ACTUAL NEWS: Thursday, April 24th 2025 Daily Briefing
- Olga Nesterova
- Apr 24
- 8 min read
QUICK HITS
On trade negotiations — or the lack thereof…
In a meeting with Norwegian leadership at the White House, Trump spoke to the media.
Q: China is saying it is fake news that you had a meeting.
Trump: They had a meeting this morning.
Q: Who’s they?
Trump: Doesn’t matter who ‘they’ is.
Q: The U.S. actually has a trade surplus with Norway…
Trump: With the US, almost everybody has a surplus… we got to get a little bit of that for ourselves
EU Commission President Von Der Leyen met with UK Prime Minister Starmer.
In her opening statement, she said: “…since day one, we also have emphasized all the time how important it is that Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is non-negotiable. And from day one on, we have supported together Ukraine, and we will continue to do so. On the other hand, we both also see that Europe at the same time has to step up its defense expenditure.”
Russia launched a massive civilian attack on Kyiv — 9 people have been killed and 70 injured.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump wrote “Vladimir [Putin], STOP!” — asking the murderous President of Russia to stop killing civilians.
Quick fact check:
Under Trump’s leadership, the U.S. harassed the victim into capitulating to the aggressor. When he refused — the U.S. blamed him. The Trump administration gave Putin everything he wanted and more, with no meaningful concessions in return.
From promising to “finish the war in 24h,” Trump has now resorted to begging on Truth Social.
In short: You had the cards. You gave them away.
“I think Putin will listen to me and stop the strikes on Ukraine,” says Trump.
The U.S. President emphasized that he has a deadline for resolving the war in Ukraine, but did not disclose the timeline.
Earlier, Trump shared that he made a deal with Russia and complained that making a similar deal with Ukraine was “more difficult.” Of course, it was — according to him — “Zelenskyy’s fault.”
Once again: What concessions has Russia actually offered for any of this to even be labeled a “deal”?
Q: What concessions has Russia offered up thus far to get to the point where you're closer to peace?
Trump: Stopping the war, stopping taking the whole country. Pretty big concessions.
Zelenskyy in South Africa
“We are doing everything our partners have proposed. The only thing we cannot do is what contradicts our legislation and Constitution. And that’s clear, because even the fight for our state’s independence, our sovereignty and territorial integrity is a matter of survival.”
“The first occupation of Ukraine was in 2014. People have been imprisoned in Russia for almost 12 years. We want to bring people back home,” he said.
TODAY IN HISTORY
1792: French army officer Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle composed La Marseillaise, which would go on to become the national anthem of France.
1800: The Library of Congress was officially established when President John Adams approved a $5,000 allocation to purchase “such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress”; it would grow to become the largest library in the world.
1877: War broke out between Russia and the Ottoman Empire following the Serbo-Turkish War, ultimately leading to independence for Serbia and Montenegro.
1898: Spain declared war on the United States, beginning the Spanish-American War—a conflict that would mark the end of Spain’s colonial empire and signal the emergence of the U.S. as a global power.
1916: Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army launched the Easter Rising by seizing key locations in Dublin, marking a turning point in the struggle against British rule in Ireland.
1949: Communist forces captured the Chinese capital, Nanking (Nanjing), after crossing the Yangtze River with minimal resistance from the Nationalist government under President Chiang Kai-shek.
1967: Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov became the first person to die during a space mission when his Soyuz 1 spacecraft crashed after its parachute failed during reentry.
1980: A U.S. military operation to rescue American hostages in Iran ended in failure, resulting in the deaths of eight service members.
2003: North Korean officials informed U.S. diplomats that the country possessed nuclear weapons and was producing weapons-grade plutonium.
2005: Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) officially assumed the papacy during a mass in St. Peter's Square, succeeding Pope John Paul II.
QUICK ACTUAL NEWS
NATIONAL
The U.S. Justice Department is terminating grants totaling $811 million for various victim services, including trauma recovery centers and sign language interpretation, two sources familiar with the decision told Reuters.
At least 20 staffers have been dismissed from the White House National Security Council in recent weeks—more than previously reported—leaving critical sections of the agency understaffed, according to two sources with direct knowledge.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has lost 16% of its workforce compared to this time last year, sources briefed on the matter said, creating staffing gaps across key departments amid ongoing market instability.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump lashed out at a Trump Organization lawyer who is also representing Harvard University in a lawsuit against his administration, saying the company should fire him.
The American Bar Association filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday, alleging the administration unlawfully cut federal grants in retaliation for the ABA’s public criticism of the Trump administration.
The U.S. Interior Department announced new guidelines on Thursday for allowable pressure differentials in a certain type of oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico—changes it says could increase domestic oil output.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has withdrawn a proposed rule intended to reduce Salmonella risks in poultry products, according to a notice published Thursday—prompting renewed concerns over food safety under President Trump.
A Republican lawmaker overseeing Federal Reserve policy has called for Congress to shield the central bank from political interference—including from President Trump—in order to stabilize financial markets.
A federal judge has limited the Trump administration’s ability to withhold school funding over diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) initiatives, halting efforts to penalize public schools that embrace such programs.
Another federal judge ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a man deported to El Salvador, ruling that his removal violated an existing court settlement.
White South Africans seeking U.S. refugee status have been interviewed by U.S. officials over land disputes, crime, and perceived racial discrimination—even as migrants from other nations are being deported or denied entry.
In another deportation case, a Venezuelan construction worker living in Philadelphia was transferred to Texas for removal proceedings, despite a federal judge’s order barring his deportation.
A separate ruling on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from cutting off federal funding to more than a dozen “sanctuary” jurisdictions that have refused to cooperate with its immigration crackdown.
On Thursday, the administration petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold President Trump’s executive order banning transgender individuals from serving in the military—a key component of his broader efforts to restrict transgender rights.
Businesses across multiple sectors are raising prices, scaling back earnings forecasts, and warning of increased uncertainty as Trump’s trade war drives up costs, disrupts supply chains, and clouds the global economic outlook.
Nestlé reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter organic sales on Thursday but said the indirect impact of U.S. tariffs remains “unclear.” The company raised prices on products including Kit-Kat chocolate bars and Nescafé coffee.
Intel is reportedly planning to lay off more than 20% of its workforce—over 21,000 employees—as part of a sweeping restructuring under its new CEO, Bloomberg reports. This follows last year’s reduction of approximately 15,000 jobs. The company aims to streamline management and refocus on engineering as it tries to catch up with rivals like Nvidia.
A website promoting Trump’s cryptocurrency is offering a private dinner with the president to the top 220 investors.
Meanwhile, some college students—especially those without U.S. citizenship—are asking to have their names removed from student newspaper articles over fears of potential immigration enforcement, The Wall Street Journal reports.
In another case, an Indonesian student visa holder married to an American citizen is now in a county jail and facing deportation, despite believing he was on track to obtain a green card.
U.S. truckers are currently moving record volumes of goods such as auto parts, appliances, and sneakers, as businesses stockpiled ahead of Trump’s tariffs. But the industry faces an impending slowdown as the new duties begin to dampen economic activity.
Finally, the Trump administration warned on Thursday that states could lose transportation funding if they fail to cooperate on immigration enforcement or continue to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated in a letter that all recipients of federal transportation grants must ensure “merit-based” hiring practices.
U.S. Elite Universities Brace for Federal Funding Cuts by Stockpiling Cash and Selling Assets
The nation’s top universities are stockpiling cash at levels not seen since Covid or the Great Recession as they prepare for a financial standoff with the federal government. The Trump administration has so far pulled, suspended, or put under review more than $10 billion in funding to schools it says haven’t done enough to combat antisemitism, per the Wall Street Journal.
While the colleges dispute those claims, they’re also breaking into the piggy bank: Harvard raised $750 million in a bond deal, Northwestern $500 million, and Princeton $320 million.
Yale is going even further: it is reportedly aiming to sell up to $6 billion of its private equity holdings, equivalent to nearly 15% of its $41.4 billion endowment.
That Yale would sell private equity holdings is raising eyebrows, because the university pioneered the endowment strategy—it’s literally called the Yale Endowment Model—that emphasized illiquid investments like private equity over the traditional mix of stocks and bonds. This approach changed institutional investing forever, and some argue that Yale’s retreat from PE may be a worrying signal for the sector more broadly.
Fun fact: Yale’s $41 billion endowment dates back to 1718, when Elihu Yale donated 562 British pounds.
GLOBAL
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a productive virtual meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, during which both sides emphasized the need to make swift progress on reciprocal trade, his office said in a statement on Thursday.
The U.S. State Department's Director of Policy Planning, Michael Anton, will lead the technical delegation in upcoming talks with Iran in Oman on Saturday. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will also attend, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that U.S. efforts to broker a nuclear deal with Iran are “going well,” ahead of scheduled technical talks between U.S. and Iranian teams set to take place in Oman on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he is prepared to travel to Europe for discussions on Tehran’s nuclear program. France signaled that European powers are open to dialogue—provided Iran demonstrates a serious commitment to negotiations.
In China, factory workers are turning to TikTok to post videos promoting direct-to-consumer luxury sales as a way to circumvent U.S. tariffs. The trend reflects growing tension in global trade.
On Thursday, China called for the cancellation of all "unilateral" U.S. tariffs amid signs the Trump administration may be considering steps to de-escalate its trade war with Beijing. China also clarified that no formal trade talks have been held with Washington, despite repeated U.S. assertions of engagement.
The Trump administration is pushing to finalize trade agreements with countries like Japan and India, racing against a self-imposed deadline set by the president.
In Vatican City, mourners are gathering at St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects to Pope Francis, whose body is lying in state. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday.
GOOD TO KNOW
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says it costs “tens of millions of dollars” in computing power when you say please and thank you to the AI model.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
POSTS OF THE DAY
NEWS CLIPS - NO COMMENTARY
President macron reacted to Putin's massive attack on Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine.
Trump to wounded soldiers: So you guys got hit, huh? Pretty good. You got hit. Amazing.
Rubio: Everyone should be thanking the president for being a peacemaker and trying to save lives.
RECOMMENDED READ
That's all from me for now. Thank you for reading.
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