'Dear Donald.' Trump posts fawning private text from NATO chief on social media
This wasn't an ardent supporter swooning or the president taking to social media to sing his own praises in his familiar ALL CAPS style. This was NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte heaping direct praise on Trump as he flew to a two-day NATO summit in the Netherlands.
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CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Denmark has long been Euroskeptic. Donald Trump helped change that
As Denmark takes over the presidency of the European Union, Danes are more strongly pro-European than at any time in the past two decades – a shift in sentiment that can at least partly be attributed to US President Donald Trump. An eye-opening survey published in March by Berlingske, a Danish daily newspaper, said 41% of Danes now see the United States as a threat. It also said 92% of respondents either 'agree' or 'mostly agree' that the Nordic nation needs to rely more on the European Union than the US for its security. Given the recent tensions between Washington and Copenhagen, those statistics may not be surprising. Since his return to the White House, Trump has spoken frequently and aggressively about Greenland, an autonomous crown dependency of Denmark, saying he would like the US to own it. Vice President JD Vance and members of the Trump family have made what many see as provocative trips to and statements about the world's largest island. After Vance's visit to the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland in March, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pushed back on his claim that Denmark isn't doing enough for defense in the Arctic, calling her country 'a good and strong ally.' Back in Trump's first administration, too, Greenland was a hot topic. In 2019, he reportedly accused Frederiksen of making a 'nasty' and 'absurd' statement in discussions about the island. Lykke Friis, a prominent Danish international affairs analyst and a former minister, told CNN that the country has experienced 'a triple shock' that includes the war in Ukraine and the departure of the United Kingdom from the EU, known as Brexit. The biggest shock, however, has come in the form of Trump. 'Now we have a different Denmark,' she said. Speaking to CNN from Copenhagen, Marie Bjerre, the Danish minister for European affairs, conveyed a similar message – that the second Trump administration has changed Danish perspectives toward both the US and the European Union. 'Things have dramatically changed in Denmark and our attitude toward Europe,' she said, without mentioning the president's name directly. She was also very clear that Denmark feels a sense of disappointment in its longtime ally. Denmark would still like to have a strong relationship with the US, Bjerre said, 'but in a situation where the US is closing itself more around itself… is threatening us with tariffs and also criticizing Europe, our freedom of expression and all sorts of other things. Of course, in that situation, we have to be stronger on our own.' She added, 'The world order, as we have known it since the Second World War, is changing and we have to deliver to that geopolitical new situation that we are standing in.' The minister also referenced the historic ties and shared past experiences of both nations, expressing a degree of frustration, if not anger, about how that relationship has changed. 'You could not put a paper in between the US and Denmark, we have always supported the US. We went into war with our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan… Seeing us, as a country, being criticized for not being a good ally, of course, that does affect our opinion,' Bjerre said. Per capita, Denmark lost the second-highest number of soldiers of all the US-led coalition partners fighting in Afghanistan. In total, 43 Danish soldiers died, equating to 7.82 deaths per million citizens. The US, by comparison, lost 7.96 soldiers per million. 'We used to be a very, very transatlantic country… that has plummeted,' said Friis. 'There is now the feeling… we simply cannot trust him,' she said – the 'him' being Trump. The shift in Danes' opinions coincides with Denmark taking up the rotating, six-month EU presidency. Historically, the southernmost Scandinavian nation has tended to be Euroskeptic, Friis told CNN, never feeling European at heart. She described it as sustaining a transactional relationship with Brussels, based on 'pragmatic co-operation.' Denmark has long worried about the EU wading into Danes' lives, fearing in particular for its relatively unregulated labor market. It has various opt-outs on EU policy, including not joining the EU's single currency, the euro. 'We do things differently to other European nations,' said Bjerre. Politicians and citizens used to fear that the EU 'would become too dominating and too powerful,' Friis said, but now 'the fear is the complete opposite.' Danes feel the bloc is 'too weak' to deal with Putin to the East and Trump to the West, she said. Friis also described the prime minister's shift in tone as 'huge,' saying Frederiksen used to be 'very skeptical towards the EU.' In June, Frederiksen announced that Denmark was quitting the so-called 'Frugal Four,' an informal group of EU nations that had pushed to limit common spending, saying that 'the most important thing is to rearm Europe.' Laying out Denmark's priorities for the EU presidency later that month, she reiterated that view, saying: 'Now more than ever Europe needs to step up and stand together. We have to build an even stronger Europe, a more secure Europe where we are able to protect our democracies.' EU-commissioned, biannual polls show a clear trend of increased trust in the EU over the past two decades, rising from 46% in spring 2005 to 74% this past spring. Steeper increases can be seen during Trump's first term, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and as Trump's second term began. The war in Ukraine has had a significant influence on Danish views on the EU, Friis said. 'The very fact that you had a war in our backyard has sort of created a completely new sort of atmosphere around security in Denmark, people are worried. People are prepping now because they're scared about what could happen also to our own security,' she said. Bjerre said Copenhagen's EU presidency would prioritize a 'stronger Europe and a changing world,' with Europe having a real focus on security. Denmark takes the European helm, then, at a time of increasingly pro-European sentiment among its own population and a wider recognition in Europe that it must do more to stand on its own. The problem is that some of Europe's most pressing issues – Ukraine, trade tariffs and security – mean talking to the US and Trump. And at the moment, there may not be much love lost between the two. Kayla Williams contributed to this report.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Some Social Security Recipients Will See Wage Garnishment in Just Weeks
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In roughly 20 days, some Social Security recipients could experience wage garnishment as a higher Social Security claw back rate returns. Roughly 2 million Americans owed money to the Social Security Administration due to overpayments in 2023, according to KFF and Cox Media group. Starting July 24, the higher wage garnishments will go into effect until the full overpayment has been resolved. Why It Matters President Donald Trump has implemented a wide range of changes to the Social Security Administration (SSA). In addition to ending the use of paper checks by October, Trump also appointed former Fiserv CEO Frank Bisignano as the new SSA commissioner. The Department of Government Efficiency also instructed the agency to cut 7,000 SSA jobs. For beneficiaries who have been mistakenly overpaid, losing Social Security benefits could have severe consequences on their ability to pay for basic necessities. Roughly 21 percent of married couples and 45 percent of single recipients rely on Social Security for 90 percent or more of their income, according to SSA estimates. A sign is seen outside a US Social Security Administration building, November 5, 2020, in Burbank, California. A sign is seen outside a US Social Security Administration building, November 5, 2020, in Burbank, California. VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images What To Know In some circumstances, the SSA overpays Social Security recipients due to either miscalculations on their part or the recipient failing to update their earnings information. In March, the SSA said it would be bringing back its 100 percent claw back rate for Social Security recipients who were mistakenly overpaid by the government. During Joe Biden's presidency, that rate was set at 10 percent to allow seniors more breathing room to pay for their basic necessities. However, the SSA updated that garnishment rate to 50 percent in April. "When we determine an individual receiving Title II benefits is overpaid, we send them a notice requesting a full and immediate refund and inform them of their right to request reconsideration or a waiver of recovery," the SSA said in April. "We usually provide 90 days for the individual to request a lower rate of withholding, a reconsideration, or waiver." The 90-day period from the SSA's statement on April 25 ends July 24, meaning more than a million recipients could see their payments impacted. However, those who have been overpaid can file for an overpayment waiver. Form SSA-632BK asks for forgiveness for the overpayment if it was not your fault and it would create financial hardship. To get this approved, you'll need proof that repaying the money would create a significant hardship. Beneficiaries can also file Form SSA-561 to appeal the claim you were overpaid. Newsweek reached out to the SSA for comment via email. What People Are Saying Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: "Most recipients don't realize they've been overpaid until they receive a letter from the SSA. Without regularly reviewing your earnings history and benefit statements, overpayments can go unnoticed. Even if the error wasn't your fault, you're still responsible for repayment—unless you appeal, request a waiver, or set up a payment plan within the 90-day period." What Happens Next The loss of income could be dire for many Social Security recipients who rely on the benefits for most if not all of their income. A recent report from Gallup found 86 percent rely on Social Security as a "major" or "minor" income source. "The consequences can be significant, especially for retirees living on a fixed income. With inflation still elevated, a 50 percent reduction in benefits could severely impact housing, food, and healthcare," Thompson said. "For many, Social Security is their only source of income—making these garnishments potentially devastating."
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Valadao supports Trump megabill set to disrupt healthcare for many of his constituents
Already a ripe target for Democrats in the next election, Central Valley Rep. David Valadao put his political future in deeper peril this week by voting in favor of legislation that slashes the Medicaid coverage essential to roughly two-thirds of his Republican dairy farmer from Hanford said that despite his concerns about President Trump's megabill, he voted to support it because of concessions he helped negotiate that will help his district, such as an additional $25 billion for rural hospitals, $1 billion for Western water infrastructure and agricultural preserving tax breaks benefiting the wealthy, the bill passed by narrow Republican majorities in both the House and Senate would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $1.04 trillion over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
