Putin, Trump discussed 'impressive' prospects for US-Russia ties, Kremlin says

Putin, Trump discussed 'impressive' prospects for US-Russia ties, Kremlin says

By Dmitry Antonov MOSCOW (Reuters) -Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed what the U.S. leader called "impressive" prospects for ties between their two countries in a phone call on Monday, the Kremlin said, adding that Russia and the United States are working on a new prisoner swap. Putin said after the call that Russia would work with Ukraine on a memorandum about a future peace accord. Trump said Russia and Ukraine would immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that the two leaders had not discussed a timeline for a ceasefire in Ukraine, but that Trump had stressed his interest in reaching agreements quickly. "The presidents also spoke in some detail about the future of our relations, and President Trump, I can say, spoke quite emotionally about the prospects for these relations," Ushakov said. "He specifically emphasized that the prospects for bilateral relations after the Ukrainian conflict is resolved look impressive, and that as the president of the United States, he sees Russia as one of America's most important partners in trade and economic matters." Ushakov said the two countries were working out details of an exchange of prisoners jailed in Russia and the United States involving nine people on each side, although he did not say when it might take place. Trump and Putin are both in favour of meeting in person and will assign their teams to work on preparing a meeting, Ushakov said, but no venue has been agreed. Asked if the lifting of U.S. sanctions had been discussed, Ushakov said: "You know, Trump mentioned that the Senate, in principle, has a bill ready regarding new sanctions. But he himself is not a supporter of sanctions, but rather of reaching some agreements." Ushakov stressed the warm nature of the conversation, saying the two men addressed each other by their first names and Putin congratulated Trump on the birth of his latest grandson. "Trump said: Vladimir, you can pick up the phone at any time, I will be happy to answer, I will be happy to talk to you," Ushakov said. (Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 19, 2025

Putin, Trump discussed 'impressive' prospects for US-Russia ties, Kremlin says

Putin, Trump discussed 'impressive' prospects for US-Russia ties, Kremlin says By Dmitry Antonov MOSCOW (Reuters) -Vladimir Putin a...

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Trump wants 'major investigation' into Beyoncé, Oprah, other celeb endorsements of Harris

Trump wants 'major investigation' into Beyoncé, Oprah, other celeb endorsements of Harris

WASHINGTON ―President Donald Trumpsaid he plans to call for a "major investigation" into the celebrity endorsements thatKamala Harrisreceived during the 2024 campaign, alleging without evidence that Bruce Springsteen, Oprah Winfrey, U2's Bono andBeyoncéwere paid to publicly support the Democratic nominee. Representatives of several of the entertainers targeted by Trump − all of whom have previously endorsed Democratic candidates for president − have rejected rumors they were paid for their endorsements of Harris. Trump,in a 1:34 a.m. EDT May 19 poston Truth social, accused Harris ofpaying for their endorsements"under the guise of paying for entertainment" in a "desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds." "IT'S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic 'entertainers,' this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system," Trump said. More:It wasn't only Oprah. Kamala Harris campaign paid Beyonce's production company too Trump did not elaborate on the investigation he has in mind or what entity he wants to lead it. The Federal Election Commission does not have rules explicitly prohibiting candidates from paying for endorsements. Trump followed up on his overnight social media postwith a subsequent post at 9:11 am EDTsingling out Beyoncé with an unfounded claim involving a rallyshe hosted in October 2024for Harris in Houston. Trump wrote that "according to news report" Beyoncé was paid $11 million "to walk onto a stage, quickly ENDORSE KAMALA, and walk off to loud booing for never having performed, NOT EVEN ONE SONG!" It is unclear where Trump got the unsubstantiated $11 million figure.The Harris campaign last year rejectedan unfounded rumor that it paid Beyoncé $10 million for her endorsement that began on social media shortly after the music star's October 2024 appearance with Harris. More:'I'm here as a mother': Beyoncé' rallies for Kamala Harris in final stretch of campaign "BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OPRAH, BONO AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!" Trump said in his post. A representative of Harris did not immediately response to a request for comment. Beyoncé, Springsteen and Winfrey each endorsed Barack Obama, Joe Biden and formerSecretary of State Hillary Clintonin previous elections, including the 2016 and 2020 races in which Trump was the Republican nominee. Bono has a long history of backing liberal causes. Beyoncé granted Harris permissionto use her song "Freedom" as the anthem of her 2024 campaign. Winfrey, a registered independent voter who previouslyendorsed Clintonand Obama, delivered a forceful case for Harris during arare dive into national politics atthe Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The Harris campaign paid $165,000 to Beyoncé's production company, Parkwood Production Media LLC, according to finance records reported to the Federal Election Commission. The payment came about a month after the two appeared together at the Houston rally. Beyoncé did not perform at the rally but instead spoke about her support for Harris alongside her Destiny's Child group mate, Kelly Rowland. Tina Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé,pushed back at the $10 million rumor at the time, calling it "false information" and a "lie" in a post on Instagram. "In fact she actually paid for her own flights for her and her team," Knowles said. The Harris campaign, which spent lavishly after raising more than $1 billion over just 107 days, also paid $1 million to Harpo Productions, the company Winfrey owns,after the television star hosted a town hallevent for Harris that featured appearance from other celebrities such as comedian Chris Rock, actresses Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep, actor Ben Stiller, and singer Jennifer Lopez. More:Bruce Springsteen doubles down after Trump calls him 'dried out prune' The payments to Winfrey'sproduction companycame in two $500,000 sums on Oct. 15, 2024. Winfrey said the money went to employees who put on the event, notto herpersonally. "I did not take any personal fee," Winfreysaid in a videoposted on Instagram. "However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story." Trump's focus on Springsteen comes after Trump lashed out at the rock icon con after he condemned the president's "corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration"during the first show of his British tour last week. "Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy,' Trump saidin a May 16 post on Truth Social. "Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden." Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump wants 'investigation' into celebrity endorsements of Harris

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 19, 2025

Trump wants 'major investigation' into Beyoncé, Oprah, other celeb endorsements of Harris

Trump wants 'major investigation' into Beyoncé, Oprah, other celeb endorsements of Harris WASHINGTON ―President Donald Trumpsaid he ...

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Freed from ICE custody, Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi graduates from Columbia to cheers

Freed from ICE custody, Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi graduates from Columbia to cheers

NEW YORK (AP) — Less than three weeks after his release from animmigrationjail, the Palestinian activistMohsen Mahdawistrode across the graduation stage at Columbia University on Monday morning, savoring a moment the Trump administration had fought to make impossible. Draped in a keffiyeh, Mahdawi, 34, paused to listen to the swell of cheers from his fellow graduates. Then he joined a vigil just outside Columbia's gates, raising a photograph of his classmateMahmoud Khalil, who remains in federal custody. "It's very mixed emotions," Mahdawi told The Associated Press. "The Trump administration wanted to rob me of this opportunity. They wanted me to be in a prison, in prison clothes, to not have education and to not have joy or celebration." Mahdawi, a 34-year-old legal resident of the U.S., wasdetained during an April 14 citizenship interviewin Vermont, part of the widening federal crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists. He was released two weeks later by a judge, who likened the government's actions to McCarthyist repression. Federal officials have not accused Mahdawi of committing a crime, but argued thathe and other student activists should be deported for beliefsthat may undermine U.S. foreign policy. For Mahdawi, who earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Columbia's School of General Studies, the graduation marked a bittersweet return to a university that he says has betrayed him and other students. "The senior administration is selling the soul of this university to the Trump administration, participating in the destruction and the degradation of our democracy," Mahdawi said. He pointed to Columbia's decision toacquiesce to the Trump administration's demands— including placing its Middle Eastern studies department under new leadership — as well as its failure to speak out against his and Khalil's arrest. He said Columbia's leadership had denied his pleas for protection prior to his arrest, then ignored his attorney's request for a letter supporting his release from jail. A spokesperson for Columbia University did not return an emailed inquiry. Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in theIsraeli-occupied West Bankand moved to the United States in 2014. At Columbia, he organized campus protests, led a Buddhist association and co-founded the Palestinian Student Union withKhalil. Khalil would have received his diploma from a Columbia master's program in international studies later this week. He remains jailed in Louisiana as he awaits a decision from a federal judge about his possible release. As he prepares for a lengthy legal battle, Mahdawi faces his own uncertain future. He was previously admitted to a master's degree program at Columbia, where he planned to study "peacekeeping and conflict resolution" in the fall. But he is reconsidering his options after learning this month that he would not receive financial aid. For now, he said, he would continue to advocate for the Palestinian cause, buoyed by the support he says he has received from the larger Columbia community. "When I went on the stage, the message was very clear and loud: They are cheering up for the idea of justice, for the idea of peace, for the idea of equality, for the idea of humanity, and nothing will stop us from continuing to do that. Not the Trump administration nor Columbia University," he said. The School of General Studies graduation comes two days before Columbia's university-wide commencement, as colleges across the country are bracing for possible disruptions. Last week, New York University announced it wouldwithhold the diplomaof a student speaker who criticized Israel's attacks on Palestinians in his graduation speech.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 19, 2025

Freed from ICE custody, Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi graduates from Columbia to cheers

Freed from ICE custody, Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi graduates from Columbia to cheers NEW YORK (AP) — Less than three weeks after hi...

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Colombia's president suggests Vatican could host new peace talks with rebel group

Colombia's president suggests Vatican could host new peace talks with rebel group

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia's PresidentGustavo Petrosaid on Monday that he is contemplating a new round of peace talks with the nation's largest remaining rebel group, and suggested that the talks could take place in theVatican. Petro's statement came after he attended an audience withPope Leo XIVin the Vatican, which has not commented on the suggestion that it could host peace talks between Colombia's government and the National Liberation Army, or ELN, a group with around 5,000 fighters that was founded in the late 1960s. "I spoke with the Pope about what can be done for the Vatican to hold the new peace talks," Petro said in a video posted on X. He added that the ELN wants to keep talks in Cuba and Venezuela, but suggested that the Vatican could be a more suitable venue for negotiations. "I think this is the place, where we can recall the theory of effective love," Petro said, referring to one of the founding principles of the rebel group. The ELN has not commented on Petro's proposal. Colombia's governmentsuspended peace talkswith the ELN in January after the group staged a series of deadly attacks on villages in the northeastCatatumboregion, that forced more than 50,000 people toflee their homes. Petro, who was a member of another rebel group during his youth, has accused the ELN's leadership of becoming "greedy" criminals and of betraying their revolutionary ideals. "They have replaced the banners of change and transformation, for the banners of Mexican drug cartels," Petro said on Monday. The ELN was founded by activists and union leaders inspired by the Cuban revolution and by a Catholic movement known asliberation theology, that calls on the faithful to dismantle social and economic structures that cause inequality and poverty. The group has also had members of the clergy among its ranks, includingCamilo Torres, a prominent priest who joined the ELN shortly after it was founded and was killed in a battle with the Colombian army. During his presidential campaign, Petro promised to make peace with the ELN "within three months" of taking office. Three years on, his government is struggling to pacify rural areas, where the ELN and several other groups are fighting over territory that was abandoned by theRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the large guerrilla group that made peace with the government in 2016. Colombia's Catholic Bishops Conference has called on the government and the ELN to resume negotiations so that violence can decrease in rural areas, where crimes like the forced recruitment of children, and the murders of human rights leaders are on the rise.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 19, 2025

Colombia's president suggests Vatican could host new peace talks with rebel group

Colombia's president suggests Vatican could host new peace talks with rebel group BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia's PresidentGustav...

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Ashli Babbitt's family to receive $5 million in settlement with Trump administration: Sources

Ashli Babbitt's family to receive $5 million in settlement with Trump administration: Sources

The Trump administration is set to pay out nearly $5 millionto settle a lawsuitbrought by the family of Ashli Babbitt, a rioter fatally shot during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News on Monday. The settlement will resolve a $30 million suit brought by Babbitt's estate and the conservative group Judicial Watch alleging the Capitol Police officer who shot her as she attempted to breach a broken window of the House speaker's lobby was negligent in his duties. The Washington Post firstreportednews on the settlement amount. The Justice Department in April 2021 announced it had cleared U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd of any criminal wrongdoing in the shooting, after an investigation revealed no evidence he "did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber." This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Ashli Babbitt's family to receive $5 million in settlement with Trump administration: Sourcesoriginally appeared onabcnews.go.com

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 19, 2025

Ashli Babbitt's family to receive $5 million in settlement with Trump administration: Sources

Ashli Babbitt's family to receive $5 million in settlement with Trump administration: Sources The Trump administration is set to pay out...

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