News of the World
10-04-2025, 04:01 AM
USA
Quote:Last week, Vice President J.D. Vance tweeted: “Democrats are about to shut down the government because they demand we fund healthcare for illegal aliens.”
Democrats and the media bristled. That wasn’t true, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash) protested: “Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in federally funded health coverage under existing law or Democrats’ funding proposal.”
Liberal fact-checkers argued that Medicaid subsidies for emergency care were trivial, and did not count as health coverage.
But their “fact checks” are just semantics.
In fact, last year, nationwide Medicaid spending on “emergency care for undocumented aliens” almost tripled — because the state of California used it as a method of laundering federal money to fund a comprehensive health benefit for its unauthorized residents.
Medicaid is an enormously lucrative program for states.
It gives them between $1 and $9 for every $1 they spend on health care benefits for eligible low-income Americans, without any upper limit.
Illegal immigrants are supposed to be prohibited from receiving Medicaid, as they are from obtaining Medicare and Obamacare subsidies — but an exception to this is that states may claim federal Medicaid funding for hospitals to provide “emergency care” for unauthorized immigrants.
CNN’s fact-checker plays down this provision, noting: “Less than 1% of total Medicaid spending went toward emergency Medicaid for undocumented immigrants in fiscal year 2023.”
Yet this exception has quickly become a significant loophole.
From 2023 to 2024, Medicaid spending on “Emergency Services for Undocumented Aliens” suddenly soared from $3.8 billion to $9.1 billion.
This wasn’t due to the economy or changes in healthcare costs. In 49 states, in fact, emergency Medicaid spending declined.
The surge in this expenditure was entirely due to the state of California, where spending suddenly leaped from $1.6 billion to $6.4 billion.
The federal government is supposed to cover 50% of California’s Medicaid costs — but Washington paid for 70% of the state’s Medicaid ESUA expenditures in 2024.
What happened?
In 2024, California became the first state to offer comprehensive health insurance to all undocumented immigrants.
Quote:Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Fox’s John Roberts sparred Wednesday on “Special Report with Bret Baier” over whether Democrats’ reasoning for shutting down the federal government is to provide illegal immigrants with healthcare benefits.
On Tuesday evening, Republicans in the Senate failed to gain enough support from Democrats for a spending agreement, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer leading his party to shut down the government at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Roberts asked Johnson how he would respond to Democrats’ claims that their bill does not fund healthcare for illegal immigrants. (RELATED: Even CNN Is Skeptical When Democratic Senator Denies That Party Pressure To Fight Trump Real Reason For Shutdown)
“I say they obviously have not read their bill. This counterproposal that he filed, everybody can Google it, go pull it up. It’s on the Senate’s website and in the legislative text,” Johnson said. “Go to page 57 of Chuck Schumer’s bill and look at section 2141. It says right there in plain language [that] they want to repeal the health provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill.”
“I do part ways with you here on this idea of plain language. I read that whole section. It might as well be written in Mandarin,” Roberts pushed back.
During a Wednesday interview on “FOX & Friends,” Vice President JD Vance said Democrats are attempting to reinstate a Biden-era federal funding program that provides healthcare for illegal immigrants. The program ended under the Trump administration.
In response to Republican backlash, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer went on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Wednesday, calling the accusations a “total, absolute, effing lie.” Schumer claimed Republicans have not only “decimated healthcare” for Americans but also accused the party of being “afraid of the truth.”
Johnson went on to say that Democrats “probably” don’t understand their own filing, explaining how Section 2141 is the party’s way of “trying to take out in its entirety the reforms” that Republicans included in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” regarding health.
“That’s probably why the Democrats don’t understand what they filed,” Johnson said. “But if you interpret that and you get through all the subsections, what you realize is they’re trying to take out in its entirety the reforms that we put into the Big Beautiful Bill pertaining to health. And why is that so important? Because what we did was we strengthened the Medicaid program by making sure that ineligible recipients are not on the rolls.”
“The CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, on August 25 published a letter, and they said this is going to do exactly what Republicans said. They estimate that 2.3 million illegal recipients for Medicaid will be pushed off the rolls because of our reforms,” Johnson added. “It’s going to save $185 billion of taxpayer funds. So they want to return all those ineligible people back to the rolls, and many of them are illegal aliens. That is a fact. Anybody who looks at it objectively has to say it’s true.”
Quote:The Supreme Court agreed Friday to review Hawaii's strict limits on where guns can be carried, a case that could reshape how states regulate firearms.
Why It Matters
The news comes after President Donald Trump's administration urged justices to take on the case, citing the Court's 2022 ruling that broadly expanded Second Amendment protections.
At issue is Hawaii's law barring guns on private property like stores and hotels unless owners explicitly permit them. Lower courts have split on the measure, setting the stage for another major ruling on the balance between gun rights and public safety.
What To Know
Three residents from the County of Maui and the Hawaii Firearms Coalition challenged the state's firearms law in a lawsuit filed against Hawaii Attorney General Anne E. Lopez. A lower court judge blocked the state from enforcing the law, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely reversed the decision, allowing enforcement.
The petitioners filed a petition for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court in April.
"In holding the Second Amendment does not apply to private property open to the public, the Ninth Circuit’s decision renders illusory the right to carry in public," Kevin O'Grady and Alan Alexander Beck, attorneys for the petitioners, wrote in the petition.
The United States filed a brief in support of the petitioners one month later, stating the Court should hear the case and reverse the ruling by the appeals court.
"The structure and operation of Hawaii's law reveal that the law serves no legitimate purpose and instead seeks only to inhibit the exercise of the right to bear arms," Solicitor General D. John Sauer, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, Deputy Solicitor General Sarah M. Harris and Assistant to the Solicitor General Vivek Suri wrote in a brief.
State attorneys argue that concealed-carry permit regulations were already loosened to align with the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling. They argue that the law strikes a balance between gun rights and public safety.
"Neither petitioners nor the government has offered any persuasive reason to disturb the court of appeals’ conclusion that Hawai‘i’s default-property rule withstands constitutional scrutiny at the preliminary injunction stage," attorneys for the respondent wrote in a brief in opposition.
Quote:The Trump administration has reversed course on a major decision that would have cut around $187 million in funds to New York law enforcement, potentially upsetting intelligence and counterterrorism operations.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted on X to thank President Donald Trump for reversing the cuts and helping ensure the safety of state residents.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via email for comment.
Why It Matters
New York continues to serve as a major battleground for the Trump administration, with Trump targeting the state and specifically New York City for cuts, most recently $18 billion cut from major infrastructure projects over concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Trump has also spoken at length about his concerns about the New York City mayoral race, criticizing the potential election of progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani, who drew national attention for beating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary.
Reports also indicated that Trump and Cuomo have spoken about the campaign, with Trump considering whether he would intervene in the race—something that Mamdani called a “betrayal” of New Yorkers. Cuomo has denied the report, saying he has “never” spoken to Trump about the race.
What To Know
Hochul posted on X on Friday that she had been fighting to convince the president to reverse the cuts and had finally succeeded.
“I’m glad that [Trump] heard our call to reverse these cuts,” Hochul said. “That means $187 million for the NYPD, FDNY & first responders across the state that keep New Yorkers safe.”
She posted an image of a headline from The New York Times, which first broke the news that the administration had reversed course.
Trump confirmed the news shortly thereafter, writing on Truth Social that he was “pleased to advise that I reversed the cuts made to Homeland Security and Counterterrorism for New York City and State,” adding that it was his “pleasure” to do so.
Hochul had sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after denouncing the “utterly shocking” cuts as “the height of hypocrisy” for defunding law enforcement. In her letter, she accused Noem of making “all of America more vulnerable to terrorist attacks” if the cuts remained, according to The New York Times.
“Do not play games with this critical security funding,” Hochul said.
Quote:Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is facing intense backlash after saying during a televised debate that he would prefer to learn the “life story” of an eight-time criminal offender rather than pursue jail time—a statement that quickly set off alarm bells among public safety advocates and political opponents.
Asked how many offenses should trigger jail time, Harrell dismissed punitive responses and framed the issue as a call for compassion.
“When this person is committing six or seven crimes, I don’t know his or her story,” Harrell said on stage. “Maybe they were abused as a child. Maybe they’re hungry. But my remedy is to find their life story to see how we can help. First, I have no desire to put them in jail, but I need to protect you, and that’s the calibration that we have,” he continued.
Newsweek reached out to Seattle's mayor's office for comment on Friday.
Why It Matters
In early 2025, Harrell, a Democrat, appeared to be on track for reelection. But that trajectory shifted sharply after Katie Wilson, a housing activist and general secretary of the Tenant Riders Union, surged ahead in the primary, winning 48 percent to Harrell’s 43.5 percent. The result exposed growing dissatisfaction with incumbents in the Trump era and signaled a resurgent progressive base.
Harrell's comments, made during Thursday’s mayoral debate, are the latest flashpoint in a city struggling to balance criminal justice reform with increasing concerns about repeat offenders and public safety. While consistent with Harrell's health-based approach to crime, they have reignited fears that Seattle’s policies are prioritizing rehabilitation at the expense of victims and law-abiding residents.
What To Know
During the debate, the mayor described his position as part of a “health-based strategy,” saying, “To me, it’s not the issue whether they commit seven or eight crimes. The issue is, why are they committing these crimes?”
However, critics were quick to seize on the remarks.
“This was his governing philosophy, spoken aloud on a stage where voters were watching,” Seattle Red host Jason Rantz wrote in a column for the outlet. “He essentially said victims don’t matter, public safety doesn’t matter, and that repeat offenders should be shielded from jail because of their supposed backstory.”
Harrell, a former civil rights attorney, has promoted initiatives that emphasize diversion and mental health treatment over incarceration. He also highlighted Seattle’s fire department as the first in the nation to administer buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, as part of this broader public health approach.
But critics argue that this approach isn’t working—and it may be endangering the public.
“We have women who can’t take their kids to a park without fearing a homeless addict with a rap sheet longer than a CVS receipt,” Rantz wrote. “And here’s the mayor saying criminals get his empathy and protection, while victims are left to fend for themselves.”
Wilson has not issued a direct response to the comments, but her campaign has been critical of what it describes as a lack of urgency in addressing repeat criminal behavior in the city.
Quote:The White House said Friday that President Donald Trump has ordered a review of federal aid to Portland, Oregon, as he grows increasingly angered by the city’s anti-government and anti-fascist protests.
“We will not fund states that allow anarchy,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, without specifying which funds President Donald Trump might seek to withhold.
Why It Matters
Trump has highlighted the importance of security and the need for law and order during his second administration, initiating the largest mass deportation operation in the United States' history, and deploying National Guard troops to the Democrat-run cities of Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Memphis and Portland, to assist in various law enforcement and immigration efforts.
Raids by ICE officers have triggered protests in several cities, including Portland.
Leavitt: I just spoke with the president and he has directed his team at the White House to begin reviewing aid that can potentially be cut in Portland. We will not fund states that allow anarchy pic.twitter.com/xQBITnUSs3
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 3, 2025
What to Know
Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold federal funding — which is mandated by Congress — as punishment for those he considers political opponents, including Democrats in state and local government and elite universities he has described as overrun by Marxists.
In Portland, Oregon’s largest city, streets have sporadically filled in recent years with left-wing protests, most recently targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carrying out Trump’s expanded deportation plan.
Leavitt said Friday, "President Trump will end the radical left reign of terror in Portland once and for all. The president has directed Secretary Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Friday that the agency will deploy additional federal agents to Portland.
Leavitt said she was troubled that a conservative independent journalist was among three people arrested outside ICE’s offices.
Police said the journalist, Nicholas Sortor, was arrested with two others for fighting at the protest and charged with disorderly conduct. Video showed Sortor arguing with protesters, and he said Friday he acted in self-defense. Leavitt said she spoke with Sortor and that the Justice Department’s civil rights division was reviewing whether he was a victim of “viewpoint discrimination” by Portland police.
Quote:The Supreme Court on Friday allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to strip temporary legal protections from more than 300,000 Venezuelan migrants. The justices issued an emergency order that pauses a lower-court ruling finding the administration wrongly ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the group.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via email Friday for additional information.
Why It Matters
The Court's latest decision allows the Trump administration to strip temporary legal protections from over 300,000 Venezuelan migrants whose protected status expired earlier this year.
The emergency order, which suspends a lower court ruling that favored the migrants, could have far-reaching effects on immigrant communities, employment, and deportation protocols. This ruling comes amid broader debates in the United States over the future of TPS, a humanitarian immigration program, and illustrates the judiciary’s influential role in shaping national immigration policy. The Court’s injunction affects not only Venezuelans but also sets precedent for similar cases involving migrants from other countries.
What To Know
Trump has sought to roll back protections granted under President Joe Biden to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans and Haitians, arguing the law was misapplied. Migrant advocates say the court’s actions have already cost some Venezuelans jobs, homes and even led to deportations.
U.S. District Judge Edward Chen's, who had earlier ruled that the administration improperly ended TPS, order, now stayed, had found that the DHS acted “with unprecedented haste and in an unprecedented manner … for the preordained purpose of expediting termination of Venezuela’s TPS.” An earlier unanimous appellate panel noted DHS “made its decisions first and searched for a valid basis for those decisions second.”
Quote:A petition seeking to strip members of Congress of their salaries during the government shutdown has garnered over 97,000 signatures.
The petition, launched by a Missouri resident named Joyce, argues that lawmakers should not be paid their salary or benefits during the shutdown and that their salaries should be reduced by 2 percent for each day the government remains closed.
This daily reduction, the petition says, should remain when the government reopens.
Why It Matters
After Congress could not agree on a funding measure, the government shut down as midnight passed on 1 October. This means that non-essential government services have ground to a halt.
During a shutdown, lawmakers continue to receive their salaries while a number of essential workers that are required to continue working will not get a paycheck.
These workers, along with furloughed government staff will, instead, receive backpay when the government reopens, according to a law Congress passed in 2019.
Most lawmakers receive an annual salary of $174,000 while those in top leadership roles, like the Speaker of the House, receive more.
What To Know
The petition, which at the time of writing has accrued 97,713 signatures, calls on Congress to pass immediate legislation to implement salary freezes and reductions.
It reads: "We, the undersigned, demand immediate action to hold members of Congress accountable for government shutdowns. When the government shuts down, essential services halt, federal workers go unpaid, and millions of Americans suffer. Yet, members of Congress continue to receive their salaries and benefits, insulated from the consequences of their inaction."
It adds: "Government shutdowns are not just political games—they disrupt lives, harm communities, and erode public trust. Congress must feel the same urgency as the American people to resolve these crises swiftly. If federal workers and citizens bear the burden of a shutdown, so should our elected officials."
The petition comes after various members of Congress from both parties have called for lawmakers to have their pay suspended during the government shutdown.
South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman, for instance, reintroduced a constitutional amendment that would bar members of Congress from receiving a salary while the federal government is in a shutdown. Democratic Senator Andy Kim and Florida Republican Kat Cammack have also said they will refuse their pay during this period.
However, efforts to alter lawmakers' pay will unlikely succeed. A constitutional amendment requires the support of two-thirds of both the House and Senate. Meanwhile, under the 27th amendment, passed in 1992, Congress is prevented from giving itself an immediate pay rise or cut. Any changes can only take effect after the next election, meaning any move that would change salaries during this shutdown would not take effect.
Quote:The U.S. Treasury has confirmed draft designs for a $1 commemorative coin that could feature President Donald Trump.
The coin, proposed for the nation’s 250th anniversary, would show Trump’s profile on the front and an image of him raising his fist the words “FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT” beside an American flag on the back.
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach shared a post about the coin on X and said, "No fake news here. These first drafts honoring America’s 250th Birthday and @POTUS are real. Looking forward to sharing more soon, once the obstructionist shutdown of the United States government is over."
Why It Matters
In 2020, Congress passed the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, a bipartisan measure signed into law during Donald Trump’s first term, which authorizes the Treasury Secretary to issue $1 coins during the one-year period beginning Jan. 1, 2026, provided their designs are “emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial.”
An 1866 law bars a living person from being featured on U.S. currency. However, there is precedent for a living president on coinage. Through Congressional authorization, President Calvin Coolidge was featured on the 1926 Sesquicentennial of American Independence Half Dollar alongside George Washington. The coin was issued to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and help fund the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Mint and the Treasury Department via email on Friday afternoon for comment.
What To Know
Under the 2020 act, the U.S. Mint is permitted to redesign circulating coinage for 2026 in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary and is required to consult with the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and the Commission of Fine Arts when selecting designs.
The law also continues other redesign programs through 2030—such as those featuring prominent American women and youth sports—while specifically granting flexibility around inscriptions and the placement of elements for the semiquincentennial issue.
Meanwhile, two Republican lawmakers told Fox News Digital they plan to introduce legislation to honor late conservative activist Charlie Kirk by printing his image and name on nearly half a million new silver dollar coins.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during a question-and-answer session at Utah Valley University on September 10 during his "American Comeback Tour." A suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is in custody, charged with aggravated murder and other offenses.
The bill calls on the U.S. Treasury to print 400,000 silver dollar coins with Kirk's face on them, Republican Representatives August Pfluger of Texas and Abraham Hamadeh of Arizona told Fox News. In addition to Kirk's image, the coins would include the message, "Well done, good and faithful servant." They would be minted with the year 2026 and his full name on them, according to Fox News Digital.
UKRAINE WAR
Quote:Belgian defense officials said about 15 unidentified drones were seen flying over a military base in Elsenborn before crossing into neighboring Germany, Belgium's VRT NWS reported. They were seen at around 1:45 a.m. local time, in the early hours of Friday morning.
Earlier, Munich Airport in Germany had shut down for hours after drones of unknown origin were seen in the sky nearby. That incident started at around 10 p.m. on Thursday and lasted until 5 a.m. on Friday when the airport reopened for flights.
Why It Matters
The incidents are the latest in a series of mysterious drone sightings over airports and other infrastructure in several European Union member states, exacerbating rising tensions on NATO’s eastern flank as Russian forces battle in neighboring Ukraine.
Russia denies any suggestion that it is responsible for the drones and says it does not want conflict with western Europe.
Speaking at a conference in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on October 2, President Vladimir Putin scoffed at Western suspicion of Russian involvement in a recent drone flight over Denmark, saying the claims were part NATO efforts to “inflame tensions to boost the defense spending.”
What To Know
Authorities in Belgium and Germany—both NATO allies—are investigating the latest appearance of drones in their skies.
It remains unclear where the two drone swarms came from, or if they are connected.
About 15 drones were spotted flying over eastern Belgium's Elsenborn military training area, a NATO base in the Liège province near the German frontier, the Brussels Signal media outlet reported.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken confirmed the intrusion, with the military launching an investigation into the drones’ origins and operators.
Munich's airport said in statement there had been “several drone sightings,” without elaborating. A police spokesman said it was not immediately clear how many drones might have been involved in the Munich incident. He said police, airline employees and “regular people around the airport” were among witnesses who reported the drone sightings.
After the closure of the runways, police deployed helicopters and other means to try to track down the drones, but no signs of them could be found, the police spokesman said.
Suspected Russian intrusions into NATO members' airspace surged last month when a swarm of Russian drones flew into Poland, Estonia complained about an intrusion by Russian fighter jets and unidentified drones were also sighted over Denmark, Romania and Germany, in what some European officials described as a Russian campaign to test NATO's response.
Quote:Authorities shut down Munich Airport late Friday after suspected drone sightings, the second closure in less than 24 hours, officials said. The airport said flight operations were suspended “as a precautionary measure due to unconfirmed sightings,” marking the latest in a string of mysterious drone incursions over airports and other critical sites across Europe.
The disruption came just a day after flights were halted Thursday night following earlier drone reports, stranding thousands of passengers and diverting flights across the region. While service resumed briefly Friday morning, the renewed sightings forced Germany’s second-busiest airport to ground flights again, highlighting the growing security challenge drones pose to European aviation and infrastructure.
Why It Matters
The repeated shutdowns at Munich Airport underline a mounting concern for European governments: drones are increasingly disrupting air traffic, raising alarms about safety, security and possible geopolitical threats. Nearly 3,000 passengers were stranded Thursday after 17 flights were grounded and 15 others diverted to airports in Germany and Austria. Hundreds more were forced to sleep on cots in terminals overnight, as authorities scrambled to respond to unconfirmed but credible reports of drones in restricted airspace.
The incidents are part of a broader pattern across the continent. In recent weeks, drones have been spotted over military bases in Belgium, airports in Norway and Denmark, and even within NATO-member Poland, where incursions linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine triggered fighter jet responses. European leaders are now treating the issue as a cross-border security problem. Germany’s interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said he and other ministers will discuss a “drone detection and defense plan” this weekend.
What to Know
Munich Airport is one of Europe’s busiest hubs. Federal police said witnesses — including airline staff and members of the public — reported several drone sightings beginning late Thursday night. Flights resumed briefly Friday morning, but new sightings that evening led to another closure. Federal and state police are leading the investigation, deploying helicopters and other detection equipment, though no drones have yet been recovered.
In Belgium, Defense Minister Theo Francken said as many as 15 drones were spotted overnight above the Elsenborn military base near the German border. The flights were described as “suspicious and unknown,” and the country’s defense ministry has launched an investigation. In Oslo, Norway’s capital, drones also disrupted airport traffic last month.
European officials have raised the possibility that Russia or its allies could be behind some of the incursions, viewing them as attempts to test air defenses or create disruption at minimal cost.
In France, authorities recently detained a Russia-linked oil tanker suspected of involvement in drone flights over Denmark. Navy commandos searched the vessel but found no drones or launch equipment before allowing it back to sea. Still, the case added to suspicions about the role of Russian operatives in using drones to probe EU defenses.
Moscow has denied involvement, and security analysts caution that attribution is complicated.
The uncertainty has left passengers in Munich frustrated. Hundreds spent the night on cots or were sent to nearby hotels as flights were canceled or diverted. Airport staff distributed blankets, drinks and snacks, according to German media.
Quote:Russian President Vladimir Putin railed against NATO and pushed back on President Donald Trump's rhetoric in a rare lengthy public appearance on Thursday. Newsweek has compiled five main takeaways from the speech.
Why It Matters
The Russian president struck an unusually combative tone, issuing stark warnings of potential retaliation over Western support for Ukraine and NATO expansion.
His comments come as the war in Ukraine continues to rage in its third year, while Trump continues to attempt to negotiate a ceasefire between the two countries, so far without success.
What To Know
Putin spoke for nearly four hours at the Valdai Discussion Group in Sochi, an annual discussion forum held by a think tank. The five takeaways were:
1. Putin Warned U.S. on Tomahawks
The Russian president warned that if the U.S. sends Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, which the besieged country has long been asking for, it would mark a sharp escalation in the conflict.
"It is impossible to use Tomahawks without the direct participation of American military personnel," Putin said. "This will mean a completely new, qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the United States."
Tomahawks have a range of approximately 1,000 miles, which would allow Ukraine to hit military targets deep in Russia. Vice President JD Vance said last week that the Trump administration was reviewing a request from Ukraine for the missiles, but that Trump had not made a final decision.
2. Dismissed Trump’s ‘Paper Tiger’ Jibe
Putin pushed back on Trump’s characterization of Russia as a "paper tiger" because of its failure to defeat its smaller neighbor after years of war.
He said: "A paper tiger. What follows then? Go and deal with this paper tiger. Well, if we are fighting with the entire NATO bloc, we are moving, advancing, and we feel confident, and we are a ‘paper tiger’, then what is NATO itself?"
Despite the rebuttal to Trump’s comment, the Russian president also praised the U.S. president’s efforts to secure peace, and said he agreed with his claims that the war could have been avoided if Trump was in office.
He said that the current U.S. administration appeared to be "guided primarily by its own interests," and added: "I believe this is a rational approach. But then, if you will excuse me, Russia also reserves the right to be guided by its national interests."
3. Brushed Off NATO Drone Concerns
Putin mocked Western alarm over drone incursions into NATO airspace, and accused European nations of using them to inflame tensions.
"I won’t do it anymore—to France, Denmark, Copenhagen, Lisbon—wherever they could reach," the Russian president joked.
In recent months at least ten European countries have accused Russia of flying drones into their territories.
4. Threatened Retaliation Over NATO Militarization
Putin accused European nations of fueling instability by increasing military spending and deepening integration under NATO.
"We are closely monitoring the escalating militarization of Europe," he said. "I think no one doubts that such measures will force Russia to act, and Russia’s countermeasures will not be long in coming. It seems that the response to these threats will be, to put it mildly, very convincing."
5. Called Sweden and Finland’s decision to join NATO ‘stupid’
Putin hit out at Sweden and Finland’s decision to join NATO, and said this meant the countries had lost their neutrality.
"Finland and Sweden joining NATO was stupid. We never had any problems with Sweden, much less Finland. No problems at all … both Finland and Sweden have lost the advantage of their neutral status," he said.
Both Nordic countries joined NATO after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Putin has long viewed the expansion of NATO as a threat, and has warned against the alliance inching closer to its doorstep.
GEORGIA
Quote:TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Almost every day for nearly a year, Gota Chanturia has joined rallies at Georgia’s parliament against the government and its increasingly repressive policies. He’s done this despite mass arrests and police violence against demonstrators.
And the civics teacher keeps marching even though he’s racked up an astonishing $102,000 in fines from the protests. That’s about 10 times what the average Georgian earns in a year.
“We’ve said that we will be here until the end, and we’re still here,” Chanturia told The Associated Press as he participated in yet another demonstration this week in the capital of Tbilisi.
The protests began when the government halted talks about joining the European Union. That move came after the longtime ruling party Georgian Dream won an election that the opposition alleged was rigged.
The rallies, big and small, continue despite a multipronged crackdown by the government through laws that target demonstrators, rights groups, nongovernmental organizations and independent media.
More protests are planned for this weekend to coincide with local elections.
The repression in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million has drawn comparisons to Georgia’s powerful neighbor and former imperial ruler Russia, where President Vladimir Putin has stifled dissent. Georgian Dream has been accused of steering the country into Moscow’s orbit of influence.
Human Rights Watch says Georgia is suffering a “rights crisis.” The clampdown is unprecedented in the country’s independent history and is escalating steadily, said Giorgi Gogia, the group’s Europe and Central Asia associate director.
But Georgia’s vibrant civil society is pushing back, and it has become a question of “who would blink first,” Gogia said. If it’s the public and civil society, they could wake up in an authoritarian country, “which would be a huge transformation from what Georgia used to be up until now,” he added.
Fines, beatings and prison
Ketuna Kerashvili joined a rally in rainy Tbilisi on Wednesday despite the fact that her 30-year-old brother Irakli was arrested in December, convicted of disrupting public order, and sentenced to two years in prison. He had rejected the charges as unfounded.
Kerashvili told AP her brother’s trial was “tough to watch.”
“All of those boys and girls who are in prison now were trying to protect our country from pro-Russian forces and a pro-Russian government,” she said.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
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My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
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Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
