A Vast Arena.
Antacids for the sea.
News Items is “the most valuable newsletter out there.” — Peggy Noonan.
1. The New York Times:
President Trump declared on Wednesday evening that his power as commander in chief is constrained only by his “own morality,” brushing aside international law and other checks on his ability to use military might to strike, invade or coerce nations around the world.
Asked in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times if there were any limits on his global powers, Mr. Trump said: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
“I don’t need international law,” he added. “I’m not looking to hurt people.”
When pressed further about whether his administration needed to abide by international law, Mr. Trump said, “I do.” But he made clear he would be the arbiter when such constraints applied to the United States.
“It depends what your definition of international law is,” he said.
Mr. Trump’s assessment of his own freedom to use any instrument of military, economic or political power to cement American supremacy was the most blunt acknowledgment yet of his worldview. (Source: nytimes.com)
2. U.S. officials have discussed sending lump sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark and potentially join the United States, according to four sources familiar with the matter. While the exact dollar figure and logistics of any payment are unclear, U.S. officials, including White House aides, have discussed figures ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per person, said two of the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The idea of directly paying residents of Greenland, an overseas territory of Denmark, offers one explanation of how the U.S. might attempt to “buy” the island of 57,000 people, despite authorities’ insistence in Copenhagen and Nuuk that Greenland is not for sale. (Source: reuters.com)
3. President Trump said a second wave of attacks on Venezuela has been canceled, citing improved cooperation from the country. Venezuela is “working well” with the US on rebuilding its oil and gas infrastructure and releasing “large numbers” of political prisoners, Trump wrote in a social-media post on Truth Social on Friday. That means another wave of strikes doesn’t appear necessary, he said. Brent futures pared gains on the president’s statement, trading at $62.10 as of 9:52 a.m. in London. Trump is meeting with US oil executives later as his administration pushes them to rebuild Venezuela’s energy sector. (Source: bloomberg.com)
4. Iran was largely cut off from the outside world on Friday after authorities blacked out the internet to curb expanding protests, with phone calls not reaching the country, flights cancelled and online Iranian news sites only intermittently updating. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of U.S. President Donald Trump, saying rioters were attacking public properties and warning that Tehran would not tolerate people acting as “mercenaries for foreigners”. The protests that began over soaring inflation in the Islamic Republic late last month have spiraled into the biggest for three years, with unrest reported in every province and rights groups documenting dozens of deaths. Iran’s fragmented external opposition factions called for more protests on Friday with Reza Pahlavi, exiled son of the late ruling shah, telling Iranians in a social media post: “The eyes of the world are upon you. Take to the streets.” (Source: reuters.com)
5. Russia used a hypersonic, nuclear-capable missile against Ukraine in an attack on Thursday night, Moscow said, as Kyiv warned of a “grave threat” to the region as a whole. Ukraine’s air force confirmed that a ballistic missile flying at a speed of up to 13,000 kilometers an hour and fired from the Kapustin Yar training ground in Russia had hit “infrastructure facilities” near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, about 100 kilometers from the Polish border. It said the strike was part of an overnight raid that involved 242 drones as well as 36 ballistic and cruise missiles. Russia’s defense ministry said the missile used was the “Oreshnik”, a ballistic, hypersonic weapon equipped to fire multiple conventional or nuclear warheads. (Source: ft.com)
