Month: June 2025

Colombian senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay is in critical condition after being shot three times during a campaign appearance in Bogotá on Saturday. Uribe, 39, survived an initial operation for his injuries after being shot, although he remains in intensive care.

Uribe is a member of the opposition right-wing Democratic Center party and was shot in the head during a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighborhood, where he was giving a speech to supporter. Footage verified by NBC News appears to capture the moment Uribe was struck by gunfire, including a shot to the head. The video features the sound of multiple shots and shows panicked supporters fleeing as chaos erupted.

According to local media, police quickly detained a 15-year-old suspect at the scene. The attorney general’s office said in a statement that he was carrying a 9-millimeter Glock-type pistol. Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting. General Carlos Triana, head of Colombia’s National Police, announced in a video that the Minister of Defense had offered a reward of up to 3 billion pesos (roughly $726,000) for any additional information related to the case.

Leftist President Gustavo Petro urged an investigation into who had ordered the attack in remarks late on Saturday, with the government stating it is investigating if there were other potential perpetrators. In a video message, he emphasized the government’s commitment to uncovering the truth behind the attempted assassination: “Turbay is alive, and all efforts today are focused on keeping him that way.”

In a statement, the Santa Fe Foundation hospital where Uribe was treated said he had procedures on his head and his left thigh, and remained in intensive care as doctors seek to stabilize his condition.  His wife Maria Claudia Tarazona told local media on Sunday: “Miguel came out of surgery, he made it. Every hour is a critical hour. He fought his first battle, and it went well. This will take time.” The couple are parents to a young son.

Uribe’s political party, Centro Democrático, condemned the shooting in a statement, calling it “an intolerable act of violence.” Uribe, a right-leaning senator since 2022, is known for his criticism of President Petro; he launched his bid for the 2026 presidential election in October. Uribe’s mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a failed rescue operation after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar’s Medellín cartel.

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The National Guard descended on Los Angeles to Sunday after President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 troops,  after a weekend of intense protests and confrontations with law enforcement as part of a growing backlash in the state against operations carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to a statement from the White House, the California National Guard was activated in response to the protests that broke out in Los Angeles on Friday night. Demonstrations have erupted across multiple parts of L.A. County, were on several occasions the protests have turned violent.

Earlier in the day, California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticized the federal move, saying Washington was attempting to “seize control” of the state’s National Guard, describing the action as “deliberately provocative” and warned it would only heighten tensions on the ground. Border czar Tom Homan defended the president’s decision to deploy the troops and warned that Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could be arrested if they impede operation efforts.

Trump posted on Truth Social to describe the situation in Los Angeles as “two days filled with violence, confrontations, and disorder … These Radical Left protests, fueled by agitators and, in some cases, paid provocateurs, will not be allowed to continue.”

California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom formally requested on Sunday that the Trump administration rescind the deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles County, calling the decision “unlawful … I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command ..We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed.”

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President Trump spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday morning, with the President saying the two leaders spoke for 90 minutes and addressed issues surrounding a temporary truce reached on May 12 that was meant to alleviate the escalating trade war between the two countries. According to Chinese officials and state media, the conversation took place at the request of the White House.

Trump had posted to social media on Wednesday, airing frustrations on how the conversations between the U.S. and China were progressing: “I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!”

However in a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump said a meeting will now be held “shortly” between representatives from the two nations at a location to be determined:  “I just concluded a very good phone call with President Xi, of China, discussing some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal. The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries. There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products. Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined. We will be represented by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer. During the conversation, President Xi graciously invited the First Lady and me to visit China, and I reciprocated. As Presidents of two Great Nations, this is something that we both look forward to doing. The conversation was focused almost entirely on TRADE. Nothing was discussed concerning Russia/Ukraine, or Iran. We will inform the Media as to scheduling and location of the soon to be meeting. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Under the May 12 truce, the U.S. agreed to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods to around 30% from 145%, while China reduced its levies on American imports to 10%. However last week, Trump accused China of violating the May 12 deal. U.S. officials have said China is withholding some products, including rare earth minerals, that it agreed to resume exporting under the agreement. China responded that the U.S. is undermining the deal by imposing new export control guidelines on AI chips and planning to revoke Chinese student visas.

Trump is also facing major challenges in U.S.-China relations, including efforts to force a sale of TikTok by its Chinese parent company ByteDance, and ongoing attempts to curb the flow of fentanyl, much of which U.S. authorities believe is sourced from Chinese labs. A deadline that would require ByteDance to divest from the app or face a U.S. ban is set for June 19; unless an agreement is reached, Trump may have to extend the deadline for a third time.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived Thursday in Washington to meet with President Donald Trump in person for the first time at the White House. The topics of discussion ranged from tariffs and trade to Russia’s war on Ukraine and the state of the Middle East.

Before their meeting, Merz had said that he was looking forward to his first face-to-face meeting with Trump after the two have previously spoken over the phone, writing on X: “Our alliance with America was, is, and remains of paramount importance for the security, freedom, and prosperity of Europe. The United States is an indispensable friend and partner of German.”

Trump said that Merz is a “very good man” to deal with, telling reporters in the Oval Office that “all we want is a very good relationship,” adding that the Chancellor is “difficult”, but later joking that Merz “wouldn’t want him to say he’s easy … We’ll have a good trade deal … you’re a very big part of that,”

Regarding the war in Ukraine, Merz told Trump he wants more pressure on Russia to end the war, telling him the US is in a strong position to bring the war to an end; meanwhile, Trump says he spoke to Putin on the phone, referring to the two leaders as “two children fighting in a park”.

Per UPI: Germany announced last week it will provide a nearly $5.7 billion military aid package to Ukraine that will finance long-range weapons to be produced by Ukraine, which Merz announced can be deployed by the Ukrainian military for use inside the borders of Russia. Trump, meanwhile, ordered a pause on military aid to Ukraine in March shortly after his meeting with Zelensky in February.

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According to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the major legislative package backed by President Trump known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” could increase the federal deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next decade.  The updated estimate slightly exceeds the CBO’s earlier projection of $2.3 trillion in additional debt tied to a previous version of the bill.

The CBO published its latest projections on Wednesday, just as attention shifts to the Senate, where some Republican lawmakers are raising red flags over rising deficits and proposed changes to Medicaid. According to the CBO’s analysis, nearly 11 million more Americans could be without health insurance by 2034 due to the bill’s healthcare provisions. The legislation proposes $3.7 trillion in tax cuts, paired with $1.2 trillion in spending reductions. However, the CBO has yet to release a full analysis that includes broader economic effects, which will come in a separate report.

The White House defended the bill ahead of the CBO’s announcement; Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller dismissed the CBO as biased, labeling the office “lefty” and praising the measure as a “dream bill.”  In addition, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought downplayed the CBO’s findings, arguing that the projected deficit impact was overstated due to what he called the agency’s failure to use a “realistic” current policy baseline. The administration maintains that the CBO ignores the long-term effects of the 2017 tax overhaul in its projections.

During a GOP leadership press conference on Wednesday morning, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also criticized the CBO’s approach, saying it fails to account for potential economic growth, which it will do in a later, separate estimate. Scalise said: “I get that we got to play by the rules of the referee, but the referee’s been wrong. We’ve got a referee that tries to sack our quarterback a lot.” 

The legislation now moves to the Senate, where Republican leaders are aiming to pass a modified version by July 4. However, it remains unclear what changes will be made in the Senate version or how they might impact the bill’s financial outlook. Trump was scheduled to meet with members of the Senate Finance Committee at the White House on Wednesday in a push to get the legislation through the Senate.

Adding to the mounting criticism, Elon Musk—former adviser to Trump and prominent billionaire—lashed out at the bill on Tuesday, calling it a “disgusting abomination” in light of the projected increase in the national debt.

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