As Biden promises long-term support for Ukraine, world leaders brace for Trump
Agreements signed at the Group of Seven summit seemed designed to “Trump-proof” foreign policy in case former President Donald Trump wins in November. In one deal unveiled at the summit, the leaders announced they would lend Ukraine $50 billion. The money will go to Ukraine this year, backed by about $300 billion in frozen Russian assets, and the U.S. is prepared to front the entire amount of the loan if necessary, Biden administration officials said.
But there’s little world leaders or the Biden administration can do to lock in longer-term commitments from a potential successor determined to scrap them.
“There’s no such thing as ‘Trump-proofing,’” said Alexander Vindman, who was director of European affairs for the National Security Council in Trump’s White House. “That’s a mirage. You can’t do it if the president of the United States has a diametrically opposed worldview.”
And Saturday night, appearing at a campaign fundraiser in Los Angeles, President Joe Biden warned about what might happen in the U.S. if Trump returns to the White House. “The next president is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees — two more,” Biden said, adding that Trump had already appointed two justices who are “very negative in terms of the rights of individuals.”
Israel says ‘tactical pauses’ will allow more aid into Gaza
The Israeli military has announced a “tactical pause” in its offensive in the southern Gaza Strip to allow deliveries of more humanitarian aid after discussions with the United Nations and international aid agencies.
An Israeli official quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying the plan was “unacceptable to him” when he learned of it. The official said Netanyahu received assurances that “there is no change” in the military’s policy and that the “fighting in Rafah continues as planned.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Israel faces increased scrutiny about the dramatic daytime raid that freed four Hamas hostages but killed dozens of people in Gaza.
The Israeli military said Saturday that eight soldiers were killed in southern Gaza in the deadliest attack on Israeli forces in months. The deaths will most likely fuel calls for a cease-fire.
Princess Kate makes first public appearance since cancer diagnosis
Kate, the Princess of Wales, made her return to the public eye Saturday at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London celebrating King Charles III’s official birthday. On a drizzling morning, she was seen smiling in a horse-drawn carriage with her three children as the procession made its way from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade.
It was Kate’s first public appearance since she revealed her cancer diagnosis this year. Her attendance was seen as a significant positive step after months of absence that fueled widespread speculation.
Fire used as ‘weapon of war’ in Sudan as entire towns are burned to the ground
Bitter fighting between the forces of two rival generals has laid waste to much of Sudan, where thousands of people have been slaughtered and 10 million have been driven from their homes, creating the world’s largest displacement crisis, according to the U.N. migration agency. And as the fighting has spread, homes and aid camps have been burned out by fires that have been started intentionally, experts and analysts say.
“When we see reports of fighting coinciding with clusters of fires, it indicates that fire may be being used as a weapon of war,” Mark Snoeck, an open source investigator, told NBC News.
Meet the Press
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told “Meet the Press” the Supreme Court should take up former President Donald Trump’s New York case in which he was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump’s legal team has promised to appeal his conviction, but Donalds referred to the lengthy appellate process in New York as a reason the Supreme Court should step in earlier.
“This is being done for political purposes. Everybody knows how the court system works in New York. The only ability for this to be overturned is going to be happening two or three years from now,” Donalds told moderator Peter Alexander.
Donalds is widely reported to be on Trump’s short list of potential vice presidential nominees.
Asked whether he would be ready to serve as commander in chief if necessary, Donalds said: “I think that I would have an ability to step in. I’m actually pretty intelligent. I can sift through issues really, really well. It’s about judgment. It’s about logic streams. It’s about how you make decisions at the end of the day.”
Watch the full interview here.
Politics in brief
Abortion push: The Biden campaign plans to mark the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade with messaging and events aimed at contrasting Biden’s views with Trump’s.
“Tough week”: First lady Jill Biden discussed her stepson Hunter Biden’s gun conviction for the first time, telling NBC News the trial marked “a tough week for my family” as she praised his strength.
Fundraising haul: The Biden campaign and its allies raked in $28 million ahead of a star-studded Los Angeles fundraiser, breaking the record for the Democratic Party’s largest fundraising event.
Crypto flip: Trump said while he was in office that he was “not a fan” of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Now he’s building a “crypto army” — an effort by the Trump team to appeal to the technology’s devoted young fan base and deep-pocketed executives.
Not attending: Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., says he’ll skip Netanyahu’s address to Congress.
Broadway’s biggest night is here
With a triple-threat host and a star-studded list of nominees, the 2024 Tony Awards are poised to be a show-stopping finale to this year’s awards season. Broadway veteran Ariana DeBose is back Sunday night to host for the third time. “Hell’s Kitchen,” a semi-autobiographical Alicia Keys jukebox musical, and “Stereophonic,” a play with big musical elements, lead the pack with 13 nominations each.
Other big shows up for Tonys are “Merrily We Roll Along,” the revival of a 1981 Stephen Sondheim musical; “The Outsiders,” a musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel; “An Enemy of the People,” a revival of the Henrik Ibsen play led by “Succession” star Jeremy Strong; and “Illinoise,” a formally inventive dance-forward piece adapted from Sufjan Stevens’s 2005 concept album.
Follow NBC News’ live coverage of the 77th Annual Tony Awards.
Wi-Fi in the great outdoors
S’mores, sing-alongs and … streaming? Going camping in the wilderness may once have provided a digital detox, but more campground operators are rigging up their sites with Wi-Fi to satisfy guests who increasingly want to stay connected.
“Six or seven years ago it was a ‘nice to have’ service so people could load their email or check their bank account,” said Tim Rout, founder and chief solutions officer at AccessParks, a San Diego-based broadband provider for RV parks and campgrounds. “Now people expect the same quality of service in RV parks that they get at home.”
Wi-Fi is now offered at 82% of U.S. campsites, the Outdoor Hospitality Industry trade group estimates, slightly ahead of laundry and even shower facilities.
In case you missed it
- Sean “Diddy” Combs returned his key to New York City at the request of Mayor Eric Adams after a video showing Diddy physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie in 2016 was released.
- The Kansas City Chiefs’ Isaiah Buggs was arrested Sunday on a charge of second-degree domestic violence burglary in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
- Nine people, including two children, were injured in an apparent random mass shooting Saturday at a splash pad in Michigan, authorities said.
- The U.S. military targeted the global leader of ISIS in an airstrike in Somalia late last month but cannot confirm whether he was killed, three U.S. officials say.
- Nondisclosure agreements have come under scrutiny in many industries, but there has been little focus on one kind in particular: the persistent use of NDAs to conceal allegations of wrongdoing at public hospitals.
- Tenzing Norgay was one of the first two people to reach the top of Mount Everest in 1953. More than 70 years later, his son Jamling carries on that mountaineering legacy.
- “Inside Out 2” debuted with an estimated $155 million domestically, the second-highest theatrical opening of an animated film.
- A Renaissance painting once stolen from a nobleman’s home in southwest England and found at a bus stop in London may sell for $32 million at an art auction next month.
- Nearly 30 people were suspended upside down in the air for more than 20 minutes after a ride at an Oregon amusement park malfunctioned.
