Trump withdraws nominee to lead NASA Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon MuskNew Foto - Trump withdraws nominee to lead NASA Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk

WASHINGTON ―President Donald Trumphas pulled his nomination ofJared Isaacman, a billionaire commercial astronaut with close ties toElon Musk, as his nominee to serve as administrator of NASA. The White House confirmed the withdrawal on May 31 and said Trump will soon announce a new nominee to lead NASA. No reason was provided for parting ways with Isaacman,who led and financed private astronaut missionsPolaris Dawn andInspiration4, which was carried out by Musk's SpaceX. The withdrawal, first reported bythe news website Semafor, comes after the 42-year-old Isaacman already cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in April and appeared on track for a full Senate vote. "The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and executePresident Trump's bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars," White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston said in a statement. "It's essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda, and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon." More:Elon Musk's rise and fall: From Trump's chainsaw-wielding sidekick to a swift exit The move comes a day after Musk, a business partner and friend of Isaacman,left the White Houseafter spending four months as a senior White House adviser overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency.Musk joined Trump for an Oval Office news conferenceto mark the end of the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO's tenure in the White House. "It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted,"Musk said in a post on X, in reaction to Trump's decision to withdraw Isaacman's nomination. Conservative activist Laura Loomer,who has proven influential in many Trump decisions, raised alarm about the status of Isaacman's nominationin an X post, hours before the White House confirmed it was being withdrawn, writing, "There is reason to believe that Isaacman may be facing retaliation because of his friendship with Musk." More:Trump's pick to head NASA has been to space twice: Recapping billionaire's missions Isaacman, founder and CEO of the payment processing company Shift4 Payments, undertook his first private space venture in 2021, when he was commander and financier of the world's first all-civilian extended mission to space. In 2024, he returned to spacewith an all-civilian crew of amateur spacefarerswith the Polaris Dawn mission, which he jointly funded with SpaceX. Isaacman drew concern from some lawmakers over his ties to Musk and SpaceX. During his Senate confirmation hearing in April, he sought to balance NASA's existing moon-aligned space exploration strategy with the Trump administration's push for a space mission to Mars, saying the U.S. can plan for travel to both destinations. As a potential leader of NASA's some 18,000 employees, Isaacman faced a daunting task of implementing that decision to prioritize Mars, given that NASA has spent years and billions of dollars trying to return its astronauts to the moon. NASA, which has about 18,000 employees, has lacked a full-time administrator since Bill Nelson, NASA administrator in the Biden administration, stepped down on Jan. 20 when Trump was inaugurated. Contributing: Eric Lagatta of USA TODAYand Reuters Reach Joey Garrison @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:President Trump withdraws nominee to lead NASA Jared Isaacman

byMario Satorik
in
June 01, 2025

Trump withdraws nominee to lead NASA Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk

Trump withdraws nominee to lead NASA Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk WASHINGTON ―President Donald Trumphas pulled his nomination o...
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Trump's foreign policy frustrations are piling upNew Foto - Trump's foreign policy frustrations are piling up

Every president thinks they can change the world – and Donald Trump has an even greater sense of personal omnipotence than his recent predecessors. But it's not working out too well for the 47th president. Trump might intimidate tech titans to toe the line and use government power to try to bend institutions like Harvard University and judges, but some world leaders are harder to bully. He keeps being ignored and humiliated by Russian President Vladimir Putin who is defying the US effort to end the war in Ukraine. Russian media is now portraying Trump as the tough talker who always blinks and never imposes consequences. The president also thought that he could shape China to his will by facing down leader Xi Jinping in a trade war. But he misunderstood Chinese politics. The one thing an authoritarian in Beijing can never do is bow down to a US president. US officials say now they'refrustratedthat China hasn't followed through on commitments meant to deescalate the trade conflict. As with China, Trump backed down in his tariff war with the European Union. Then Financial Times commentator Robert Armstrong enraged the president by coining the termTACO trade— "Trump Always Chickens Out." Everyone thought that Trump would be on the same page as Benjamin Netanyahu. After all, in his first term he offered the Israeli prime minister pretty much everything he wanted. But now that he's trying to broker peace in the Middle East, Trump is finding thatprolonging the Gaza conflict is existential for Netanyahu's political career,much like Ukraine for Putin. And Trump's ambition for an Iranian nuclear deal is frustrating Israeli plans to use a moment of strategic weakness for the Islamic Republic to try to take out its reactors militarily. Powerful leaders are pursuing their own versions of the national interest that exist in a parallel reality and on different historical and actual timelines to shorter, more transactional, aspirations of American presidents. Most aren't susceptible to personal appeals with no payback. And after Trump's attempts to humiliate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, the lure of the White House is waning. Trump spent months on the campaign trail last year boasting that his "very good relationship" with Putin or Xi would magically solve deep geopolitical and economic problems between global powers that might be unsolvable. He's far from the first US leader to suffer from such delusions. President George W. Bush famously looked into the Kremlin tyrant's eyes and "got a sense of his soul." President Barack Obama disdained Russia as a decaying regional power and once dismissed Putin as the "bored kid in the back of the classroom." That didn't work out so well when the bored kid annexed Crimea. More broadly, the 21st century presidents have all acted as though they're men of destiny. Bush came to office determined not to act as the global policeman. But the September 11 attacks in 2001 made him exactly that. He started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — which the US won, then lost the peace. And his failed second term goal to democratize the Arab world never went anywhere. Obama tried to make amends for the global war on terror and travelled to Egypt to tell Muslims it was time for "a new beginning." His early presidency pulsated with a sense that his charisma and unique background would in itself be a global elixir. Joe Biden traveled the globe telling everyone that "America is back" after ejecting Trump from the White House. But four years later, partly due to his own disastrous decision to run for a second term, America — or at least the internationalist post-World War II version – was gone again. And Trump was back. Trump's "America First" populism relies on the premise that the US has been ripped off for decades, never mind that its alliances and shaping of global capitalism made it the most powerful nation in the planet's history. Now playing at being a strongman who everyone must obey, he is busily squandering this legacy and shattering US soft power — ie. the power to persuade — with his belligerence. The first four months of the Trump presidency, with its tariff threats, warnings of US territorial expansion in Canada and Greenland and evisceration of global humanitarian aid programs show that the rest of the world gets a say in what happens too. So far, leaders in China, Russia, Israel, Europe and Canada appear to have calculated that Trump is not as powerful as he thinks he is, that there's no price for defying him or that their own internal politics make resistance mandatory. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byMario Satorik
in
June 01, 2025

Trump’s foreign policy frustrations are piling up

Trump's foreign policy frustrations are piling up Every president thinks they can change the world – and Donald Trump has an even greate...
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3-time Olympic gold medalist Lilly King announces retirement after 2025 seasonNew Foto - 3-time Olympic gold medalist Lilly King announces retirement after 2025 season

Decorated American swimmer and breaststroke specialist Lilly King is stepping away from competition after the 2025 Toyota National Championships in June. On Saturday, King took to Instagram to announce this season will be her swan song after initially naming the 2024 Summer Olympics as her last ride. "Well folks, my time has come," she captioned a series of pictures from her career. "This will be my final season competing. I'm fortunate heading into retirement being able to say I have accomplished everything I have ever wanted in this sport. I feel fulfilled. "That being said, it has always been important to me that my last meet in the US be at the pool that started it all. I have been racing in the IU Natatorium since I was 10 years old," King said. "From state meets, to NCAAs, Nationals, and anything in between, this pool has been my home." "I didn't quite make it 20 years (only 18) of racing in Indy, but this is as close as I'm gonna get! I look forward to racing in front of a home crowd one last time. See you in Indy!" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lilly King (@_king_lil) The Evansville, Indiana, native will swim her final meet in her home state as the top seed in the 100-yard breaststroke and No. 2 seed in the 50-yard breaststroke. Despite winning the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, King will not be competing in the 200-yard breaststroke come June. She also finished eighth in the event in 2024 at the Paris Olympics. King represented the U.S. in three Olympic Games, winning gold in the women's 100 breaststroke and the 4×100 medley relay in 2016. That 100 breaststroke medal made King a breakthrough star in Rio, as she famously called out Russia's Yuliya Yefimova over past failed doping tests, then beat her in the pool. In 2020, King bagged silver in the 200-yard breaststroke, silver in the women's 4×100 medley relay and bronze in the 100-yard breaststroke. She wrapped up her Olympic career finishing fourth in the 100 breaststroke in Paris after missing the bronze medal by 0.01 seconds. King also swam a world record performance (3:49.63) in the women's 4×100 medley relay for the Americans. The record-breaking race capped her final Olympic effort with gold. Before turning pro in 2019, King competed at Indiana. As a freshman, she won the NCAA title in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200 breaststroke for the Hoosiers. King's last meet will be held at the Indiana University Natatorium from June 3-7.

byMario Satorik
in
June 01, 2025

3-time Olympic gold medalist Lilly King announces retirement after 2025 season

3-time Olympic gold medalist Lilly King announces retirement after 2025 season Decorated American swimmer and breaststroke specialist Lilly ...
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As Mookie Betts suffers freak toe injury, Shohei Ohtani progresses toward pitching returnNew Foto - As Mookie Betts suffers freak toe injury, Shohei Ohtani progresses toward pitching return

LOS ANGELES — While theLos Angeles DodgersandNew York Yankeesare embracing the euphoria of their World reunion at Dodger Stadium, limping out of the Dodgers' clubhouse wearing socks and sandals was one of the game's biggest stars not namedShohei OhtaniorAaron Judge. Dodgers shortstopMookie Betts— the MVP, eight-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove winner and three-time World Series champion — will be missing all of the festivities, thanks to a freak injury. Betts was at home in Los Angeles on Wednesday night after the Dodgers returned home from Cleveland, and sometime during the night while walking in his bathroom, he badly stubbed the fourth toe on his left foot when he bumped into a piece of furniture. The toe turned out to be broken. The Dodgers don't anticipate that Betts will need to go on the injured list, but ruled him out for the Dodgers' weekend series against the Yankees. They hope he can return to the lineup Tuesday when they finish their homestand with a three-game series against theCleveland Guardiansfollowed by theBoston Red Sox, Betts' former team. "It's a fracture at the tip of the toe,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "so it's basically kind of what he can tolerate. And the last couple of days, it's been hard for him to even put on a shoe. "But I still don't believe it's going to be an IL stint. I think day-to-day is fair right now.'' The Dodgers startedMiguel RojasandHyeseong Kimin his place the first two games of the series, and when Betts returns, they don't believe he can make the injury worse by playing on it. Betts, 32, has gotten off to a slow start in 2025, hitting .254 with a .743 OPS and eight homers, but the Dodgers have been pleased with his defense and plans to keep him at shortstop the rest of the season. 'WE LOVE SUPERSTARS':Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge do damage in Game 1 of Dodgers-Yankees rematch Meanwhile, on the pitching front where the Dodgers have 14 pitchers on the injured list, they are encouraged by the progress made by Ohtani. Before Saturday's game, he pitched to hitters for the second time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. Ohtani, facing minor-league hitters and rookie catcherDalton Rushing, threw 29 pitches over two innings, and had no setbacks. His control wasn't as sharp as last week, but everything is on track for Ohtani to pitch again in late July or early August. He will continue to DH for the Dodgers, where he has hit a major-league leading 22 homers, and won't make any minor-league rehab starts. He instead will continue to build his arm strength simply through simulated games, and won't be ready for major-league action until he reaches at least six innings. "I think the thing that's most impressive is his ability to compartmentalize," Roberts said. "I mean, he's essentially doing the work of two players. And to still go out there and perform on the offensive side, it's pretty remarkable." Follow Bob Nightengale on X@BNightengale. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Mookie Betts out with toe injury, Shohei Ohtani on track to pitch

byMario Satorik
in
June 01, 2025

As Mookie Betts suffers freak toe injury, Shohei Ohtani progresses toward pitching return

As Mookie Betts suffers freak toe injury, Shohei Ohtani progresses toward pitching return LOS ANGELES — While theLos Angeles DodgersandNew Y...
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Exclusive-Ukraine to set out roadmap for peace at Istanbul talks, document showsNew Foto - Exclusive-Ukraine to set out roadmap for peace at Istanbul talks, document shows

By Tom Balmforth KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian negotiators at talks scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul will present to the Russian side a proposed roadmap for reaching a lasting peace settlement, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters. The proposed roadmap begins with a full ceasefire of at least 30 days, to be followed by the return of all prisoners held by each side, and of Ukrainian children taken into Russian-held territory, and then a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Under the blueprint, Moscow and Kyiv -- with the participation of the United States and Europe -- will work to hash out the terms on which they can agree to put a complete end to their three-year-old war, the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two. Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that they had sent the blueprint to the Russian side in advance of the Istanbul talks. The framework Ukrainian terms for a peace deal as set out in the document seen by Reuters are largely the same as the terms previously put forward by Kyiv. Those include no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a peace deal is struck, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces, and reparations for Ukraine. The document also stated that the current location of the front line will be the starting point for negotiations about territory. Those terms diverge considerably from demands that Russia has made publicly in the past few weeks. U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Moscow and Kyiv to work together on a deal to end their war, and Russia has proposed a second round of face-to-face talks with Ukrainian officials next week in Istanbul. Kyiv said earlier this week it is committed to the search for peace, but that it was waiting for a memorandum from the Russian side setting out their proposals which has not materialised. Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said on Sunday that he will send a delegation of his officials to meet their Russian counterparts in Istanbul. (Writing by Christian Lowe, Editing by William Maclean)

byMario Satorik
in
June 01, 2025

Exclusive-Ukraine to set out roadmap for peace at Istanbul talks, document shows

Exclusive-Ukraine to set out roadmap for peace at Istanbul talks, document shows By Tom Balmforth KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian negotiators at ...
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Ukrainian proposals for June 2 talks with Russia in IstanbulNew Foto - Ukrainian proposals for June 2 talks with Russia in Istanbul

KYIV (Reuters) - Reuters has seen the text of the peace proposals that Ukrainian negotiators plan to present to the Russian side at peace talks scheduled to take place on June 2 in Istanbul. The text of the Ukrainian document is published in full with no changes. Ukraine-Russia Negotiations Framework I. Key Principles of the Agreement and the Negotiation Process • Full and unconditional ceasefire in the sky, on land and at sea as a necessary background and prerequisite for peace negotiations. • Confidence-building measures – addressing humanitarian issues: unconditionally return all deported and illegally displaced Ukrainian children. Exchange of all prisoners (the "all for all" principle). Release by Russia of all civilian hostages. • Non-repetition of aggression: The aim of the negotiations is to restore a permanent basis for lasting peace and security and to ensure that aggression does not occur again. • Security guarantees and engagement of the international community: Ukraine must receive robust security guarantees. The parties will invite the international community to participate in the negotiations and provide guarantees to ensure the implementation of the agreements. • Sovereignty: Ukraine is not forced to be neutral. It can choose to be part of the Euro-Atlantic community and move towards EU membership. Ukraine's membership in NATO depends on consensus within the Alliance. No restrictions may be imposed on the number, deployment, or other parameters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the deployment of troops of friendly foreign states on the territory of Ukraine. • Territorial issues: Territorial gains made by Russia since February 2014 are not recognized by the international community. The contact line is the starting point for negotiations. Territory issues are discussed only after a full and unconditional ceasefire. • Sanctions: Some sanctions may be lifted from Russia, but in stages and only gradually, with a mechanism for resuming sanctions if necessary (snapback). Frozen Russian sovereign assets are used for reconstruction or remain frozen until reparations are paid. • Implementation: Agree on a clear, balanced and achievable roadmap for implementation and enforcement of the agreements. II. Next step – agreeing ceasefire and agenda of the leaders' meeting • After the meeting in Istanbul, the parties continue the talks which shall focus on: (1) full and unconditional ceasefire: its modalities and monitoring; (2) confidence building measures; (3) preparation, agreeing agenda and structure of future leaders' negotiations on key topics. • Negotiations to be held with the U.S. and Europe participating. III. Ceasefire • Full and unconditional ceasefire in the sky, on land and at sea at least for 30 days (with the possibility of rolling extensions every 30 days) as a necessary background and prerequisite for peace negotiations. • Ceasefire monitoring, led by the US and supported by third countries. IV. Confidence-building measures • After successful exchange of PoWs after Istanbul talks, the parties continue the exchange process for all prisoners of war ("all for all" principle). • Agreement on unconditional return by the Russian Federation of all deported and displaced Ukrainian children, and release by Russia of all civilian prisoners. These measures should include all categories of persons listed, starting from February 2014. V. Leaders' meeting • The leaders of Ukraine and Russia meet to agree on key aspects of final peace settlement. • Key topics of peace agreement to be agreed by the leaders: 1) Permanent and complete cessation of hostilities: conditions, monitoring, sanctions for violations 2) Security guarantees and non-repetition of aggression 3) Territorial issues 4) Economy, compensation, reconstruction 5) Penalties for breach of agreements 6) Conclusion of a final peace agreement (Reporting by Tom Balmforth, Editing by William Maclean)

byMario Satorik
in
June 01, 2025

Ukrainian proposals for June 2 talks with Russia in Istanbul

Ukrainian proposals for June 2 talks with Russia in Istanbul KYIV (Reuters) - Reuters has seen the text of the peace proposals that Ukrainia...
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The NBA Finals are set: It'll be Thunder vs. Pacers, starting Thursday nightNew Foto - The NBA Finals are set: It'll be Thunder vs. Pacers, starting Thursday night

The seeds for the 2025 NBA Finals began getting planted unknowingly in 2017, back when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was about to enroll at Kentucky and Tyrese Haliburton was getting ready for his senior year of high school in Wisconsin. That was the year the Indiana Pacers traded Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers landed Domantas Sabonis out of that deal. The Thunder would trade George in 2019 to the Los Angeles Clippers for a package that included Gilgeous-Alexander. The Pacers would trade Sabonis in 2022 to Sacramento for a package that included Haliburton. And here we are. Gilgeous-Alexander is the NBA's MVP and Oklahoma City's best player. Haliburton is an Olympic gold medalist and Indiana's best player. They'll lead their teams into Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night — Indiana at Oklahoma City, the start of a series that will decide who hoists the Larry O'Brien Trophy. "Man, I'm just so proud of this group," Haliburton said in the on-court televised interview with TNT after the Pacers' 125-108 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. "I don't even have words right now. It's really exciting. We'll enjoy this one for now. There's four more, there's a lot more work to do, against a really tough team." The Thunder — depending on how you count — are in the finals for either the second time or the fifth time. The franchise, when it was in Seattle, lost what was then called the NBA World Championship Series to Washington in 1978, then won the title in a rematch against the then-Bullets in 1979 and lost in the NBA Finals to Chicago in 1996. Oklahoma City got to the finals in 2012, losing to Miami. The Thunder are 80-18 this season, after going 68-14 in the regular season and then 12-4 in the playoffs — sweeping Memphis in Round 1, surviving seven games against Denver in Round 2 and then ousting Minnesota in five games for the Western Conference title. "When you win, that's a special thing," Thunder forward Chet Holmgren said. "It's not guaranteed in this league. If everybody was guaranteed to win, it'd be a participation trophy instead of a Larry O'Brien. So, you have to kind of take it in and understand what you've accomplished to that point, but then the next day you have to start turning the page, get rid of the emotions and start focusing on preparation and what you have to do to conquer the next step. And that's where we're at." Indiana is in the NBA title round for the second time, having lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. The Pacers franchise won ABA titles in 1970, 1972 and 1973. They got out of the Eastern Conference as the No. 4 seed, beating Milwaukee in five games in Round 1, beating top-seeded Cleveland in five games in Round 2 and then beating New York in the conference finals. The Pacers were 10-15 through the first 25 games of the season — then went 40-17 to finish the regular season. They are the fourth team to start 10-15 or worse and go on to win a conference title, joining Seattle in 1977-78 (8-17), the 1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (10-15) and the 1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers (10-15). None of those teams went on to win the NBA title. "In 49 states, it's just basketball," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "But this is Indiana. ... Our guys earned this. Congratulations to our guys." Oklahoma City swept the season series with Indiana 2-0, part of a regular season where the Thunder — who finished with the NBA's best record — went 29-1 against the Eastern Conference. That doesn't include a loss to Milwaukee in the NBA Cup final, a game that didn't count in any standings. So, the matchup is set. It's the Paul George finals, albeit without Paul George — who had arguably the best season of his career with the Thunder, averaging 28 points and finishing third in the MVP voting for 2018-19 — starting at OKC on Thursday. "Obviously, he wasn't here long but he had great years here," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Saturday when asked about George's impact. "I mean, one of the best years of his career was here, one of the best individual seasons a player's had here — which is saying something here with the guys they've had. So, I have a lot of respect for him." ___ AP NBA:https://apnews.com/nba

byMario Satorik
in
June 01, 2025

The NBA Finals are set: It'll be Thunder vs. Pacers, starting Thursday night

The NBA Finals are set: It'll be Thunder vs. Pacers, starting Thursday night The seeds for the 2025 NBA Finals began getting planted unk...
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