Trump threatens Russia over Ukraine. Will it make a difference?

President Trump has made some big shifts in U.S. policy on Russia's war with Ukraine lately.

In the course of two weeks, Trump halted and reinstated weapons to Ukraine and he began openly showing frustration with Russian president Vladimir Putin's continued military escalations.

Now, Trump has announced a deal with NATO to try to pressure Russia toward a ceasefire deal in just 50 days by threatening stiff tariffs and increased military aid to Ukraine.

President Trump seems to be taking a tougher stance against Russia, but will it make a difference, and will it last?

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A wildfire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. It burned down once before

The Grand Canyon Lodge is the only hotel on the park's North Rim, which is closed for the rest of the season due to wildfire risk. The hotel was already rebuilt once, after a kitchen fire in 1932.

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Why the Federal Reserve's building renovations are attracting the White House's ire

The Fed's $2.5 billion headquarters renovation is attracting mounting criticism from the Trump administration, which had been already attacking the central bank for not cutting interest rates.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

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Supreme Court says Trump's efforts to close the Education Department can continue

The Trump administration had appealed a decision that had directed it to stop gutting the U.S. Education Department and to reinstate many of the workers the government had laid off.

(Image credit: Win McNamee)

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Trump tells supporters not to 'waste time' on Epstein files. They're not happy

President Trump is facing backlash from his supporters and opponents alike for how his administration has handled the release of evidence surrounding the death of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

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24 states sue Trump admin to unfreeze more than $6 billion in education grants

The lawsuit comes two weeks after the Trump administration first notified states it was withholding previously approved funds for migrant education, before- and after- school programs and more.

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Syrians in Turkey Decide Whether to Return Home

Millions of Syrians fled their country during the civil war that lasted more than a decade. Now the dictator has been deposed and the country is trying to recover. Many ex-pat Syrians, including a large number in Turkey, are looking at what they have left in Syria and deciding whether to return.

This reporting was sponsored by the Pulitzer Center

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More immigration judges are being fired amid Trump's efforts to speed up deportations

Several more immigration judges have been fired, even as the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement, and after Congress gave the Department of Justice $3 billion, in part to hire judges.

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Why the health care lobby failed to stop cuts to Medicaid funding

The powerful health industry lobby couldn't persuade GOP lawmakers to oppose big Medicaid cuts in President Trump's tax and spending bill. What's behind the lobbying failure?

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South Africa's president creates commission to look at police corruption allegations

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended the police minister and launched a sweeping inquiry into alleged sabotage at the highest levels of law enforcement..

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Wrongly convicted, he became 'The Jailhouse Lawyer' — and helped free himself

While serving a life sentence for a murder he was eventually exonerated of committing, Calvin Duncan studied law and helped many wrongfully convicted prisoners. His memoir is The Jailhouse Lawyer.

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Trump announces weapons for Ukraine and threatens Russia with tariffs

President Trump threatened to punish Russia with heavy tariffs on countries that trade with Moscow if the Kremlin fails to reach a ceasefire deal with Ukraine, while promising Kyiv weapons.

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European trade ministers meet to forge strategy after Trump's surprise 30% tariffs

The EU is America's biggest business partner and the world's largest trading bloc. The U.S. decision will have repercussions for governments, companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Shackled for weeks: Federal report finds abuse of restraints in prisons

The Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General found widespread abuse of shackles in federal prisons. One prisoner was held in restraints so tight that he had to have a limb amputated.

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Trump's Brazil tariffs are 'grotesquely illegal,' says Nobel Prize-winning economist

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman believes tariffs President Trump has threatened to impose on countries, including Mexico and Brazil, are here to stay and will cost U.S. consumers.

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Trump to meet with NATO over Russia-Ukraine war. And, a list of Trump's tariff letters

Trump will meet with NATO's secretary-general to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war as his frustrations grow over the conflict. And, the president says the European Union and Mexico will face 30% tariffs.

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Flood risk is widespread in the U.S. Few people have insurance for it

Climate change is increasing the risk of dangerous floods. But people often balk at the cost of flood insurance, especially since many doubt they need protection.

(Image credit: RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

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With social prescribing, hanging out, movement and arts are doctor's order

Doctors are writing "social prescriptions" to get people engaged with nature, art, movement and volunteering. Research shows it can help with mental health, chronic disease and dementia.

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I went on a date with my AI dream guy. Then I cried over shrimp

It started as a one-off dinner with a chatbot — a night of shrimp, sarcasm — then veered into something unsettlingly human.

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When does a conservative lawmaker become moderate? After they disagree with Trump

Congressional Republicans have become more aligned with President Trump since he first took office. That makes even a single vote against him a "moderate" stance, even for staunch conservatives.

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A lawsuit against Tesla and its driver-assistance technology goes to trial in Florida

The case, which stems from a deadly crash in 2019, raises broader questions about the safety of Tesla's driver-assistance systems, and whether the company has exaggerated their capabilities.

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Hungary's oldest library is fighting to save 100,000 books from a beetle infestation

Restoration workers are removing about 100,000 handbound books from their shelves and carefully placing them in crates, the start of a disinfection process that aims to kill the tiny beetles.

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A military exercise drawing together 19 nations and 35,000 forces begins in Australia

The largest-ever war fighting drills in Australia is underway and expected to attract China's attention. Talisman Sabre began in 2005 as a joint exercise between the U.S. and Australia.

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Trump marks anniversary of assassination attempt at the FIFA Club World Cup final

The president joined the players on the field after the match to present PSG players with their runner-up medals and hand Chelsea their championship trophy.

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At Sunday services, taking stock and moving forward in Texas

Scott Detrow speaks with KERA's James Hartley about his reporting on how people gathered at church services Sunday to reflect after the deadly flash floods which killed more than 120 people in central Texas.

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Wildfire destroys a historic Grand Canyon lodge and other structures

A park official said the visitor center, the gas station, a waste water treatment plant, an administrative building and some employee housing were among the 50 to 80 structures lost.

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Jannik Sinner wins Wimbledon, Italy's first singles champion

Italy's Jannik Sinner defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to win his first Wimbledon title. Sinner is the first Italian to win the tournament.

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Senate committee details failures by Secret Service in preventing Trump shooting

The Senate Homeland Security Committee said the Secret Service's "lack of structured communication was likely the greatest contributor to the failures" at the Pennsylvania rally last summer.

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Nigeria's former President Muhammadu Buhari dies at 82

Nigeria's former president Muhammadu Buhari — who once ruled as a military dictator before returning decades later as an elected leader — has died at 82.

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North Carolina's Senate race is expected to be a toss-up in 2026

We look at what Senator Thom Tillis' decision to not run for re-election means for North Carolina politics, and for Democratic dreams to capture that seat in 2026.

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