Iran–U.S. Nuclear Talks in Oman Face Major Hurdles Amid Rising Regional Tensions 
Nighttime Shelling Causes Serious Damage in Russia’s Belgorod Region Near Ukraine Border 
Trump Signs “America First Arms Transfer Strategy” to Prioritize U.S. Weapons Sales 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
U.S. to Begin Paying UN Dues as Financial Crisis Spurs Push for Reforms 
Trump Says “Very Good Talks” Underway on Russia-Ukraine War as Peace Efforts Continue 
Norway Opens Corruption Probe Into Former PM and Nobel Committee Chair Thorbjoern Jagland Over Epstein Links 
Trump Allows Commercial Fishing in Protected New England Waters 
Federal Judge Restores Funding for Gateway Rail Tunnel Project 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
TrumpRx.gov Highlights GLP-1 Drug Discounts but Offers Limited Savings for Most Americans 
Newly Released DOJ Epstein Files Expose High-Profile Connections Across Politics and Business 
Marco Rubio Steps Down as Acting U.S. Archivist Amid Federal Law Limits 
Ukraine-Russia Talks Yield Major POW Swap as U.S. Pushes for Path to Peace 
U.S. Announces Additional $6 Million in Humanitarian Aid to Cuba Amid Oil Sanctions and Fuel Shortages 
TrumpRx Website Launches to Offer Discounted Prescription Drugs for Cash-Paying Americans 
Lawmakers and other officials are scrambling on efforts to keep the COVID-19 pandemic under control in the US but have only seen a rise in cases and deaths. In the latest press briefing at the White House, Donald Trump has called for Americans to cease making the pandemic about politics.
The COVID-19 pandemic has now seen over five million cases in the US with a death toll of over 164,000, making the United States the worst-hit country in the world since the outbreak in December 2019. During the latest White House press briefing, Trump has urged Americans to stop politicizing the pandemic and instead lay blame on China, where the outbreak began.
“We must stop politicizing the virus, but instead must be united in our condemnation of how this virus came to America, how this virus came to the world. And we’re going to figure it out and we’re going to find out and we’re very angry about it,” said Trump.
In the midst of touching on the evictions that millions of Americans will be facing following the expiration of the federal relief efforts, Trump went on to blame China. “It’s not their fault. The virus came from China. It’s China’s fault,” said the president.
Trump went on to call COVID-19 as “China virus,” a name he has often given the pandemic which has since earned him backlash. Trump claimed that half the overall deaths from the pandemic were from nursing homes and care facilities, as the elderly are the most at risk of contracting COVID-19. Since the surge of cases in the US, Trump has repeatedly blamed China for the extent of the virus. However, health officials have stated that the administration’s response to the pandemic was the reason why millions of Americans today are infected.
Aside from the pandemic, Trump also reiterated his previous comments that he is considering inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to the upcoming G7 meeting. The G7 meeting this year - made up of leaders from the US, Germany, Canada, the UK, Italy, and France - was postponed out of safety concerns. Russia was originally a member of the group, then known as G8, but was removed following the country’s annexation of Crimea, a region in Ukraine.
However, Germany, Canada, France, and the UK have all opposed the decision to reinvite Russia into the group.
