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Trump condemns Zelensky remarks that war end is 'far away'

A statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying a deal to end the war with Russia was "very far away" has drawn a furious response by Donald Trump.

"America will not put up with it for much longer," the US president said in a social media post, before accusing Zelensky of not wanting peace.

A summit of mostly European leaders in London on Sunday agreed a four-point plan to guarantee Ukraine's defence in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

"Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?" Trump said, apparently referring to the summit held two days after his fiery clash with Zelensky at the Oval Office.

The summit - hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer - was intended as a show of support for Ukraine and an attempt to reduce differences between Western countries over Ukraine.

Britain and France said they were working on a European-led solution to the conflict.

After the meeting, Zelensky said a deal to end the war between Ukraine and Russia was "still very, very far away".

He added that he expected the US to continue backing Ukraine despite his own fraught relations with Trump.

"I believe that Ukraine has a strong enough partnership with the United States of America," Zelensky said late on Sunday.
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@QuinnErickson

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Dow tumbles 800 points as Trump confirms tariffs on Mexico and Canada will start Tuesday

US stocks slid Monday as investors braced for President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico to go into effect by the midnight deadline.

The Dow tumbled 650 points, or 1.48%, to close at 43,191. The Dow fell almost 900 points in afternoon trading before pulling back slightly. The broader S&P 500 fell 1.76% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.64%.

The S&P 500 posted its biggest one-day decline of the year. The Nasdaq is down about 6.5% since since Trump took office on January 20.

“Tomorrow, tariffs — 25% on Canada and 25% on Mexico,” Trump said during a press conference at the White House. “And that’ll start. … What they have to do is build their car plants, frankly, and other things in the United States, in which case they have no tariffs.”

Trump said the two trading partners had “no room” left to negotiate to avoid the levies and that he was using tariffs to “punish” countries that, as he put it, were taking from the US economy without giving enough in return.

“They’re all set. They go into effect tomorrow,” he said.

Trump also signed an executive order on Monday raising tariffs on imports from China to 20%, up from 10%. Trump said the tariffs, aimed at bringing China to the table on curtailing fentanyl entering the United States, will be raised because the communist country has not done enough to stem the flow of illegal drugs.

The VIX, Wall Street’s fear gauge, surged to its highest point this year after Trump’s comments.

“Due to the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs, the stock market has erased the gains from the ‘Trump bump’ following the presidential election and the expected upward pressure on prices is giving investors pause,” said Gustavo Flores-Macias, a professor of government and public policy at Cornell University.

“For investors, 2025 can still be a positive year for stocks, but it may take all year to realize gains. And they may be modest,” said Gina Bolvin, president of Bolvin Wealth Management Group.

“I’m still a bull,” Bolvin said.

The import taxes Trump imposed are significant — the largest in US-China history. The initial tariffs, which went into effect February 4, set in motion tariffs on $1.4 trillion of imported goods. That’s more than triple the $380 billion worth of foreign goods that were hit with tariffs during Trump’s first term, according to estimates from the Tax Foundation.

Before he became president, Trump pledged a 60% tariff on all Chinese goods, so the tariff level could rise still.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said at the press conference about tariffs on Canada and Mexico that global companies can avoid tariffs if they invest into production in the United States, like TSMC, the Taiwanese chipmaker at the White House on Monday to announce a $100 billion US investment.

Trump’s tariffs will raise prices of imported goods, which could boost demand for goods produced in the US, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. But they also noted that tariffs will have negative effects on some American businesses.

“Tariff increases will also raise production costs for some domestic producers and will likely prompt foreign retaliation against some US exports, both of which could hurt domestic production,” they wrote in a note.
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@Levi_Ross

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Woman stung by scorpion while getting luggage at Boston's Logan Airport

A woman was taken to a hospital Sunday night after a scorpion stung her at Boston Logan International Airport.

Boston Emergency Medical Services took the woman to an area hospital by ambulance just before 7 p.m., they said in a statement to NBC News.

It's not clear what kind of scorpion stung the woman or what condition she was in.

The 40-year-old woman, who identity has not been released, was retrieving her luggage from the baggage claim area of customs when she was stung, NBC Boston reported.

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@Jagger89

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Canada imposes new sanctions against Russia

Canada introduced new sanctions on March 2 against 10 Russian individuals and 21 entities, including paramilitary groups.

The sanctions were announced by the Office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, following his participation the same day in the European leaders’ summit in London.

Canada’s new sanctions target leaders of post-Wagner paramilitary organizations, a senior Russian military official, and several groups operating in Ukraine and Africa, as well as entities involved in resource extraction within these networks.

"To date, Canada has imposed sanctions on over 3,000 individuals and entities complicit in Russia’s aggression – and we remain committed to working with our partners to increase economic pressure on Russia," the statement said. “Canada’s commitment to Ukraine is unwavering.”
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@QuinnErickson

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As measles outbreak grows, HHS secretary says vaccination is a personal decision that can protect individuals and communities

As a measles outbreak in Texas has grown to nearly 150 cases, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an opinion piece on Fox News on Sunday that parents should consult with health-care providers “to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine” for their children.

Kennedy did not explicitly recommend the vaccine, but said the outbreak was a “call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health.”

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@Levi_Ross

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Russia and U.S. Held Secret Talks on Restarting Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

Russian and U.S. negotiators held secret talks on resuming gas flows to Germany via the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the German tabloid Bild reported Sunday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

The Swiss-based operator of Nord Stream 2 and other Russia-based entities linked to the $11 billion pipeline are currently under U.S. sanctions. The reported U.S.-Russia discussions on restarting the pipeline are seen as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to rebuild ties with Russia.

According to Bild, Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell made multiple unofficial visits to the headquarters of Nord Stream 2 AG — the pipeline’s operator, which is fully owned by Russia’s sanctioned energy giant Gazprom — in the Swiss city of Steinhausen for negotiations.

Grenell denied participating in the reported talks.

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@QuinnErickson

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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.

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@Levi_Ross

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Canada PM Trudeau says protecting independence is his priority in talks with King Charles

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his priority in talks with King Charles on Monday will be protecting his country's sovereignty after U.S. President Donald Trump recently suggested making Canada the 51st U.S. state.

Trudeau said nothing is more important to his citizens than "standing up for our sovereignty and our independence", ahead of the meeting with Charles, who is Canada's head of state.

Last week, Charles invited Trump to what would be a historic second state visit to Britain, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer handing over the invitation during a meeting before the world's media in the Oval Office.

"I look forward to sitting down with His Majesty tomorrow, as always we will discuss matters of importance to Canada and Canadians, and I can tell you that nothing seems more important to Canadians than standing up for our sovereignty and our independence as a nation," Trudeau told reporters.

Trudeau, the outgoing prime minister, said last month that Trump's talk about absorbing Canada "is a real thing" and is linked to the country's rich natural resources.

Trump has repeatedly suggested Canada would be better off if it agreed to become the 51st U.S. state.

Trudeau was also asked about Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. "I stand with Zelenskiy," he said.

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@Jagger89

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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.
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@Levi_Ross