U.S. in Peace Talks with Russia/Ukraine

Following a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where they agreed to an immediate 30-day ceasefire, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has now met with Russian President Putin, and Presidents Trump and Putin will likely speak this week.

As of today, part of the Ukrainian army is surrounded in the Russian territory of Kursk in a fast-failing incursion into Russian territory. On Friday, Putin demanded that Ukraine order some of these forces to surrender to Russia, just hours after discussions about a potential ceasefire. President Zelensky gave no indication on Friday that Ukrainian soldiers would withdraw from or surrender Kursk, despite acknowledging the "very difficult" situation in the region.

“Donald Trump has completely betrayed Ukraine,” Russia hawk Paul Rieckhoff claimed on MSNBC’s 11th Hour. “The Ukrainians are the noble, good guys—in some ways, they’re more American than we are.”

Tariff Wars Continue, as Government Shutdown Averted

Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded through September. Critics say the bill will continue Biden-era spending, while supporters say that the additional time is needed to finalize a comprehensive bill that ratifies DOGE cuts and President Trump’s agenda. The CR passed was not a “clean” CR, but rather adjusted spending priorities to help with Trump agenda items such as deportation.

On Wednesday, as part of a strategy to level the playing field for U.S. manufacturing, President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from all trading partners. The EU retaliated with tariffs targeting $28 billion in U.S. exports, from bourbon to boats and motorcycles.

President Trump acknowledged earlier this month that there would be “a little disturbance” as the administration transitions the economy from what Scott Bessent described as a “public sector-driven” economy (25% of GDP goes through the D.C. area) to a private sector-driven economy. President Trump said in an interview, “There is a period of transition, because what we're doing is very big. We're bringing wealth back to America — that's a big thing.”

Violence Against Tesla and Right-Wing Journalists

Tesla has faced a wave of violent incidents across the United States and internationally. The violence includes arson, vandalism, and shootings targeting Tesla dealerships, charging stations, and vehicles.

1. Arson Attacks: Molotov cocktails have been thrown at Tesla dealerships, such as in Loveland, Colorado, where an arsonist caused multiple fires between January 29 and February 11, 2025, and at charging stations near Boston, where seven were set ablaze on March 3. A Tesla factory near Berlin was also torched on March 5, with a far-left group claiming responsibility.
2. Vandalism: Graffiti with explicit messages have been spray-painted on Tesla property, including dealerships in Loveland, Colorado, and Owings Mills, Maryland.
3. Shootings: Tesla dealerships in Tigard, Oregon, were hit by gunfire twice in one week (March 6 and 13), damaging cars and windows. In Salem, Oregon, a gunman fired bullets at a dealership on February 19 after an earlier Molotov attack.

In a show of support for Musk’s business, President Trump purchased a Tesla Model S this past week.

This comes as a series of swatting incidents have targeted several right-wing journalists and media figures in the United States, raising concerns about politically motivated harassment. (Swatting involves making hoax emergency calls to provoke an armed police response at a target's home, often with dangerous consequences.)

Last Monday, Musk’s platform X suffered a massive cyberattack, causing the platform to go dark for about four hours. In a Fox Business interview, Musk claimed the platform had been attacked from IP addresses originating in Ukraine.

More News

• On Sunday, Israel announced that they were immediately cutting off electricity to the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas to return the remaining hostages. This comes after Israel’s announcement last week to cut off humanitarian aid and supplies to Gaza after the first stage of the original phased ceasefire expired.
• The Department of Education has cut their staff in half, firing more than a thousand workers, as reports swirl that President Trump may take steps to dismantle the agency entirely.
• Since President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, district judges have issued at least 15 nationwide injunctions against his administration’s policies, with the latest order attempting to block a flight of Tren de Aragua gang members being deported to El Salvador. Critics have called many of these injunctions an unprecedented overreach by the judicial branch. The DOJ has argued that these rulings undermine the executive’s discretionary authority. These injunctions will likely be decided by the Supreme Court soon.
• The South Africa ambassador is "no longer welcome” in the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an X post that Ebrahim Rasool is a "race-baiting politician,” and linked to an article where Rasool said that Trump was "mobilising a supremacism" and trying to "project white victimhood as a dog whistle.”
• Random Travel Tip: Starting May 28, checked bags on Southwest Airlines will no longer be free.