Trump says there could be a Gaza deal next week

Trump says there could be a Gaza deal next week

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump said on Friday it was good that Hamas said it had responded in "a positive spirit" to a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal. He told reporters aboard Air Force One there could be a deal on a Gaza ceasefire by next week but that he had not been briefed on the current state of negotiations. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Tom Hogue)

byMario Satorik

in

July 04, 2025

Trump says there could be a Gaza deal next week

Trump says there could be a Gaza deal next week WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump said on Friday it was good that Hamas said it h...

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Trump says US will start talks with China on TikTok deal this week

Trump says US will start talks with China on TikTok deal this week

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he will start talking to China on Monday or Tuesday about a possible TikTok deal. He said the United States "pretty much" has a deal on the sale of the TikTok short-video app. "I think we're gonna start Monday or Tuesday...talking to China, perhaps President Xi or one of his representatives, but we would we pretty much have a deal," Trump told reporters on Air Force One. Last month, Trump extended to September 17 a deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the U.S. assets of TikTok. A deal had been in the works this spring to spin off TikTok's U.S. operations into a new U.S.-based firm, majority-owned and operated by U.S. investors, but it was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump said the United States will probably have to get a deal approved by China. When asked how confident he was that China would agree to a deal, he said, "I'm not confident, but I think so. President Xi and I have a great relationship, and I think it's good for them. I think the deal is good for China and it's good for us." (Reporting by Jasper Ward and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Tom Hogue and Shri Navaratnam)

byMario Satorik

in

July 04, 2025

Trump says US will start talks with China on TikTok deal this week

Trump says US will start talks with China on TikTok deal this week ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Frida...

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NASCAR's Shane van Gisbergen is hoping for another successful weekend in downtown Chicago

NASCAR's Shane van Gisbergen is hoping for another successful weekend in downtown Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) — The first time Shane van Gisbergen raced in Chicago, he was largely unknown in NASCAR. The second time, he was one of the favorites on the downtown street course. The third time is a different situation for van Gisbergen once again. This time, he has a second Cup Series victory in his back pocket — providing some flexibility for the 36-year-old New Zealand native as he prepares for the playoffs. "We're in a nice position now having won a race," van Gisbergen said Friday. "And it may change our strategy. If we're in a position to get a playoff point, we'll probably try and get that, but that'll put us deep in the field for the next stage. So yeah, there's a bit of a toss-up there what we're going to do, but it's a nice position to be in." Sure is. Just two years ago, van Gisbergen — a three-time champion in Australia's Supercars — put on a dazzling show in a rainy first edition ofNASCAR's downtown Chicago experiment. Making the most of his extensive street racing experience, he became the first driver to win hisCup Series debutsince Johnny Rutherford in the second qualifying race at Daytona in 1963. He wonChicago's Xfinity Series stoplast year and the first stage in the Cup race before he was knocked out by a crash. "You know, I have great memories here," van Gisbergen said. "This place has changed my life, so I'm going to have special memories of this place forever." Van Gisbergen's success in Chicago led toa full-time Cup ridewith Trackhouse Racing. But the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet is learning his way around NASCAR and he got off to a slow start this season. While oval tracks remain a challenge, he certainly hasn't forgotten his roots on street and road courses. He postedhis second Cup winlast month at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. Van Gisbergen is scheduled to compete in both Chicago races this weekend. Next up for NASCAR is another road course at Sonoma Raceway, providing an opportunity to move up from No. 32 in the Cup standings and build up some momentum. "Road courses are just a bonus for us," he said. "We know we're going to be good and we can just focus on trying to get results there." Even after two years, the downtown Chicago street course remains a tricky proposition. The 12-turn, 2.2-mile track is narrow and bumpy in spots — to go along with manhole covers, and transitions from concrete to asphalt and back — and there is little room for error in some areas. Rain affected the action in each of the first two weekends, and there could be more showers on Sunday. Patience is sometimes the best approach, but that only goes so far in NASCAR. "It's easy to say that until Shane is out there a second faster than you and you have to go put yourself in some uncomfortable situations," said Joey Logano, the reigning Cup Series champion. When it comes to van Gisbergen on road courses, Logano said the rest of the Cup Series is "in a way, playing catch-up." Van Gisbergen said he feels the same way about ovals. "These guys have been doing left-handers since they were 10 years old," van Gisbergen said. "You know, they're two completely different sports, and although there has been road racing in NASCAR forever, it's not that much. So yeah, just the experience levels are different in what we do. And I feel like, yes, they've definitely gotten a lot better since the first one on this track, for sure." ___ AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

byMario Satorik

in

July 04, 2025

NASCAR's Shane van Gisbergen is hoping for another successful weekend in downtown Chicago

NASCAR's Shane van Gisbergen is hoping for another successful weekend in downtown Chicago CHICAGO (AP) — The first time Shane van Gisber...

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Wimbledon: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka holds off home favorite Emma Raducanu at Centre Court

Wimbledon: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka holds off home favorite Emma Raducanu at Centre Court

LONDON (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staved off an upset bid by resurgent Emma Raducanu atWimbledonby beating the home favorite 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the third-round at a raucous Centre Court on Friday night. Sabalenka, a two-time semifinalist at the All England Club, fought back in both sets against the the 2021 U.S. Open champion, who had been playing some of her best tennis since her title run at Flushing Meadows as a qualifier at age 18. In a 74-minute first set, Sabalenka converted her eighth set point, which came 30 minutes after the first. Raducanu went up 4-2, only to see Sabalenka reel off 11 of 12 points during one stretch while moving out front by a 5-4 score. Then arrived an epic game, lasting 13 minutes and containing 22 points, eight deuces, and seven set points for Sabalenka — all ending with Raducanu holding serve. Then, Raducanu had a set point while leading 6-5 in the tiebreaker, but Sabalenka saved it with a drop-shot winner and took the last three points of the set — ending it with a volley winner. The fans provided extra energy for the British player, cheering wildly when Raducanu fired winners and exhaling "aww!" when she missed. Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, said she pretended the cheers were for her. "Guys wow — what an atmosphere. My ears are still hurting. It was super loud," she said in an on-court interview. In the second set, Raducanu broke to 3-1 and led 4-1 at the 1-hour, 35-minute mark, but Sabalenka reeled off the last five games. Raducanu, ranked No. 40, had defeated 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the previous round. "She pushed me really hard to get this win. I'm happy to see her healthy and back on track," Sabalenka said. "I'm pretty sure that soon she's going to be back in the top 10." Sabalenka reached the final at each of the past three Grand Slam tournaments, winning the U.S. Open last September and finishing as the runner-up to Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January and to Coco Gauff at the French Open in June. ___ More AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

byMario Satorik

in

July 04, 2025

Wimbledon: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka holds off home favorite Emma Raducanu at Centre Court

Wimbledon: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka holds off home favorite Emma Raducanu at Centre Court LONDON (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staved off a...

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Protests against surge mass-tourism in Mexico City end in vandalism, harassment of tourists

Protests against surge mass-tourism in Mexico City end in vandalism, harassment of tourists

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A protest by hundreds against gentrification and mass tourism that began peacefully Friday in Mexico City neighborhoods popular with tourists turned violent when a small number of people began smashing storefronts and harassing foreigners. Masked protesters smashed through the windows and looted high-end businesses in the touristic areas of Condesa and Roma, and screamed at tourists in the area. Marchers then continued on to protest outside the U.S. Embassy. Graffiti on glass shattered glass being smashed through with rocks read: "get out of Mexico." Police reinforcements gathered outside the Embassy building as police sirens rung out in the city center Friday evening. It marked a violent end to a more peaceful march throughout the day calling out against masses of American tourists who have flooded into Mexico's capital in recent years. Tension had been mounting in the city since American "digital nomads" flocked to Mexico City in 2020, many to escape coronavirus lockdowns in the U.S. Since, rents have soared and locals have increasingly gotten pushed out of their neighborhoods, particularly areas like Condesa and Roma, lush areas packed with coffee shops and restaurants. The Mexico City protest comes at the same time other European cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Rome and more are also facing mounting protests railing against mass-tourism.

byMario Satorik

in

July 04, 2025

Protests against surge mass-tourism in Mexico City end in vandalism, harassment of tourists

Protests against surge mass-tourism in Mexico City end in vandalism, harassment of tourists MEXICO CITY (AP) — A protest by hundreds against...

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EPA says Trump’s big bill should help in its fight to take back billions in green bank funds

EPA says Trump's big bill should help in its fight to take back billions in green bank funds

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thesprawling tax and policy billthat passed Congress repeals a multibillion-dollar green bank for financing climate-friendly projects, and the Trump administration should be allowed to freeze its funding and cancel related contracts with nonprofits, federal officials said in a court filing. Climate United Fund and other nonprofitsin March suedthe Environmental Protection Agency, its administrator Lee Zeldin and Citibank, which held the program's money. The lawsuit argued the defendants had illegally denied the groups access to billions awarded last year through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, commonly referred to as a "green bank." The program was created by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. But the bill that passed Congress on Thursday would repeal the part of the 2022 law that established the green bank and rescind money that hadn't already been obligated to its recipients. The EPA said the bill should hand them a victory in their court fight that is being heard by a federal appeals court in Washington. Now that Congress has rescinded funding, an earlier federal judge's decision forcing the EPA to release money to the groups should be reversed, the agency said in its Thursday court filing. Climate United Fund disagrees. It acknowledges that the bill in Congress is a "significant policy setback" but argues that most of the money had been disbursed and is unaffected by the bill. And if the EPA wanted to take the money back, there's a different process the agency would need to follow. "Our funds have already been obligated and disbursed. Any effort to claim otherwise is simply a lie to justify illegal attempts to claw back funds intended to benefit communities across the country," CEO Beth Bafford said in a statement. The Congressional Budget Office estimated repealing the program would save just $19 million, which is in line with its administrative expenses only, indicating the bill doesn't touch the multibillion-dollar grant awards, according to Lauren Tsuboyama, spokesperson for the Power Forward Communities coalition, which received a green bank award. According to the EPA, when the agency terminated the grants the funds "became unobligated." "Grantees have desperately performed legal gymnastics to hold tens of billions of taxpayer dollars hostage. In the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, Congress made their intent crystal clear in repealing the program entirely and returning those billions in unobligated funds to the U.S. Treasury," EPA spokesperson Brigit Hirsch said in a statement. The green bank's goals run counter to the Trump administration's opposition to policies that address climate change andits embrace of fossil fuels. Zeldin quickly made the bank a target, characterizing the $20 billion in grants as a scheme marred by conflicts of interest and potential fraud. In February, Zeldin told Fox News that he suspected the green bank "was a clear cut case of waste and abuse" that "in my opinion, is criminal." The following month, Zeldin terminated the grants. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has previously said that when the federal government was asked for evidence of fraud, the agency didn't provide it and shifted its position. Chutkan decidedthe government can't terminate the contracts andthat the groups should have access to some of their frozen money. That order was put on hold during the EPA's appeal. The agency argues the nonprofits are making constitutional and statutory arguments that don't apply in what it sees as a simple contract fight. If the government successfully argues the case is a contract dispute, then the EPA says it should be heard by a different court that can only award a lump sum – not force the government to keep the grants in place. Federal officials argue there is no law or provision in the Constitution that compels the EPA to make these grants to these groups. In its court filing, the EPA also pointed to comments by Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, as supportive of the agency's position. Capito said previously the bill intended to rescind billions in funding that had been frozen. "This action reflects not only Congress's deep concern with reducing the deficit, but EPA's administration of the (green bank) under the Biden administration, the agency's selection of grant recipients, and the absence of meaningful program oversight," the agency quotes the senator as saying. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visithttps://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

byMario Satorik

in

July 04, 2025

EPA says Trump’s big bill should help in its fight to take back billions in green bank funds

EPA says Trump's big bill should help in its fight to take back billions in green bank funds WASHINGTON (AP) — Thesprawling tax and poli...

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Wimbledon relaxes strict dress code to allow Portuguese players to pay tribute to Diogo Jota

Wimbledon relaxes strict dress code to allow Portuguese players to pay tribute to Diogo Jota

Portuguese tennis players Francisco Cabral and Nuno Borges were given permission to stray fromWimbledon's strict all-white dress code to honor the late Liverpool and Portugal soccer star Diogo Jota, they told reporters, including CNN, on Friday. Jota died in a car crash in Spain early Thursday morning. He was 28. His brother,André Silva– who was also a professional soccer player – also died in the accident at the age of 25. Cabral, who competed in men's doubles, told CNN Friday that he initially wanted to wear a black armband, but he said he was told that would not be allowed. He was granted approval to wear a small black ribbon instead. The AELTC said to CNN in a statement: "We are always open to having conversations with players regarding such matters, and given the tragic circumstances, the Referee's Office has approved the players wearing a black ribbon as a mark of respect and condolence." Cabral, ranked 40th in the world in doubles, won his first-round match Thursday but fell in the second round Friday with his playing partner Lucas Miedler of Austria. "Yesterday, I came up with the idea of wearing a black strap, but that was not allowed," Cabral said. "The players' relations, they had a black ribbon, and I asked for permission.They let me play with it and I just did it this morning. "It was an honor. It's not for the best reason. But yeah, he was not only an inspiration to me but for the country in general, he meant so much in the sport. He conquered so much in his life. So it was just an honor for me to try and help, if only 1% for the family and everybody." Later Friday, in the men's singles draw, Portugal's Nuno Borges – with a black ribbon affixed on his white cap – lost to Russian and No. 17 seed Karen Khachanov in five sets. After the match, Borges said that he had initially hoped to walk out on court in a full red Portugal top, but his team was told that would not be allowed. Instead, he opted for the same small black ribbon worn by Cabral. "I think it was a nice gesture for him (Jota). He was a great footballer, it's a tragedy," Borges said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byMario Satorik

in

July 04, 2025

Wimbledon relaxes strict dress code to allow Portuguese players to pay tribute to Diogo Jota

Wimbledon relaxes strict dress code to allow Portuguese players to pay tribute to Diogo Jota Portuguese tennis players Francisco Cabral and ...

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