Friday morning news: August 15, 2025

Alaska summit preview » President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet face to face just hours from now in Alaska … for what the White House has described as a “listening exercise.”

Trump says of Putin that he will hear him out regarding what it will take to end the war in Ukraine … and get a sense of whether the Russian leader is serious about ending it.

TRUMP:  As Putin knows, I'm the toughest one that he's ever had to deal with. He's never had to deal with any, anybody like me.

Putin on Thursday praised Trump’s efforts to end the war. That is keeping with what many analysts see as a charm offensive on the Kremlin’s part in dealing with the American president. But Trump has voiced frustration with pleasant phone calls with Putin … that were followed only by more violence.

Trump says the real negotiations would happen in a follow–up meeting to include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

TRUMP:  The second meeting is gonna be very, very important. 'cause that's gonna be a meeting where they, uh, make a deal, and I don't want to use the word divvy things up, but you know, to a certain extent, it's not a bad term. Okay. But there will be a give and take as to boundaries, lands, et cetera, et cetera.

But Zelenskyy has been adamant that Ukraine will not be dividing Russian occupied Ukrainian land. He says the Ukrainian people would not tolerate that, and his country’s constitution would not allow it.

Zelenskyy has been in touch with European leaders this week. They’re working behind the scenes to bolster Kyiv’s leverage in any possible negotiation with Moscow.

Trump 90th anniversary of Social Security remarks » And Trump on Thursday issued a presidential proclamation from the Oval Office honoring the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act.

The president said his administration is working to bolster the program.

TRUMP:  In the campaign, I made a sacred pledge to our seniors that I would always protect social security and under this administration we're keeping that promise and strengthening social security for generations to come.

He pointed to a series of legislative provisions that he says will help the vast majority of seniors pay "zero tax" on their Social Security benefits.

Democrats charge that Trump is not keeping his campaign promise. They’ve been critical of the president's cuts to Social Security staffing as well the Department of Government Efficiency's access to taxpayer information.

The White House says they are making technological upgrades, as well as lowering customer service wait times.

Wholesale inflation » Wall Street is hoping to rebound this morning after stocks dipped Thursday following hotter-than-expected wholesale inflation numbers. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has more.

BENJAMIN EICHER: Markets slumped on news that the Producer Price Index—a key measure of wholesale inflation … jumped 0.9% in July … on a month-over-month basis. And it was up 3.3% year-over-year.

Both of those numbers were well above expectations.

And many see that as evidence that tariffs are applying upward pressure on prices.

But some producers of core products that are sensitive to tariffs — things like imported home goods and electronics … are also reporting higher margins. Economists say that could suggest that some companies are using tariffs as cover to raise prices.

The unwelcomed wholesale numbers came just one day after stocks rose on Wednesday's government report showing consumer inflation remained flat in July.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

Israel West Bank settlement » Israel's finance minister says construction is set to begin on a controversial new Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

SMOTRICH: [Speaking Hebrew]

Bezalel Smotrich says Israel will answer efforts to establish a Palestinian state with more Israeli neighborhoods and communities. He adds that Jewish reality will ultimately bury the false dream of a Palestinian state.

DEEK: [Speaking Arabic]

One Palestinian official is calling the Israeli announcement a “colonial, expansionist, and racist move.”

The UK, Canada, France, and Australia have said they’re ready to recognize a Palestinian state if certain conditions are met.

The Israeli government argues that a Palestinian state would pose a grave security threat to Israel.

Tropical Storm Erin » Tropical Storm Erin, now spinning over the Atlantic, is expected to become a major hurricane this week.

It is expected to steer clear of land, but Jack Beven with the National Hurricane Center says:

BEVEN:  It's too early to tell what areas might or might not get impacted by Erin. And, uh, so, uh, people along the east coast of the United States at least keep an eye on it.

Officials across the northern Caribbean are on alert today. Winds were expected to top 60 miles per hour this morning and strengthening,

The storm will trigger dangerous swells, high surf, rip currents, and it will drop heavy rain from the Leeward Islands through Puerto Rico.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead, Culture Friday with John Stonestreet. And later, Wordplay with George Grant.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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