Merkel's comments, per the AFP:

• Europe "must take its fate into its own hands" faced with a western alliance divided by Brexit and Donald Trump's presidency, Merkel told a crowd Sunday at an election rally in Munich, southern Germany.
• While Germany and Europe would strive to remain on good terms with America and Britain, "we have to fight for our own destiny", Merkel went on. Special emphasis was needed on warm relations between Berlin and newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron, she said.
• "We Europeans truly have to take our fate into our own hands."
• "The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. I've experienced that in the last few days."

Side note: As the NYT's Maggie Haberman points out, the place where Merkel's comments will be best received is Russia. Putin is constantly looking for ways to sow discord between European countries and the United States. (Though, it's also worth noting that if NATO countries respond to Trump's pressure by meeting their defense spending commitments, this is bad news for Putin.)

What's next: Trump unsettled Merkel by making the U.S. the only G7 nation to refusing to reaffirm the Paris Accord on climate change. We scooped yesterday that Trump has told confidants he's planning to exit the Paris deal. With Trump there's always the caveat that he could change his mind...But based on my conversations over the past 24 hours, I expect EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will present a detailed withdrawal plan to Trump and Trump will act on it.

• What's coming: "[N]ext year, scientists and the U.S. Geological Survey are expected to unveil the first limited public phase of an earthquake early warning system that would eventually offer seconds and perhaps more than a minute of warning through smartphones and computers. The system has been planned for years but still could be derailed by budget cuts proposed by President Trump."
• Failure of imagination: "Jones recalled a ... trip to a devastated area of Japan washed away by a tsunami after the magnitude 9 earthquake off the nation's east coast in 2011. Communities there endured a death toll as high as 10% of the population."
• "She remembered being taken to Otsuchi, where the city hall sat behind a 20-foot sea wall. Experts had forecast a 16-foot tsunami from the quake. 'The city leaders ignored protocol that said to move to higher ground and conducted their emergency meeting in the city hall. When the tsunami poured over the sea wall, they lost over 1,000 people, including most of their city government.'"

• Axios' Jonathan Swan and Amy Harder scooped last night that Trump has privately told multiple people, including EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, that he plans to leave the Paris agreement on climate change. Trump has told different things to different people, and said yesterday in a TV-teaser-style tweet that he'll make up his mind this week. But his willingness to entertain such a drastic step, right up against his own deadline, was a brushback to Europe and a reminder to moderates in the West Wing, most notably Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, that they're advisers, not puppeteers.
• The President is likely to spend more time in his happy place: massive rallies with supporters. The Washington Post reports (lead story: "Trump may retool his staff") that among the ideas from White House officials, in an effort to revive his stalled legislative agenda and overhaul communications, are proposing "more travel and campaign-style rallies nationwide so that Trump can speak directly to his supporters."
• We're told that big changes are imminent for the press and communications operations, with a diminished role for the on-camera daily briefing that has proved so entertaining for daytime cable viewers, and such a gift to network correspondents who get to run daily cameos of themselves badgering Sean Spicer.
• A classic line in the Post story: "'Go to the mattresses,' a line from the film 'The Godfather' about turning to tough mercenaries during troubled times, has circulated among Trump's friends."
• All three members of the triumvirate who ran the fall campaign saw their power wane, but now are ascendant. White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has restored clout as the West Wing draws up org charts for a war room to field Russia incoming. Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor, had been isolated by West Wing enemies but has been empowered to court outside support for Trump. And conservative firebrand Dave Bossie, banished after the campaign, may come into the White House in a political or war-room role.
• Corey Lewandowski, who ran afoul of the family as Trump's first campaign manager, is once again talking regularly to Trump. Corey is unlikely to come back inside, but a Trump confidant laughed at the press speculation about Corey returning: "Corey's already back."
• The biggest talker of all inside Trumpland: Sam Nunberg, on the outs with the Trump inner circle since he was fired from the campaign in 2015, is among the members of Trump's outside chorus who are "being courted to play more active roles," The Post said.

The takeaway: One of the most plugged-in West Wing advisers points to this essential dynamic: "Jivanka has influence where it does not conflict with the base."

Coming attractions... N.Y. Times reports in an above-the-fold mash-up, "President Faces Growing Crisis On Russia Ties": "White House aides were trying to assemble a powerhouse outside legal team that they hoped would include seasoned Washington lawyers of the stature of Paul D. Clement, Theodore Olson or Brendan Sullivan, and they planned to introduce some of them to Mr. Trump as soon as this weekend."