Trump administration briefing: US backs Russia ahead of G7, Republican spending bill boosts defense

US has reportedly rejected Canadian proposal to tackle Russian ‘shadow fleet’, Republican bill trims everything aside from defense – key US politics stories from Saturday at a glance
The US has reportedly rejected a Canadian proposal to establish a task force that would tackle Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and pushed to soften language on Moscow ahead of a G7 foreign ministers meeting this week.
In negotiations to agree a joint statement on maritime issues, the US is pushing to strengthen language about China while watering down wording on Russia, the reports said.
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House Republicans unveil spending bill boosting defense and trimming all else
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House GOP seeks spending cuts, defense increases in plan to avert shutdown
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Trump-backed plan to fund government raises GOP concerns on defense
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European leaders push defense spend amid uncertainty over Trump aid to Ukraine
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Top budget Democrat: GOP spending bill hands ‘a blank check to Elon Musk’
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US makes fresh push for World Bank to back nuclear power
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GOP funding patch boosts defense and deportations, cuts other programs
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Trump-district Democrats face risky vote on GOP spending bill
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Sunday shows preview: House GOP unveils bill to avert shutdown; Trump's tariffs teeter
House Republicans have unveiled a 99-page, six-month stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown and increase defense funding while seeking cuts for nondefense programs, which is likely to ...The Hill - 19h -
What US, Russia and Europe are thinking ahead of fresh Ukraine talks
BBC correspondents weigh in as US and Ukrainian officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia.BBC News - 1d -
The US Army Is Using ‘CamoGPT’ to Purge DEI From Training Materials
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Live updates: Trump says he hates to 'predict things like that’ when asked if he expects a recession
House Republicans on Saturday unveiled a 99-page, six-month stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown and increase defense funding while seeking cuts for nondefense programs, which will ...The Hill - 42m -
Eye Opener: Russia rejects ceasefire deal
Russia rejected a European-led ceasefire deal that would have ended the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Trump administration announced it is cancelling $400 million in grants to Columbia University. ...CBS News - 1d -
Canada and Philippines will sign a key defense pact to boost combat drills and military ties
Canada and the Philippines, both vocal critics of China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, have concluded negotiations for a key defense pact that will allow their forces to ...ABC News - 2d -
Russia Pushes Back Ukraine’s Offensive With Drones and North Korean Troops
Russia has retaken about two-thirds of the territory Ukraine seized last summer in the Kursk region of Russia, but at a fearful cost in lives.The New York Times - 1d -
Trump administration moves to drop Idaho emergency abortion case with national implications
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Trump says Ukraine 'more difficult' to deal with than Russia
It may be 'easier dealing with' Moscow than Kyiv, the US president told reporters in the White House.BBC News - 1d -
DE Rousseau signs 4-year extension with Bills
The Bills continued a trend of agreeing to extensions with their own draft picks, signing defensive end Greg Rousseau to a four-year extension.ESPN - 21h -
Trump’s Embrace of Russia Leaves Europe in Emotional Shock
It remains to be seen how far President Trump’s embrace of Russia and abandonment of traditional allies will go. But “the West” may be gone.The New York Times - 1d -
Marco Rubio: one-time Russia hawk makes stunning U-turn under Trump
The secretary of state was once a prominent Ukraine supporter and called Putin a ‘war criminal’ – not any more. Marco Rubio , the US secretary of state, looked on as Donald Trump demanded more ...The Guardian - 1d -
Trump downplays infighting between Elon Musk, Marco Rubio, other officials
President Trump is backing a House Republican plan to avert a government shutdown next week. He also played down reports of in-fighting in his Cabinet with advisor Elon Musk. Nikole Killion has the ...CBS News - 16h -
US exits fund that compensates poorer countries for global heating
Trump pulls out of Cop28 loss and damage deal that recognises harms done by richer, polluting economies to vulnerable nations. The Trump administration has withdrawn the US from a global agreement ...The Guardian - 1d -
Trump administration to drop case against plant polluting Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’
Biden-era suit sought to curb emissions of the carcinogen chloroprene at Denka plant formerly owned by DuPont. The Donald Trump administration has formally agreed to drop a landmark environmental ...The Guardian - 1d -
Sen. Slotkin says Democrats and Republicans ‘need to do better and act like adults’: Full interview
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) exclusively joins Meet the Press to discuss how Democrats are responding to the Trump administration and who could pick up the mantle of leadership for her party.NBC News - 2h -
Can Germany spend its way out of industrial decline?
Chancellor-to-be Friedrich Merz wants to expand investment in defence and infrastructure. The race to re-arm could be a much-needed boost for manufacturingFinancial Times - 1d -
Shutdown watch: GOP favors short-term bill as Democrats express opposition
Congress has one week to pass a spending bill that would avert a shutdown, but lawmakers from both parties are not on the same page about how they'll move forward.ABC News - 1d -
Elon Musk Is Making Republicans Sweat and Giving Democrats a New Target
His unusual governing arrangement with President Trump is opening Republicans up to being yoked politically to Mr. Musk, who polls show is broadly unpopular.The New York Times - 1d -
Inside the frontlines of Russia as the war with Ukraine continues
NBC News' Keir Simmons gets a rare look inside the frontlines in Russia and talks with residents about the impact of the war with Ukraine as President Trump said he is “strongly considering” ...NBC News - 1d -
Trump lauds 'very good funding bill' after House GOP unveils CR
President Trump was quick to throw his support behind the House GOP's stopgap funding bill Saturday afternoon, calling it a "very good funding bill." "The House and Senate have put together, under ...The Hill - 21h -
Bolton claims Trump’s threat of sanctions on Russia is ‘totally hollow’
Former White House national security adviser John Bolton brushed off President Trump's recent threat to impose sanctions on Russia over its continued strikes in Ukraine as peace talks are underway. ...The Hill - 1d -
Wall Street Journal: 'Someone should sue' Trump over tariffs
The Wall Street Journal editorial board took a swipe at President Trump's recent tariff threats, alleging the administration is using a 48-year-old law to start a trade war. In a recent op-ed, the ...The Hill - 1d -
Impeached South Korean president released from prison ahead of insurrection trial
Both supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol and those who backed his impeachment rallied in Seoul ahead of his release. South Korea’s impeached conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been released from ...The Guardian - 15h -
Trump Administration Sends Politically Charged Survey to Researchers
Scientists on overseas projects must say whether they work with communist governments and help combat “Christian persecution.”The New York Times - 1d -
Muslim nations reject Trump's call to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population
Foreign ministers from Muslim nations rejected calls by U.S. President Donald Trump to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population and backed a plan for an administrative committee of ...ABC News - 1d -
Private Prisons Are Ramping Up Detention of Immigrants and Cashing In
The Trump administration is expected to use thousands more beds in these facilities as part of its mass deportation effort.The New York Times - 1d -
Russia launches devastating attack on Ukraine after Trump’s defence of Putin
Latest attacks came hours after Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin was ‘doing what anybody would do’. Russia launched a devastating attack on Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least 14 people and ...The Guardian - 1d -
Russia bombards Ukraine energy grid after Zelenskyy says team will hold talks with US
Officials say Russia targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in a large-scale missile and drone bombardment during the nightABC News - 2d -
E.C.B. Cuts Interest Rates Again, With an Uncertain Path Ahead
Vows by European leaders to increase borrowing to ramp up military spending have reshaped the fiscal picture that the central bank must confront.The New York Times - 2d -
Defunded Aid Programs Are Asked by Trump Administration to Prove Their Value, on a Scale of 1 to 5
A week after terminating thousands of contracts, the administration has sent questionnaires to those programs asking how their work benefits the U.S. national interest.The New York Times - 2d
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