South Africa’s Ramaphosa visits Trump for high-stakes talks that could reset or worsen fraught ties

South Africa's Ramaphosa visits Trump for high-stakes talks that could reset or worsen fraught ties

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa will hold crucial talks at the White House with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday in a high-stakes meeting that could improve or deteriorate already frosty relations between the nations. Ramaphosa is hopeful his visit could end a diplomatic feud that sparkedaid cancellationsby Trump and fueled theexpulsionof his nation's ambassador to the US. There are also fears that the African nation could now potentially lose some of its US trade privileges as relations between the two countries sour. Ramaphosa's trip comes just over a week after a group of 59 White South Africans arrived in the US after being granted refugee status. Trump andhis ally Elon Musk, who was born and raised in the country, claimed the South Africans were being persecuted back home. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was in the US national interest to prioritize White South Africans for refugee resettlement, telling a hearing that they're "a small subset" who "are easier to vet." The Trump administration has sharply criticized an expropriation law, which was enacted in South Africa earlier this year. The law empowers South Africa's government to take land and redistribute it with no obligation to pay compensation in some instances. Trump claimed that lands belonging to South Africa's minority Whites, whoown 72%of the nation's agricultural land, were being targeted for confiscation, and cited unverified claims that "a genocide is taking place" in South Africa. Headdedthat "White farmers are being brutally killed" amid reports of farm attacks. Trump also disapproves of South Africa'sgenocide casebefore the International Court of Justice against the US ally Israel. Ramaphosa's office said he would "discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of interest" with the US president at the White House. Analysts say the meeting could pose a tipping point for their fraught ties. The US is South Africa's second-largest trading partner, and the African nation benefits the most from a US trade agreement that provides preferential duty-free access to US markets for eligible sub-Saharan African nations. Under that agreement, South Africa is themain agricultural exporterand exports two-thirds of its agricultural goods to the US, tariff-free. But some US lawmakers want those benefits withdrawn when the trade agreement is reviewed this year. South African researcher Neo Letswalo describes the anticipated meeting as "make-or-break" and one that requires "supreme negotiation tactics" by Ramaphosa. The South African leader is set for a tight rope walk at the White House, he added, reminiscing abouta shouting matchthat broke out in the Oval Office between Trump, his Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in late February. "Drawing from Zelensky's meeting with Donald Trump and JD Vance, we know that the Oval Office is currently or at least for the next 5 years, a tricky place to be," Letswalo, a research associate at the University of Johannesburg told CNN. He believes that "Ramaphosa would maintain his composure to iron out some of the misunderstandings that Trump's administration officials have about South Africa." Other analysts, such as Christopher Afoke Isike, who is a professor of African politics and international relations at the University of Pretoria, believe that Ramaphosa can pull through, "considering the fact that he's a businessman president like President Trump." Ramaphosa plans to soften the ground with a potential licensing deal for Starlink, a satellite internet service owned by Musk, Ramaphosa's spokesman Vincent Magwenyatold ReutersMonday. For Letswalo, the crucial talks between Trump and Ramaphosa could hit a brick wall if the White House makes costly demands. "A dealbreaker would be a request by Washington for Pretoria to retrieve the Land Expropriation Act or Gaza Case in order to continue the US-SA relationship," he said, adding, "it would be interesting to see how President Ramaphosa maintains the sovereignty and his statement of 'not going to be bullied by America', without compromising the pre-existing relationship with the US." That task could be one of Ramaphosa's most challenging, according to André Duvenhage, a politics professor at South Africa's Northwest University. "This may be his single biggest challenge in terms of anything he had to deal with in his term as president of the Republic of South Africa." CNN's Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

South Africa’s Ramaphosa visits Trump for high-stakes talks that could reset or worsen fraught ties

South Africa's Ramaphosa visits Trump for high-stakes talks that could reset or worsen fraught ties South Africa's President Cyril R...

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By Trump's Logic, Biden Deserves Credit for a Dramatic Drop in Overdose Deaths

By Trump's Logic, Biden Deserves Credit for a Dramatic Drop in Overdose Deaths

During the last year of Donald Trump's first term as president, drug-related deaths in the United Statesroseby 30 percent—the largest annual increase ever recorded. During Joe Biden's final year as president, according topreliminary estimatesreported last week, that death toll fell by 27 percent—another record. On the face of it, Biden did a far better job of waging the war on drugs than Trump. But that conclusion credits presidents with much more power than they actually have to curtail substance abuse by attacking the supply of illegal drugs—an impossible missiondoomedby the economics of prohibition. Attorney General Pam Bondi recentlyclaimedthe Trump administration had "saved…258 million lives" by intercepting shipments of illicit fentanyl. While Bondi'srisible mathbroke new ground, itreflectedher boss's simpleminded faith in the war on drugs. "I'm going to create borders," Trumppromisedduring his 2016 campaign. "No drugs are coming in….Believe me, I will solve the problem." Trump did not, in fact, solve the problem. By the end of his first term, theannual numberof drug deaths was 44 percent higher than it was the year before he took office. That sorry record did not stop Trump frombragging, during his 2024 campaign, that "we took the drug and fentanyl crisis head on" and "achieved the first reduction in overdose deaths in more than 30 years." He was referring to a 4 percent drop in 2018, after which the death toll resumed its upward trend. During his first State of the Union address in 2022, Bidenpromisedthat he would "beat the opioid epidemic" and "stop the flow of illicit drugs." Yet the annual number of overdose deaths reached arecord highof nearly 108,000 on his watch. Still, if Trump can claim credit for the 4 percent drop in 2018, it seems only fair to praise Biden for thesimilar drop(3 percent) in 2023 and the much bigger drop in 2024. Likewise, if Biden deserves blame for allowing drug deaths to reach the highest level ever seen, the same logic condemns Trump, who presided over the unprecedented jump seen in 2020. Something may be wrong with that logic, which ignores the larger forces at work in both cases. When it became clear that overdoses had risen dramatically in 2020, expertssurmisedthat it had something to do with thesocial and economic disruptioncaused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's response to it—an impression confirmed by subsequent research. A 2024 studyfoundthat "volatile drug use during the COVID-19 pandemic was common, appeared to be driven by structural vulnerability, and was associated with increased overdose risk."Another studypub­lished the same year concluded that "policies limiting in-person activities significantly increased" drug death rates. If pandemic-related disruptiondrovethe 2020 overdose spike, the return to normal life seems like aplausible explanationfor subsequent decreases, although the death toll was still about 14 percent higher last year than it was in 2019. Last fall, University of North Carolina drug researcher Nabarun Dasgupta and his colleaguessuggestedother possible factors, including wider availability of naloxone, an opioid antagonist that quickly reverses overdoses. Dasgupta et al. deemed it "unlikely" that attempts to block the drug supply—the solution favored by Trump and Biden, echoing a long line of politicians—had played a significant role in reducing overdoses. That explanation, they noted, was inconsistent with the falling retail prices they had observed. Far from reducing drug-related harm, prohibitionaggravates itby creating a black market where drug composition is highly variable and by encouraging the sale of especially potent substances such as fentanyl, which are easier to smuggle. Thecrackdownon prescription opioids magnified those hazards by driving nonmedical users to replace reliably dosed pharmaceuticals with substitutes that were much more dangerous. Since Biden and Trump both supported those policies, they both deserve blame for the predictably perverse consequences. © Copyright 2025 by Creators Syndicate Inc. The postBy Trump's Logic, Biden Deserves Credit for a Dramatic Drop in Overdose Deathsappeared first onReason.com.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

By Trump's Logic, Biden Deserves Credit for a Dramatic Drop in Overdose Deaths

By Trump's Logic, Biden Deserves Credit for a Dramatic Drop in Overdose Deaths During the last year of Donald Trump's first term as ...

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Victor Davis Hanson Predicts Where FBI Will Relocate D.C.-Based Agents

Victor Davis Hanson Predicts Where FBI Will Relocate D.C.-Based Agents

Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Victor Davis Hanson predicted Tuesday on his show that the FBI will relocate its agents to "where crimes are committed." FBI Director Kash PatelannouncedFriday on Fox Business that the agency will move from its headquarters in Washington, D.C. and relocate its 1,500 employees. While discussing the move on "The Victor Davis Hanson Show," co-host Jack Fowler and Hanson discussed a possible move to somewhere like Kansas City. "I don't know if they're going to make the headquarters there or not. They were going to make it in Virginia, but I think they're going to disperse FBI agents to where crimes are committed," Hanson said. "I know that Washington is a dangerous city, but you don't need 15,000 or 12,000 FBI agents in Washington." "Any Democrat-run city is — all they do in Washington is they just intermarry with media people, with permanent bureaucrats, with politicians, and they finagle and intrigue and whatever the existing power is, usually on the left, and they make the necessary adjustments. They've done this country great harm. They're all sanctimonious," Hanson added. Prior to beingconfirmedas the FBI's new director in February, Patel had been an outspoken critic of the weaponization of the surveillance state, calling for a "24/7 declassification office." Patel previouslyadvocatedfor "shutting down" the D.C. headquarters and moving agents in order to catch criminals instead.(RELATED: FBI Reportedly Shuts Down Office That Oversees FISA Abuses) WATCH: Hanson went on to call out previous FBI officials, saying he believes they've "lied" under oath to committees, like former FBI DirectorRobert Muellerand former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. "When I see Andrew McCabe start pontificating on TV, I say 'You lied. You lied under oath.' When I see James Comey pontificating, I think 'Wow, you lied to the President of the United States. You lied under oath to the House Intelligence Committee by claiming the amnesia. When I see Robert Mueller around, you rarely do, and I thought 'Wow, you must have lied. You knew what Fusion GPS was, or you had no business being the head general counsel,'" Hanson said. "And Christopher Wray, why were you going after abortion protesters, parents at school board meetings? What was the whole point of that spectacular raid on Mar-a-Lago at the same time Joe Biden had taken classified materials for 30 years in three different to four different locations that were much less secure? He only came forward not because what you people said 'He had a sense of duty.' He did it because he's appointed a special counsel to go after and torment Trump, and he was embarrassed people might find out that he'd done the same thing." Patelsaidthat while the FBI has 38,000 agents when "fully manned," an estimated 11,000 of them are being placed in the nation's capital region. Patel has yet to release the exact location where the agents will be sent and where the new headquarters will be set up. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter's byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contactlicensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Victor Davis Hanson Predicts Where FBI Will Relocate D.C.-Based Agents

Victor Davis Hanson Predicts Where FBI Will Relocate D.C.-Based Agents Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Victor Davis Hanson predicted Tuesda...

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Suicide car bomber strikes a school bus in southwestern Pakistan, killing 4 children, officials say

Suicide car bomber strikes a school bus in southwestern Pakistan, killing 4 children, officials say

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide car bomber struck a school bus in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least four children and wounding 38 others, a government official, the latest attack in tense Balochistan province. Balochistan has been the scene of along-running insurgency, with an array of separatist groups staging attacks, including the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in 2019. A local deputy commissioner, Yasir Iqbal, said the attack took place in the district of Khuzdar as the bus was transporting children to a military-run school in the city. No group immediately claimed responsibility, though suspicion is likely to fall on ethnic Baloch separatists, who frequently target security forces and civilians in the region. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack and expressed deep sorrow over the children's deaths. He called the perpetrators "beasts" who deserve no leniency, saying the enemy had committed an act of "sheer barbarism by targeting innocent children." Officials said they fear that the death toll may rise further as several children are listed in critical condition. The latest attack came days after a car bombing killed four people near a market in Qillah Abdullah, a city in Balochistan province bordering Afghanistan. Most of such attacks are claimed by BLA, which Pakistan says enjoyed the backing of neighboring India. In one of the deadliest such attacks in March, BLA insurgents killed 33 people, mostly soldiers, during anassault on a traincarrying hundreds of passengers in Balochistan.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Suicide car bomber strikes a school bus in southwestern Pakistan, killing 4 children, officials say

Suicide car bomber strikes a school bus in southwestern Pakistan, killing 4 children, officials say QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide car bo...

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Most AAPI adults oppose college funding cuts and student deportations, a new poll finds

Most AAPI adults oppose college funding cuts and student deportations, a new poll finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — As colleges and universities pull back on diversity practices, a new poll finds that young Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders are overwhelmingly against cutting federal funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education and deporting students involved in protest activity on campus. But opposition is lower among older groups — despite the fact that most AAPI adults, regardless of age, place a high value on a college education. The new survey fromAAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Researchfound that about 6 in 10 AAPI adults overall "somewhat" or "strongly" oppose cutting federal funding for colleges and universities with DEI programs, and a similar share are "somewhat" or "strongly" opposed to arresting or deporting foreign students involved with campus protests. Younger AAPI adults are largely against these policies: About 9 in 10 AAPI adults under 30 "somewhat" or "strongly" oppose cutting federal funds for colleges and universities with DEI policies, and a similar share are against arresting or deporting students involved with campus protests. Older AAPI adults are more likely to oppose these moves than to favor them, but their opposition is much less overwhelming. About half of AAPI adults ages 60 and older "somewhat" or "strongly" oppose cutting federal funds for DEI in higher education or arresting or deporting students for protest activity, while about 3 in 10 are "somewhat" or "strongly" in favor and about 2 in 10 have a neutral view. Despite these divisions, the survey shows that AAPI adults continue to see a college degree as critical for achieving key milestones. The vast majority, regardless of age, say a college degree is "essential" or "important" for getting a good job that can comfortably support a family. This poll is part ofan ongoing projectexploring the views of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, whose views are usually not highlighted in other surveys because of small sample sizes and lack of linguistic representation. The Trump administration hasthreatened to cut federal fundingover DEI programs, leading many colleges toroll backsupport systems for students of color. The White House already hascut billions of dollarsin federal research grants to colleges it accuses of not doing enough to curb antisemitism, particularly during protests against the Israel-Hamas war. It also has moved to deport foreign students over their involvement with pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including Columbia University studentMahmoud Khalil. Iris Chiou, a 28-year-old Taiwanese American medical student in Madison, Illinois, says she's scared for foreign students who could face deportation. She wonders how longstudents and academics will feel comfortable speaking out. "The fact that you have people disappearing and being deported, being functionally kidnapped, I think that's going to scare people — which it's probably supposed to," said Chiou, who is a Democrat. It will keep people from discussing "what they care about." Some schools haveoverhauled policy on protests after Trump's funding threats.AtColumbia University, there's now a ban on students wearing masks to hide their identities and protesters must show identification when asked. Meanwhile,Harvardhas pushed back on the administration's demands, filing a lawsuit in April to challengecuts to its funding. Rowena Tomaneng, board chair of the Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education, said thatmany students are feeling vulnerable. "Definitely I think international students are feeling that the United States might not be as a welcoming environment anymore for them to pursue their studies," Tomaneng said. But younger AAPI adults are more worried about the impact on campuses. About 7 in 10 AAPI adults under 30 are "extremely" or "very" concerned about restrictions to free speech on campuses and federal government cuts to university research, compared to about half of AAPI adults ages 60 and older. Tarun Puri, 59, of Clearwater, Florida, supports arresting or deporting international students who participated in campus protests. "You pay so much money to come and study. What is the point of protesting?" said Puri, a registered Republican who was born in India and went to college there. "Because you go to another country you should respect the law and order of the country." If he had a child in college today who was considering taking part in demonstrations, he said he would advise them not to draw attention to themselves and instead "go to the library and study." The difference in attitudes could be explained, at least in part, by older and younger AAPI adults' life experiences. "If you're younger, you're more likely to have gone to college in the U.S.," said Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of AAPI Data and researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. "If you're 60 and above, if you went to college, you're more likely to have gone to college in Asia, which is a very different system." ___ Tang reported from Phoenix. ___ The poll of 1,094 U.S. adults who are Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders was conducted April 7-14, 2025, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based Amplify AAPI Panel, designed to be representative of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Most AAPI adults oppose college funding cuts and student deportations, a new poll finds

Most AAPI adults oppose college funding cuts and student deportations, a new poll finds WASHINGTON (AP) — As colleges and universities pull ...

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