Why Trump is suddenly trying to shake off his Putin stupor ||

 Putin's playing Trump like a Stradivarius and this past week Trump seemed to realize for the first time that Vladimir isn't the loyal best pal he thought he was. Trump has been wrong about this from the very start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as any sentient being could have told him. He was right that Putin was thrilled that he was back in the White House but only because he knew that Trump would divide the allies, favor him over Ukraine and essentially help him achieve his goal. After all, Trump had said he was a "genius" and very "savvy" for invading in the first place. Trump's also extremely naive and ignorant, even after having already been president once. This was a big win for Putin.

Trump has spent most of his time in these first months pretending that he never said that he'd end the war in 24 hours and instead tried to muscle Zelenskyy into surrendering to Putin. Trump apparently believed that Vladimir Putin was his true friend, and I think he also truly believed that he could just pick up the phone once he was elected and his buddy (Vladimir Putin) would congratulate him and tell him that he couldn't wait to do a deal to end the war ||       READ MORE:

The Trump administration is disrupting career paths for new graduates hoping to work in climate and sustainability, international aid, public service and the sciences

 As the class of 2025 enters the workforce, the Trump administration has dismantled career pathways for graduates interested in climate and sustainability work, international aid, public service and research across the natural, behavioral and social sciences. Federal jobs are disappearing, and the administration is eliminating grants and agency divisions that sustain university research programs and nonprofits that are crucial to launching careers ||

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Russia says Trump 'does not fully understand' ||

"In an interview on Feb. 22, 2022, former U.S. President Donald Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin's stated Ukraine strategy “savvy” and “genius.” The intensity of strikes by both sides has only increased since Trump's return to office in January, although the president had promised to end Russia's war on its neighbor in 24 hours. In the past, Trump has criticized Biden's response to Russia's war, falsely alleging that Biden was only in the White House because the 2020 election had been "rigged.

 

~ The inevitable happens, when you praise a person like Vladimir Putin who badgers and intimidates smaller countries.

Fiona Hill: Trump is terrified of Putin, I’ve seen it first hand ||

What Trump doesn’t understand is that “Putin doesn’t want a ceasefire”. “Putin wants a neutered Ukraine, not one that is able to withstand military pressure. Everybody sees this, apart from Trump,” she said. Read More:

Billionaire Ray Dalio raises alarm over China, says Trump renegotiating trade deals 'has to happen'

Speaking with Brian Kilmeade on "Fox & Friends" Wednesday, Dalio warned China won’t give up its competition anytime soon. "They're also making technology and improving at a fast rate. So you cannot take China and think that they are not going to be a force for the foreseeable future. They're not folding, okay?" Dalio said. "We both have our challenges and there's going to be a big conflict. That's the nature of the beast."  || 

 

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Why the US cannot afford to lose dollar dominance ||

This Atlantic Council Strategy Paper explores the relationship between the status of the United States as a geopolitical superpower and the role of the US dollar as the world’s dominant currency. It examines how these two facets of US power have reinforced each other and how a decline in either of them could trigger a downward cycle in US influence around the world. The report discusses options for how the United States could counteract such trends, relying on its traditional strengths and strategic alliances ||

Rising costs rip into business reputation ||

Business reputation is eroding due to consumer concerns about rising costs, according to this year's Axios Harris Poll 100, which assigns reputation scores based on seven categories like trust, products and services, vision and culture. Companies that have kept costs low while standing firm on their corporate values rank highest on this year's list. Trader Joe's, the low-cost grocer known for being values-focused, ranks No. 1 on the list and saw a 3.5-point increase in its reputation score since last year.