The Trump-Sri Democrat Dialogue of the Middle East, and the U.S.-Israel War against Terrorism

President Trump was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he met with the leader of Syria. Just months ago, Sharaa was on the U.S. list of designated terrorists, with a $10 million bounty placed on him. Trump announced he was going to remove U.S. sanctions on Syria. The ousting of the Assad regime has had a negative impact on the economy.

“The sanctions were really crippling, very powerful,” Trump said in remarks to the Gulf Cooperation Council. Lifting the sanctions would give Syria a chance for greatness, he said.

It’s not going to be easy. So it gives them a good, strong chance, and it was my honor to do so,” Trump said, noting that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had asked him to remove sanctions.

Trump encouraged Sharaa to normalize relations with Israel by signing on to the Abraham Accords, and urged him to deter terrorism, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on social media. The White House posted an image of the meeting, but reporters traveling with Trump were not allowed in the room.

Sharaa’s visit to the Arab world to support the end of the sanctions and his attempts to rebuild Syria after the fall of the Assad regime

The sanctions had threatened to force Syria to seek financial support from Russia, which had allied itself with the former regime and whose war planes had bombed opposition-held cities. Moscow has military bases in Syria and took in the Assad family.

The sanctions were still in place, despite the fact that many countries were wary of his past. There were fears that he may attempt to maintain his rule by force after a series of deadly clashes between warring groups.

But Sharaa has shown himself to be an able diplomat, and has toured the Arab world and other nations trying to ease those fears and raise support for an end to sanctions and his efforts to rebuild the country. This month, he flew to Paris to meet President Emmanuel Macron, who has also called for an easing of sanctions.

Sharaa and those around him have even hinted at friendly ties with Israel, which has been carrying out a series of airstrikes inside Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, at first saying it wanted to avoid weapons falling into the hands of extremists, and then to protect the Druze minority who live on both sides of the Israel-Syria border, and who have fought clashes with Sunni factions allied with the new government. Israel has taken control of the positions along the frontier with the Israel-controlled Golan Heights that were once held by the Syrians.

The Up First newsletter: Three Trump officials with ties to antisemitic extremists and an individual labeled as a “Nazi sympathizer”

NPR identified three Trump administration officials with ties to antisemitic extremists. This also includes an individual labeled as a “Nazi sympathizer” by federal prosecutors. This revelation follows the Trump administration’s use of the fight against antisemitism as a rationale for deporting pro-Palestinian student protesters. There are details on each official’s ties to antisemitic individuals.

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Representatives from Russia and Ukraine will gather in Turkey for negotiations tomorrow, entering a new phase in an attempt to halt or end the war. The two countries have not had direct talks since the beginning of the Kremlin’s invasion in 2022. Trump has suggested he might stop by.

Kennedy will testify for the first time on Capitol Hill today since taking over as Health and Human Services Secretary. Since taking the position, Kennedy has fired thousands of staff members, canceled billions of dollars in grants to universities and public health departments, and purged scientific leaders. He will testify before the House and the Senate to explain why he wants less money for his department in the coming year.

Source: 3 Trump officials with ties to antisemitic extremists. And, Syria sanctions may lift

Mixing Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida and 111XPANTIA for a New Way to Consume Carbohydrates

For the first time in the 69-year history of the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart, Spanish-language albums are Nos. 1 and 2 simultaneously. Bad Bunny was crowned the top dog. The Mexican American band Fuerza Regida, with their ninth album, is next to him. After eight years of making music, the group’s new album, 111XPANTIA, marks a return to their traditional style after a brief shift to a more electronic sound on their previous album. What sets the group apart is the magnetism of their melodies and how they dance with a pop-like groove. What makes the songs unique can be seen in excerpts from the album.

Whole grain or brown rice and pasta is often recommended as a better substitute for white or pasta because they are more healthy. But in the past decade, food scientists have figured out a way people can digest carbohydrates more slowly. During that process, they uncovered a surprise: a super nutrient hidden inside white pasta and white rice called resistant starch. Studies have shown that eating more resistant starch can improve gut health, lower inflammation in the body and enhance insulin sensitivity. There’s a method to create the supernutrient in your kitchen.