‘Productive’ Peace Talks With Putin, De-Banking Ban, NASA Plans Lunar Nuclear Reactor

[ad_1] A U.S. envoy’s assembly with Vladimir Putin yields “nice progress” on peace talks simply earlier than President Trump’s deadline, because the U.S. hikes tariffs on India for getting Russian oil . President Trump is about to signal an government order focusing on “de-banking” to guard Individuals from being denied monetary companies primarily based on their political or spiritual beliefs . NASA declares an accelerated plan to construct a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030, pushed by a brand new area race with China .

It’s Thursday, August 7, 2025, and that is the information you might want to know to start out your day .

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U.S. Envoy Meets With Putin Forward Of Peace Deadline <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-957941" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"/> Topline: U.S. particular envoy Steve Witkoff held a “extremely productive” assembly with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, simply two days earlier than President Trump’s deadline for a ceasefire in Ukraine .

On Wednesday, Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin held a virtually three-hour assembly that each the White Home and the Kremlin described as “constructive” and “helpful” . Following the dialogue, President Trump introduced that “nice progress” was made and that he intends to fulfill with Putin personally as quickly as subsequent week, earlier than bringing each Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky collectively for talks . The diplomatic push comes simply earlier than Trump’s shortened deadline of this Friday for Russia to comply with a ceasefire . Whereas Putin is reportedly not prepared for a full ceasefire, he could comply with de-escalate by pausing airstrikes .

As a part of a “carrot and stick” method, the Trump administration elevated strain on Russia’s allies instantly following the assembly . On Wednesday, the president signed an order to lift tariffs on items from India by an extra 25%, bringing the entire tariff to 50% . Nationwide Financial Council Director Kevin Hassett defined that the transfer was supposed to shut a “launch valve for Russia,” which has been funding its conflict effort by promoting oil to India .

There has additionally been important misinformation surrounding the conflict in Gaza . The New York Occasions not too long ago ran a front-page story that includes a photograph of an emaciated baby, implying hunger attributable to Israel . It was later revealed that the kid suffered from preexisting medical points . Whereas circumstances in Gaza are dire, lots of of tons of assist enter the territory each day, however in accordance with the U.N., practically 90% of it's looted by Hamas . As one Gazan native instructed MSNBC, “Hamas wished to see the deterioration of the humanitarian circumstances in Gaza” to create “horrendous imagery” and switch the worldwide neighborhood in opposition to Israel.

Trump To Signal Order Concentrating on ‘De-Banking’ <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-957937" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH2.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"/> Topline: President Trump is about to signal an government order to ban the observe of “de-banking,” which denies clients entry to monetary companies primarily based on their political or spiritual beliefs .

The observe of “de-banking” grew underneath the earlier administration and has focused quite a few conservative people and organizations . Ryan Bangert of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) instructed Morning Wire that the chief order is “very wanted,” as a result of “entry to monetary companies is completely important to have the ability to operate” within the trendy economic system .

Bangert pointed to a number of documented circumstances of de-banking, together with the Supreme Court docket case NRA v. Vullo , the place New York regulators pressured monetary establishments to chop ties with the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation . He additionally cited a congressional report that discovered Treasury Division officers had pressured banks to surveil clients who shopped at sporting items shops like Cabela’s or had been related to teams labeled as “hate teams” by far-left organizations, together with ADF .

Whereas some states like Tennessee and Idaho have handed legal guidelines to ban ideological de-banking, this government order will present federal safety . Bangert dismissed issues that the order would infringe on the rights of personal companies, arguing that the sort of discrimination is already illegal and that the order would relieve banks from strain from “leftists and elitists in authorities” .

NASA Publicizes Plan For Nuclear Reactor On The Moon <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-957943" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.7.25-Thu-SH3.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"/> Topline: In a significant push to win the brand new area race, the Trump administration has directed NASA to construct a nuclear reactor on the floor of the moon by 2030 .

This week, appearing NASA Administrator Sean Duffy issued a directive to construct a 100-kilowatt nuclear micro-reactor on the moon throughout the decade . The formidable plan is pushed by a renewed area race with China and Russia, each of whom have introduced their very own intentions to place reactors on the moon by the mid-2030s . Duffy confused the urgency, saying, “We need to get there first and declare that for America,” to stop adversaries from declaring a “keep-out zone” that will inhibit U.S. operations .

Nuclear energy is taken into account essentially the most environment friendly possibility for a long-term lunar base as a result of the moon experiences two weeks of continuous darkness each month, making solar energy impractical . The reactor is a key element of NASA’s Artemis Program, which goals to return astronauts to the moon by 2027 and ultimately set up a everlasting base .

The lunar base will function a crucial staging level for future deep-space exploration, notably missions to Mars, as launching from the moon’s decrease gravity is way extra environment friendly than from Earth . Whereas the mission’s said objective is exploration, it additionally has potential navy implications, as a lunar presence could be of serious curiosity to the Pentagon in an period of accelerating weaponization of area by adversaries like China and Russia .