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Stargazers in North and South America will be able to view a red-colored “Blood Moon” starting Thursday night in the first total lunar eclipse visible on the continents since 2022.The celestial event, observable with the naked eye, will have more than an hour of totality and can additionally be seen in parts of western Europe and Africa, as well as New Zealand.A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth goes between the Moon and the Sun, casting the Earth’s shadow on the Moon.A rare total lunar eclipse involves the Earth’s umbra, the darkest part of the planet’s shadow, covering the Moon.According to NASA, this type of eclipse can also be called a “Blood Moon” due to the reddish-orange color the Moon can become during totality.The coloration occurs due to sunlight scattering through the Earth’s atmosphere before reaching the Moon’s surface — shorter wavelengths like blue and violet fail to reach the Moon, leaving only longer wavelengths such as red and orange to illuminate it.As a result, the more items there are in the Earth’s atmosphere — such as clouds or dust — the redder the Moon will appear during the eclipse.”Keep a close eye on the weather forecast leading up to the eclipse,” said NASA Chief Scientist Renee Weber in a statement. “That totality will last for close to an hour, so even if it’s cloudy you may still be able to glimpse it if the clouds are scattered.”The timing of totality occurs simultaneously across time zones, and is expected to begin at 2:26 am Friday for those in Eastern Daylight Time and 11:26 pm Thursday in Pacific Daylight Time.For about an hour both before and after totality, the moon will also be obscured in a partial eclipse.

President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday announced a wave of environmental rollbacks targeting Biden-era green policies, including carbon limits on power plants, tailpipe emissions standards and protections for waterways.The 31 actions are part of what Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin called “the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in US history,” as he promised to “unleash American energy” and “revitalize the American auto industry.”Among the most significant of them is revisiting a 2024 rule that requires coal-fired plants to eliminate nearly all their carbon emissions or commit to shutting down altogether, a cornerstone of former Democratic president Joe Biden’s climate agenda.Hailed by environmental groups as a “gamechanger,” the regulations were set to take effect from 2032 and would have also required new, high capacity gas-fired plants to slash their carbon dioxide output by the same amount — 90 percent — achievable only through carbon capture technology.The Biden administration estimated the rule would prevent 1.4 billion metric tons of carbon entering the atmosphere through the year 2047, equivalent to nearly one year of total greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector in 2022.- ‘Polluters are celebrating’ -“Corporate polluters are celebrating today because Trump’s EPA just handed them a free pass to spew unlimited climate pollution, consequences be damned,” said Charles Harper, of the nonprofit Evergreen Action.President Trump has long dismissed climate change as a “scam” and his second administration has begun enacting sweeping staff cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), vital to the nation’s climate research efforts. The new deregulation package also targets stricter vehicle emissions standards set to come into force by 2027, which Trump has derided as an “electric vehicle mandate.” Another major move involves redefining what constitutes “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. Zeldin’s EPA argues that the Biden administration had failed to align with a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, which held that only “relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water,” such as streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans — should be covered.- Mass layoffs expected -Environmental group Earthjustice warned that it excluded tens of millions of acres of wetlands, vital ecosystems that filter water and provide flood protection, as well as millions of miles of small streams that provide drinking water and help generate tourism. The EPA is also set to eliminate the nation’s environmental justice offices that address pollution in low-income and minority communities across the United States, including Louisiana’s infamous “Cancer Alley,” which accounts for around a quarter of US petrochemical production.”President Trump wants us to help usher in a golden age in America that is for all Americans, regardless of race, gender, background,” Zeldin told reporters.But Matthew Tejada of the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council said “Trump’s EPA is taking us back to a time of unfettered pollution across the nation, leaving every American exposed to toxic chemicals, dirty air and contaminated water.”Grants that EPA has moved to cancel were “helping rural Virginia coal communities prepare for extreme flooding, installing sewage systems on rural Alabama homes, and turning an abandoned, polluted site in Tampa, Florida into a campus for healthcare, job training, and a small business development,” added Tejada, who led EPA’s environmental justice office under Biden.Zeldin’s EPA budget is expected to be reduced by 65 percent and the agency is preparing for mass layoffs.

Barack and Michelle Obama are in talks to produce a new biopic about golf superstar Tiger Woods, a source familiar with the negotiations told AFP Wednesday.The movie is in development at Amazon MGM, according to Hollywood trade outlet Deadline, which first reported on the project.The studio had purchased the rights to “The Tiger Slam: The Inside Story of the Greatest Golf Ever Played,” Kevin Cook’s book on how Woods became the first golfer to be reigning champion at all four majors simultaneously, in 2000-01.Reinaldo Marcus Green, the filmmaker behind “King Richard” — which told the story of the childhoods of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams and their coach father Richard — is attached to direct, Deadline said.That film earned Will Smith the best actor Oscar — an accolade infamously overshadowed when he struck comedian Chris Rock on stage during the 2022 Academy Awards gala, just minutes before winning the golden statuette.The former US president and first lady run Higher Ground Productions, which has produced the Oscar-winning documentary “American Factory” and Netflix hit thriller “Leave the World Behind,” as well as TV shows and podcasts.Woods is one of golf’s all-time superstars.He became the first Black player to win a major title when he captured the 1997 Masters in record fashion.The film is set to focus on perhaps his greatest achievement, popularly known as the “Tiger Slam,” when Woods won the 2000 US and British Opens and PGA Championship, and then added the 2001 Masters to capture four major trophies in a row.The movie is not expected to tackle Woods’ subsequent self-inflicted downfall that began with a car crash near his home In November 2009, which led to the exposure of a slew of extramarital affairs and the collapse of his marriage. The most recent of Woods’ 15 major wins — second only to Jack Nicklaus with 18 — came at the 2019 Masters.He announced Tuesday that he has suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, in the latest injury blow to his roller-coaster career.

Major US trading partners announced countermeasures Wednesday after Donald Trump’s blanket tariffs on steel and aluminum imports took effect, prompting the president to vow a further response.The steep 25-percent levies contained no exemptions despite countries’ efforts to avert them, marking an expansion from Trump’s recent duties on Canada, Mexico and China since returning to the White House.The European Union swiftly unveiled counter tariffs hitting some $28 billion of US goods in stages from April, while Canada announced additional levies on $20.7 billion of American products from Thursday.China vowed “all necessary measures” in response, as Washington edged toward an all-out trade war with allies and competitors alike.European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen maintained that the retaliation, affecting products ranging from bourbon to motorbikes, is “strong but proportionate.”Trump told reporters Wednesday that Washington would “of course” respond to the countermeasures.He claimed his country would “win that financial battle” with the EU.- ‘Significant costs’ -Canada, which is heavily exposed to the US steel and aluminum levies, said its own tariffs will hit steel products, aluminum, and goods ranging from computers to sports equipment.Incoming prime minister Mark Carney later added that he was ready to negotiate with Trump on a renewed trade accord.His country supplied about half of US aluminum imports and 20 percent of its steel imports, according to a recent note by EY chief economist Gregory Daco.Besides Canada, Brazil and Mexico are also key US suppliers of steel, while the United Arab Emirates and South Korea are among providers of aluminum.The Alliance for American Manufacturing said it supported the tariffs and their inclusion of steel derivatives: “This addition will ensure that importers can’t game the system.”But the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) representing the “Big Three” automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — said it was reviewing the levies.The group’s president Matt Blunt warned that tariffs, including their extension to auto parts with steel and aluminum, “will add significant costs for automakers, suppliers and consumers”- ‘Enough war’ -US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer criticized the EU’s promises of retaliation, calling the bloc’s economic policies “out of step with reality.””The EU’s punitive action completely disregards the national security imperatives of the United States –- and indeed international security,” Greer said.His remark came after EU Council chief Antonio Costa called on Washington to de-escalate the situation and enter dialogue.”I think we have enough war in the world, we need to stop the wars we have and not create a trade war,” Costa said.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, head of Europe’s largest and heavily export-oriented economy, condemned Washington’s moves as “wrong” and warned of increased inflation.Beijing’s foreign ministry said “there are no winners in trade wars.” China is the world’s leading steel manufacturer, although not a major exporter of the product to the United States.Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs will likely balloon costs of producing goods from home appliances to automobiles and cans used for drinks, threatening to raise consumer prices down the road, experts say.- ‘Massive uncertainty’ -Uncertainty over Trump’s trade plans and worries that they could trigger a recession have roiled financial markets. But US stocks regained some ground Wednesday even as some Asia markets retreated.The threat of protectionism, said Cato Institute research fellow Clark Packard, has allowed US steel and aluminum firms to raise prices: “It’s creating massive amounts of uncertainty.”Trump also targeted both metals in his first presidency.The president has promised further “reciprocal tariffs” from April 2 to tackle what he considers unfair behavior.The lack of exemptions Wednesday came despite efforts to push for exclusions.Tokyo expressed regret it had not succeeded while Canberra called the tariffs unjustified.Canberra and London stopped short of retaliation. The Mexican government said it would not immediately strike back and Brazil said it would not react.burs-bys/des

A routine crew rotation at the International Space Station has taken on unusual significance: It paves the way for a pair of astronauts stranded for more than nine months to finally come home.The NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 mission is set to launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday at 7:48 pm (2348 GMT), bound for the ISS.”All systems are looking good and weather is a go,” SpaceX wrote Wednesday on X, as the team of two US astronauts, one Japanese astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut said their goodbyes to relatives and drove to the launch pad.All eyes however will be on Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the NASA duo who have been stuck aboard the ISS since June after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft developed propulsion issues and was deemed unfit for their return.Wilmore and Williams were initially slated for an eight-day mission but were reassigned to Crew-9 after its astronauts arrived in September aboard a SpaceX Dragon. The spacecraft carried only two crew members instead of the usual four to make room for Wilmore and Williams.Crew-9 can only return to Earth after Crew-10 arrives.”We came up prepared to stay long, even though we plan to stay short,” Wilmore said in a recent news conference. “That’s what your nation’s human space flight program is all about, planning for unknown, unexpected contingencies.”Crew-10 is expected to dock early Thursday, followed by a brief handover before Crew-9 departs on March 16 for an ocean splashdown off the Florida coast, weather permitting.Along with Wilmore and Williams, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will also be aboard the returning Dragon capsule.Space remains an area of cooperation between the United States and Russia despite the Ukraine conflict, with cosmonauts traveling to the ISS aboard SpaceX Crew Dragons and astronauts doing the same via Soyuz capsules launched from Kazakhstan.- Political flashpoint -Wilmore and Williams’s prolonged stay has recently become a political flashpoint, as President Donald Trump and his close advisor Elon Musk have accused ex-president Joe Biden’s administration of abandoning the pair.SpaceX boss Musk has suggested, without providing specifics, that he had offered Biden a “rescue” mission outside of the routine crew rotations. However, with Trump now in office for nearly two months, the astronauts are still set to return as originally planned.The issue recently sparked a heated online exchange between Musk and Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen, whom Musk called a slur for mentally disabled people. Several retired astronauts quickly came to Mogensen’s defense.One astronaut who backed Musk however was Wilmore, who offered contradictory statements in last week’s press conference.”I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says is absolutely factual,” he said, seemingly endorsing the SpaceX founder’s version of events, before adding “politics is not playing into this at all.”The Crew-10 team consists of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov.McClain, the mission’s commander, will be making her second trip to space.”I’m looking forward to breaking bread with those guys, talking to them, giving them big hugs,” she said of Wilmore and Williams.During their mission, the new crew will conduct a range of scientific experiments, including flammability tests for future spacecraft designs and research into the effects of space on the human body.

It was perhaps not the welcome Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin had hoped for on an annual US trip to mark Saint Patrick’s Day — a dressing down from Donald Trump on trade and tariffs.”We do have a massive deficit with Ireland,” the US president said in answer to the very first question he faced with Martin in the Oval Office, before going on to lambast the European Union in general.Trump promised to respond to tariffs imposed by the EU in retaliation for new US levies on steel and aluminum — an economic shockwave that could hit Ireland too.Certainly the encounter with the Irish taoiseach, or premier, was calmer than the scene less than two weeks ago when Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky got into a blazing row, also in the Oval Office.There was even a light-hearted moment as Trump ribbed Vice President JD Vance about the green-and-white shamrock socks he wore to honor Martin’s trip, a tradition by the Irish leader ahead of Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17.But despite the pleasantries during the visit, the 78-year-old president had a long list of grievances about the Emerald Isle.Trump said he had “great respect” for Ireland but in the same breath accused it of luring pharma and tech giants to its shores with low taxes.”This is this beautiful island of five million people, it’s got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grip,” Trump said.The United States is Ireland’s single biggest export market for pharmaceutical drugs and ingredients, mostly manufactured by American companies like Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Johnson & Johnson.- ‘Very tough’ -“I’m not upset with you. I think I respect what you’ve done,” said Trump. “But the United States shouldn’t have let it happen.”The US president complained about “tremendously bad” treatment of tech titan Apple, which was ordered by Brussels to pay a multi-billion-euro tax settlement to Ireland.It then got personal, as it often seems to with Trump, as the billionaire former property developer complained about EU red tape holding up the expansion of a resort he owns in Ireland.Trump finally returned to one of his favorite themes as he launched a broader attack on the 27-nation European Union.”The EU was set up in order to take advantage of the United States,” Trump said. Trump also doubled down on his threats to impose reciprocal tariffs on the European Union in April.”So whatever they charge us, we’re charging them.”When Martin got a word in edgeways, he tried to strike a diplomatic tone.”It’s a two-way street,” Martin said, adding that Ireland was stepping up investments in the United States.”It’s a relationship that we can develop and that will endure into the future.” Trump agreed — and then went back to speaking about the deficit.The Irish and US leaders also ended up talking past each other on the subject of the Israel-Hamas war.Non-NATO member Ireland is one of the most pro-Palestinian countries in Europe, in stark contrast to Trump who has called for the US to “take over” Gaza.”It’s been our view that a two-state solution is the ideal,” Martin said.

President Donald Trump expressed optimism Wednesday that US negotiators headed to Moscow could secure a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, with officials saying the United States wants Russia to agree to an unconditional halt to hostilities.The Kremlin said it was awaiting details of a US-Ukrainian proposal agreed this week, and gave no indication of its readiness to stop fighting that has left tens of thousands dead in the past three years.President Vladimir Putin visited Russian troops who have made gains against Ukrainian forces battling to keep Russian territory seized in an offensive last year.Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was ready to embrace a deal, and the United States had indicated it would issue a “strong” response if Putin refuses an accord.”People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia,” Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Ireland’s prime minister Micheal Martin.The White House said that Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, a mediator in the Gaza and Ukraine wars, would be in Moscow this week.Trump on Wednesday did not mention whether he would speak with Putin, but added that there had been “positive messages” from Moscow, saying: “I hope he’s going to have a ceasefire.”- ‘Horrible bloodbath’ -Trump said that if the fighting could be halted, “I think that would be 80 percent of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath finished.”US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington wanted Moscow’s agreement with no strings attached. “That’s what we want to know — if they’re prepared to do it unconditionally,” Rubio said on a plane heading to a G7 meeting in Canada.”If the response is, ‘yes’, then we know we’ve made real progress, and there’s a real chance of peace. If their response is ‘no’, it would be highly unfortunate, and it’ll make their intentions clear,” he added.Russian news agencies reported earlier that the heads of the CIA and Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence agency had held their first phone call in several years.Rubio was to give an update on the initiative at the G7 meeting in Charlevoix, Canada. The defense ministers of France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland met in Paris to discuss how they could support Ukraine, and any ceasefire.While the Kremlin made no immediate comment on the US-Ukraine proposal — agreed at a meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday — the Russian foreign ministry said earlier this month that a temporary ceasefire would be unacceptable.Trump said “devastating” sanctions were possible if Russia refused a deal but added: “I hope that’s not going to be necessary.”- ‘None of us trust the Russians’ -“I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to do that because I want to get peace,” Trump said.The latest dramatic diplomatic swing came less than two weeks after Trump kicked Zelensky out of the White House complaining about the Ukrainian leader’s attitude to US assistance.Trump halted military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, but that resumed after the truce proposal was agreed on Tuesday.Trump had previously said he was ready to welcome Zelensky back to the White House and speculated he could speak with Putin this week.In Kyiv, Zelensky said the United States would pile pressure on Moscow if it did not accept a ceasefire.”I understand that we can count on strong steps. I don’t know the details yet but we are talking about sanctions and strengthening Ukraine,” Zelensky told reporters.”Everything depends on whether Russia wants a ceasefire and silence, or it wants to continue killing people,” the Ukrainian leader added.He said Ukrainians had no confidence that fighting would stop. “I have emphasized this many times, none of us trust the Russians.”Ukraine is increasingly suffering on the battlefield, losing ground in the east and south of the country, where officials said eight people were killed on Wednesday.Russia has also reclaimed territory in its western Kursk region, pushing back Ukrainian troops who staged a shock offensive last August.Putin was shown on Russian television visiting troops in Kursk on Wednesday.”I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will be fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy,” Putin said.Russian chief of staff General Valery Gerasimov said that 430 Ukrainian troops had been captured and Putin called them “terrorists.”Ukraine military commander-in-chief General Oleksandr Syrsky indicated that some forces in Kursk were pulling back to “more favorable positions.”burs-jc/tw/jgc

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that negotiators are headed to Russia “right now” for talks on a possible ceasefire with Ukraine, after Kyiv agreed to a 30-day truce.Trump did not give further details, but the White House later said that his special envoy Steve Witkoff was going to Moscow later this week.”People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Ireland’s prime minister.”And if we do, I think that would be 80 percent of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath finished.”Ukraine gave the nod on Tuesday to a US-backed plan for a 30-day ceasefire at talks in Saudi Arabia — although President Volodymyr Zelensky says he still does not trust Russia.The Kremlin said earlier Wednesday that it was still waiting for Washington to inform it about the details of the proposal.Trump would not say when he would next speak to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, but added that “I hope he’s going to have a ceasefire.” “It’s up to Russia now,” said Trump.”I’ve gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing. This is a very serious situation, it could start World War Three.”Trump meanwhile said he could slap Moscow with “devastating” sanctions if it did not sign up to a ceasefire, but added that “I hope that’s not going to be necessary.””I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to do that because I want to get peace,” Trump added.Trump’s reluctance to pressure Russia stands in stark contrast to his recent approach toward Ukraine. The US president abruptly halted military aid to Kyiv on February 28 after an explosive argument with Zelensky in the Oval Office in front of television cameras.Washington resumed assistance on Tuesday after Kyiv agreed to the ceasefire plan in Jeddah, along with a deal giving the US preferential access to Ukraine’s natural resources.The crucial next step is for Washington to secure Russia’s agreement.Vice President JD Vance added that there were “conversations that are happening on the phone and in person” between US and Russian officials in the next two days.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said envoy Witkoff — a former property developer who has played a key role in talks to end both the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts — was “travelling to Moscow later this week.”US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz had also spoken to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday, she said.”We urge the Russians to sign on to this plan,” Leavitt told reporters at the White House.”We are at the 10th yard line and the president expects the Russians to help us run this into the end zone,” she added, referring to the final stages of scoring in American football.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that envoys were headed to Moscow and expressed optimism for a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine war but officials said the United States wants Russia to agree an unconditional halt to the conflict.The Kremlin said it was awaiting details of a proposal agreed by Ukrainian and US officials this week, and gave no indication of its readiness to stop fighting that has left tens of thousands dead in the past three years.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country had shown it was ready to embrace a deal, adding that the United States had indicated it would issue a “strong” response if President Vladimir Putin refuses an accord.”People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia,” Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Ireland’s prime minister Micheal Martin.The White House said that Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, a mediator in the Gaza and Ukraine wars, would be in Moscow this week.Trump did not say whether he would speak with Putin, but added that there had been “positive messages” from Moscow. “I hope he’s going to have a ceasefire.”- ‘Horrible bloodbath’ -He said that if fighting could be suspended, “I think that would be 80 percent of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath finished.”US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington wanted Moscow’s agreement with no strings attached. “That’s what we want to know — if they’re prepared to do it unconditionally,” Rubio said on a plane heading to a G7 meeting in Canada.”If the response is, ‘yes’, then we know we’ve made real progress, and there’s a real chance of peace. If their response is ‘no’, it would be highly unfortunate, and it’ll make their intentions clear,” he added.Rubio was to give an update on the initiative at the G7 meeting in Charlevoix, Canada.While the Kremlin made no immediate comment on the US-Ukraine proposal — which was agreed at a meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday — the Russian foreign ministry said earlier this month that a temporary ceasefire would be unacceptable.Trump said he could order “devastating” sanctions against Russia if it refused but added: “I hope that’s not going to be necessary.”- ‘None of us trust the Russians’ -“I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to do that because I want to get peace,” Trump said.The development was the latest dramatic swing in diplomacy swirling around the conflict. It came less than two weeks after Trump kicked Zelensky out of the White House complaining about the Ukrainian leader’s attitude to US assistance.Trump halted military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv but that resumed after Ukraine agreed to the truce proposal on Tuesday.Trump said earlier he was ready to welcome Zelensky back to the White House and may speak to Putin this week.In Kyiv, Zelensky said the United States would pile pressure on Moscow if it did not accept the idea.”I understand that we can count on strong steps. I don’t know the details yet but we are talking about sanctions and strengthening Ukraine,” Zelensky told reporters.”Everything depends on whether Russia wants a ceasefire and silence, or it wants to continue killing people,” the Ukrainian leader added.He said there was no faith among Ukrainians that a ceasefire would happen. “I have emphasized this many times, none of us trust the Russians.”Ukraine is increasingly suffering on the battlefield, losing ground in the east and south of the country, where officials said eight people were killed on Wednesday.Russia has also reclaimed territory in its western Kursk region, pushing back Ukrainian troops who staged a shock offensive last August.Putin on Wednesday visited troops involved in the Kursk counteroffensive and received a report on their progress, TV images showed.Ukraine this week unleashed its largest ever drone attack on Russia, killing three people near Moscow. Russia has also stepped up its aerial attacks on Ukraine.Even if Putin agrees a ceasefire, much remains uncertain in negotiations. Ukraine has pressed for security guarantees, but Trump has ruled out NATO membership.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he earlier assumed Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz would “inform” Moscow “on the negotiations that took place and the understandings reached.”Earlier, Russian news agencies reported that the heads of the CIA and Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence agency had held their first phone call in several years.burs-jc/tw/bgs/sms

US President Donald Trump’s administration is set to eliminate environmental justice offices that address pollution in low-income and minority communities across the United States, including Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley.”The move, which will impact the agency’s 10 regional offices and headquarters, was first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Lee Zeldin on Wednesday.”The problem is that in the name of environmental justice, a fortune has been sent to left-wing activist groups,” Zeldin told reporters. “President Trump wants us to help usher in a golden age in America that is for all Americans, regardless of race, gender, background,” he added.Environmental groups reacted with anger.”President Trump and his allies have no regard for the well-being of people living in America and care only about protecting the profits of polluters,” said Chitra Kumar, of the Union of Concerned Scientists. “This abhorrent move will leave those living, working, studying, and playing near polluting industries, smog-forming traffic, and contaminated waterways and soil, with little support from the very agency they rely on to enforce protective law.”Former president Joe Biden made environmental justice a central pillar of his green agenda. His Justice40 initiative — since rolled back by Trump — aimed to direct 40 percent of federal investments in climate, clean energy, and affordable housing to historically marginalized communities.The Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s signature climate law, allocated $3 billion to the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, which was established under Republican former president George H.W. Bush in 1992.Zeldin’s EPA on Monday announced it was cutting 400 grants totaling $1.7 billion related to environmental justice initiatives. Last week, Trump’s Justice Department also announced it was dropping a lawsuit on behalf of the EPA against Denka Performance Elastomer concerning its neoprene manufacturing facility in LaPlace, Louisiana. The plant is located in a stretch of Louisiana known as “Cancer Alley,” which accounts for around a quarter of US petrochemical production and has among the highest cancer rates in the country.Zeldin’s EPA plans to cut 65 percent of its budget. “The total amount of spending that was made in 2024 totaled over $60 billion,” he said, referring to the amount appropriated to the agency by the The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. “We don’t need that much money. We don’t want that much money. We can operate with less than 35 percent of that amount.”The former Republican congressman said there were a “few hundred” probationary employees that had already departed, and the remaining staff were being asked to justify their positions.”I want to know what every employee would define as their job description, what they believe their job to be, who they believe is their supervisor, what they believe their supervisor’s job is,” he said, adding these answers would help determine the next rounds of staffing cuts.