ACTUAL NEWS: Monday, April 14th 2025 Daily Briefing
- Olga Nesterova
- 6 days ago
- 11 min read
QUICK HITS
A nightmare in Sumy, Ukraine. As people were going to church on Palm Sunday, Russia struck the center of the city with a missile carrying cluster munitions, killing 32 people, including 2 children, and injuring 99, including 10 children.
President Trump aboard AF1: Russian strike on Sumy was a “terrible mistake”
When asked what exactly he meant, he said: “Ask them”.
“This is Biden's war. This is not my war. I've been here for a very short time. This is a war that was under Biden.”
He also tweeted the same message earlier today.
Former FM of Lithuania responded to President Trump’s comment with a tweet:
Days earlier, Russia also struck President Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, killing mostly children as they targeted a playground. While visiting the site to honor the victims, Zelenskyy sat down for an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes.
"When children and adults are killed by missiles, I do not understand why we cannot agree on additional Patriot systems", – President Zelenskyy during his interview with 60 Minutes.
He added that there was an agreement at the NATO summit in Washington on air defense systems, but Ukraine didn't receive additional Patriot systems.
"If we are fair partners, can't we find an opportunity to protect Ukraine?" Volodymyr Zelenskyy added in an interview with CBS News.
Upon watching the 60 Minutes on Sunday that featured both segments — one on Ukraine and the other on Greenland — President Trump vowed to sue CBS and asked the FCC to take away the broadcast licensing from the channel.
Russia commented on the state of “negotiations with the White House”
The latest:
Hannity: I imagine Putin probably wants to be in business with the US and Europe. Is that a potential that could come out of this?
Witkoff: There's no doubt about it ... there's a possibility to reshape the Russia-US relationship through some very compelling commercial opportunities.
Led by the U.K. and Germany, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) has committed to an extraordinary wave of new military aid packages for Kyiv, collectively valued at over €21 billion ($23.8 billion).
Meanwhile, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced that Hungary will block several EU initiatives related to Ukraine. Specifically, Hungary will:
Oppose the deployment of EU military trainers or advisors in Ukraine, including training missions.
Reject sanctions targeting Russia’s nuclear industry and oppose restrictions on purchasing Russian energy.
Refuse to provide any financial aid to Ukraine.
Veto Ukraine’s fast-track accession to the European Union.
The Trans-Atlantic alliance is over, per EU official.
The European Commission is issuing burner phones and basic laptops to some US-bound staff to avoid the risk of espionage, a measure traditionally reserved for trips to China.
Trump–Bukele Meeting at the Oval Office
Before press pool entered, this exchange was captured on the El Salvador government’s livestream:
Trump endorses sending “homegrown” U.S. prisoners to El Salvador — meaning American citizens to notorious foreign prisons.
Trump to Bukele: "Home-growns are next. The home-growns. You gotta build about five more places. It's not big enough."
Bukele: "We got space."
Everyone laughs.
Who is Bukele:
"He first came to power in 2019 in El Salvador and was able to run again after... essentially replacing the Supreme Court judges with his appointees. Then the Constitution was able to change and hence he came to a second term." — David Culver on Nayib Bukele.
MEETING NOTES
Trump thanked El Salvador for “saving the US.” Bukele, with a smirk on his face, asked, “Why is everything so broken here?” Trump responded, “It’s the liberal establishment.”
Trump said he won’t be selling munitions to Zelenskyy, who “should’ve thought before STARTING a war against a country that’s 20x stronger.” He added that during his first term, Putin didn’t “suggest” invading Ukraine.
Once again, the former Foreign Minister of Lithuania was among the many who promptly commented on President Trump's statement:
NOTE: Ukraine was invaded in 2014; during that time, the war was in the Donbas region and Crimea was annexed.
Trump claimed he imposed sanctions on Russia and that Biden lifted them (not true — it's the reverse). He said Putin told him, “If this is having Trump as a friend, I don’t want to imagine having you as my enemy.”
I highly doubt this was ever said.
He continued to say there was no war in Ukraine and no inflation during his first term — and no journalist attempted to fact-check these statements.
On the man deported to El Salvador, Bukele said he “won’t smuggle this criminal terrorist back to the US.” Trump added, “These idiots here would like to have criminals here.” Bukele laughed. Senator Rubio weighed in, defending the deportation.
Trump told CNN: “Why don’t you say thank you that we are keeping criminals out of the country. You have no credibility, and that’s why nobody watches you.”
Trump added that El Salvador will take in as many “criminals” as possible: “We have millions of those who aren’t supposed to be here.”
Trump said he is working with Pam Bondi to see how “sick and mentally deranged homegrown criminals could be deported to El Salvador.”
Trump added that he took a cognitive test during his physical, and the doctor said: “Wow, I’ve never seen someone get the highest score!” He then claimed the doctor said no other president has taken it — not Biden or Obama — but he did, and got the highest score.
His physical came out “perfect", he claimed.
Prime Minister of Canada Carney announced that Canada will rebuild the Canadian Armed Forces — to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Yesterday, I went live with the latest Weekly Recap. If you missed it, you can watch the replay!
TODAY IN HISTORY
183: Septimius Severus was proclaimed emperor of Rome by his troops; he later founded a personal dynasty and transformed the government into a military monarchy.
1471: Edward IV, the deposed and exiled king of England, defeated the forces of Henry VI at the Battle of Barnet near London, reclaiming the throne.
1823: Noah Webster published An American Dictionary of the English Language, a groundbreaking work based on spoken usage that was initially criticized for its “Americanisms” but became highly influential.
1865: U.S. President Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.; he died the following morning, shortly after the Civil War's effective end.
1902: American entrepreneur J.C. Penney opened his first dry-goods store in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
1986: U.S. warplanes based in Britain bombed several sites in Libya, targeting Muammar al-Qaddafi; several of his children were killed or wounded, though Qaddafi himself narrowly escaped.
2003: The Human Genome Project was declared complete after 13 years, having successfully mapped and made publicly available nearly the entire sequence of human DNA.
2004: Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, formally accepted Pope John Paul II’s 2001 apology for the 13th-century sacking of Constantinople by Crusader armies.
2010: Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, sending vast ash plumes into the sky and disrupting air traffic across northern and central Europe for several days.
2014: The Islamist militant group Boko Haram abducted over 275 schoolgirls from a boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria, prompting global outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
2021: Bernie Madoff, the American hedge-fund manager who orchestrated the world’s largest Ponzi scheme, died in federal prison at age 82.
QUICK ACTUAL NEWS
NATIONAL
Seven Republican senators have urged U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to scrap a forthcoming Biden-era rule that would limit global access to advanced AI chips. In a letter sent Monday, they warned the restriction, set to take effect next month, could harm U.S. competitiveness.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office is set to review recent changes at the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those possibly influenced by the White House or Elon Musk’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency, according to a letter sent to Democratic lawmakers.
Nvidia announced plans to build AI servers worth up to $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. The project, backed by partners such as TSMC, aligns with the Trump administration’s push to localize advanced tech manufacturing.
Tech and auto stocks climbed after the U.S. lifted tariffs on smartphones and other electronics imported from China over the weekend. President Donald Trump further stirred trade policy waters on Monday, suggesting that exemptions for certain auto-related tariffs already in place might be forthcoming.
The Trump administration is seeking to cut the State Department’s budget by roughly 50%, according to internal documents obtained by Reuters. The proposed cuts could result in the closure of nearly 30 U.S. diplomatic missions and deep reductions in foreign aid.
In Texas, a group of Muslims is proposing a new community anchored by a mosque on a 400-acre site near Dallas. Governor Greg Abbott has publicly opposed the project, drawing scrutiny from religious freedom advocates.
Authorities in Pennsylvania have charged a man with setting fire to the governor’s mansion in a dramatic early-morning incident. Around 2 a.m. Sunday, the suspect allegedly scaled a fence, broke into the residence, and started a fire while Governor Josh Shapiro, his family, and guests were inside. Everyone was evacuated safely. The mansion suffered significant damage. The suspect is facing charges including attempted murder and terrorism. “I refuse to let anyone with evil intentions stop me from being a leader,” Shapiro said at a press briefing.
A small plane crashed near Hudson, New York, killing all six people on board. Victims included two surgeons, their children, and the children's partners.
After months of tension, the U.S. Space Force and Intelligence Community are reportedly making headway on a new era of cooperation. Officials say they’re nearing an unprecedented level of data sharing.
The U.S. Air Force Academy has officially ended affirmative action in its admissions process, the government said in a recent court filing. The move follows a lawsuit by Students for Fair Admissions, which previously won a Supreme Court case striking down race-conscious admissions in civilian universities.
The Pentagon’s latest cost-cutting initiative could result in privatizing base commissaries and exchange stores, raising concerns over the impact on service members who rely on them for affordable goods.
A group of female military veterans in Congress is demanding answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a sudden reversal of a policy that allowed pregnant Air Force pilots to continue flying longer into their pregnancies. The lawmakers criticized the move as “purely political” and warned it could harm military readiness in an already understrength pilot corps.
The Trump administration has asked a federal court to strike down a regulation that caps credit card late fees at $8. The administration sided with business and banking groups who claim the rule is unlawful.
Federal filings on Monday revealed the Trump administration is advancing investigations into pharmaceutical and semiconductor imports. The probes could pave the way for tariffs on both sectors, with officials citing national security concerns over reliance on foreign production.
The IRS’s chief information officer announced his resignation in an internal email obtained by Reuters. The move is the latest in a string of high-level departures from the agency, just ahead of the April 15 tax filing deadline.
A legal advocacy group filed suit Monday in the U.S. Court of International Trade, seeking to block President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on foreign trade partners. The group argues Trump has exceeded his executive authority.
Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen expressed concern Monday that Trump’s tariff policies and broader international posture are eroding global trust in U.S. leadership. She noted that some investors have already begun steering away from U.S. assets as a result.
GLOBAL
China announced on Monday that it is imposing visa restrictions on certain U.S. officials who have “behaved badly” regarding Tibet-related issues. The move, revealed during a regular press briefing, comes in response to Washington’s recent visa restrictions on Chinese officials involved in limiting foreign access to Tibetan regions.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development urged the Trump administration to exempt the poorest and smallest economies from reciprocal tariffs, stating that doing so would have “minimal impact on U.S. trade policy objectives.”
The U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday that, starting July 14, most tomatoes imported from Mexico will face duties of 20.91%. The announcement follows the department’s withdrawal from a previous agreement it said failed to protect American tomato growers.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he met with Argentine President Javier Milei on Monday to reaffirm the Trump administration’s full support for Argentina’s sweeping economic reforms, which he said were pulling the country “back from the precipice.”
Also on Monday, Bessent criticized China’s commerce minister for dismissing Trump’s tariffs as a “joke,” but expressed continued hope for a breakthrough trade deal with Beijing, noting it would require a new approach distinct from past agreements on trade and currency.
A second round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran is underway in Muscat, Oman, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, citing Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
In Washington, House Democrats introduced new legislation aimed at reinforcing support for Ukraine. Sources familiar with the matter said the bill is designed to ramp up pressure on the Trump administration to provide stronger backing for Kyiv.
A Russian court ruled Monday that a U.S. citizen involved in the assault of a police officer was not criminally responsible due to mental health reasons. The individual has been committed to a psychiatric facility, according to the Moscow City Court Service.
The European Union has paused its countermeasures against what it considers unjustified U.S. trade tariffs. The 90-day suspension, effective tomorrow, is intended to create space for negotiations. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is in Washington, D.C. today for talks with U.S. counterparts.
A new report from Taiwan’s government pledges to overhaul military training to focus on realistic threat scenarios, amid increased Chinese military activity near the island.
Haiti’s transitional presidential council on Monday approved an emergency “wartime budget” to address the escalating security and humanitarian crisis, as armed gangs continue to tighten their grip on the capital and surrounding areas.
In a secret meeting held last December, Chinese officials reportedly acknowledged responsibility for a series of cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure, according to sources familiar with the matter—an admission that further underscores the rising tensions between the two superpowers.
The death toll from last week’s nightclub roof collapse in the Dominican Republic’s capital has risen to 231, according to the country’s Minister of Interior and Police. Families of victims have begun filing lawsuits against the club’s owners.
At the inaugural High-Level Political Dialogue between the European Union and the Palestinian Authority, the EU Commission proposed a multiannual Comprehensive Support Programme worth up to €1.6 billion to strengthen Palestinian recovery and resilience.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has embarked on a weeklong tour of South Asia, aiming to strengthen ties with countries facing U.S. tariffs.
A private prison company has seen booming profits from the development of digital surveillance tools used to monitor migrants amid rising deportation rates.
Ecuadorian voters have re-elected President Daniel Noboa, signaling confidence in his vow to combat drug-related violence. His opponent has contested the election results.
CARTOON OF THE DAY
POSTS OF THE DAY
NEWS CLIPS - NO COMMENTARY
College Football Championship Trophy did not survive JD Vance
DJT on tarrifs: I'm looking to help some car companies. They need a bit of time. I speak to Tim Cook
Kaja Kallas' press conference following today's EU Foreign Affairs Council
Hessett claims the trade deficit is connected to the national security
Speaker Johnson clames that migrants have access to Medicaid
China 24 channel shared a video of a Chinese factory dedicated to MAGA merch (since 2016)
Canadian PM: Criminals are taking advantage of irresponsible American gun laws
ICYMI
The oldest known survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor has died. Vaughn P. Drake, Jr. passed away on April 7 at his home in Kentucky. He was 106. Born on November 6, 1918, in Winchester, Ky.—just days before the end of World War I—Drake would go on to witness the beginning of America’s involvement in World War II.
Blue Origin successfully launched another flight of its New Shepard spacecraft, designed for space tourism. This time, the mission featured an all-female crew as part of the company’s latest marketing push. The flight itself appeared smooth and incident-free—until the post-landing hatch ceremony. The crew, returning from the roughly 11-minute journey, opened the hatch from inside before the official moment was ready. In a now-viral video, Jeff Bezos is seen face-planting on his way to the capsule.
Both Bezos and Blue Origin’s Sarah Knights asked the crew to re-close the hatch. They complied, as Knights laughed and clapped. Less than three minutes later, with cameras and attendees in position, Bezos ceremonially opened the hatch from the outside using a wrench, allowing the six women—his fiancée among them—to exit the capsule.
Pope Francis marked the beginning of Holy Week with an in-person appearance at St. Peter’s Square.
A retrial in Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times began today.
Stephen A. Smith said he’s considering a run for president during his appearance on ABC’s This Week yesterday morning.
According to the Financial Times, Barbie dolls and microwaves are among the Chinese-made goods most heavily relied on by American consumers.
TODAY IN ONE MEME
That's all from me for now. Thank you for reading.
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