup

LONDON — Rattled European leaders said Sunday they were “doubling down” on supporting Ukraine and boosting military aid following the televised Oval Office blowup between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The embattled Zelensky was greeted with cheers outside 10 Downing Street and a warm hug from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer when he arrived late Saturday for an emergency summit of European leaders. The pair embraced again at the start of the session Sunday, which Starmer described as a “once-in-a-generation moment” for European security, and they sat side-by-side during the talks.

The display of support stood in stark contrast with comments Sunday from Trump administration officials, who heaped blame on Zelensky for the White House uproar. National security adviser Michael Waltz described Zelensky’s behavior as “incredibly disrespectful,” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused him of disrupting U.S. efforts to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war.

#WashingtonPost
#Europe #News #Zelensky Read More...

@Levi_Ross

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"Putin couldn't be happier" over Trump-Zelenskyy meeting, Trump's former national security adviser says

An Oval Office showdown between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would have been cheered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who served as Mr. Trump's national security adviser during his first administration.

The U.S. imposed sanctions on Russia and provided aid to Ukraine after the war began but last month, Mr. Trump flipped U.S. policy on its head. He opened peace talks with Russia, which occupies 20% of Ukraine while bombing the rest, and did not invite Ukraine. Then on Friday, he berated Zelenskyy during an explosive Oval Office meeting.

"Vladimir Putin couldn't be happier," McMaster, who is a CBS News contributor and author of "At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House," said. "Because what he sees is all of the pressure on Zelenskyy, all of the pressure on Ukraine and no pressure on him."

Trump and Russia
During his Friday Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy, Mr. Trump revealed something of a common cause with the Russian president. Mr. Trump complained that he and Putin had both been slandered for years by allegations that Russia helped Mr. Trump's campaigns, allegations the U.S. president ties to his Democratic opponents.

"Putin went through a hell of a lot with me. He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him and Russia, Russia," Mr. Trump said.

McMaster, who was ousted by Mr. Trump in 2018, said Putin has manipulated many world leaders, including the U.S. commander in chief.
#CBSNews #News
#Putin #Russia #Trump #Zelensky Read More...

@Levi_Ross

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In England you sometimes see these "wavy" brick fences.

And curious as it may seem, this shape uses FEWER bricks than a straight wall. A straight wall needs at least two layers of bricks to make is sturdy, but the wavy wall is fine thanks to the arch support provided by the waves.
#Interesting Read More...

@Dalton_97