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Trump and his multitrillion-dollar Sharpie sign off on cuts ‘no one will notice'

Trump and his multitrillion-dollar Sharpie sign off on cuts ‘no one will notice'

As Donald Trump produced his multitrillion-dollar Sharpie pen – surely, the only sharp tool in this US president's toolbox – to sign his One Big Beautiful Bill on July 4, political leaders across the world must have been in awe.
The bill, critics estimate, will cut healthcare for 17 million poor Americans, amid other cruelty. Children relying on lunches served by their schools will go hungry across the land.
What did Trump have to say about this as he signed his bill into law, flourishing his signature at a ceremony on the South Lawn at the White House?
'The largest spending cut, and yet, you won't even notice it,' Trump said, skating over the expected impact of cuts to Medicaid and food security.
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'The people are happy, they're happy.'
Perhaps he was referring to the monstrously wealthy who'll get big, beautiful tax cuts that will make them even wealthier, though, knee-deep in their billions, they'd be unlikely to actually notice it.
Overhead screamed a flight of warplanes and B2 stealth jets, the like of which only two weeks ago dumped bunker-buster bombs on Iran. A president who lusts after a Nobel Peace Prize can never have too many warplanes at his White House celebrations.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Victoria's Premier Jacinta Allan and NSW's Chris Minns could take a lesson.
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Donald Trump's ‘detractors' are now in a ‘very weakened position'
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Donald Trump's ‘detractors' are now in a ‘very weakened position'

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The Advertiser

time2 hours ago

  • The Advertiser

Kyiv hits Russian air base as drones pound Ukraine

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Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. According to the air force, Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target of the attack. Regional governor Serhii Tyurin said no damage, injuries or deaths had been reported. Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukraine. Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. On Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the number of people killed in the assault had increased to two. A further 26 people were wounded. The fresh wave of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he had a "very important and productive" phone call with US President Donald Trump. 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Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. According to the air force, Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target of the attack. Regional governor Serhii Tyurin said no damage, injuries or deaths had been reported. Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukraine. Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began. On Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the number of people killed in the assault had increased to two. A further 26 people were wounded. The fresh wave of attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he had a "very important and productive" phone call with US President Donald Trump. 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Donald Trump says TikTok sale is 'pretty much' finalised, only needing China's sign off
Donald Trump says TikTok sale is 'pretty much' finalised, only needing China's sign off

SBS Australia

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  • SBS Australia

Donald Trump says TikTok sale is 'pretty much' finalised, only needing China's sign off

President Donald Trump says the United States "pretty much" has a deal on the sale of popular short-video app TikTok. Trump told reporters on Saturday (AEST) that he would start talking to Chinese President Xi Jinping "or one of his representatives" early next week. When asked how confident he was that China would agree to the deal, he said: "I'm not confident, but I think so." "I think the deal is good for China, and it's good for us" Trump said. "And for us, it's money ... we make a lot of money if the deal goes through." The TikTok saga started after bipartisan legislation to ban the app on national security grounds unless it was sold to American buyers was signed early last year under the Biden administration. What do we know about the potenial buyers? ByteDance has previously confirmed talks with the US government, saying key matters needed to be resolved and that any deal would be "subject to approval under Chinese law". For the deal to comply with US law, ByteDance cannot own more than 20 per cent of TikTok. Late last month, Trump told Fox News a buyer had been found and could be disclosed in about two weeks. He didn't name the potential buyers, but said they are "very wealthy people". In May, Trump also mentioned that a group of buyers was prepared to pay "a lot of money" for TikTok. The previous month he said China would have agreed to a deal on the sale of TikTok if it were not for a dispute over Trump's tariffs on Beijing . Several US media outlets reported earlier this year that TikTok's US technology partner, Oracle, could take over in a deal that would potentially include the app's American investors. And there have also been reports that a group called The People's Bid for TikTok might also be a potential buyer. The group is owned by billionaire Frank McCourt, who is known as the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. With reporting by the Reuters and Agence France-Presse news agencies.

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