Trump says nuclear submarines are 'in the region' amid tension with Russia

Trump says nuclear submarines are 'in the region' amid tension with Russia

WASHINGTON −President Donald Trumpsays the nuclear submarineshe said he was deployingin response to threatening comments from Russia's former president are "in the region." Trump also signaled that he's preparing to hit Moscowwith economic sanctionsover its war against Ukraine. "I've already put out a statement, the answer is, they are in the region," Trump told reporters traveling with him in New Jersey before he boarded Air Force One. Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to the "appropriate region" on Aug. 1 after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedevreferenced Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilitiesin a social media post that heightened tension with the U.S. leader. The dispute stemmed from Trump's ultimatum to Russia last month: make peace with Ukraine orbrace for sanctions and secondary tariffsaimed at choking off the country's oil revenue. He gave Russian PresidentVladimir Putina 50 day-deadline, whichhe later revisedto Aug. 8. Trump offers Putin an ultimatum:Senate pressure builds to sanction Russia The president told reporters on Aug. 3 that if the deadline arrives and Russia has not agreed to a ceasefire, "there'll be sanctions." "But they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions," he added. "You know, they're wily characters. ... So we'll see what happens." Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff had been expected to visit Russia before the deadline, but the president signaled to reporters that trip had not yet taken place. He said Witkoff is currently focusedon addressing starvation in Gaza, but could go to Russia later in the week. Trump says he ordered 2 nuclear subs:They're heading to 'appropriate regions' after Russia nuclear threats The president stressed the need for a deal in Ukraine in which people stop being killed. "And now we're adding towns, where they're being hit by missiles," Trump said. Medvedevserves asdeputy chairman of Russia's Security Council. He said in a July 28post on Xthat Trump should remember that "each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country." Trump hit back in a Truth Social post that said: "Tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!" After Medvedev said Trump should remember "how dangerous the fabled 'Dead Hand' can be," in a post on the messaging app Telegram that referenced the Soviet Union's doomsday nuclear system, the U.S. president said he would reposition the submarines. Calling the comments "highly provocative," Trump said on Truth Social that he was taking action, "just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump deploys nuclear submarines amid tension with Russia

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August 03, 2025

Trump says nuclear submarines are 'in the region' amid tension with Russia

Trump says nuclear submarines are 'in the region' amid tension with Russia WASHINGTON −President Donald Trumpsays the nuclear submar...

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Texas Republicans say 'hunt down' Democrats who are leaving state over redistricting

Texas Republicans say 'hunt down' Democrats who are leaving state over redistricting

Democratic statehouse legislators are planning to leave Texas on Sunday in order to break the quorum of a special legislative session in which Republican state legislators are aiming to pass a new congressional map that could create up to five new GOP seats. The move comes after a marathon public hearing on the plan in the state Capitol on Friday and less than a week after state Republican legislators proposed the new maps. Republicans hold a majority in the Texas state legislature; Democrats had said they would consider all options to stop the maps from being passed, although their options for striking back have been limited. "We're not walking out on our responsibilities; we're walking out on a rigged system that refuses to listen to the people we represent. As of today, this corrupt special session is over," state Rep. Gene Wu, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, said in a statement. MORE: GOP success with new Texas House map could hinge on Latino voters: ANALYSIS After news broke of Democratic legislators breaking quorum, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote in a post on X that Democrats who left should be arrested and brought back to the state capitol. "Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately," he wrote. "We should use every tool at our disposal to hunt down those who think they are above the law." Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott issued a blistering statement Sunday evening, accusing the House Democrats who fled the state and prevented quorum of doing so for illegitimate reasons. He said their premeditated decision could result in forfeiture of elected state office and demanded they must return when the statehouse reconvenes for special session at 3:00 p.m. CT on Monday or risk losing their jobs. "This truancy ends now. The derelict Democrat House members must return to Texas and be in attendance when the House reconvenes at 3:00 PM on Monday, August 4, 2025. For any member who fails to do so, I will invoke Texas Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0382 to remove the missing Democrats from membership in the Texas House," part of Abbott's statement read. The walkout itself cannot stop the passage of the bill, but Democrats aim to run out the clock on the 30-day special legislative session, which would mean Abbott would have to call another one. Texas House Democrats previously broke quorum in 2021 to try to stop an elections bill and in 2003 to try to stop a similar redistricting effort by Republicans. Republicans eventually managed to pass the bills both times. President Donald Trump has previously said he wanted Texas legislators to draw five new Republican districts. More than 51 legislators are leaving the state, denying the state House the two-thirds majority out of 150 legislators it needs to have a quorum. An exact number of how many of the 62 Democratic legislators from the state House were leaving was not immediately available. MORE: Eric Holder backs Democratic response to Texas redistricting plan Democrats who break quorum risk accruing a $500-a-day fine, according to the state House rules, and potential legal action. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, speaking with "War Room" host and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, said on Thursday, "The House rules and the Senate rules both allow for these people to be arrested if they leave ... The challenge is, if they go out of state, we lose jurisdiction, and that -- it's been a challenge in the past, but in the end, as long as the governor is willing to keep calling sessions, ultimately they have to come home." Paxton also said he was not worried about defending the maps in court: "We've got, we've got good maps. And the legislature has the right to draw the maps they want. They're politically based, not race-based. And if they're politically based, then they're defensible." MORE: Eric Holder backs Democratic response to Texas redistricting plan Some of the Democratic legislators fleeing the state will appear on Sunday evening with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker at a press conference. Pritzker has been a staunch supporter of Texas Democrats and has floated the possibility of getting Illinois' own congressional maps redrawn if Texas redraws its maps. Illinois' maps have been criticized by outside observers as highly partisan in favor of Democrats. In late June, the chair of the Texas Democrats, Kendall Scudder, flew from Dallas to Oklahoma to see Pritzker, who was giving remarks at the state Democratic Party's dinner. The pair had a private meeting during that time to talk about the possibility of lawmakers fleeing the state to Illinois -- and if they were to flee the state, that they would have a place they would feel safe and supported. Since then, Pritzker and Texas Democrats have been in touch, and a small group of them traveled to Chicago in July when members of the delegation left for Illinois and California for brief meetings. Pritzker and his team have been helping behind the scenes to help find hotels in the area for the Democrats, help their operation, and grease the wheels so things go smoothly for them as they head to Illinois. The bill containing the maps had been scheduled to be taken up on the state House floor on Monday.

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August 03, 2025

Texas Republicans say 'hunt down' Democrats who are leaving state over redistricting

Texas Republicans say 'hunt down' Democrats who are leaving state over redistricting Democratic statehouse legislators are planning ...

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Asian markets are mixed after Wall St tumbles following poor US jobs report

Asian markets are mixed after Wall St tumbles following poor US jobs report

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares in Asia are mixed after Wall Street had its worst day since May following the release ofweak U.S. jobsdata. Markets in Asia had already reacted on Friday to U.S. PresidentDonald Trump's announcement ofsweeping tariffson imports from many U.S. trading partners, posting moderate losses. The newtariffsare set to take effect on Thursday. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 1.6%, bouncing back from bigger losses, to 40,134.97. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong edged 0.2% higher, to 24,589.21, while the Shanghai Composite index was nearly unchanged at 3,562.18. In South Korea, the Kospi surged 0.7% to 3,140.92. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.2% to 8,643.00. Investors' worries about a weakening U.S. economy deepened after the latest report on job growth in the U.S. showed employers added just 73,000 jobs in July. That is sharply lower than economists expected. The Labor Department also reported that revisions shaved a stunning 258,000 jobs off May and June payrolls. "The labor market, once a pillar of resilience, is now looking more like a late-cycle casualty, as soft data begin to replace soft landings in market discourse," Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary. U.S. futures edged 0.3% higher, however, early Monday. On Friday, the S&P 500 fell 1.6%, its biggest decline since May 21 and its fourth straight loss. It closed at 6,238.01, posting a 2.4% loss for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.2% to 43,588.58, while the Nasdaq composite fell 2.2% to finish at 20,650.13. Internet retail giantAmazonfell 8.3%, despite reporting encouraging profit and sales for its most recent quarter. Technology behemothApplefell 2.5% after also beating Wall Street's profit and revenue forecasts. Both companies face tougher operating conditions because of tariffs, withAppleforecasting a $1.1 billion hit from the fees in the current quarter. Trump's decision to order the immediate firingof the head of the government agency that produces the monthly jobs figures raised concern over whether there might be interference in future data. The surprisingly weak hiring numbers led investors to step up their expectations the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates in September. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.21% from 4.39% just before the hiring report was released. That's a big move for the bond market. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed actions, plunged to 3.68% from 3.94% just prior to the report's release. The Fed has held rates steady since December. A cut in rates would give the job market and overall economy a boost, but it could also risk fueling inflation, which is hovering stubbornly above the central bank's 2% target. An update on Thursday forthe Fed's preferred measure of inflationshowed that prices ticked higher in June, rising to 2.6% from 2.4% in May. TheFed held rates steadyagain at its most recent meeting this week. Fed Chair JeromePowell has been pressured by Trumpto cut the benchmark rate, though that decision isn't his to make alone, but belongs to the 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee. Businesses, investors and the Fed have been operating under acloud of uncertaintyfrom Trump's tariff policy. Companies have been warning investors that unpredictable policies, with some tariffs already in effect while others change or get extended, make it difficult to plan ahead. Walmart, Procter & Gamble and many others also have warned about import taxes raising costs, eating into profits andraising prices for consumers. In other dealings early Monday, U.S, benchmark crude oil lost 18 cents to $67.15 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 23 cents to $69.44 per barrel. The U.S. dollar rose to 147.80 Japanese yen from 147.26 yen. The euro weakened to $1.1577 from $1.1598.

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August 03, 2025

Asian markets are mixed after Wall St tumbles following poor US jobs report

Asian markets are mixed after Wall St tumbles following poor US jobs report BANGKOK (AP) — Shares in Asia are mixed after Wall Street had it...

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Pakistan wins 3rd T20 by 13 runs to clinch a 2-1 series victory over West Indies

Pakistan wins 3rd T20 by 13 runs to clinch a 2-1 series victory over West Indies

LAUDERHILL, Fla. (AP) — Saim Ayub posted a half-century in a 138-run opening stand with Sahibzada Farhan and then took a key wicket as Pakitsan beat West Indies by 13 runs Sunday to clinch the Twenty20 cricket series 2-1. Pakistan posted 189-4 and then bowled tightly enough to restrict West Indies to 176-6. Pakistan's opening partnership ended when Farhan was out for 74 runs in the 17th over, his 53-ball innings finishing when he hit a low full-toss from Shamar Joseph (1-57) directly to Shai Hope at long-off. Ayub continued until the last ball of the penultimate over of Pakistan's innings, when he hit a full ball from Jason Holder (1-34) to Sherfane Rutherford in the covers and was out for 66 from 49 deliveries. West Indies raced to 33-0 after two overs in reply, taking 16 off the first over from Hasan Ali and 17 in the second from Mohammad Nawaz. Haris Rauf slowed the run-rate in the third over, which only went for five runs, and then snared the first West Indies wicket when he had Jewel Andrew (24 from 15 deliveries) caught by Hasan Ali in the fifth over with the total at 44. Alick Athanaze scored 60 from 40 deliveries, sharing further partnerships of 30 with Hope (7) and 36 with Rutherford until he mis-timed a fuller, faster delivery from Ayub and was caught at short thirdman. At that point, West Indies slipped to 110-3 in the 13th over. Rutherford kept West Indies in the contest with 51 from 35 balls but his dismissal in the last over ended any chance of a comeback win. The series was tied 1-1 going into the decider after Jason Holder took four wickets and then smashed a boundary off the final ball of the second game to lift West Indies toa thrilling two-wicket victoryon Saturday. It was the first T20 victory for West Indies in seven matches, a span that included a heavy5-0 series defeat to Australia, on top of a test series sweep last month. Pakistan won the series-opener by 14 runs. Both teams travel to the Caribbean for a series of three one-day internationals. ___ AP cricket:https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

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August 03, 2025

Pakistan wins 3rd T20 by 13 runs to clinch a 2-1 series victory over West Indies

Pakistan wins 3rd T20 by 13 runs to clinch a 2-1 series victory over West Indies LAUDERHILL, Fla. (AP) — Saim Ayub posted a half-century in ...

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William Byron wins NASCAR Cup race at Iowa with fuel running out

William Byron wins NASCAR Cup race at Iowa with fuel running out

William Byronnursed his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the finish line at Iowa Speedway as his wholeNASCAR Cup Seriesteam held its breath that there was enough fuel left in the car to take the checkered flag. After running out of gas while running third at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week and while leading the race at Michigan International Speedway earlier this summer, Byron managed to save enough fuel to make it to the finish line and to hold off Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney to win theIowa Corn 350on Sunday, Aug. 3. "How about that for some fuel mileage," a relieved Byron said after climbing out of his car on the start/finish line. "We've had our share of things not going our way with fuel mileage. We've been through a lot this year. It's been a lot of growing pains. It's been tough on us, but it feels really good today to get a win. "Luckily, the fuel was enough at the end. I think I ran out there. That's why I stopped." WILLIAM BYRON WINS AT IOWA! 🌽🏁pic.twitter.com/KWwuJd70x6 — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX)August 3, 2025 Byron, who started second behind Briscoe, led a race-high 141 of 350 laps. He took his final lead after passing his teammate Chase Elliott on a restart on Lap 277, but multiple cautions shook up the fuel strategy for many teams. Byron had made the earliest pit stop among the drivers chasing him down in the closing laps, forcing both the driver and the No. 24 team to walk a tightrope between having enough speed to keep the lead and enough gas to make it to the end. Byron began the season witha victory in the season-opening Daytona 500in February, but despite leading the points standings for most of the season, Daytona remained his lone win of 2025. "Our confidence in each other never wavered," Byron said. "Our speed's been better than it's ever been, and that's a big reason why we stayed confident. We needed just one to go our way, and today it did." Briscoe finished second, Keselowski third, Blaney fourth and Ryan Preece fifth.Last week's winner Bubba Wallacerebounded from damage earlier in the race to finish sixth. Alex Bowman, Carson Hocevar, Joey Logano and Austin Dillon rounded out the top 10. Briscoe has now finished second in three of the last four races — Iowa, Dover and Sonoma — and thought he was in the catbird's seat to pick up the win with Byron low on fuel. "It's unfortunate, I was trying everything I had, I just didn't have anything left in the tank," Briscoe said. "It just kind of died there at the end of the run. "I don't know, we've been in position enough, running second like that, you're going to end up winning some of them. It just hasn't went our way the last three or four of them." With starting position in parentheses, driver, car number and manufacturer and laps completed: (2) William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet, 350 (1) Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota, 350 (5) Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford, 350 (6) Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford, 350 (33) Ryan Preece, No. 60 Ford, 350 (15) Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota, 350 (16) Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet, 350 (7) Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet, 350 (14) Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, 350 (18) Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, 350 (28) Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet, 350 (4) Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford, 350 (12) Josh Berry, No. 21 Ford, 350 (8) Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet, 350 (29) John H. Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota, 350 (25) Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota, 350 (17) Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota, 350 (9) A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet, 350 (22) Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota, 350 (37) Kyle Busch, No. 8 Chevrolet, 350 (20) Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota, 350 (27) Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford, 350 (10) Justin Haley, No. 7 Chevrolet, 350 (11) Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, 350 (26) Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Chevrolet, 350 (19) Cole Custer, No. 41 Ford, 350 (13) Michael McDowell, No. 71 Chevrolet, 350 (3) Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet, 350 (31) Noah Gragson, No. 4 Ford, 350 (24) Riley Herbst, No. 35 Toyota, 350 (21) Shane Van Gisbergen, No. 88 Chevrolet, 349 (35) Cody Ware, No. 51 Ford, 349 (30) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, No. 47 Chevrolet, 347 (34) Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Ford, 347 (32) Ty Dillon, No. 10 Chevrolet, 346 (23) Zane Smith, No. 38 Ford, 344 (36) Joey Gase, No. 66 Ford, 340 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NASCAR results: William Byron wins Iowa race, holds off Chase Briscoe

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August 03, 2025

William Byron wins NASCAR Cup race at Iowa with fuel running out

William Byron wins NASCAR Cup race at Iowa with fuel running out William Byronnursed his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the finish...

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