Israel is coming under an unprecedented barrage of criticism from some of Congress' most stridently pro-Israel Democrats and even some Republicans over the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Why it matters: Lawmakers told Axios the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the U.S. public's growing apathy toward Israel have made it increasingly untenable to be unflinchingly pro-Israel.
India will probably face a 20% to 25% tariff, though a deal isn't finalized, President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.
Why it matters: India was one of the first deals the administration said it was close to landing, but it's still pending months later — a prime example of the complexities of global trade.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmerannounced that the U.K. will recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in late September unless Israel takes steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza and commits to a renewed peace process with the Palestinians.
Why it matters: Starmer's statement follows shortly behind French President Emmanuel Macron's commitment to recognize Palestine at September's UN meetings. If both follow through, the U.S. will be the only permanent member of the UN Security Council that does not recognize a Palestinian state.
A key Indigenous tribe in New Mexico won't support former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in Democratic primary for governor in the state, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's a signal that Haaland, who is Laguna Pueblo, isn't galvanizing New Mexico's Native Americans as she did during her 2021 confirmation hearing for interior secretary, when she rallied Indigenous people in the U.S.
Trump's "announce first, details later" approach to trade deals has caught some global leaders off guard and led to contradictions about the billions of dollars the administration says foreign nations have pledged.
Why it matters: These are not traditional, word-heavy trade deals with text agreed to by all negotiators.
Instead, news of deals comes via flashy announcements with big numbers and little specificity, leaving global investors wondering about the durability of such frameworks.
What they're saying: "With several of the latest deals, the two parties seemed to offer divergent understandings of the details almost as soon as the agreement was announced," Evercore ISI's Sarah Bianchi wrote in a client note.
"All this means there is still much to be worked out in the months ahead and creates risks over the medium-term that misunderstandings could still emerge that jeopardize the tentative trade truces," Bianchi adds.
The other side: An administration official says the trade frameworks settle what the White House sees as the biggest points of contention.
The finer details are being hashed out, the official adds — noting that complete bilateral trade agreements, down to the HTS code, are not realistic given the short timeframe.
What's going on...
🇪🇺 Europe: The White House says that aluminum, steel and other metals imported from Europe would be subject to a 50% tariff, not the 15% agreed to in the deal, according to a fact sheet.
But European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said at a news conference that metal levies "would be cut and a quota system will be put in place."
Meanwhile, analysts are questioning the viability of Europe's commitment to buy $750 billion worth of U.S. energy on top of an additional $600 billion investment.
🇬🇧 U.K.: Parts of the U.S.-U.K. deal still need to be implemented, including for U.K. steel and aluminum tariffs that Trump said would be slashed.
🇯🇵 Japan: As part of a trade framework, Trump said the Japanese committed to investing $550 billion in America, with the U.S. keeping 90% of the profits.
But Japan's top negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said over the weekend the nation will invest — at most — 2% of that sum, Bloomberg reported. The rest will come in the form of loans.
🇻🇳 Vietnam: Trump announced a U.S.-Vietnam trade deal, in which the nation would be subject to a tariff rate of 20%.
Vietnamese officials have acknowledged the existence of a deal, though not the specific terms, the FT reported earlier this month.
For the record: "The simple reality is that President Trump has, in record time, used tariffs to strike trade deals that secure unprecedented market access for American industries, farmers, and workers to economies that combined are worth over $30 trillion and are home to over one billion people," White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement.
The bottom line: Beneath the headlines, key details of Trump's trade deals remain unclear.
"The devil is in the details. Other 'deals' in recent months have proven less unbalanced than was initially presented," Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at payments firm Corpay, wrote in a note.
President Trump said Monday that he'll soon announce a much shorter deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face heavy sanctions.
There are still 36 days until Trump's previous deadline, set two weeks ago, but he said he'd shorten that to "about 10 to 12 days."
Why it matters: Trump seems ready to take steps against Russia that he'd resisted for six months — potentially dealing a heavy penalty to buyers of Russian oil, notably China and India, in the process.
CK Hutchinson of Hong Kong on Monday said that it plans to add a "major strategic" Chinese investor to its $22.8 billion ports deal with BlackRock, adding that an exclusive negotiating period between the two firms has expired.
Why it matters: This complicates March's landmark agreement that would transfer control of 43 ports in 23 countries, including two in Panama that President Trump has threatened to retake by force.
President Trump said Monday that he disagrees with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that there is no starvation in Gaza.
What he is saying: "Based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry," Trump said when asked if he agreed with Netanyahu. Later he said, "There is real starvation in Gaza — you can't fake that."
In the Trump-dominated global economy, the U.S. gets plenty but gives nothing in return.
Why it matters: This is the reality of the asymmetric trade deals touted by the White House, which show how far foreign leaders will go to safeguard access to the U.S. market.
Deadly wildfires engulfing parts of Turkey and Greece have forced thousands to evacuate, as much of the Mediterranean and Europe face what meteorologists are describing as an "exceptional," enduring heat wave.
The big picture: Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Spain have also seen fires driven by extremely dry conditions and powerful winds. Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal are among the countries impacted by the extreme heat, and a record high temperature of 50.5°C (122.9°F) was recorded in the southeastern Turkish city of Silopi on Friday.
President Trump's five-day trip to Scotland was met with protests in several Scottish cities over the weekend, as security was bolstered for his visit to the nation.
The big picture: While hundreds protested the president, some supporters greeted him with cries of "we love you!" as he played golf at his Trump Turnberry resort in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, on Sunday.
