South County Mail

Missouri and the World

Donald Trump

Trump comments fuel fresh debate over possible US action against Cuba

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New criminal charges filed in the United States against Cuba’s former leader Raúl Castro have triggered renewed speculation about whether the Trump administration could eventually pursue more aggressive action toward the island nation.

According to analysis published by The Conversation, US prosecutors have charged the 94-year-old Castro with conspiracy to kill US nationals, murder and destruction of aircraft linked to the 1996 downing of two planes operated by a Miami-based exile group.

The case relates to an incident in which four men died after Cuban fighter jets shot down the aircraft. [Read more…] about Trump comments fuel fresh debate over possible US action against Cuba

Tulsi Gabbard resigns from Trump Cabinet amid husband’s cancer diagnosis

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Tulsi Gabbard has announced she is stepping down as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence, citing her husband’s serious illness as the reason for leaving the administration.

Gabbard said her husband, Abraham Williams, had been diagnosed with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer” and would require her full support in the months ahead.

“At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” Gabbard wrote in her resignation letter. [Read more…] about Tulsi Gabbard resigns from Trump Cabinet amid husband’s cancer diagnosis

RFK Jr. says America faces a sperm crisis – but scientists disagree on what it means

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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has once again drawn attention to declining sperm counts in men, describing the issue as an “existential crisis” for the United States.

Speaking at a White House event on maternal health last week, Kennedy argued that men today have significantly lower sperm counts than previous generations and suggested the trend reflects a broader decline in American health and fertility.

“The fertility crisis for women began in 2007; for men in 1970,” Kennedy said during the event. “Men had twice the sperm count as our teenagers do today. This is an existential crisis for our country.” [Read more…] about RFK Jr. says America faces a sperm crisis – but scientists disagree on what it means

As America turns 250, teachers face a difficult question: How should the nation tell its story?

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As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary next year, teachers across the country are wrestling with a question that has become increasingly complicated in modern America: How should the nation’s history be taught?

For generations, American students often learned a relatively straightforward version of the country’s founding story – one centered on heroic revolutionaries, the Declaration of Independence and the promise of freedom and democracy.

Today, many educators say the challenge is no longer simply teaching historical facts, but helping students understand a more complicated national story that includes both America’s founding ideals and its contradictions. [Read more…] about As America turns 250, teachers face a difficult question: How should the nation tell its story?

Why one FDA resignation could affect abortion access across America

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The planned resignation of Marty Makary from the US Food and Drug Administration is creating fresh uncertainty over abortion access across the United States, particularly regarding the future of abortion pills prescribed through telehealth and delivered by mail.

Makary, who faced criticism from anti-abortion groups during his tenure as FDA commissioner, is expected to leave the agency amid growing political pressure from conservative activists and internal tensions within the Trump administration.

The development matters because the FDA now sits at the center of one of the country’s most significant legal and political battles over abortion access. [Read more…] about Why one FDA resignation could affect abortion access across America

Trump’s China diplomacy could weaken Russia’s influence

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The summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping last week was closely watched around the world, particularly in Moscow, where Russian president Vladimir Putin may have seen signs that improving relations between Washington and Beijing could gradually reduce Russia’s global influence.

While the meeting focused publicly on trade, technology, Iran and Taiwan, the broader geopolitical significance may lie in the possibility that the United States and China are attempting to stabilize one of the world’s most important relationships after years of growing tension.

For Russia, that could create new challenges. [Read more…] about Trump’s China diplomacy could weaken Russia’s influence

Why Trump’s meeting with Xi matters to American jobs, prices and manufacturing

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The meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping last week was dominated by familiar geopolitical flashpoints – trade, technology, Iran and Taiwan – but the broader significance for ordinary Americans may lie much closer to home.

While headlines focused on tensions over Taiwan and military posturing in the Asia-Pacific region, economists and manufacturers will be watching for something more practical: whether Washington and Beijing can stabilize a relationship that remains deeply intertwined with the American economy.

Even after years of tariffs, reshoring initiatives and political hostility between the world’s two largest economies, the United States still relies heavily on China for manufacturing, industrial supply chains, electronics, consumer goods and critical materials. [Read more…] about Why Trump’s meeting with Xi matters to American jobs, prices and manufacturing

Zohran Mamdani’s first 100 days are testing democratic socialist ideas in New York

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Since taking office at the start of 2026, Zohran Mamdani has begun rolling out a series of policies aimed at lowering living costs, expanding public services and increasing taxes on wealthy property owners in New York City.

The democratic socialist mayor, who won office on promises including free childcare, rent reform and stronger labor protections, is now using his first months in office to test whether progressive economic policies can deliver measurable results in one of the world’s most expensive cities.

A report published by The Better News says Mamdani’s administration has already begun implementing several major campaign pledges after roughly 100 days in office. [Read more…] about Zohran Mamdani’s first 100 days are testing democratic socialist ideas in New York

EU and China are pulling ahead of the US in the global energy transition

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While fossil fuels still dominate much of the global economy, new data suggests the transition toward renewable energy is accelerating rapidly – and the United States risks falling behind Europe and China in the race to build the next generation of energy systems.

A new analysis published by The Better News argues that the global energy transition is already well under way in the electricity sector, with the European Union and China leading large-scale expansion of renewable power generation.

The article, based on analysis by economist Nikolaus Kowall and originally published by Austrian outlet Kontrast.at, says the shift toward renewable electricity is progressing faster than many people realize. [Read more…] about EU and China are pulling ahead of the US in the global energy transition

America’s doctor shortage could worsen as immigrant visa costs rise

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America’s growing shortage of doctors could worsen under new immigration restrictions that are making it more expensive for hospitals to recruit foreign medical professionals, according to a new interview published by Analyst News.

The article features Eram Alam, a Harvard historian of medicine and author of the book “The Care of Foreigners: How Immigrant Physicians Changed US Healthcare”.

Alam argues that immigrant doctors – particularly from India and Pakistan – have become essential to the American healthcare system, especially in rural and underserved communities where physician shortages are most severe. [Read more…] about America’s doctor shortage could worsen as immigrant visa costs rise