Thursday, May 21Thursday, May 21Hungary’s future foreign minister, Anita Orbán, stated that while Hungary’s new government will support Ukraine’s EU accession—unlike the previous administration—it opposes expediting the process. This position was outlined in an interview with *The Times* .
Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne, expressed hope that Hungary’s new government would help facilitate Ukraine’s EU membership. He emphasized the EU’s need to maintain pressure on Russia through sanctions, military support, and diplomatic efforts .
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, announced that Ukraine hopes to open the first cluster of EU accession negotiations on May 26. This statement was made during a meeting of the EU Council on Foreign Affairs in Brussels . The broader context of Ukraine’s EU accession talks, including potential progress for both Ukraine and Moldova, was also discussed in a *Radio Free Europe* briefing .
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna, highlighted education as a key pillar of reconstruction and EU accession. The EU and Ukraine reaffirmed their 2023 commitment to strengthen cooperation in education and skills, with the EU mobilizing over €1.1 billion since 2022 to support Ukraine’s education sector .
> Background: **EU and Allies Navigate Ukraines Ceasefire Accession and War Challenges** — *41 minutes ago*
Companies are starting to get refunds from Trumps tariffs even with prices remaining high The Supreme Court knocked down some of Trumps sweeping tariffs, ruling that they were unlawfully imposed
independent · 9 days ago
Trump posts late-night social media spree as Iran war drags on President posted more than 50 times in three hours, attacking on Obama, NY Times and supreme courtDonald Trump unleashed a late-night social media tirade against his political enemies, attacking predecessors including Barack Obama with false accusations and amplifying calls for his Democratic rivals to be prosecuted.Just hours before a high-stakes trip to China for talks with Xi Jinping, the US president posted more than 50 times in a three-hour spree from Monday evening into the early hours of Tuesday. Posts included doctored images of himself on the $100 bill and demands that political opponents be arrested. Continue reading...
theguardian · 9 days ago
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Trumps gold phone comes with stunning new terms and conditions - including no guarantee of its release The fine print says there is no binding contract or guaranteed inventory of the delayed Trump Mobile smartphone, and that pricing, features and release dates can change at any time
independent · 9 days ago
The White House told RFK Jr to tone down his statements questioning vaccines. That hasnt stopped him behind the scenes The reported review concerns Kennedys long-held skepticism of mainstream vaccine science
independent · 9 days ago
Trump postpones beef tariff cuts over fears of hitting US cattle farmers Abrupt change of plan signals chaotic approach to trade
financial times · 9 days ago
The brutal Melania Trump joke that was cut from Kevin Harts Netflix roast The ruthless joke was cut as President Donald Trump and Melania Trump have called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over a joke he made about the first lady
independent · 9 days ago
Pressefreiheit in USA: ABC wehrt sich gegen Trump Der Fernsehsender ABC wehrt sich überraschend deutlich gegen den Druck der Regierung von Donald Trump. Mit einer offiziellen Beschwerde reagiert der Sender auf eine neue Untersuchung der Medienaufsicht FCC.
faz · 9 days ago
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Trump vents over Secret Service removing little boy JD Vance from DC dinner shooting faster than him That was a view of the week, the 79-year-old president quipped
independent · 9 days ago
Donald Trump, surprins din nou dormind la un eveniment. Casa Albă: „Doar clipea Președintele american Donald Trump a fost filmat din nou cu ochii închiși în timpul unui eveniment desfășurat în Biroul Oval, dedicat politicilor privind îmbunătățirea îngrijirii femeilor și creșterea natalității în Statele Unite.
adevarul · 9 days ago
How the Supreme Court undermined one of Trumps superpowers Also in todays newsletter, the US ceasefire with Iran is now on massive life support
financial times · 9 days ago
![Trump faces uphill climb on suspending gas tax President Trumps endorsement of suspending federal gas taxes pushes the idea higher on the political radar, but it still faces long odds.Why it matters: Some Republicans rushed to introduce bills, and a few Democrats have already endorsed the idea — but there are still serious obstacles that could keep Trumps comments from becoming reality.The federal tax is 18.3 cents for gasoline and 24.3 cents for diesel (with another .1 cent fee for addressing leaking underground tanks).A few dynamics to watch following Trumps comments to CBS News...📜 Capitol Hill. Trump needs Congress to act, and the immediate signs are mixed. GOP lawmakers including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) quickly promised legislation, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune was noncommittal.Ive not in the past obviously been a fan of that idea. But you know Ive got some colleagues out there who think its a good idea and so well hear them out, he told reporters.Thune noted the revenue loss could hurt the Highway Trust Fund, and said the best thing [that] can happen for gas prices is for the [Strait of Hormuz] to get opened up again.💪 The White House political operation. Its hard to know whether its something Trumps team will truly push, or instead one of his frequent musings, or something in between.🗳️ Its a 2028 thing. Several potential White House hopefuls have now pushed to temporarily nix the tax.They would be Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Hawley, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.🤷 The politics and plans remain in flux. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) isnt exactly shooting down the idea, but in a floor speech Monday, he took the position that its not enough.[L]ets not pretend 18-cents of gas tax relief per gallon makes up for the damage Trump created with this war, Schumer said. Eighteen cents isnt a dollar-fifty — which is how much the price of gas has gone up since the war started.The best way to lower costs is to end this illegal war.Aides to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) didnt respond to requests for comment.💵 The numbers are daunting. One reason a waiver has never happened — despite surfacing often when prices spike — is the budget impact is big even while consumer relief is modest.The revenue effect and loss to the Highway Trust Fund — which supports roads, bridges and transit — depends on the duration and how its structured.For instance, Kellys plan would divert other monies to the fund. But a holiday of any length is expensive for Uncle Sam.The research firm ClearView Energy Partners said a hypothetical gas tax waiver from May 15 to Nov. 30 would cost nearly $14 billion. Add in other fuels, and the price climbs a lot more.The bottom line: The high costs and revenue loss for highways might ordinarily produce lethal sticker shock on Capitol Hill, ClearView said in a client note.But in a mid-term election year where both parties are in no-holds barred pursuit of Congressional control, we cannot wholly rule it out.Sign up here for Axios Future of Energy newsletter.](https://images.axios.com/F1Z91pXJ6sk0geIG8XRjW8yMpDE=/0x0:1920x1080/1366x768/2026/03/19/1773930450231.jpeg)
Trump faces uphill climb on suspending gas tax President Trumps endorsement of suspending federal gas taxes pushes the idea higher on the political radar, but it still faces long odds.Why it matters: Some Republicans rushed to introduce bills, and a few Democrats have already endorsed the idea — but there are still serious obstacles that could keep Trumps comments from becoming reality.The federal tax is 18.3 cents for gasoline and 24.3 cents for diesel (with another .1 cent fee for addressing leaking underground tanks).A few dynamics to watch following Trumps comments to CBS News...📜 Capitol Hill. Trump needs Congress to act, and the immediate signs are mixed. GOP lawmakers including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) quickly promised legislation, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune was noncommittal.Ive not in the past obviously been a fan of that idea. But you know Ive got some colleagues out there who think its a good idea and so well hear them out, he told reporters.Thune noted the revenue loss could hurt the Highway Trust Fund, and said the best thing [that] can happen for gas prices is for the [Strait of Hormuz] to get opened up again.💪 The White House political operation. Its hard to know whether its something Trumps team will truly push, or instead one of his frequent musings, or something in between.🗳️ Its a 2028 thing. Several potential White House hopefuls have now pushed to temporarily nix the tax.They would be Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Hawley, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.🤷 The politics and plans remain in flux. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) isnt exactly shooting down the idea, but in a floor speech Monday, he took the position that its not enough.[L]ets not pretend 18-cents of gas tax relief per gallon makes up for the damage Trump created with this war, Schumer said. Eighteen cents isnt a dollar-fifty — which is how much the price of gas has gone up since the war started.The best way to lower costs is to end this illegal war.Aides to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) didnt respond to requests for comment.💵 The numbers are daunting. One reason a waiver has never happened — despite surfacing often when prices spike — is the budget impact is big even while consumer relief is modest.The revenue effect and loss to the Highway Trust Fund — which supports roads, bridges and transit — depends on the duration and how its structured.For instance, Kellys plan would divert other monies to the fund. But a holiday of any length is expensive for Uncle Sam.The research firm ClearView Energy Partners said a hypothetical gas tax waiver from May 15 to Nov. 30 would cost nearly $14 billion. Add in other fuels, and the price climbs a lot more.The bottom line: The high costs and revenue loss for highways might ordinarily produce lethal sticker shock on Capitol Hill, ClearView said in a client note.But in a mid-term election year where both parties are in no-holds barred pursuit of Congressional control, we cannot wholly rule it out.Sign up here for Axios Future of Energy newsletter.
axios · 9 days ago
Trumps sudden cut in substance testing is going to kill people, experts warn Samhsa said funding cannot be used to purchase or distribute fentanyl test strips or other drug test kitsThe Trump administrations decision to restrict use of federal funds for fentanyl test strips, in what officials described as a clear shift away from harm reduction, could have fatal consequences, experts and critics have warned.The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Samhsa) issued an open letter in April ordering an end to the use of its funding for all substance testing strips, including fentanyl, xylazine and medetomidine, the latest novel street drug to wreak havoc across the US. Continue reading...
theguardian · 9 days ago