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In the news today: The U.S. may resume testing nuclear weapons; Trump cuts tariffs on China after meeting Xi; and the U.S. confirms cuts in the U.S. troop presence on NATO’s borders with Ukraine. Also, the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum’s opening puts the King Tut collection in one place for the first time in a century.

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One shortly after taking off from Busan, South Korea, en route to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Thursday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

POLITICS

Trump appears to suggest the US will resume testing nuclear weapons for first time in 30 years

President Donald Trump appeared to suggest the U.S. will resume testing nuclear weapons, saying it would be on an “equal basis” with Russia and China. Read more. 

Why this matters:

• “Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “That process will begin immediately.” The White House did not immediately respond to questions seeking more details.
  
  

• There was no indication the U.S. would start detonating warheads, but the president offered few details about what seemed to be a significant shift in U.S. policy. The U.S. military already regularly tests its missiles that are capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, but it has not detonated the weapons since 1992 because of a test ban.
  
  

• Daryl Kimball, the executive director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association, quickly criticized the president’s announcement and said Trump was “misinformed and out of touch.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

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• Wisconsin moving ahead with prison overhaul plan despite Republican objections

   

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WORLD NEWS

Trump cuts tariffs on China after meeting Xi in South Korea 

President Donald Trump described his face-to-face with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday as a roaring success, saying he would cut tariffs on China, while Beijing had agreed to allow the export of rare earth elements and start buying American soybeans. Read more.

Why this matters:

• The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that the U.S. would lower tariffs implemented earlier this year as punishment on China for its selling of chemicals used to make fentanyl from 20% to 10%. That brings the total combined tariff rate on China down from 57% to 47%
  
  

• “I guess on the scale from 0 to 10, with ten being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12,” Trump said. “I think it was a 12.” Trump said that he would go to China in April and Xi would come to the U.S. “some time after that.” The president said they also discussed the export of more advanced computer chips to China, saying that Nvidia would be in talks with Chinese officials.
  
  

• Xi said Washington and Beijing would work to finalize their agreements to provide “peace of mind” to both countries and the rest of the world, according to a report on the meeting distributed by state media.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• China says it will work with US to resolve issues related to TikTok
  
  
• Senate vote on nullifying tariffs on Canada demonstrates opposition to Trump’s trade policy
  
  
• Ontario’s premier says US ambassador should apologize for tirade against his diplomat

WORLD NEWS

The US draws down troops on NATO’s eastern flank as Europe frets about a security vacuum

The U.S. confirmed on Wednesday that it will reduce its troop presence on NATO’s borders with Ukraine but shed no light on any future cuts, as its allies worry about a security gap being created at a time when Russia is increasingly confrontational. Read more.

Why this matters:

• The U.S. armed forces denied it was a sign of lessened commitment to NATO. NATO allies have expressed concern that the Trump administration might leave a security vacuum as European countries confront an increasingly aggressive Russia. Analysts say it might tempt Russia to test the military alliance.
  
  

• Depending on operations and exercises, around 80,000-100,000 U.S. troops are usually present on European soil. The administration has been reviewing its military “posture” in Europe and elsewhere, but U.S. officials have said that the findings of the review were not expected to be known before early next year.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Russia blasts Ukraine’s power grid again, causing outages across the country and killing 2
  
  
• Putin says Russia’s nuclear-armed underwater drone was tested successfully

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