Tracking Trump: Iran gets the ‘ultimate ultimatum'; Fed maintains interest rates; Hegseth defends Confederate base names; and more
Trump remained noncommittal about the U.S. striking Iran.
The Supreme Court upheld a ban on gender transition treatments for minors.
A report found Social Security will run out of money in under 10 years.
The Federal Reserve said it will not drop interest rates.
The defense secretary defended Confederate names for bases.
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Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Europe to give Iran message that US open to direct talks
By Francois Murphy, John Irish and Parisa Hafezi GENEVA (Reuters) -European foreign ministers will tell their Iranian counterpart on Friday that the U.S. is open to direct talks even as it considers joining Israeli strikes intended to smash Tehran's nuclear capacity, diplomats said before a meeting in Geneva. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will be told that Iran must send a "clear signal," two diplomats told Reuters, with pressure mounting on Tehran to agree tough curbs on its nuclear programme to prevent the potential development of an atomic weapon. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to several Western counterparts prior to the Geneva meeting, the diplomats said, indicating readiness to engage directly with Tehran. Washington did not confirm that, though broadcaster CNN quoted a U.S. official saying President Donald Trump supported diplomacy from allies that could bring Iran closer to a deal. Tehran, however, has repeatedly said it will not talk to the Trump government until Israeli attacks end. The ministers from Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, plus the European Union's foreign policy chief, were meeting separately prior to planned face-to-face talks with Araqchi. "The Iranians can't sit down with the Americans whereas we can," said a European diplomat. "We will tell them to come back to the table to discuss the nuclear issue before the worst-case scenario, while raising our concerns over its ballistic missiles, support to Russia and detention of our citizens." The Trump administration is demanding Iran stop uranium enrichment altogether, whereas the E3 have in past talks left it some scope to enrich for civil ends in exchange for extremely strict international inspections of its nuclear activities. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron shifted closer to Trump's position, saying that any new deal with Tehran needed to go towards zero enrichment. A senior Iranian official told Reuters Iran is ready to discuss limitations on its uranium enrichment but said the prospect of zero enrichment would undoubtedly be rejected, especially while Israel was attacking Iran. IRAN DEMANDS END TO WAR The talks were due for mid-afternoon in Geneva, where an initial accord between Iran and world powers to curb its nuclear programme in return for sanctions lifting was struck in 2013 before a comprehensive deal in 2015. Separate talks between Iran and the U.S. collapsed when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic capabilities on June 12. "There is no room for negotiations with the U.S. until Israeli aggression stops," Araqchi was quoted as saying on Iranian state TV on Friday. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke to Rubio on Thursday night, during which Rubio said Washington was ready for direct contact with the Iranians any time, according to a French diplomatic source. The main message Europeans will pass to Araqchi is that the U.S. has signalled readiness for direct talks, but that Iran must give a serious signal, the two European diplomats said, without defining what the signal should be. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has spoken to Araqchi several times since last week, sources say. While diplomats did not expect a breakthrough in Geneva, they said it was vital to engage with Iran because once the war stopped the nuclear issue would remain unresolved given that Tehran would still retain the scientific know-how. "Even now, if they have something to say, we will listen," Araqchi said of the Europeans. "We are not ashamed of defending our nation's rights and we are not avoiding anyone." German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said European powers had always been ready to talk provided Iran committed to not developing nuclear weapons. "Now it's Iran's move," he said. Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether to join Israeli strikes.
Chicago Tribune
13 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Appeals court lets President Donald Trump keep control of National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES — An appeals court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump to keep control of National Guard troops he deployed to Los Angeles following protests over immigration raids. The decision halts a ruling from a lower court judge who found Trump acted illegally when he activated the soldiers over opposition from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The deployment was the first by a president of a state National Guard without the governor's permission since 1965. In its decision, a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously concluded it was likely Trump lawfully exercised his authority in federalizing control of the guard. It said that while presidents don't have unfettered power to seize control of a state's guard, the Trump administration had presented enough evidence to show it had a defensible rationale for doing so, citing violent acts by protesters. 'The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters 'pinned down' several federal officers and threw 'concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects' at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building. And a federal van was attacked by protesters who smashed in the van's windows,' the court wrote. 'The federal government's interest in preventing incidents like these is significant.' It also found that even if the federal government failed to notify the governor of California before federalizing the National Guard as required by law, Newsom had no power to veto the president's order. Trump celebrated the decision on his Truth Social platform, calling it a 'BIG WIN.' He wrote that 'all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done.' Newsom issued a statement that expressed disappointment that the court is allowing Trump to retain control of the Guard. But he also welcomed one aspect of the decision. 'The court rightly rejected Trump's claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard and not have to explain himself to a court,' Newsom said. 'The President is not a king and is not above the law. We will press forward with our challenge to President Trump's authoritarian use of U.S. military soldiers against citizens.' The court case could have wider implications on the president's power to deploy soldiers within the United States after Trump directed immigration officials to prioritize deportations from other Democratic-run cities. Trump, a Republican, argued that the troops were necessary to restore order. Newsom, a Democrat, said the move inflamed tensions, usurped local authority and wasted resources. The protests have since appeared to be winding down. Two judges on the appeals panel were appointed by Trump during his first term. During oral arguments Tuesday, all three judges suggested that presidents have wide latitude under the federal law at issue and that courts should be reluctant to step in. The case started when Newsom sued to block Trump's command, and he won an early victory from U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco. Breyer found that Trump had overstepped his legal authority, which he said only allows presidents can take control during times of 'rebellion or danger of a rebellion.' 'The protests in Los Angeles fall far short of 'rebellion,'' wrote Breyer, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton and is brother to retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. The Trump administration, though, argued that courts can't second guess the president's decisions and quickly secured a temporary halt from the appeals court. The ruling means control of the California National Guard will stay in federal hands as the lawsuit continues to unfold.
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wolfspeed nears bankruptcy deal with lenders including Apollo, Bloomberg News reports
(Reuters) -Wolfspeed will be taken over by creditors including Apollo Global Management under a proposal that would put the struggling chipmaker into bankruptcy, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the plan. The company will soon announce a deal for a so-called prepackaged bankruptcy, that would be long enough to slash billions in debt, the report said. After a restructuring support agreement is signed, Wolfspeed will ask creditors to vote on the plan and then file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Shares of Wolfspeed, which makes chips using silicon carbide — a more energy-efficient material than traditional silicon, rose about 3% to $1.29 on Wednesday. The stock had fallen about 81% so far this year. Wolfspeed and Apollo did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The chipmaker raised going-concern doubts earlier in May, as deepening economic uncertainty stemming from changing U.S. trade policies, combined with weakening demand, triggered a series of financial challenges for the company. As of March, the company had about $1.33 billion in unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, and about $6.5 billion of debt obligations, it said in a regulatory filing in May. In a prepackaged bankruptcy, companies and their creditors agree on a reorganization plan prior to the bankruptcy filing and creditors even vote on the plan. Shareholders could recover as much as 5% in the proposed scenario, the report said. In a typical bankruptcy, shareholders are usually wiped out because creditors must be paid first, and there often is not enough value left for equity holders. In 2023, Wolfspeed announced $1.25 billion in debt financing led by Apollo, with the option to increase the total to as much as $2 billion to support the company's U.S. expansion plans.
