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Trump ‘Strongly Considering’ New Sanctions on Russia to Force Cease-Fire Deal

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Trump ‘Strongly Considering’ New Sanctions on Russia to Force Cease-Fire Deal

President Trump said on Friday that he was “strongly considering” imposing sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a cease-fire and permanent peace deal was reached in its war with Ukraine.

In his announcement, which was posted on his social media site, Truth Social, Mr. Trump said he was “strongly considering” imposing what he described as “large scale” sanctions, including on banks, because of the perilous state of the war, now in its fourth year.

His post came as Russia unleashed a furious bombardment aimed at critical Ukrainian infrastructure overnight on Thursday and on Friday. Ukraine’s energy minister, German Galushchenko, said Russian forces launched a “massive missile and drone” assault on power and gas facilities across the country.

“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely “pounding” Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” Mr. Trump wrote. “To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late.”

New sanctions would be the latest turnabout for Mr. Trump’s management of the war in Ukraine. He has spent weeks aligning himself with President Vladimir V. Putin’s narrative of the war, criticizing Ukraine for being invaded by Russia, and accusing President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine of being the “dictator” who didn’t want peace.

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Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky have spent recent days smoothing over tensions after an explosive Oval Office meeting last week, which resulted in Mr. Zelensky’s leaving the White House without signing a deal that would grant the United States a share of its revenues from mining rare earth metals.

Following the meeting, the United States halted military aid to Kyiv, as well as intelligence sharing, in an effort to pressure Ukraine to resume negotiations. In his post on Friday, Mr. Trump urged Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky to “get to the table right now, before it is too late.”

But Mr. Trump has basically ignored Russia’s role as the aggressor in the war, and been elusive about what Moscow ultimately wants to broker a peace deal.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, Mr. Trump said he believed that Mr. Putin wanted to end the war and would “be more generous than he has to be.” Mr. Trump then suggested that it was Ukraine that would be more difficult to work with.

“In terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia,” he said, “which is surprising, because they have all the cards, and they’re bombing the hell out of them right now.”

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Asked whether he believed Mr. Putin was taking advantage of the U.S. pause of military aid to Ukraine, Mr. Trump appeared to defend his decision to do so, saying that he thought “he’s doing what anybody else would do.” Mr. Trump also said he would not provide air defenses to stop Russia’s “pounding” until he knew that Ukraine would “settle.”

“If they don’t want to settle, we’re out of there,” he said, “because we want them to settle.“

Russian officials met last month with top Trump officials in Saudi Arabia, though Russia has not given any public indication that it would accept any truce, cease-fire or end to the war it started three years ago.

But U.S. officials have said Russia has shown openness to continuing discussions. On Thursday Mr. Trump said that he believed they would make a deal because “in a certain different way — a different way that only I know, only I know — they have no choice.”

The Biden administration imposed numerous sanctions on Moscow, seeking to cripple the Russian economy and choke off its funding for its invasion, most recently targeting Russia’s energy sector and its “shadow fleet” of oil tankers.

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Mr. Trump’s announcement on Friday came as many business leaders and government officials in Moscow have been expressing optimism that American sanctions would be lifted soon.

The head of Russia’s main industrial lobbying group said on Friday that he had discussed the lifting of sanctions with the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. Sanctions against Russia’s aviation industry and the potential return of Russian banks into the Western-led global bank transfer system were discussed, Aleksandr Shokhin, the head of the lobbying group, told Tass, a Russian state news agency.

But Oleg Kouzmin, chief economist at Renaissance Capital, a Moscow investment bank, said that Mr. Trump’s Friday threats made it clear that “the situation remains very uncertain, and the future is unwritten.”

Ever since the United States first imposed sanctions on Russia more than a decade ago, Moscow has honed the art of circumventing them. Russian cities are full of Western goods, be they luxury cars or everyday consumer items. And with the help of third countries — most of all China, Turkey and Central Asian states — Russian companies, including airlines, have been able to buy new equipment and service their old parts.

The United States could still try to target Russia’s “shadow fleet” of tankers Moscow has been using to deliver oil to its customers. But such a move would also likely increase the price of oil, as has happened before. For any oil sanctions to be fully effective, the United States would need to solicit cooperation from China and India, which have emerged as the top buyers of Russian crude.

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U.S. and Ukrainian officials confirmed Thursday that Ukraine would send a delegation to meet with “military representatives of countries that are ready to make greater efforts to reliably guarantee security within the framework of ending this war.”

Mr. Zelensky said the Ukrainians would insist at next week’s meeting on a number of commitments from Russia to test whether a lasting peace could ultimately be reached. Those demands include Russian pledges not to attack Ukraine’s energy or other civilian infrastructure; a truce for missiles, bombs and long-range drones; and no military operations in the Black Sea. Mr. Zelensky said the meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, but did not specify who would attend.

“Ukrainians truly want peace, but not at the cost of giving up Ukraine,” Mr. Zelensky said. “The real question for any negotiations is whether Russia is capable of giving up the war.”

Ivan Nechepurenko contributed reporting from Tbilisi, Georgia, and Nataliya Vasilyeva from Istanbul.

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Air Force One, gifted to Trump from Qatar, arrives at Joint Base Andrews

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Air Force One, gifted to Trump from Qatar, arrives at Joint Base Andrews

U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fist after touring the inside of the newest aircraft in the presidential fleet at Andrews Air Force Base on June 19, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

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The newest Air Force One jet, gifted to President Trump from the Qatari government, arrived ahead of schedule on Friday to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

On Friday afternoon, Trump toured the luxury Boeing 747 plane that initially stirred controversy. The plane was one of the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the U.S. government and raised legal and ethical questions after Qatar offered to replace the presidential jet last year. Trump said last May he’d be “stupid” not to accept the offer. Industry groups originally said the plane could be worth approximately $400 million.

Trump also spoke standing in front of the plane, thanking the Emir of Qatar.

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The president praised the workmanship of the plane, describing it as the “world’s most luxurious plane.” He also called it the “largest Air Force One ever built,” adding “it flies further and faster than any Air Force One.”

“This plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody’s ever seen before, probably even almost outside of an airplane,” Trump said. “Nobody’s ever seen anything like this, and in only 10 months, a timeframe no one thought possible.”

The exterior of the jet is no longer light blue, silver, and white – a fixture since the Kennedy administration. Trump unveiled the new red, white and blue color scheme. 

“It was time for a change. … Everything was designed good. It was my taste,” Trump said saying that he approved the new color scheme, which reflects the American flag.

The VC-25B Bridge aircraft will now undertake its commissioning flights, what the Air Force calls a “final exam” for the plane. The plane was modified after serving the Qatari Head of State.

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“Once these flights are successfully completed, the aircraft is officially ‘commissioned’ into the active executive airlift fleet and becomes available for presidential missions,” an Air Force press release said.

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Algae clouded Trump’s vision for the Reflecting Pool. But scientists aren’t surprised

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Algae clouded Trump’s vision for the Reflecting Pool. But scientists aren’t surprised

Algae turns the newly repainted Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool green on the National Mall on Tuesday in Washington, DC.

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WASHINGTON — The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool is once again making headlines, this week for turning green.

The Washington, D.C. landmark was refilled with water earlier this month after President Trump had its neutral grey bottom repainted “American flag blue.” The multi-million dollar project produced subtle results in the eyes of many observers, even as Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum — whose agency managed the renovation — touted its success.

In recent days, however, the pool has taken on a verdant hue — the result of algae blooms that experts say are to be expected in these conditions.

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“It’s called ‘New Pond Syndrome,’” says Steve Goodale, a Canadian swimming pool specialist known online as “Swimming Pool Steve.” “It’s a known thing that happens when you take a natural, clear body of water like this that sits in an open air environment and you try to start it up, very often you end up with green water almost immediately.”

Goodale says the process took longer — a matter of days — to unfold in this case likely due to the sheer size of the pool, which measures 2,030 feet long and has a surface area of approximately 338,000 square feet.

“Excellent conditions” for algae growth

Rosalina Stancheva Christova, a professor of aquatic ecology at George Mason University in Virginia, took water samples from the pool on Tuesday. She confirmed the algae belongs to the genus Desmodesmus, which she said is “growing in excessive amounts” but is not toxic or harmful.

Christova says this kind of common green algae is found all over the region, especially this time of year. The reflecting pool in particular provides “excellent conditions” for algae growth, she said: shallow, stagnant water, strong sunlight and no shade.

“It could happen every single summer,” she added. “But it seems that the disturbance of the pond during the renovations [is] accelerating this process.”

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Christova said last month’s renovations may have affected the balance of nutrients in the pool, potentially accelerating the algae blooms. Goodale similarly views the resurfacing as one of several contributing factors.

“The new, darker interior surface is going to absorb more sunlight,” Goodale says. “It is going to result in water that’s warmer, and that ultimately is going to lead to more prolific algae growth.”

A microscopic slide shows the Desmodesmus algae that quickly turned the Reflecting Pool's water green. The new dark blue paint of the pool's lining makes the water warmer and friendlier to the algae growth.

A microscopic slide shows the Desmodesmus algae that quickly turned the Reflecting Pool’s water green. The new dark blue paint of the pool’s lining makes the water warmer and friendlier to the algae growth.

Rosalina Stancheva Christova, PhD.


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Rosalina Stancheva Christova, PhD.

The Trump administration has said the algae came from residual material in supply lines that had lain dormant for weeks. Their growth was likely exacerbated by the extreme temperatures that hit D.C. last week, bringing heat index values to 95 degrees and above.

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San Francisco Film Patrons Are Found Dead on Side of Highway

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San Francisco Film Patrons Are Found Dead on Side of Highway

Three San Francisco couples set out Monday for their annual road trip to Ashland, Ore., for the town’s famous Shakespeare festival. They drove separately and planned to meet at 6:30 p.m. on the terrace of their favorite Japanese restaurant there.

They had booked a table for six, but only four showed up for dinner.

Judith and Wylie Sheldon were found dead in their running car on the side of the road to Oregon, shocking their friends and family and leaving a hole in San Francisco’s arts and film world.

Ms. Sheldon, 84, was the daughter of William Wyler — who won three Oscars for best director — and chaired the board of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Mr. Sheldon, 86, was a prominent lawyer.

David Smith, who had befriended the couple more than 40 years ago, said in an interview that he and the others at the dinner table had grown nervous as time ticked on and their friends did not answer repeated calls to their cellphones. They learned they had not checked into their hotel either.

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The friends eventually learned from one of the couple’s sons that the California Highway Patrol had found the couple at 5:46 p.m., both dead inside their running Jeep Compass. It was parked on the side of Interstate 5, north of Redding, Calif., more than 100 miles from their destination, the authorities said. Ms. Sheldon was driving, while Mr. Sheldon was in the passenger seat, according to the authorities.

The Redding area on Monday was under an extreme heat warning issued by the National Weather Service. Temperatures reached 109 degrees, according to the Weather Service.

Mr. Smith said he learned from the son that the couple had been found without any water or other liquids in the car. The fan was on high, but the air conditioning was not working, meaning they might have been blasted with hot air, Mr. Smith said. The windows were rolled down. The car had plenty of gas, and there were no signs of mechanical failure or foul play, Mr. Smith said the son told him.

“They didn’t crash. They stopped. They both just died there,” Mr. Smith said. “The entire thing is so bizarre. We’re still in a state of shock.”

The circumstances and cause of the couple’s death is under investigation but “appears to be medically related,” the Highway Patrol said in a statement.

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Whether the heat contributed to the couple’s death “may be determined” by an autopsy, a spokesman for the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said, adding that one had not been scheduled yet and could take several weeks to complete.

“We’ll just have to see,” the spokesman, Tim Mapes, said.

The Sheldons met at Stanford University and had two sons. They lived in a large home in San Francisco’s upscale Pacific Heights neighborhood that had views of the bay from the front and a garden out back.

They hosted many parties there on behalf of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and sometimes let revelers pose for photos with Mr. Wyler’s Oscar statuettes. Ms. Sheldon fell in love with silent movies after first seeing those created by her father — before his better known blockbusters like “Ben-Hur” and “Roman Holiday” — only about 30 years ago, said Anita Monga, artistic director of the festival.

Stacey Wisnia, the festival’s executive director, said the couple was generous, delightful and unassuming.

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Back in Ashland, Ore., Mr. Smith said the four remaining friends had distracted themselves from their grief by attending plays, including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Come From Away.” They were able to give away their friends’ tickets.

Ms. Monga had last seen Ms. Sheldon just last month at the film festival, which was held at the newly remade Castro Theater.

“This is such a shock,” Ms. Monga said of the deaths. “Also because it’s still a mystery.”

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