Desmond Milligan

The street-legal Ford GT may be long gone at this point, but there’s still one last chance to get your hands on the track-only version. The Blue Oval’s performance division just announced that its last call for the GT Mk IV. Most of the examples of the supercar’s final variant have already been spoken for, but Ford Performance’s order book remains open for the last build slots. More from Robb Report Labubu Pushes Pop Mart to a Whopping $2 Billion in Sales the First Half of 2025 Adriana Lima's Ultra-Secure L.A. Home Uses Facial Recognition Tech. It Can Be Yours for $16 Million. Soho House Is Being Sold for $2.7 Billion, and Ashton Kutcher Is One of the Buyers The GT debuted in 2004 as a modern reimagining of Ford’s most famous race car, the GT40, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four straight times between 1966 and 1969. The first generation was in production until 2006, during which time 4,038 examples were produced, and was followed, a decade later, by the second generation, which was supposed to complete its 1,350-car production run in 2022. But Ford announced plans to release an unexpected final version of the second-gen GT right as production was supposed to an end. That variant was the Mk IV, a track-only model meant to pay tribute to the GT40 Mk IV that won Le Mans in 1967—and remains the only American-built and -operated car to have done so. The automaker and its racing partner, Canada-based Multimatic, announced plans to build just 67 examples of the vehicle by hand. Ford also said it expected deliveries to be completed by next year, but, as this latest announcement makes clear, at least a few are still up for grabs. The GT Mk IV may not have been an immediate sell-out, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. The two-seater is one of the most hardcore GTs, first- or second-gen, to see release. Its carbon-fiber “longtail” body is longer than that of its peers and features a giant fixed wing coming off the back. It’s powered by a 3.8-liter EcoBoost V-6 mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The naturally mill makes 820 hp, which is 160 more than the standard road-going model. It also features an upgraded adaptive suspension. Intrigued by this last chance at the second-gen GT? You have until October 15 to place your order for the supercar. Pricing for the exclusive track beast starts at $1.7 million. Click here for more photos of the Ford GT Mk IV. Best of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World’s Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. View the full article

More from Robb Report This Is Your Last Chance to Buy a New Ford GT Labubu Pushes Pop Mart to a Whopping $2 Billion in Sales the First Half of 2025 Adriana Lima's Ultra-Secure L.A. Home Uses Facial Recognition Tech. It Can Be Yours for $16 Million. Best of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World’s Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The Ford GT Mk IV The track-only variant features an elongated carbon-fiber body Inside the Ford GT Mk IV The two-seat cabin features racing harnesses Ford GT Mk IV has a giant fixed rear wing View the full article

The new Full Throttle is a beautiful black and bronze trim level of the Scrambler that was reintroduced a decade ago. Despite its relatively paltry 72 peak hp, it's fun. Pricing starts at a listed $12,395. As lighthearted and happy as a puppy after five cappuccinos, the Scrambler just begs to be ridden. That was our assessment when the modern Scrambler came out 10 years ago, and it remains the same with this latest model, the 2025 Scrambler Full Throttle. When I first rode the new-generation Scrambler a decade ago, it reminded me of all the dirt bikes of the 1970s: handlebars high up in the air, plenty of wheel travel ready for anything, and an engine that made me want to wind it out to its admittedly unimpressive 75-hp peak. That same feeling came over me when I got on this stylish new trim level. Of course, if you want a real dirt machine, Ducati just introduced its first true motocross bike, the Desmo450 MX. But the Scrambler is the bike that can do a little of everything on- and off-road. Most importantly, it makes you smile. Powered by the two-cylinder, air-cooled, 803cc Desmodue L-Twin with two-valve heads and desmodromic actuation sound, the Full Throttle has the feel of a genuine Ducati, with the slightly loping, whappa-ti-whapp sound and torque reserves available down low. It revs happily—and wildly—to an indicated 9,000-rpm redline, but its 72-hp peak comes just before that at 8,250 rpm. Its 48-lb-ft torque peak is also high up in the range at 7,000 rpm. Abundant Power and TorqueBut the torque and power feel abundant at most of the lower ranges of the tach. This isn't like a sport bike that needs to be screaming to its redline all the time to feel responsive. There are two ride modes—Road and Sport—along with cornering ABS and traction control you can set to four different levels of intervention. Play around with those to see what feels best to you. I left it somewhere in the middle of all of the above and felt fine on the bike I rode, but I wasn't sliding it around corners like you'll be doing. Full Throttle gets an 803cc L-Twin making 72 hp. DucatiThe big number 62 on the tank refers to the first year of the Scrambler, way back in—of course—1962. That's all true of any Ducati Scrambler. The big difference in the Full Throttle you see here is the look. The bronze lettering on the matte-black finish really looks stylish. There's also a Scrambler model in black on black without the bronze available called the Icon Dark. But the Full Throttle looks way cooler. The Full Throttle starts at $12,395, but my borrowed bike had a few options, including the exhaust and racing silencer, that brought the price up to $15,229. The Icon Dark starts at $9,995. Models to Cross ShopYes, you could get any number of competitors for less than the price of the Full Throttle, but nothing matches the character and look of the Scrambler. Nonetheless, consider the Honda Transalp ($9,999), XR650L ($6,999), or even the CRF300L Rally for $6,499, as well as the Triumph Scrambler (same name, different philosophy) 400XC ($6,695), 400X ($5,895), and 900 ($11,495). Even the Kawasaki KLR650 at $6,899 and the Suzuki DR650S at $7,299 could be viewed as in the same market. Those competitors are all up to interpretation as to whether they're heads-up in the same class as the Full Throttle. Bronze trim on a black background distinguishes the Full Throttle. DucatiMost probably aren't. But they serve to indicate just how many fun motorcycles are out there on the market right now. And it's still cool to say you have a Ducati. It's like saying you have a Ferrari or a Maserati. And riding this one is both fun and stylish in a way other bikes just aren't. View the full article

Humiliations, violences, défis dangereux... C'est la recette du succès de la chaîne Kick de Jean Pormanove, décédé à 46 ans dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi. Sur cette chaîne, où il avait plusieurs dizaines de milliers d'abonnés, l'homme de son vrai nom Raphaël Graven était l'une des victimes de deux autres streamers, connus sous les pseudos de Naruto et Safine. Un troisième homme, "Coudoux", sous curatelle, était aussi l'une des victimes du duo, au même titre que Jean Pormanove. Le quatuor diffusait des extraits de ses streams sur différents canaux : Youtube, Tiktok, où la bande s'appelle "LeLokalTV". Des vidéos qui rapporteraient, grâce aux abonnements et aux dons des internautes, plusieurs milliers d'euros par mois. Les deux influenceurs Naruto et Safine vont être entendus en qualité de témoins, en audition libre, dans le cadre de l'enquête sur la mort de Jean Pormanove, a appris franceinfo mardi après-midi de source proche de l'enquête. Safine PUBLICITÉSafine, de son vrai non Safine Hamadi, est originaire de Nice et revendique venir des quartiers populaires de la ville. Âgé de 23 ans, il est très populaire sur les réseaux sociaux. Avec près de 100 000 abonnés sur Instagram et plus de 350 000 sur Snapchat, cet ancien coursier à vélo reconverti comme influenceur a une communauté qui le suit, sans compter les abonnés à la chaîne de Jean Pormanove, sur Kick, à laquelle il contribue largement, ainsi que les abonnés aux différents comptes de "LeLokalTV". Ils sont comme nous, aucune différence Enfin je l’espère… pic.twitter.com/5CpJANHfdg — Safine (@safinee_) November 28, 2024 En janvier dernier, Safine a été placé en garde-à-vue, quelques jours après la publication d'une enquête édifiante de Mediapart sur les sévices infligés à Jean Pormanove et Coudoux. Une enquête est alors ouverte pour "provocation publique par un moyen de communication au public par voie électronique à la haine ou à la violence à l’égard d’une personne ou d’un groupe de personnes à raison de leur handicap", mais aussi "violences volontaires en réunion sur personnes vulnérables ayant entraîné une ITT inférieure à 8 jours", "diffusion d’enregistrement d’images relatives à la commission d’infractions d’atteintes volontaires à l’intégrité de la personne", rapporte à l'époque Nice Matin. Safine, comme ses comparses, nie les faits. Les gardes-à-vue sont alors levées et du matériel informatique, saisi, est analysé par les enquêteurs. PUBLICITÉNaruto Naruto, de son vrai nom Owen Cenazandotti, est largement suivi sur les réseaux sociaux. 452 000 abonnés sur Snapchat, près de 100 000 sur Instagram, sans compter les abonnés à la chaîne de Jean Pormanove, sur Kick, à laquelle il contribue largement et les abonnés aux différents comptes de "LeLokalTV". Ce Niçois âgé de 26 ans, se disant issu des quartiers populaires de la ville, apparaît comme gérant de la société "Le Lokal TV". Comme Safine, Naruto a été placé en garde-à-vue en janvier dernier pour les mêmes raisons que son comparse. Lui aussi nie les faits et finit par être relâché. "Les gens sont là pour voir les réactions de JP et Coudoux, leurs réactions sont beaucoup plus atypiques (...). On sait ce qui fait rire et ne pas rire les gens", explique "Naruto" auprès de Mediapart, pour répondre aux accusations. Coudoux PUBLICITÉOn sait peu de choses de cet homme handicapé, placé sous curatelle, une mesure de protection juridique destinée à une personne majeure dont les facultés mentales ou corporelles sont altérées. Il est présenté comme un ancien fan ayant rejoint la bande, et subit lui aussi brimades, violences et humiliations. Bien moins populaire sur les réseaux sociaux que Naruto et Safine, il compte 16 000 abonnés sur Snapchat, à peine davantage sur Instagram et 50 000 sur Tiktok. Sur plusieurs vidéos, on le voit moqué tant par Naruto et Safine que par des internautes, en raison notamment de son handicap. View the full article

As American democracy unravels at the hands of President Trump and his enabling congressional and Supreme Court majorities, millions of Americans are desperate to identify whatever possible countermeasures remain to slow the country’s descent into fascism. The outcome of the 2026 midterms is unlikely to produce meaningful change, even if the Democrats take control of the House. Without a cooperative Senate, it will be impossible either to pass legislation or secure a conviction on impeachment charges. Oversight hearings can bring public attention to things like rampant corruption, but the threats Trump poses to the rule of law and democracy are already well-known. The courts can only do so much. There’s another emerging tool, however: artificial intelligence. Trump seems to understands the transformative power of AI. Last month, the administration announced an “AI Action Plan” for “winning the AI race.” Among other measures, it promises to remove “onerous Federal regulations that hinder AI development and deployment, and seek private sector input on rules to remove.” As part of this initiative, the General Services Administration and OpenAI announced earlier this month that the company will be “providing ChatGPT to the entire U.S. federal workforce” under a “first-of-its-kind partnership.” Participating agencies will pay a nominal cost of $1 each for the first year to enable federal employees to “explore and leverage AI.” The company is also “teaming up with experienced partners Slalom and Boston Consulting Group to support secure, responsible deployment and trainings.” Last week, the AI company Anthropic likewise announced it had struck the same deal with GSA to enable federal agencies’ access to its Claude model. The Trump administration’s effort to streamline the federal government with AI models makes some sense. Research has shown that generative AI — particularly large language models, which consume vast amounts of data to understand and generate natural language content — can enhance government efficiency in data processing, analysis and drafting, among other potential advantages. But AI systems also increase the risk of widespread government surveillance, personalized misinformation and disinformation, systematic discrimination, lack of accountability and inaccuracy. According to a recent academic paper, “although many studies have explored the ethical implications of AI, fewer have fully examined its democratic implications.” Trump’s alliance with OpenAI head Sam Altman goes back to start of his second term, when he announced a $500 billion joint venture with OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank to build up to 20 large AI data centers. Trump called the venture “Stargate.” The deal’s details are murky, including who will have access to Stargate and how it will possibly benefit taxpayers. Although a spokesman for OpenAI told Fox News Digital that “Sam Altman sort of planted a flag on democratic AI versus autocratic AI,” let’s not forget that Altman is not a government official or employee. As a legal matter, it is unclear whether these “fast-tracked” deals will fully comply with traditional oversight and procurement laws and procedures. No major AI company is currently approved under the Federal Risk And Authorization Management Program, for example, which is the process for authorizing the use of cloud technologies by federal agencies. According the GSA website, the program aims to ensure “security and protection of federal information” by imposing strict cybersecurity controls to protect against data breaches, hacking and unauthorized access, and requiring ongoing monitoring and reporting. Given that the GSA is reportedly working on “developing a separate authorization” for generative AI systems like ChatGPT and Claude, the potential threats to national security and private citizens’ personal information are significant. The Trump administration’s lack of transparency also risks creating a black-box government run by proprietary algorithms that the public cannot inspect — centralizing control over federal AI in two companies whose interests clearly lie in market dominance, not the public good. This is why these kinds of decisions are best made through established legal procedures — including the Federal Competition in Contracting Act (requiring fair and open competition), the Privacy Act of 1974 (limiting how agencies can collect and disclose personal data), the Federal Records Act (requiring the proper retention and archiving of public records) and the Administrative Procedure Act (requiring public comment and input into major policy decisions). For now, OpenAI has promised that its “goal is to ensure agencies can use AI securely and responsibly. ChatGPT Enterprise already does not use business data, including inputs or outputs, to train or improve OpenAI models. The same safeguards will apply to federal use.” This promise from Altman’s company is no substitute for actual legal standards enforced by the federal government. Whether AI tools embedded in federal government systems could one day be used to sway elections to favor Trump and his cronies is a vital question. For now, what’s clear is that Democrats need to get into the AI game, and fast. A Democratic political action committee called the National Democratic Training Committee recently unveiled on online course entitled “AI For Progressive Campaigns,” which is designed to teach candidates how to use AI to help create social media content, draft speeches, craft voter outreach messaging and phone-banking scripts, conduct research into their constituencies and opponents, and develop internal training materials. The founder and CEO of the group, Kelly Dietrich, stated that “thousands of Democratic campaigns can now leverage AI to compete at any scale.” This effort, although laudable, does not go far enough to capitalize on AI’s potential to help outmaneuver authoritarianism in the U.S. There’s much more that might be done, including using AI to educate citizens on the benefits of democracy, how institutions work and the facts underlying important issues; to create large-scale, moderated public deliberation and consensus around divisive issues; to detect and alert the public to manipulated media, thus combatting misinformation and disinformation and fostering public trust in an alternative to Trump; and to create and implement effective messaging strategies for alternative visions for the future of the country. AI could be American voters’ best friend, not their enemy. It just needs to be asked. Kimberly Wehle is author of the book “Pardon Power: How the Pardon System Works — and Why.” Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

The Air Force’s chief of staff, Gen. David Allvin, will retire in November after serving only two years of his four-year term, the service has announced, making him the latest senior military officer pushed out under the Trump administration. The Air Force revealed the surprise move in a Monday statement, noting Allvin had “announced plans today to retire effective on or about Nov. 1.” The release did not name a successor to be the Air Force’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, adding that Allvin will continue to serve until one is confirmed by the Senate. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as the 23rd Air Force Chief of Staff and I’m thankful for [Air Force Secretary Troy Meink], [Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth] and President Trump’s faith in me to lead our service,” Allvin said in a statement. “More than anything, I’m proud to have been part of the team of Airmen who live out our core values of integrity, service and excellence every day as we prepare to defend this great nation.” The statement did not give a reason for Allvin’s abrupt retirement plans, but The Washington Post reported that he was informed last week that he would be asked to retire, as Hegseth wanted to go in another direction with the Air Force. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill. Allvin’s looming departure follows a string of firings of other senior military officers in Trump’s second term, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. CQ Brown — who also did not serve his full four years — Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, and a slew of others serving in less prominent roles. Allvin, who became Air Force chief of staff in 2023 after service as the vice chief of staff since November 2020, is a career mobility pilot with thousands of hours flying aircraft throughout his 39-year career. In February 2024, Allvin and other Air Force officials revealed a sweeping reorganization plan in a bid to prepare the U.S. for a fight against China. But Hegseth a year later ordered the Air Force to hold off on its changes to the service and its structure. In addition, the Pentagon chief has differed with Allvin on the future of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

A social media account run by the press office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) knocked Fox News anchor Dana Perino after she criticized the Democrat’s press strategy. “ALMOST A WEEK IN AND THEY STILL DON’T GET IT,” the governor’s office wrote Monday on social platform X in response to a segment on Fox’s daytime table talk program “The Five.” During the segment, Perino, who served as a top White House aide during former President George W. Bush’s administration, said Newsom and his team “have to stop it with the Twitter thing.” “I don’t know where his wife is,” she continued. “If I were his wife, I would say you are making a fool of yourself, stop it.” Newsom’s press account has in recent days made a series of posts mocking President Trump and his administration, writing in all caps — the president’s signature style — and attacking Fox News and its hosts directly. A recent example came amid the redistricting battle that has spread across the U.S. after Texas Democrats fled the Lone Star State to avoid voting on a map that could give Republicans up to five additional House seats in next year’s midterms. Newsom pressed Trump to pull back the GOP efforts. “DONALD TRUMP, THE LOWEST POLLING PRESIDENT IN RECENT HISTORY, THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!! (THE NEXT ONE IS THE LAST ONE!),” Newsom’s press office posted on X. “STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES.” California Democrats unveiled legislation Monday to move forward with their own redistricting plan to counteract the Texas moves. The governor’s pushback on Trump comes amid speculation he could be eyeing a run for president in 2028. “He’s got a big job as governor of California, but if he wants an even bigger job, he has to be a little bit more serious,” Perino said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

The guest list at the White House on Monday was quite dramatic. In the wake of Donald Trump’s failed summit in Alaska with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, the American president welcomed the leaders of several European nations, who presented a united front on resolving Russia’s war in Ukraine in ways that didn’t favor the dictator in Moscow. Then Trump hosted an Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during which the Republican became rather animated — but not about the largest war in Europe since World War II. Rather, the American president got worked up talking about how much he hates when Americans vote by casting ballots through the mail. As the White House moves forward with its multifaceted anti-election campaign that encompasses everything from the census to gerrymandering, Trump has renewed a crusade against postal balloting — even turning to Putin for validation, as if the Russian tyrant were a reliable source on how best to administer a free and fair election. The Republican was quite candid about his motivations, declaring on Monday that if he and his party are successful in stopping Americans from taking advantage of mail-in voting, “you’re not gonna have many Democrats get elected.” To justify this radical and aggressive offensive against this form of voting, Trump is peddling a variety of stale lies. More importantly, he’s claiming legal authority he does not have. But whether he realizes it or not, the president is also taking steps that won’t do his party any favors. Politico reported that he’s “once again threatening to undermine” a Republican electoral priority. Republicans poured tens of millions of dollars last year into convincing their voters that casting ballots by mail was safe after Trump spent years bashing the practice and baselessly insisting it was rife with fraud. And it worked, with GOP voters closing or even reversing the mail voting gap with Democrats in several states. But now Trump is attacking mail voting again as he ratchets up his push to protect Republicans’ House majority in the midterms, scrambling a strategy Republicans effectively used to bank millions of votes in 2024. Politico quoted Barrett Marson, a longtime GOP consultant in Arizona, who said voting by mail “historically has been an advantage for Republicans” in the Grand Canyon State and is a “safe and secure way to vote and has been for a generation in Arizona.” He added, however, that as the president sows “distrust” in the process and Democrats step up their game, the result is “not good” for Republicans. It would be tough to blame GOP voters for feeling confused at this point. For years, Trump, the party’s undisputed leader, has veered wildly between two opposite positions. On the one hand, he’s falsely condemned mail-in voting as irredeemably corrupt and “stupid.” On the other hand, in between delivering those condemnations, the president has also encouraged rank-and-file GOP voters to cast their ballots through the mail. At one point in 2023, Trump even told attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference that it was time for Republicans to “change our thinking” on mail-in voting, and soon after, he filmed a video for the Republican National Committee in support of the party’s early voting initiative. And then he switched back to his other position. “Mail-in voting is totally corrupt. Get that through your head,” Trump declared in February 2024, stepping all over his party’s message. “It has to be. The votes. I mean, it has to be.” In the months that followed, he changed his mind — and then changed it back. Several times. Now, the president intends to lead a “movement” against mail-in balloting, and it’s easy to imagine that Democrats are hoping he keeps this going through 2025 and into the 2026 elections. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com View the full article

President Donald Trump is not just trying to end the vicious war in Ukraine. He’s claiming he’s already ended almost one war for each month of his second term — spanning the Middle East; Africa; and Central, South and Southeast Asia. “I’ve done six wars — I’ve ended six wars,” Trump said in his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders on Monday. “Look, India-Pakistan, we’re talking about big places, you just take a look at some of these wars. You go to Africa and take a look at them.” The White House proclaimed in a statement this month that “President Trump is the President of Peace,” listing claimed diplomatic agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan; Cambodia and Thailand; Israel and Iran; Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Egypt and Ethiopia; and Serbia and Kosovo, as well as the Abraham Accords, a normalization pact signed in Trump’s first term between Israel and some Arab states. Some of this is classic Trumpian hyperbole. And the president’s team is scanning the globe looking for fires to extinguish to claim quick wins for his transparent campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize. Trump hasn’t suddenly reinvented American foreign policy. Every administration works to halt wars and to advance US interests. Most don’t take constant victory laps — indeed, such triumphalism can often destroy quiet diplomacy. Yet Trump has saved lives. In some cases, he’s used presidential power in novel ways to stop sudden conflicts from escalating into full-scale wars. But his success raises new questions that also apply to Ukraine. Is Trump in it for the long haul or just for deals he can hype, much as he licensed products as a businessman and stamped his name on them? And will Trump’s evisceration of the US Agency for International Development and downsizing of the State Department deprive him of the tools the US needs to turn breakthroughs into lasting peace agreements that solve underlying causes of wars? US President Donald Trump speaks during a multilateral meeting with European leaders in the East Room of the White House on Monday. - Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesThe blind spots in Trump’s peacemaking recordTrump kept insisting Monday — as he tried finesse his adoption of Russia’s opposition to an immediate Ukraine ceasefire — that he was more interested in final deals. Ironically however, some of his “six wars” deals are closer to ceasefires than peace agreements that permanently end generational disputes. And in the case of Iran and Israel, Trump’s claims to have made peace after their 12-day conflict are complicated by US involvement in strikes against Tehran’s nuclear program. While an informal truce is in place, there’s no sign a slow-boiling state of war involving all three nations since Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979 will end. Trump is also conveniently forgetting his failed attempt to end the war between Israel and Hamas. And global outrage over reports of widespread starvation in Gaza and the president’s staunch support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could thwart his hopes for a Nobel Prize — whatever happens with Ukraine. Palestinians gather at a food distribution center in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Monday. - Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty ImagesHis record is also blotted by the failure of his first-term peace efforts with North Korea. Leader Kim Jong Un now has more nuclear weapons than before Trump offered him fruitless, photo-op summits. Some of Trump’s biggest successes have been behind the scenes. “I’m struck by the fact that the ones that were helpful, especially India-Pakistan, were conducted in a professional way, quietly, diplomatically … laying the ground and finding common ground between the parties,” said Celeste Wallander, a former assistant secretary of defense who is now with the Center for a New American Security. The most recent triumph was a joint peace declaration signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan on their long-running conflict in the Caucasus. The agreement, inked at a lavish White House ceremony, commits the two former Soviet republics to recognizing each other’s borders and to renouncing violence against the other. But complex negotiations loom on knotty constitutional and territorial issues before a full peace agreement. This deal is notable for two things — the way foreign states flatter Trump to get what they want, and an imperialistic streak in much of his peacemaking. The rivals, for instance, agreed to open a transportation corridor to which the US will have full development rights and to call it the “Trump Route for Peace and Prosperity.” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, left, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Trump sign a peace agreement during a ceremony at the White House on August 8. - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/FileAzerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev declared, “President Trump, in six months, did a miracle.” This is smart deal for the US as it counters the influence of rival powers Russia and Iran in the region. But it will need Trump’s constant attention. “Wishes and verbal declarations are not enough,” two former US ambassadors to Azerbaijan, Robert Cekuta and Richard Morningstar, wrote in a recent Atlantic Council commentary. They called on Trump to deploy officials from the State Department, the Commerce Department and other agencies to lock in the agreement. Another of Trump’s recent triumphs came in Southeast Asia, where he threatened to shelve trade deals with both Thailand and Cambodia to halt a border war last month that killed at least 38 people. The leverage pressed home in calls to leaders of each country was effective, and it might not have occurred to another president. But Trump didn’t work alone. The agreement was brokered by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet knew the drill, however. He nominated Trump for the Nobel Prize for “extraordinary statesmanship.” Pakistan took a similar step, as part of a successful diplomatic offensive to win over Trump and to disadvantage its nuclear-armed rival India after the president intervened in a border clash in May. But the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an erstwhile Trump buddy, dismissed Washington’s claims of a pivotal role. And other states, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Britain, were also involved. Trump’s claims to have ended a war are selective. The agreement is fragile and doesn’t solve the territorial dispute that sparked the fighting — over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which has caused three full-scale wars. An Indian police officer stands outside a house that was damaged by overnight Pakistani artillery shelling in Jammu, India-administered Kashmir, on May 10. - Rakesh Bakshi/AFP/Getty ImagesTrump has proclaimed a “glorious triumph for the cause of peace” in a deal brokered between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This contains important first steps on recognizing borders, renouncing war and disarming militia groups. However, no one expects the conflict to end soon, since the main Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has rejected the agreement. Some analysts see the initiative, also brokered by Qatar, as a US attempt to secure mineral rights as part of an African “great game” against China. Trump’s claim to have brokered peace between Egypt and Ethiopia is a stretch. He’s referring to a dispute over a Nile dam in the latter nation that Egypt fears will reduce the flow in its share of the key strategic waterway. He has called for a deal over the dam, but no binding agreement has been reached. The White House claims on Serbia and Kosovo originate in Trump’s first term, when the rivals agreed to economic normalization steps. But they still don’t have diplomatic relations, 17 years after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. And recent normalization efforts have involved the EU more than the Trump team. In many ways, Trump’s claims to have ended six wars are typical of a presidency that claims massive wins that often add up to less than what they seem. But there are real achievements in his record, and the possibility of genuine long-term breakthroughs if Trump can maintain application and patience. That’s a good lesson for his nascent Ukraine peace drive. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com View the full article

BMW Rolls Out Enticing 2026 X6 Lease Offer for August originally appeared on Autoblog. A familiar face with coupe-inspired flairThe BMW X6 has carved out a niche of its own since it first appeared in 2008, blending SUV practicality with a coupe-like roofline that set off a wave of imitators. While some shoppers gravitate toward the more conventional X5, the X6 has always been the more daring choice—flashier, more style-driven, and unapologetically bold. For 2026, BMW keeps that recipe intact, pairing its signature design with modern tech and strong performance credentials. August lease offer makes the X6 more temptingBMW X6This August, BMW is giving shoppers another reason to take a second look. The automaker is offering a lease on the 2026 X6 xDrive40i for $1,059 per month for 39 months, with $7,199 due at signing. On top of that, BMW is including a Loyalty Credit of up to $2,000 for qualified buyers, which can sweeten the deal for returning customers. Taxes, title, and license fees are extra, but the offer stacks up well for a premium midsize SUV with BMW’s performance pedigree. A tech-forward cabin with BMW performanceThe X6 received its most recent refresh for the 2024 model year, and the 2026 version carries forward those sharp updates. Slimmer headlights, a reworked grille, and available illuminated kidney accents give the SUV a distinctive presence. BMW X6Inside, the cabin centers around BMW’s curved display, which merges a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 14.9-inch touchscreen running the latest iDrive 8.5 software. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as are upscale touches like ambient lighting and premium upholstery. Under the hood, the xDrive40i packs a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with mild-hybrid technology, delivering 375 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. Power goes through an eight-speed automatic to BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system, balancing confidence in bad weather with sharp handling on dry pavement. Despite its coupe-like shape, the X6 still offers plenty of cargo space for weekend trips, making it a stylish yet practical choice. Why the X6 still stands out in 2026BMW X6BMWShoppers looking for a midsize luxury SUV have plenty of options, from the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe to the Audi Q8. But the X6 remains the original in this segment, combining design drama with everyday usability. With the August lease deal, it’s easier for buyers to justify choosing the boldest member of BMW’s SUV family. Final thoughtsThe X6 isn’t the SUV for everyone—but that’s the point. It’s for buyers who want a statement vehicle that doesn’t sacrifice performance or comfort. With BMW’s latest lease offer and loyalty incentives, August may be the right time to see if the X6 fits your lifestyle. *Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The information presented herein is based on manufacturer-provided lease offer information, which is subject to frequent change and may vary based on location, creditworthiness, and other factors. We are not a party to any lease agreements and assume no liability for the terms, conditions, availability, or accuracy of any lease offers mentioned. All terms, including but not limited to pricing, mileage allowances, and residual values, require direct verification with an authorized local OEM dealership. This article does not constitute financial advice or an endorsement of any particular lease or vehicle. BMW Rolls Out Enticing 2026 X6 Lease Offer for August first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared. View the full article

A one-off Ferrari Daytona SP3 commissioned through the marque’s Tailor Made program sold for $26 million at RM Sotheby’s during Monterey Car Week, far eclipsing the $5 million to $6 million typically paid for standard examples. Ferrari said all proceeds will benefit The Ferrari Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity focused on future educational initiatives. Daily Driven Collectibles: The Best Upgrades That Don’t Hurt Resale The bespoke SP3 pairs a two-tone treatment of exposed carbon fiber and Giallo Modena bodywork with gloss-black aerodynamic elements, including the front splitter, side sills and rear diffuser. In a brand first for a road car, a full-length Ferrari logotype is integrated into the exterior livery, spanning the upper body as a graphic centerpiece. Inside, the cabin showcases materials chosen to underline the project’s sustainability brief and motorsport lineage. Seat surfaces are trimmed in an innovative fabric derived from recycled tires, while the dashboard and steering wheel are formed from Formula 1-grade carbon fiber, continuing the car’s light-weighting and high-tech theme. The car was presented as a “capstone” Tailor Made build, with specification latitude extending to unique finishes and details typically reserved for factory specials. Although production of the Daytona SP3 was limited to 599 cars, Ferrari authorized this charity example as “599+1”, adding a final, extra build to the sold-out allocation. The result underscores continuing demand for Ferrari’s Icona-series model, which evokes late-1960s and early-1970s sports-prototype themes with modern aerodynamics and materials. Mechanical specifications remain faithful to the series car. The mid-mounted 6.5-liter V-12, heavily developed from the 812 Competizione’s engine, is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and rear-wheel drive. Factory figures list 829 hp and headline performance of 0–62 mph in 2.85 seconds and a 211-mph top speed. The track-influenced chassis includes extensive carbon-fiber construction, model-specific cooling, and a carefully balanced aero package. Modern Collector Essentials: The Best Products for Cars with Matte Paint or Satin Wraps The charity result adds another marquee moment to Monterey’s weeklong auction slate, where philanthropy lots often command premiums beyond market norms. While Ferrari did not disclose the pre-sale estimate for the Tailor Made car, the final hammer price dramatically exceeded recent Daytona SP3 trades and private listings, reflecting both the vehicle’s one-off status and its charitable purpose. RM Sotheby’s said the car drew sustained bidding in the room and by phone, with interest from multiple continents. The winning bidder was not immediately identified. Ferrari noted that the sale aligns with its broader efforts to support educational programs and STEM access, areas the foundation has prioritized through grants and partnerships. With the Daytona SP3 run otherwise complete, the “599+1” car stands as a singular coda to Ferrari’s modern celebration of its endurance-racing heritage — and a reminder that, at Monterey, rarity and purpose can move markets as readily as horsepower. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter View the full article

Ford Transit SuperVan Crushes Corvette ZR1X’s Nürburgring Time originally appeared on Autoblog. SuperVan’s incredible feat was inspired by the late Sabine SchmitzThe Ford Mustang GTD barely had any time to enjoy its Nürburgring record for American cars before Chevy came along and broke it with the Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X. Well, it didn’t take long for Ford to earn back some brownie points at the ‘Ring, but the Blue Oval has done so with the most unlikely rig: A Ford Transit, but this is not your average cargo van or practical people-mover. This Ford Transit SuperVan 4.2 is what happens when the Ford Performance team is allowed total freedom to pursue the unthinkable. Not only does this SuperVan’s Nürburgring run pay tribute to a legendary race car driver, but the van also lapped the ‘Ring faster than a ZR1X. Why Take A Ford Van To The Nürburgring? View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article Back in Top Gear’s heyday, then-host Jeremy Clarkson was tasked with driving a Jaguar S-Type around the track in under 10 minutes. He did so, which prompted the late racing driver, Sabine Schmitz, to say: “I can go faster than that in a Ford Transit.” According to the Ford team, Schmitz’s quip led to a wild dream to take a modified Transit to the ‘Ring. That’s how Ford ended up with the SuperVan 4.2, which lives up to its name with a wild output of 2,000 horsepower. This electric Transit already impressed in the Goodwood Hillclimb last year, when it set a time of 43.98 seconds. Romain Dumas was behind the wheel back then, and he returned for this new Nürburgring run that would have done Schmitz proud. In case you forgot, Schmitz worked as a driver for BMW and Porsche, while also becoming the first woman to win a major 24-hour race. Quicker Than A Porsche 911 GT3 RSThe Ford Transit SuperVan 4.2 posted a lap time of just 6:48.393, making it the ninth fastest vehicle to complete a lap of the Nürburgring. That time beats the 6:49.275 effort of the ZR1X, and it’s also quicker than the 6:49.328 effort of the mighty Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Of course, the SuperVan is not a production vehicle—it’s a bespoke race car running on slick tires that just happens to be shaped like a van. Because of that, its achievement carries less weight, but it’s still a remarkable effort. Ford also hinted at a similarly impressive lap time from another EV, while paying tribute to Schmitz. SuperVan 4.2. License valid for earned editorial, press releases, press kits. All non-broadcast digital and online media Region: Global. This content is solely for editorial use and for providing individual users with information. Any storage in databases, or any distribution to third parties within the scope of commercial use, or for commercial use is permitted with written consent from Ford in Europe GmbH only.Ford“We are very proud of our remarkable SuperVan but we never rest,” said Ford. “There is more to come, not least with the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck that was also at the Ring on the same day. For now, we will celebrate this achievement and also remember Sabine Schmitz and her part in this amazing story. She will never be forgotten.” Beating the Corvette pair with an electric racing van may not be the record Ford fans were hoping for, but something tells us the GTD has another trick up its sleeve. Related: Ford CEO Hints At Revenge Lap After Corvette Steals Nurburgring Record Ford Transit SuperVan Crushes Corvette ZR1X’s Nürburgring Time first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared. View the full article

Limited to 500, BMW’s 2026 M850i Edition M Heritage channels the original 8 Series with E31 colors and full M850i performance.BMW opened Monterey Car Week with the 2026 M850i Edition M Heritage, a limited Gran Coupe that nods to the original 8 Series while riding on today’s 523-horsepower M850i xDrive platform. The commemorative model, limited to 500 units worldwide, arrives as BMW of North America marks its 50th anniversary in 2025. Production begins in November with deliveries slated for early 2026, the company said. Paint choices are drawn directly from the E31-era palette that launched the 8 Series in 1989: Bright Red, Mauritius Blue metallic, Cosmos Black metallic, Oxford Green metallic and the rarer Daytona Violet metallic. Each car receives BMW Individual application for a deep, lacquered finish. Exterior cues include a carbon-fiber roof highlighted by M tri-color striping, 20-inch Orbit Grey dual-spoke wheels over M Sport brakes, and Shadowline lighting and trim. Inside, the Edition M Heritage leans into motorsport themes. M Sport seats are trimmed in black Full Merino leather with Alcantara accents, diamond quilting and tri-color stitching, with subtle M logos on the headrests. Alcantara extends to the headliner, dashboard and upper door panels. A matte carbon-fiber console frames the glass shift lever and iDrive controller, while “Edition M Heritage” scripts on the doorsills and cupholder cover underscore the car’s limited status. The special edition is sold in a single, highly equipped specification that includes the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System and the Driving Assistance Professional Package. Buyers’ only choice is color. Powertrain specifications mirror the standard M850i xDrive. The 4.4-liter TwinPower Turbo V-8 produces 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, routed through an eight-speed Steptronic automatic to all four wheels. BMW cites a 0–60 mph time of 3.9 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. While the visual references are retrospective, BMW positioned the car as a driver’s celebration rather than a static showpiece during Car Week events leading up to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. “BMW’s cars make you feel like there is a great future ahead, but you can still live the past,” said Tom Plucinsky, head of BMW Group Classic USA. The debut underscores BMW’s broader Monterey presence, with heritage programming marking the brand’s half-century stateside and a slate of current M models on display. Pricing for the 2026 M850i Edition M Heritage was not announced. ⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. View the full article

GUERRE EN UKRAINE - La Russie prend les devants. Alors qu’une rencontre entre Vladimir Poutine et Volodymyr Zelensky est envisagée, des sources proches du dossier rapportent ce mardi 19 août que le président russe a proposé d’organiser cet échange en Russie lors de son appel avec Donald Trump lundi. « Poutine a mentionné Moscou », a indiqué une de ces sources à l’AFP. Le président ukrainien, qui se trouvait alors à la Maison Blanche avec des dirigeants européens, « a répondu “non” », selon la même source. Où la rencontre Volodymyr Zelensky-Vladimir Poutine pourrait-elle avoir lieu ? Donald Trump a fait savoir qu’il allait « commencer les préparatifs » d’une rencontre entre Volodymyr Zelensky et Vladimir Poutine, qui rejetait jusqu’ici une telle réunion, au terme d’une « très bonne » entrevue avec le président ukrainien et plusieurs dirigeants européens. Dans les deux semaines à venirLe président russe a convenu de cette future rencontre, qui devrait se produire dans les deux semaines à venir, lors d’un entretien téléphonique avec son homologue américain. De son côté, le président ukrainien a indiqué lundi qu’il était « prêt » à une rencontre bilatérale avec son homologue russe. Les deux hommes ne se sont pas rencontrés depuis 2019. PUBLICITÉDonald Trump a précisé sur son réseau Truth Social que la rencontre serait suivie d’une réunion à trois avec lui-même, visant à mettre fin à trois ans et demi de conflit. Au même titre que l’Ukraine, la Russie a prévenu ce mardi que tout potentiel accord de paix devrait garantir sa « sécurité » et celles des habitants russophones en Ukraine, prétexte déjà brandi pour lancer son invasion en 2022. Le sommet entre Trump et Poutine ne s’est pas passé comme prévu, ces documents oubliés en Alaska le prouvent Vladimir Poutine fait une invitation surprise à Donald Trump à la fin du sommet en Alaska View the full article

Indiana Republicans are casting doubt on whether they will move forward with a plan to redraw its congressional district lines despite pressure from the White House. Several GOP state lawmakers have come out against the effort, expressing concern about the precedent it could set for the future and possible backlash against the party. With Republican supermajorities dominating both chambers of the state Legislature, stopping the effort would require a significant number of Republicans to oppose it and ignore the Trump administration’s call for it. But Indiana is already appearing to be a rare exception to most other GOP-led states much more enthusiastic about redistricting. “I have tremendous respect for President Trump and love what he’s doing,” said state Sen. Jim Lucas (R), who is one of a few on record against redistricting. “But for Hoosiers, Indiana Republicans, to abandon their principles and basically take away the rules, that sets such a dangerous precedent moving forward and for our children.” “What kind of political structure are we leaving for our children in the future if we all of a sudden, just because we can, decide to redistrict midcycle?” he said. Republicans appear to hold the advantage nationally in the redistricting battle. Though California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is moving forward with his own effort to rewrite his state’s lines, the GOP, for multiple structural and practical reasons, has more realistic opportunities to add seats ahead of 2026. Texas Republicans seem likely to approve a new map shortly, while GOP leaders in Florida, Ohio and Missouri have shown a clear interest in trying to add seats to pad the party’s House majority in 2026. But Indiana has been a question mark, with several Republicans preemptively releasing statements against updating the state’s map. Republicans currently occupy seven of the state’s nine seats in the U.S. House. Redrawn lines would likely have the biggest impact on Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan, who represents the 1st Congressional District in the northwest and has already been named a national GOP target for 2026. “It is no surprise that some believe redistricting is the only option to cling to power when they know the American people are rejecting the damage done by the House Republican Majority,” Mrvan said in a statement amid the speculation. But the political will may not be as strong in the Hoosier State as it appears to be in others. Along with Lucas, several other Republicans in the state Legislature said they don’t support the redistricting effort, including state Reps. Danny Lopez and Craig Haggard, and state Sens. Jim Tomes and Spencer Deery. Lucas expressed concern that the move would damage the party’s credibility, and he said he’s received a lot of positive feedback from constituents in favor of standing on principle. “There are some outliers … that think, ‘Hey, we need to take the gloves off and do what the Democrats would be doing to us,’ but I want to think we’re better than that,” he said. “I have faith in our policy and our principles and our ideology.” The positions of state legislators could be influential in whether Gov. Mike Braun (R) calls a special session to address redistricting. He has said he is “considering it seriously” but would look to the results of Texas’s efforts and the feelings of Indiana state lawmakers. With Republicans controlling 70 out of 100 seats in the state House and 40 out of 50 seats in the state Senate, many more Republicans would need to be opposed to redrawing the map to have enough votes, along with all Democrats, to block any change. But more Republican opposition might come out, said Republican strategist Pete Seat, a former communications director for the state GOP. “We take great pride in how we draw our maps, and there’s a lot of thought and effort that goes into it, into maintaining communities of interest and drawing districts that are compact,” Seat said. “There are some states that come at it — despite what they might say — from a political perspective and trying to draw lines that achieve a political endgame, whereas we try to draw what makes sense and what keeps people with similar interests together.” “What I’ve been hearing from the moment this conversation started is a lack of desire to go forward with re-redistricting, as I like to call it, for that reason, and for the reason that it’s a lot of political capital to spend on one additional seat,” he added. Democrats said they appreciated the Republicans who have come out against redistricting and hope they can rally support to prevent any mid-decade change from occurring. State Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder (D) said the pushback has been bipartisan and represents Indiana’s nature as being independent-minded. “We are independent thinkers, and we can see this cheating behavior a mile away. So whether you are [a Republican, Democrat or independent] or go back and forth because you vote for the person, Hoosiers see this as a cheating agenda, as a cheating move,” Yoder said, adding that these Republicans recognize “this isn’t how we do things in Indiana, and we’re going to do by right by the voters.” But even if the political will in Indiana is lacking, the push on the national level for the state to go forward is much stronger, with pressure appearing likely to build from the White House. Vice President Vance visited Indiana earlier this month for a private meeting with Braun and state legislative leaders as chatter built about redistricting possibilities. A source familiar with conversations between the White House and state leadership said they expect the state will ultimately go forward with redistricting with the urging from the president. They said the pressure from the administration will “intensify” as time goes on, and they don’t expect Braun, a Trump ally, to ignore it. “There’s certainly confidence that once the president really makes the case and leans into it, that you could convince and/or flip lawmakers to be supportive of the effort,” they said. The Hill has reached out to the White House and Braun’s office for comment about the opposition to redistricting among the handful of Republicans. One key moment may be a meeting set to take place next Tuesday in which the White House invited all Republican Indiana state legislators to visit. The meeting was scheduled weeks prior, before Vance’s visit, to discuss various issues, but Republicans said they could imagine the redistricting issue coming up. In another sign of the pressure mounting on GOP holdouts, Indiana’s entire Republican delegation in the U.S. House released statements Monday declaring their support for the redistricting effort, saying it’s necessary to overcome gerrymandering in Democratic-led states, while Sen. Todd Young (R) has previously raised some doubts about the idea. Meanwhile, some voters have received robocalls urging them to back redistricting to support Trump. Seat said he believes the calls are having the opposite effect, strengthening opposition to redistricting. But the source familiar with the White House’s conversations said they don’t see this letting up. “In the conversations I’ve had with the White House, I don’t see this slowing down at any point,” they said. If legislators and the governor say the political will isn’t present to do this, “I don’t think the White House is going to consider that to be an acceptable answer,” they said. Julia Mueller contributed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

Let us be blunt: The Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska was an embarrassment and very likely will prove to be a disaster. The hype proceeding the summit stressed that the first step in ending the Ukraine war was a cease-fire. President Trump probably anticipated more than gaining only some agreement on Ukraine. Otherwise, the Treasury secretary and U.S. business leaders would not have been present anticipating deals with Russian counterparts. The optimism was palpable. Stage managed from the beginning, at least according to Fox News, the president ordered F-35 Lightning fighters lined up on the runway, and a B-2 flyover escorted by F-22’s to impress his counterpart. Much of this advice probably came from his envoy, Steve Witkoff, who met Putin in Moscow and was in frequent contact with key Russians. Witkoff’s business was real estate. As the Economist notes, he was a foreign policy neophyte who misread or was misled by what he heard in Moscow. Not only did the flyover fail to impress Putin, but the Russians cleverly one-upped the Americans. Word quickly spread to the U.S. press that chicken Kyiv had been served to the Russian press before they landed in Alaska for the summit. And Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived wearing a sweater with the Cyrillic letters “CCCP” emblazoned on it, Russian for the Soviet Union. A close friend in Moscow told me privately that CCCP had not been the first choice for the sweater. Putin or Lavrov favored a term that is essentially the Russian equivalent to the middle finger salute. But it was decided that since no one in the official U.S. senior delegation spoke Russian, the jab would be missed. Comedian Bill Maher quipped that had lunch been served, the chef was preparing a carved up Ukraine. Despite the great expectations, Trump folded, abandoning the cease-fire he had proposed as the first step. Instead, he rapidly reversed course, conceding to Putin that a peace agreement took priority. In his posting on Truth Social, Trump bragged that it was “A great and very successful day in Alaska!” and that the meeting with Putin and calls with Zelensky, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other European leaders “went very well.” “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” he continued. At the abbreviated press conference following the three hour meeting, it was Putin who carried the day. His lecture — not statement — recognized the great friendship between the U.S. and Soviet Union during the war and memorials in Alaska and Russia marking fallen aviators. Russia is a close neighbor, he pointed out: Two islands in the Barents Sea belonging to the U.S. and Russia are only four kilometers apart. Putin restated his aims in purposely shrouded but unmistakable language. Ukraine was part of Russia and Russia will end the war — but only on Putin’s terms, he clearly inferred. NATO and Europe were cautioned to stay clear. And Putin flattered and then again recognized his great friendship with Trump. Trump will be criticized for his deferential treatment of Putin, under warrant for war crimes, particularly riding alone with him in the presidential limo, “the Beast.” Few could have missed the smirk on Putin’s face as the Beast drove off. But Trump did not comprehend that flattery or persona would not have any effect on Putin. During Putin’s lecture, Trump appeared old, tired and deflated. Given his often theatrical and dynamic presentations at press conferences, Trump displayed traces of Joe Biden’s hapless performance at the presidential debate ending his candidacy. Trump mumbled about Russia Gate and how it disrupted relations with Putin. He finally concluded by thanking his good friend Vladimir for a very successful meeting. What next? With the absence of any real agreement, tragically, Ukraine’s fate probably has been sealed, despite yesterday’s White House meeting with President Zelensky and several European leaders. Trump has cleverly shifted all military aid and support for Ukraine to Europe. Having made considerable effort to end the war, Trump is likely to conclude it is now up to Putin and Zelensky to work out a deal with or without the U.S. as he, Trump, has done enough. That then will leave Chef Putin to carve up Ukraine. Harlan Ullman, Ph.D., is UPI’s Arnaud deBorchgrave Distinguished Columnist, a senior advisor at the Atlantic Council, the chairman of two private companies and the principal author of the doctrine of shock and awe. He and former United Kingdom Defense Chief David Richards are the authors of a forthcoming book on preventing strategic catastrophe. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

More than 6,000 foreign students saw their visas revoked since the start of the second Trump administration, the State Department revealed Tuesday. A spokesperson for the department said the visas were rescinded for overstays and “law violation,” the “vast majority” consisting of assault, DUI, burglary and support for terrorism. Roughly 4,000 of the individuals broke the law, according to the department, while 200 to 300 visas were revoked over support for terrorism, although it is not clear what standard was used for those allegations. The story was first reported by Fox News. Earlier this year, the Trump administration targeted multiple pro-Palestinian foreign students, alleging they were a threat to U.S. national security. These students are still fighting against deportation proceedings. In the spring, thousands of foreign students were taken off the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a reporting system that gives information about international students to the Department of Homeland Security, before having their status restored weeks later. Along with revoking visas, the Trump administration has tried to take away the ability of Harvard University to enroll foreign students, has froze visa interviews and implemented a new social media vetting policy for international students. The moves against foreign students have caused some to reconsider coming to the U.S. for higher education or to consider transferring to universities in other countries. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul on Monday lauded the Trump administration for its push for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine as well as European leaders’ unified show of support for Kyiv during their White House visit. McFaul, who served in the Obama administration, said during an appearance on NBC News where he is an analyst that it was a “brilliant, brilliant” idea for the seven European leaders to meet with President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington. The former ambassador said “talking about security guarantees with European soldiers being a part of that — that is major progress, with American assistance.” “I, myself, would like NATO guarantees rather than NATO-like guarantees. But if you have to compromise, I think this is an important compromise and a step forward,” he added. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Finnish President Alexander Stubb visited the White House and met with Trump and Zelensky, sharing developments after the meeting with the press. The heads of NATO and the European Commission were also in attendance. “Whoever had the idea to bring all these European leaders together in addition to President Zelensky, that was a brilliant, brilliant idea,” McFaul told NBC. “And having it come so quickly after Alaska was also very important, because now they’ve changed the talking points here. Just in this meeting alone, they’ve walked back some of the positions that the president was echoing when he met with President Putin,” he continued, referring to the Russian leader. Putin praised Trump in Alaska for seeking to personally help facilitate a resolution to the war, while saying he hoped Ukraine and European leaders don’t “throw a wrench in the works.” McFaul acknowledged Monday that details over a pending deal have yet to be revealed, and Trump on Tuesday ruled out U.S. boots on the ground as part of any security guarantee with Ukraine. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

Stephen A. Smith on Monday slammed President Trump for not securing a peace deal with Russia and Ukraine despite his promises on the campaign trail. “The reality is, and excuse my language, he opened his mouth and deposited checks his a‑‑ can’t cash. That’s really what it comes down to,” Smith said during a Monday evening appearance on NewsNation’s “Cuomo.” “You got to be able to end this war. You talked a lot of stuff about ending this war and how you would end it in one day. Now, we recognize that that’s hyperbole. We understand that something like that is not going to end in one day,” he added. Smith noted that Trump failed to punish Russia for not advancing peace talks as outlined ahead of his Friday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “What I care about is the fact that you promised a ceasefire or severe consequences before the meeting, and in the immediate aftermath of a meeting, there was no ceasefire agreement,” Smith told anchor Chris Cuomo. “And a matter of fact, you seem damn near friendly towards him, acting like the meeting was productive. Well, where’s the evidence? We don’t see any,” he added. “As of yet, there hasn’t been a ceasefire that’s been achieved … it’s going to take some time to accomplish that. We understand that too, but in the time that it takes to accomplish that, what is Putin going to do? Chances are he’s going to bomb Ukraine even more, so chances are he’s going to try to gain more territory,” Smith said. “He’s going to continue to kill more Ukrainians. That’s the likelihood,” he added. He told Cuomo that Putin “got a photo-op, he got a chance to be on American soil, and he avoided to agree to a ceasefire or anything else.” “So it was a pretty damn good day for Putin as far as we can tell, good day for an authoritarian leader.” Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

印度總理莫迪（Marendra Modi）8月19日在新德里總理府會晤中國外交部長王毅，前者表示十分期待赴華出席上海合作組織天津峰會並與習近平會晤，呼籲中印雙方要穩妥管控和處理邊界問題，不能讓分歧變成爭端。 莫迪稱，印方將全力支持中方作為上合組織輪值主席國的工作，確保峰會取得圓滿成功。中印兩國都是文明古國，友好交往歷史悠久，兩國領導人去年在喀山會晤是雙邊關係改善發展的轉折點。中印是夥伴而不是對手，都面臨加快發展的共同任務，應該加強交流，增進了解，拓展合作，讓世界感受到印中合作的巨大潛力和光明前景。 莫迪說，今年是印中建交75周年。雙方要從長遠角度看待兩國關係，「亞洲世紀」的到來離不開中印合作。雙方攜手並進將為世界發展作出貢獻，造福全人類。 2025年8月19日，印度總理莫迪（Marendra Modi）在新德里（New Delhi）總理府會晤中國外交部長王毅。（X@narendramodi）王毅則轉達了習近平和李強對莫迪的親切問候，歡迎後者來華出席上合組織天津峰會。他表示，兩國領導人在喀山成功會晤，引領中印雙邊關係重啟再出發。雙方認真落實兩國領導人達成的重要共識，推動雙邊關係進入改善發展的新進程，這一局面來之不易，值得珍惜。 王毅指出，這次他應邀來印出席邊界問題特別代表會晤，也是為兩國高層互動預作準備。經過全面、深入溝通，他們在雙邊關係方面，就重啟各領域對話機制，加強互利互惠合作，堅持多邊主義，共同應對全球性挑戰，反對單邊霸凌達成一致。 王毅稱，在邊界問題方面，中印雙邊就開展常態化管控、維護邊境地區和平安寧、妥處敏感點位、在具備條件地段啟動劃界談判形成新的共識。 2025年8月19日，印度總理莫迪（Marendra Modi）在新德里（New Delhi）總理府會晤中國外交部長王毅。（X@narendramodi）王毅表示，中印關係經歷起伏，其中的經驗教訓值得銘記。無論面臨甚麼情況，雙方都應堅持彼此是夥伴而不是對手的正確定位，堅持穩妥管控分歧，不讓邊界爭議影響兩國關係大局。當前國際形勢下，中印關係的戰略意義更加凸顯，中印合作的戰略價值更加突出。我們將認真落實兩國領導人重要共識，加強各領域交流合作，推動中印關係行穩致遠，更好造福兩國人民，為人類進步事業作出中印兩大文明的應有貢獻。 訪問期間，王毅與印度國家安全顧問多瓦爾（Ajit Doval）舉行中印邊界問題特別代表會晤，以及與印度外長蘇傑生（Subrahmanyam Jaishankar）舉行會談。 王毅晤印度國安顧問　商定明年中國會晤　印公布莫迪將訪華王毅晤印度外長　印媒：中國已解除對稀土磁鐵出口限制王毅晤印度外長　稱兩國應互視夥伴和機遇　而非對手或威脅王毅訪印度磋商中印邊界問題　將晤總理莫迪及外長蘇傑生 View the full article

Demand for used cars is growing, with data indicating people are scooping up pre-owned rides at a faster pace lately. That’s according to Cox Automotive, which used its vAuto Live Market View data estimates to conclude 1.52 million used vehicles were sold through dealers in the month of July. Woman laughs in mugshot after vandalizing her ex’s car. That’s enough for an 8.9 percent increase in volume versus June of this year or a 7.0 percent increase versus July 2024. Plus, Cox says the days’ supply of used cars at dealerships in the US sits at 43, down four days four days versus in early July and down two days versus a year ago. In other words, people are scooping up a lot of used rides from dealerships as inventory decreases. We know not everyone buys used cars from dealerships. In fact, a lot of savvy shoppers go private party, oftentimes getting a better vehicle at a better price. But a lot of people just go to a place that offers financing and stale popcorn, so this is an indication of what’s happening in the overall market. It seems apparent more people are going for used cars for the same reason anyone would: to save money. The savings are bigger than ever before, with new vehicles selling for ridiculous amounts these days, something we’ve harped on a lot. Part of the problem with that strategy is as more people turn to the used market, the increased demand can in turn increase prices. It’s possible that with some models, this in turn makes buying anything used a financially dumb move. We don’t think that’s happened overall in the market. Scott Vanner, manager of Economic and Industry Insights at Cox Automotive says while new car prices are driving used vehicle sales, he believes there’s “some added momentum from gradually decreasing credit rates and improved credit access.” Considering some lenders had pretty lofty standards last year, that would make a difference. Source: Cox Automotive Image via Cory Villarreal/Facebook Marketplace Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook. View the full article

DES MOINES, Iowa — Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he knows Republicans could suffer political pain for the electricity prices that are rising before next year’s midterm elections. But he hopes voters will know to blame the Democrats instead. “The momentum of the Obama-Biden policies, for sure that destruction is going to continue in the coming years,” Wright told POLITICO during a visit to wind- and corn-rich Iowa. Still, he said: “That momentum is pushing prices up right now. And who's going to get blamed for it? We're going to get blamed because we're in office.” Electricity prices at the end of July averaged 5.5 percent higher than a year earlier amid surging power demand. Wright's acknowledgment of economic reality offered a bit of a contrast to President Donald Trump's relentlessly sunny proclamations about the nation under his watch, from Trump's promises of a new "golden age" to his predictions that “we’re going to have the greatest economic boom in history.” Wright's words also look ahead to one of the potential sleeper issues of the 2026 election, as the parties seek to own the message about how Trump's effort to thwart the development of wind and solar power is affecting electricity customers' wallets. His swing through Iowa last week highlighted the tensions: The state gets about 60 percent of its electricity from wind, a higher share than any other state. At the Ames National Laboratory on Thursday, Wright was joined by Iowa Republicans who have urged Trump to take a less harsh approach to curtailing federal tax breaks for wind and solar power — among them, Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who represents a critical swing district and chairs the Conservative Climate Caucus. The costs of wind and solar energy have plummeted in the past two decades, and last year they accounted for 93 percent of the new electricity added to the U.S. power grid, according to the American Clean Power Association, an industry trade group. But Wright made the argument for the Trump administration to pour its support into coal, natural gas and nuclear power — after four years of former President Joe Biden putting hundreds of billions of dollars into renewable energy. The Trump administration is “swimming seven days a week to try to offset that negative momentum and try to bring electricity prices down,” Wright said Thursday during an interview at the Des Moines airport. “But you can't turn on a dime,” the former oil industry CEO added. Democrats are scoffing at the GOP attempt to blame-shift. “There's an affordability crisis in electricity that is well on its way, and just with the decisions that they've already made, is probably baked in for the next several years,” New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, the top Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, told POLITICO before leaving for August recess. “It's only going to get more acute as we get closer to next year's elections. They [Republicans] own that.” In Iowa, Wright touted the importance of the Ames lab’s critical materials research to help reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains. The trip was part of his goal of visiting all 17 of the Energy Department’s national laboratories this year. His visit also came just before the Treasury Department on Friday released new policy guidance that will make it even harder for wind and solar projects to use tax credits that Republicans phased out as part of their recently passed budget law — though the changes did not go as far as some in the clean energy industry had feared. Democrats say Trump’s policies could cause prices to rise by taking inexpensive clean power sources off the grid while pulling the rug out from under companies' plans to use the Biden-era incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act. Some power industry leaders have also cautioned that aggressive efforts to restrict development of wind and solar energy could raise electricity prices at a time when demand is soaring. Iowa’s senior senator, Republican Chuck Grassley, has joined Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) in placing holds on three of Trump’s nominees after failing to secure assurances on the new tax credit rules. Grassley was not present at the lab, although he offered tentative praise Friday for the new Treasury guidance, saying in a statement that the language "seems to offer a viable path forward for the wind and solar industries." In the interview with POLITICO, Wright said solar and wind projects that have already started the construction process should continue to qualify for tax credits. He said he has “sympathy” for renewable energy developers concerned that retroactively disqualifying projects under development could expose companies to financial risk and disrupt their business plans. Treasury's new guidance applies only to projects that start construction on or after Sept. 2. “Within the administration, there's dialogues about, how do we handle this?” Wright said. “People are mad about wind and they want to shut it down. There's people, of course, that love it, and want more of it. But we got to balance those things. And if a business invested a lot of money and made a plan, that's a legitimate interest. If you have projects under construction right now that meet that requirement, they're going to get the tax credits.” Ernst told POLITICO on Thursday at a press conference during the lab tour that she has been continuing to urge the Trump administration not to harm ongoing wind projects in Iowa. “There are a number of projects that have been planned already, and we would like to see those continue to qualify,” Ernst said. Wright has frequently criticized wind energy — long a favorite target of Trump’s — and in a recent X post argued that wind-powered projects are “subsidized, inefficient, unreliable, land hogs that drive up electricity prices.” But in the interview, Wright conceded that Iowa, which has some of the cheapest power prices in the country, has proved that a grid powered by wind energy can be successful in certain contexts. He cited Alaska as another state where renewables could play an important role, because its remote location means it has limited infrastructure to transport natural gas and diesel for heating homes. “Alaska is one of those places where wind has some value,” Wright said. “Remote villages in Alaska where your power is coming from $10 a gallon diesel, a small wind turbine there — big win — [it] reduces your diesel consumption. Solar [as well],” Wright said. Wright also spoke more positively about solar energy, which has not entirely escaped Trump's wrath. He said because solar’s costs continue to fall and it consumes less land than wind, sun-powered energy will thrive under the Trump administration. “Its fundamental viability in a subsidy-free world is much better than wind, and we'll continue to see growth in solar,” Wright said. But Wright said the Trump administration is looking to expand the use of so-called baseload power sources such as fossil fuels, nuclear and geothermal, which he argued are better suited to meet the needs of power-guzzling data centers. “What we're doing is not ending renewables,” he said. “The previous administration thought wind, solar and batteries were going to power the world. They're not going to power the world. So you just got to look at them in a more realistic context.” View the full article

This is an adapted excerpt from the Aug. 18 episode of “The Rachel Maddow Show.” On Monday, dozens of people turned up in Austin, Texas, to cheer on Democrats as they returned to the state amid a huge national fight over redistricting. Texas has been at the center of an extraordinary demand by Donald Trump that Republican-controlled states, like Texas, draw new congressional maps and effectively guarantee GOP control of Congress for years to come. It’s not just Texas. Vice President JD Vance flew to Indiana earlier this month to put pressure on the Republican governor there to alter that state’s maps for the Republicans. Politico reported that the White House has been in talks with Republicans in Missouri, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida to change their congressional maps as well. That’s one way Trump’s trying to rig the midterms — by demanding changes to congressional district maps to make it structurally impossible for Democrats to control Congress again. Here’s a second way: Trump also appears to be trying to establish a pretext for nullifying or delaying the midterm elections everywhere, demanding a new census and claiming the old one shouldn’t count. The census is how we get congressional districts. If Trump can nullify the existing census by, for example, blaming the counting of immigrants or some other factor, he can lay the groundwork to claim that all the existing congressional districts in the country are somehow wrong and can’t be used — and therefore, we can’t have congressional elections using the districts we now have. That’s two. Now, it seems Trump has a new idea, one that he got from a man he once mused could become his “best friend”: Vladimir Putin. On Friday, Trump held a summit in Alaska with the Russian president. Immediately after that summit, Trump said Putin gave him some advice on how to conduct elections in the U.S. Trump said Putin agrees with him that people should not be allowed to vote by mail. And so on Monday, Trump announced that he will sign an executive order barring Americans from voting by mail and potentially by machine, as well. Now, I would caution you again — as always — to watch what he actually does here and not just what he says he is going to do. But if Trump is taking tactical advice from Putin about how to hold something that looks like an election but is not actually an election, that doesn’t bode well for the future of American democracy. Historian and journalist Garrett Graff summed up what is at stake: “This is step one in how we lose free and fair elections. It’s not that Trump will ‘cancel’ the midterms. It’s just everyone has to vote in person, and urban downtowns will be filled with ICE checkpoints and intimidating National Guard troops to ‘double check’ that only citizens vote.” This article was originally published on MSNBC.com View the full article

As Hurricane Erin gets closer, Delaware beaches are closing to swimmers for the second day in a row. Due to rip currents and rough surf, ocean access was closed in Rehoboth, Dewey and Bethany beaches Aug. 19. The beach remains open in all three towns. Rehoboth Beach lifeguards are prepared to keep the beach closed to swimmers through Friday but will assess conditions daily, Rehoboth spokesperson Erin Corcoran said. In Bethany Beach, there is a possibility of full beach closures later in the week, Bethany Beach Patrol Captain Joe Donnelly said. "The ocean conditions are extreme right now with dangerously high surf and large rip currents. An added danger in the coming days could be debris in the water depending on the impact of the storm as it passes by," Donnelly said. Rehoboth Beach was closed to swimmers around 5:30 p.m. Aug. 18, but people were still getting their feet wet.At Delaware State Parks, the all guarded beaches are closed to swimmers, spokesperson Beth Kuhles-Heiney said. That includes: Tower and South Inlet beaches in Delaware Seashore State Park Deauville Beach Fenwick Island State Park beach Cape Henlopen State Park main beach What Rehoboth Beach employees made: See salary data All state park drive-on crossovers are closed, but the beaches remain open to walkers. Despite the closures, multiple people were seen in the water in Rehoboth and Dewey the afternoon of Aug. 18. In Rehoboth Beach, a police officer corralled two boys out of the surf. Beaches: Lewes-Rehoboth Canal set for dredging, work could begin as early as October "These current riptides are extreme. No swimmer even with fins can fight that current. The very experienced swimmer will have to swim out of the rip and try to make it back to shore," Rehoboth Beach Patrol Captain Jeff Giles said. "Please, don’t put the lifeguards in this position, you are putting the lives of the rescuers at risk. Lifeguards saving lifeguards is a terrible and preventable situation!" Hurricane Erin weakened to a Category 2 hurricane Aug. 19, but remains a massive and powerful storm. It isn't expected to make landfall, but pass hundreds of miles off the coast. The storm's effects will still be felt up and down the Atlantic coast, with Delaware likely to start experiencing tropical storm-force winds by Aug. 20. Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at [email protected] or on Facebook. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Hurricane Erin: Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany beaches ban swimming View the full article

Eager New York State Fair butter sculpture fans were encouraged to pay attention to the cow behind the curtain the morning of Aug. 19. The draw? The great and powerful new butter sculpture at the NY State Fair, inspired by "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" on the 125th anniversary of the story. The sculpture centers a cow with ruby red hoofs in a hot air balloon emblazoned with "Dairy Defies Gravity" and is surrounded by three figures: a pregnant woman with a glass of milk, a baby eating a yogurt and a toddler with a piece of cheese. The sculpture, titled "Dairy For Good: Nourish. Grow. Thrive," pays tribute to New York's own, author L. Frank Baum, and the stages of life. Sponsored by Wegmans, the sculpture is constructed from 800 pounds of butter from O-AT-KO Milk Products in Batavia. It's the fourth year color has been used in the sculpture, with flowers and the cow's hoofs among the Technicolor splashes. The sculptors are Jim Victor and Marie Pelton across an 11-day period in the Dairy Products Building. "The butter sculpture is the fair's best-kept secret," Victor said. "People can't wait to see it, what it's going to be each year. That makes it exciting for us." NY State Fair opening dayIt's the unofficial kickoff for the New York State Fair, which opens on Aug. 20. "The butter sculpture is more than just a beautiful work of art, it's a powerful reminder of the importance of our dairy farms and producers," said Julie LaFave, director of the New York State Fair. "It's a chance to shine a light on their hard work and showcase the very best of New York agriculture." A view of the unveiling for the 57th annual butter sculpture at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.The sculpture will remain up for the duration of the state fair in its refrigerated display case. Following the conclusion of the fair on Sept. 1, the sculpture will be changed for good: the butter will be recycled to create renewable energy in an anaerobic digester at Noblehurst Farms in Livingston County. The digester processes manure on the farm and food scraps from local grocery stores, restaurants and more — including Rochester Institute of Technology and Wegmans — into biogas used in electricity generation, heating and hot water. The sculpture has been recycled for the past decade, generating enough electricity to power a home for a month. The electricity generated powers the farm and Craigs Station Creamery milk plant. Last 10 butter sculptures2025: Dairy For Good: Nourish. Grow. Thrive 2024: Dairy: Good for you. Good for the planet 2023: Dairy Every Day is a Healthy Way 2022: Refuel Her Greatness 2021: Back to School, Sports and Play 2020: Nourishing Our Future 2019: Milk. Love What's Real 2018: Your Milk Comes From A Good Place 2017: Dairy Farmers' Tribute to New York State Troopers 2016: Milk Life Celebrates the Success of Team USA and the Athletes of New York State — Steve Howe reports on weather, climate and the Great Lakes for the Democrat and Chronicle. An RIT graduate, he has covered myriad topics over the years, including public safety, local government, national politics and economic development in New York and Utah. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Butter sculpture state fair NY shown in Syracuse View the full article