Politics
Greenland to Trump: Not for Sale but Let’s Talk Business

Greenland is ready to talk.
Responding on Monday to the diplomatic earthquake set off last week by President-elect Donald J. Trump, who mused about taking over the gigantic island in the Arctic Ocean, Greenland’s prime minister said the territory would like to work more closely with the United States on defense and natural resources.
“The reality is we are going to work with the U.S. — yesterday, today and tomorrow,” Prime Minister Múte Egede said at a news conference in Nuuk, Greenland’s tiny, icebound capital.
But he was firm: Greenlanders did not want to become Americans.
“We have to be very smart on how we act,” he said, adding, “The power struggles between the superpowers are rising and are now knocking on our door.”
Mr. Trump refused to rule out using economic or military force to wrest back the Panama Canal and to take Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark that he suggested buying during his first term in office. Then, as now, Greenland and Denmark said the island was not for sale. Panama’s leaders, too, rejected the threat.
Mr. Egede said on Monday that “all of us were shocked” by Mr. Trump’s words, which were accentuated by a surprising and somewhat mysterious visit by the president-elect’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., to the island on the same day.
The younger Mr. Trump did a lightning-fast sightseeing tour, saying he was on private business, and since then, headlines around the world have blared Greenland.
Most of Greenland’s territory is covered in ice, only about 56,000 people live here and, until recently, the island was best known for its icebergs and polar bears. As climate change melts the Arctic ice, this region has been quietly falling into the cross hairs of the world’s powers.
The United States, Russia, European countries, China and others have been eyeing the Arctic’s shipping lanes and the extensive mineral resources that are no longer considered out of reach.
The island has been tied to Denmark for centuries, first as a colony and now as a separate territory that has achieved a large degree of autonomy in recent years. Denmark still controls the island’s foreign affairs and defense policy.
But the surge of interest by international powers dovetails with Greenland’s quest to gain independence, and that itch has only grown stronger. At the same time, many people here are reluctant to completely cut ties with Denmark because of the hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies that Denmark provides each year.
In Nuuk, which was a sunny zero degrees Fahrenheit on Monday afternoon, many people were eagerly waiting to hear what the prime minister was going to say.
“Whatever happens, there’s no turning back,” said Aviaq Kleist, the owner of a cafe in the Nuuk Center, the city’s biggest mall, with a couple dozen shops. She joked that maybe Mr. Egede would suddenly declare independence.
Mr. Egede did not — he danced around the question, saying the country had been steadily working toward the goal but that “different parties have different views.” (There’s also a clear independence process that involves a referendum, should it come to that.)
The prime minister also expressed relief at comments that JD Vance, the incoming vice president, made on a Fox News show this weekend. Though Mr. Vance didn’t exactly rule out military force, saying, “We don’t have to use military force” because “we already have troops in Greenland,” his tone was upbeat as he spoke about Greenland’s “incredible natural resources” and “a deal to be made.”
The United States has been interested in Greenland for years. During World War II, it established bases here, and after the war, it tried to buy Greenland from Denmark, which refused. Today, the American military runs the Pituffik Space Base, which specializes in missile defense, at the northern end of the island.
In Nuuk on Monday, people seemed to be on the same page as the prime minister, expressing a mix of hope and caution. Several said they did not want to be swallowed by the United States. But they did want a stronger partnership with America.
“What we really need is more cooperation and trade,” said Nielseeraq Berthelsen, a fisherman. He was working at an ice-encrusted seafood market, selling hunks of whale skin and bright red seal meat.
He said that he was walking through another mall last week when someone approached him out of the blue and invited him to a special dinner.
Next thing he knew, he said, he was shaking the younger Mr. Trump’s hand.
“He had a lot of enthusiasm,” said Mr. Berthelsen, who was standing in air so cold that his eyes watered as he talked. “He had good energy.”
Ivik Kristiansen contributed reporting.

Politics
U.S. Could Lose $12.5 Billion In International Travel Spending This Year, Tourism Council Says

The U.S. welcome mat is rolling up — at least that’s how some international travelers see it, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, a global organization representing the travel and tourism industry. And the cost for that hospitality lapse will be high.
The United States is on track to lose $12.5 billion in international travel spending this year, falling to less than $169 billion from $181 billion in 2024, according to the latest Economic Impact Research, published by the W.T.T.C. on Tuesday.
That’s a 22.5 percent decline from the U.S. international spending peak of $217.4 billion in 2019 — and it comes after months of Trump administration policies that have deterred foreign travelers from visiting because they either feel unwelcome or unsafe.
Julia Simpson, the president and chief executive of the W.T.T.C., said that while last year U.S. travel spending remained below 2019 levels — mainly because the dollar’s strength made it expensive for international travelers — the downward projection for this year is driven by negative sentiment in the wake of tourist detentions and steep tariffs.
“The near neighbors, Canada and Mexico, are not traveling,” Ms. Simpson said, referring to a decline in travelers from those countries in reaction to immigration crackdowns, tariffs and politically charged statements on the part of the Trump administration. “There are also concerns over visas — whether they’ve got the right visa or might accidentally get arrested, which has made people quite fearful.”
The United States is the only country among the 184 economies analyzed by the W.T.T.C. and the global economic advisory firm Oxford Economics that is forecast to see an international visitor decline in 2025. As the United States tightens immigration and scrutinizes visitors at its borders, other countries, like China, are relaxing visa requirements, aiming to encourage international tourism.
“While other nations are rolling out the welcome mat, the U.S. government is putting up the ‘closed’ sign,” Ms. Simpson said. “I’m quite sure President Trump, with his background in hospitality, understands that holiday makers just want to come and enjoy the beautiful country and the people and the history and then go home again,” she said. “They don’t want to live there.”
The United States still has the world’s largest tourism and travel market, which contributed $2.36 trillion to the nation’s economy last year. But 90 percent of tourism spending in 2024 came from domestic tourists.
The W.T.T.C. says not encouraging international tourism to the United States is a missed opportunity because that’s where the real growth lies. Foreign travelers spend an average of $4,000 per trip — eight times more than domestic travelers, according to the U.S. Travel Association. In 2024, the United States welcomed 72.4 million international visitors, 7 million fewer than in 2019. International arrivals have steadily declined this year, with significant drops in March from key markets like Canada, Britain and South Korea, according to U.S. Department of Commerce data.
While part of that decline can be attributed to the fact that Easter fell late this year, pushing back a popular travel window — particularly from Western Europe — many U.S. travel companies have revised their projections for the summer to reflect the downward trend.
“Without urgent action to restore international traveler confidence, it could take several years for the U.S. just to return to prepandemic levels of international visitor spend,” Ms. Simpson said.
Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025.
Politics
GOP Rep. Randy Feenstra files paperwork for Iowa gubernatorial run

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, filed paperwork on Monday to run for Iowa governor in the 2026 election.
Feenstra, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 2020, filed the paperwork for “Feenstra for Governor” with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, which is needed to launch a gubernatorial campaign, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
The congressman is seeking to replace Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who said last month she would not run for a third term in 2026. Feenstra has been considering a gubernatorial run since Reynolds’ announcement.
THIS LONGTIME REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2026
Rep. Randy Feenstra filed paperwork on Monday to run for Iowa governor in the 2026 election. (Getty Images)
“I’ll tell you right now, I’m focused on fulfilling and making sure that we get Trump’s agenda completed,” Feenstra told reporters on April 23. “However, I always want to do what’s best for our state, and I will continue to look at all aspects of what that looks like.”
Feenstra has not publicly announced a campaign for governor.
The GOP primary in the Hawkeye State could potentially be crowded, although former state Rep. Brad Sherman is the only Republican to have officially joined the race after he launched his campaign in February.
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Rep. Randy Feenstra was first elected to the U.S. House in 2020. (Getty Images)
But others have taken steps toward a gubernatorial bid, including Iowa state Sen. Mike Bousselot, who launched an exploratory committee last month, as well as Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and House Speaker Pat Grassley — the grandson of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa — who each said they are considering a run for governor.
Iowa Auditor Rob Sand filed paperwork on Monday to run in the state’s Democratic primary.
Feenstra is the only U.S. House member from Iowa considering a run for governor. The other three — U.S. GOP Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn — all said they will not launch a gubernatorial campaign.

Rep. Randy Feenstra is seeking to replace Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who said last month she would not run for a third term in 2026. (Getty Images)
Before he was elected to the U.S. House in 2020, when he defeated then-incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve King in the Republican primary, Feenstra served as a state senator since 2009. Before that, he was Sioux County treasurer from 2006 until 2008.
Politics
Trade truce with China is hailed, but it may not be enough to stop shortages
WASHINGTON — China and the United States retreated from an emerging economic crisis on Monday, agreeing to drastically reduce tariffs on each other for the next 90 days as they continue to negotiate a more permanent trade deal, providing welcome news for investors and retailers who increasingly feared a breakthrough was out of reach.
The temporary truce will see the United States lower tariffs on Chinese imports to 30% from 145%, and China reduce its import duties on U.S. goods to 10% from 125%, starting Wednesday. Wall Street rejoiced at the announcement of a deal, with the Dow Jones industrial average up 2.81%, the Standard & Poor’s 500 up 3.26%, and the Nasdaq up 4.35%, the largest market rally since President Trump last walked back rate hikes on other countries in mid-April.
Trump referred to the development as a “total reset with China.” But the end result of the provisional agreement is a return to tariff rates that were in place before the president launched a global trade war on April 2, in what he called “Liberation Day” — a move that brought the largest decline in commercial shipping traffic since the COVID-19 pandemic and prompted financial institutions to warn of an imminent recession.
Supply shortages and price increases on Chinese products may still hit American consumers in the coming weeks, a lingering effect of weeks of uncertainty, experts said. Many retailers have already increased their prices. And shipping costs are expected to skyrocket as manufacturers and wholesalers attempt to make up for lost time. The 90-day deadline for a more lasting trade deal could fuel further market volatility in the coming weeks.
Trump’s Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, who led the negotiations with Beijing, also secured a commitment from China to cut non-tariff barriers it had put in place after April 2, including certain import restrictions and blacklisting of U.S. companies.
“It de-escalates trade tensions and reduces the probability of a stagflation,” said Sung Won Sohn, a professor of finance and economics at Loyola Marymount University and a former commissioner at the Port of Los Angeles, referring to a phenomenon feared the world over by economists: a combination of slow economic growth, high inflation and increasing unemployment. “But this is a temporary truce. A tough road is ahead of us.”
Over the next three months, the Trump administration says it intends to develop a “mechanism” that will “rebalance” the U.S. trade relationship with China — a task that has eluded presidents for decades. Trump hopes to change Beijing’s policy of providing government subsidies to state-owned enterprises and to reduce a $400-billion U.S. trade deficit with China, both tall orders in such a short time frame.
“Supply chains have been disrupted and there are a lot fewer ships sailing the ocean,” Sohn added. “Supplies in stores won’t be as plentiful as it used to be. During the back-to-school season, for example, there will be shortages, stockouts and higher prices. If the negotiation progresses well, there will be more merchandise at retail stores for back-to-school and Christmas.”
After the deal concluded in Geneva, Bessent said he would draw inspiration in the upcoming talks from a preliminary agreement negotiated with Beijing at the end of the first Trump administration called Phase One, which included new rules governing the exchange of intellectual property, technology transfer and financial services. Bessent claimed that deal was not enforced by the Biden administration.
But the Treasury secretary acknowledged that the upcoming talks would be difficult. “Neither side wants a decoupling,” he said.
“I don’t think anything’s going to be easy, because this has been going on for a long time,” Bessent told CNBC.
Before departing for an official visit to the Middle East, Trump said he expected to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and praised the agreement as a temporary step toward a permanent deal. The truce, Trump added, does not include tariffs on cars, steel and aluminum.
He also spoke with Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook shortly after announcing the deal, Trump said.
“The relationship is very good. We’re not looking to hurt China — China was being hurt very badly,” the president told reporters at the White House. “They were very happy to be able to do something with us.”
Trump said that pharmaceuticals may also be exempt from tariff reductions with China going forward, speaking at a signing ceremony for an executive order aimed at lowering drug prices.
The majority of the world’s pharmaceuticals are manufactured in China and India. But Trump reserved his harshest critique at the event for the European Union, which produces several high-profile drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, weight loss medications that Trump said are heavily overpriced in the United States.
“The European Union is in many ways nastier than China,” Trump said, adding: “We’ve just started with them.
“We have all the cards,” he said. “They treated us very unfairly.”
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