The U.S. military has destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers following attacks on a U.S. warship by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, U.S. Central Command said in a social media post on Tuesday. The U.S. strikes were in response to two Iranian efforts to hit the warship with ballistic missiles over the past two days, the statement added. It marks the latest tit-for-tat strikes as Washington and Tehran lurch back toward fighting during more than six months of war.
Canada retaliated against U.S. President on Tuesday , in response to the latest round of U.S. tariffs on Canada. Canada’s move to reduce economic reliance on the U.S. will test Trump’s economic pressure and serve as a possible model for other governments.
And Americans’ satisfaction with the quality of K-12 in the country has hit a low point. Just say they are “completely” or “somewhat” satisfied with the U.S. school system, according to a new poll. That’s the lowest since Gallup began polling on the subject 27 years ago.
Here's the latest:
Trump cheers anti-immigration German party’s strong showing in regional elections
Trump said the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, performed strongly in Sunday’s vote in Saxony-Anhalt because the region’s voters “got tired of the absolutely horrible Immigration rules and regulations which have hurt Germany so badly.”
“THEY ARE ON THE RISE, and not going to take it anymore!” Trump said in a social media post, offering a somewhat belated reaction to the far-right party’s surged to a landslide victory .
AfD fell just short of a majority, but is in strong position to form the first far-right state government since the Nazi era.
The victory for AfD, which also has a pro-Russia tilt, is a major distraction for Germany and center-right Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a time when Europe faces several challenges, including Russia’s continued , a suspected targeting NATO countries, and with Trump.
The US is banning dairy products, most alcohol and motorcycles from Canada
The White House says the ban will take effect in three weeks and comes after Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion in U.S. imports earlier Tuesday.
Rubio says lot of work remains after Ukraine-Russia talks
Asked about his thoughts on the U.S. special envoys’ trips over the weekend to Kyiv and Moscow, Rubio told reporters that it was “productive” in that it laid out a path to restart talks between the warring sides with Washington as a mediator.
“I don’t want to be overly optimistic, but I also am not pessimistic in the sense that I think there’s an opportunity over the next few weeks to develop a roadmap moving forward to restart talks and maybe reach a conclusion that’s acceptable to both sides, because that’s what it’s going to take,” Rubio said.
He added the U.S. had taken a step back in its role as an intermediary the last few months since it appeared that there was no progress from either side toward a resolution but that work now remains to get back to the table.
The latest strikes are part of a dual economic and military approach by Trump
That’s as he struggles to bring an end to the more-than-six-month war with Tehran.
The Trump administration also on Tuesday imposed , targeting more than two dozen commercial and private airlines as well as foreign cargo service providers in its new push to isolate Tehran from its remaining trading partners.
Both the U.S. and Iran are seeking to , where about one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war began.
Rising energy prices are posing political problems for Trump and his Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections. A barrel of international standard Brent crude briefly on Tuesday.
A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has by limiting its oil exports, while the American military has been helping a limited number of ships transit through the Strait of Hormuz off Oman.
US military says it has destroyed 5 Iranian oil tankers after missile attacks on Navy warship
Iran has launched missiles toward U.S. targets in Jordan, Iranian state-run media said, following the latest American strikes.
It’s the latest tit-for-tat retaliation after the U.S. military said it destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers following two attacks on a U.S. warship by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard over the past two days.
U.S. Central Command, when asked about the strikes on the Jordanian air base, said it had no information to offer.
The Iranian tankers destroyed in the attack were the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1 and the Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, Central Command said. The U.S. military also destroyed the vessel Derya, which was located near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Central Command said the crews of the five vessels were told to abandoned ship before the attacks.
The strikes come just three days after U.S. forces destroyed three Iranian oil tankers after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards tried to attack a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer.
Trump expands trade actions against Canada
The president has directed the U.S. General Services Administration to declare ɫtv products ineligible for large, long-term contracts until Canada allows “full and fair’’ reciprocity for American products.
Expert says restarting closed nuclear plants is risky
Edwin Lyman, at the Union of Concerned Scientists, says there’s no evidence that U.S. investments being made to restart closed nuclear power plants will return them to the condition where they can operate safely.
The U.S. Energy Department announced a loan of up to $1.9 billion Tuesday to help restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa. It’s also investing in restarting nuclear power plants in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Google wants to purchase power from Duane Arnold for data centers.
Duane Arnold shut down in 2020 after a powerful storm damaged portions of the plant including the cooling towers.
Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at UCS, said unless the plant is hardened to better withstand such severe events, it will pose an unacceptable risk.
A call to a Freedom 250 spokesperson was not immediately returned.
Lonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian leadership following clash with Trump administration
Trump has been pushing to reshape how U.S. history is portrayed, affecting entities like the Smithsonian.
Bunch announced his departure Tuesday, expressing mixed emotions and gratitude. He will leave at the end of the year.
Two months ago, a White House report criticized the Smithsonian’s leadership, especially at the ɫtv Museum of American History, labeling the leaders as radical activists. Trump has been scrutinizing museum leadership, but he lacks the power to make swift changes.
Canada retaliates as Trump response looms
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will move faster to reduce economic reliance on the United States as retaliatory tariffs took effect on Tuesday on about .
“In too many areas, they wanted dependency, not a true economic partnership,” Carney said in a prerecorded video outlining his government’s plan to withstand the trade war.
About 400,000 people crossed the border each day. Now ɫtvs have and are boycotting U.S. goods.
Rubio says he’ll visit Venezuela ‘eventually,’ touts oil deal as positive for Venezuelans
Rubio says Venezuela would be “much better off partnering with the United States” than with other countries that had managed the country's oil fields, such as China, Russia and Iran.
agreed last week to of roughly one-fifth of Venezuela’s oil reserves.
While could eventually generate billions for an by years of mismanagement, many Venezuelans say they believe gaining control of Venezuelan oil was the ultimate objective when Trump ordered U.S. forces to .
Trump’s social media mapping now rattles Iceland as well as Greenland and Denmark
Trump posted a map showing the U.S. sprawling across all of North America and extending to Greenland and Iceland.
Trump has repeatedly talked of making Canada the 51st U.S. state and taking , Denmark’s . Iceland’s foreign secretary summoned the U.S. ambassador to make it clear that Monday’s Truth Social post was unacceptable, national broadcaster RÚV said.
“The U.S. president still harbors some kind of maximalist vision in his own mind. We need to rein that in,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told the national broadcaster DR on Tuesday.
Trump’s post came as the by promising a stronger partnership and major investments.
US secretary of state says US ‘obviously’ won’t follow UK lead on West Bank trade ban
Speaking to reporters before a trip to Latin American countries, Marco Rubio said the U.S. was given a heads-up to the decision by the United Kingdom, which earlier Tuesday in the where it says “settler terrorists” are carrying out “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians.
Israel in response said it would close the British consulate in Jerusalem.
Asked about Houthi that have wounded dozens, Rubio said the U.S. was watching the situation “very closely,” calling Houthis “agents and proxies” of Iran. He deferred more comment to the Pentagon.
US Secretary of State begins a three-nation tour of Latin America
Marco Rubio is visiting U.S.-aligned conservative leaders as the Trump administration steps up military operations to combat drug trafficking and seeks further inroads in the Western Hemisphere aimed at improving America’s energy standing and combating illegal migration.
Just a week after sealing a massive oil deal with Venezuelan leaders, Rubio is traveling Tuesday to neighboring Colombia to meet President Abelardo de la Espriella. Colombia’s new leader has embraced Trump’s policies on issues ranging from drugs to immigration and energy.
De la Espriella is one of a new generation of right-wing conservatives to win election and show support for Trump’s muscular approach to a region that had tilted leftward in recent decades.
Top Pentagon official warns Ukraine supporters to plan for a very long war
Russia’s war on the country could drag on for years, and Europe must be ready to sustain its military support long term, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby said Tuesday.
“We cannot predict when this tragic war will end,” Colby said as Ukraine’s supporters held an online meeting seeking more air defense systems, arms and ammunition.
“Russia is reconstituting its forces and its defense industrial capacity,” Colby said. “We must be prepared for a protracted conflict and for Ukraine’s requirements to persist in the months and years ahead.”
Zelenskyy says US envoys have ‘very good’ ideas to end Russia’s war on Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that U.S. envoys presented some “very good, worthwhile ideas” for ending Russia’s 4 1/2-year-old , adding that he hopes to meet with Trump within two weeks.
But Russia remains determined to accomplish and it believes it is close to winning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Ukrainian and Western observers believe that Moscow has been unable to make any significant progress on the front line.
U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Moscow and Kyiv for separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy over the weekend. The meetings appeared to produce no substantial breakthrough on ending the fighting, and both countries resumed their after a weekend truce in their capitals for the American visitors.
The Kremlin says Putin assured Trump that Moscow doesn't intend aggression toward Europe
during a phone call with Trump on Tuesday, a senior Kremlin official said.
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, told reporters that “in view of the speculation about Russia’s alleged hostile intentions toward European countries, it was underlined that we don’t have any aggressive plans regarding Europe.”
Ushakov also said Putin told Trump about the combat situation in Ukraine and Russia’s plans to make battlefield gains and achieve its military goals. He said that Moscow has a positive view of the results of the weekend visit to Moscow by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Trump’s threats against ɫtv jetmaker Bombardier put thousands of American jobs at risk
ɫtv jetmaker Bombardier is responding with a reality check to Trump’s U.S. purchases unless it makes the planes in the United States.
The manufacturer of private jets is noting that its wings and many other components are made in America, with a supply chain that supports tens of thousands of jobs with about 2,800 companies across 47 U.S. states. The statement from Bombardier says the American aerospace industry is already a “clear winner on trade and exports.”
More than 1,000 of those jobs are in Kansas. A statement from Republican Sen. Jerry Moran says he’s reached out to make sure the Trump administration understands how important the jetmaker is to the Kansas economy.
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Texas Sen. Ted Cruz urges Republicans to unite behind Ken Paxton
Cruz warned Tuesday on “Fox & Friends” that Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is a “talented” candidate with plenty of campaign cash and an energized opposition to Trump.
He said it’s time for Texas Republicans who backed Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP primary to set aside their reservations about the scandal-plagued Paxton.
“Listen, primaries — they’re good, they’re healthy, they’re part of politics. But when they’re over, they’re over,” Cruz said.
“Often moderates in our party, if they win a primary, will tell conservatives, ‘Now shut up and support the moderate. The primary is over.’ Well, this time the shoe is on the other foot,” Cruz continued, “and it’s time to come together. You may think Ken Paxton’s fantastic. He may not be your cup of tea. That’s not the question.”
Texas has not elected a new Democratic U.S. senator since Lloyd Bentsen in 1970.
Trump’s first major midterm money move: A $10M Texas Senate ad blitz
The political group associated with Trump is spending $10 million on television and digital advertisements in the Texas Senate race, according to a Saturday filing with the Federal Election Commission.
This is the in a premier general election contest by MAGA, Inc., and reflects how a once-safe Republican seat in Texas may be viable for Democrats with , a 37-year-old state representative.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is the Republican nominee in the race. Trump’s endorsement , Sen. John Cornyn, in a May primary runoff election.
The ads seek to highlight taxes as a dominant issue at a time when many voters have expressed concerns about continued inflation. Talarico has favored higher taxes on wealthier households and the two ads seek to portray him as seeking tax hikes more broadly while claiming that Paxton would give tax breaks to first-time homebuyers and families with children.
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Americans’ satisfaction with schools is at a low point, new Gallup poll shows
Americans’ satisfaction with the quality of K-12 in the country has hit a low point, driven by a growing political divide and concerns that schools are not preparing children for and future jobs.
Just 32% of American adults say they are “completely” or “somewhat” satisfied with the U.S. school system, according to an August poll published Tuesday by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation and shared exclusively with The Associated Press. That’s an 11-point drop over the past two years and the lowest since Gallup began polling on the subject 27 years ago.
At the same time, dissatisfaction has increased to a high of 67%.
Experts on education and school policy say the findings are deeply concerning but not surprising.
The Trump administration has played a role in eroding public confidence by depicting schools as political battlegrounds, raising concerns about what teachers should be allowed to say in the classroom and moving to abolish diversity programs and , said Jack Schneider, director of the Center for Education Policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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Republicans will gather in Dallas for Trump’s unusual midterm convention
Republicans will descend on Dallas this week for a two-day convention dreamed up by to rally his supporters for
Trump has said he wanted to channel the kind of political extravaganza that each party holds every four years to formally nominate a presidential candidate and showcase their vision for the country. There’s even going to be a huge drop of balloons at the end.
Trump had long floated the idea of holding such a convention and Republicans worked to make his wish a reality.
Midterms are often difficult for the party in power in Washington, and Trump believes the event can juice enthusiasm for the party and boost turnout among his voters.
“Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said recently in South Carolina. “Just come and vote.”
Republicans said the event will help catapult GOP candidates into November, but it will also showcase the first two years of Trump’s term. Although the president’s poll numbers are sagging, he insists that running on his record will give Republicans their best shot.
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What to know about Canada’s escalating trade war with the US as Carney retaliates with tariffs
Canada struck back at Trump on Tuesday with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, in response to the latest round of tariffs on Canada.
The outcome could resonate far beyond Canada, showing other governments whether a smaller U.S. ally can withstand Trump’s economic pressure.
ɫtv says U.S. demands could hollow out key ɫtv industries and limit the country’s independence, and Trump’s threats to ɫtv sovereignty have rallied the public behind him.
“Carney and Canada have become symbolic of resistance to him,” ɫtv historian Robert Bothwell said. “And what he’ll want to do is make an example of Carney and Canada and theoretically terrify everybody else while in fact showing them that they need to remove themselves even further from the United States.”
of American products, including steel, aluminum, cheese, appliances, clothing, cosmetics and farm equipment, at rates of 15%, 25% or 50%.
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