Thursday morning news: August 14, 2025

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Alaska summit: Trump remarks » Final preparations are under way for tomorrow’s meeting between President Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

The White House says the president sees this as an opportunity to take the measure of Putin — to get a sense for where he’s truly ready to negotiate in good faith toward ending the Ukraine war.

Trump says after the Friday summit, he will call Ukraine’s president and European leaders.

TRUMP: I'm gonna call President Zelensky and then I'll call probably in that order, the leaders, uh, there's a very good chance that we're gonna have a second meeting, which will be more productive than the first, because the first is I'm gonna find out where we are and what we're doing.

That second meeting, he says, would include President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump also told reporters Wednesday that Russia will face consequences if Putin does not show any real movement toward peace.

TRUMP:  Yes, they will. Yeah. There will be — There will be …

REPORTER: Sanctions? Tariffs?

TRUMP: I don't have to say, there will be very severe consequences.

Alaska summit: location » The summit will reportedly be held at a U.S. military base. The Associated Press, citing a White House official, says they’ll meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.

Defense analyst Benjamin Jensen with the Center for Strategic and International Studies says the setting makes sense for both sides.

JENSEN:  The last thing Putin and his propaganda inner circle want is pictures of Americans protesting Putin being there at a public setting. No one's getting into the military base who isn't supposed to be there.

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.

And planes from the base still regularly intercept Russian aircraft that fly into U.S. airspace.

Washington policing update » The White House says federal officers are on the streets of the nation’s capital around the clock as of last night.

D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith told TV station WTTG that she sees the collaboration with federal law enforcement as an opportunity:

SMITH:  Building those relationships with our federal partners, but then after the surge is over, right, being able to continue those relationships so when we, when we have opportunities where we can do small surges or, or take downs across our city, we can count on them to be a part of that.

The number of National Guard troops serving in a support role in Washington will also ramp up to as many as 800.

President Trump on Monday declared a public safety emergency in the District of Columbia and put local police under the authority of the Justice Department for 30 days.

Declassified Clapper email » U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard had released a newly declassified email that she says is further evidence of an organized effort within the Obama administration to push what she called the Russia hoax. WORLD’s Benjamin Eicher has details.

BENJAMIN EICHER: Gabbard Wednesday published a December 20-16 email … which shows then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper as the sender.

The message stated that intelligence agencies might need to—quote—"compromise on our 'normal' modalities"—end quote … in order to meet a January 20-17 deadline for the Russia report.

That report eventually asserted that Russia tried to tip the 20-16 election in Donald Trump’s favor.

Current intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard Wednesday cited Clapper’s acknowledgment that producing the report had become a—quote—“team sport.” Gabbard says that showed top-down pressure to fall in line … in service of a political deadline.

Gabbard further highlighted that then‑NSA chief Mike Rogers warned that his team lacked sufficient time or access to fully review the intelligence.

For WORLD, I’m Benjamin Eicher.

NATS: Gaza children loaded onto aircraft

Israel-Gaza » A group of Palestinian children and families from Gaza in need of medical care were loaded onto an Italian Air Force plane yesterday.

The plane took off from an Israeli airport carrying more than 30 children and their families to receive medical treatment in Italy.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Palestinians who wish to leave Gaza … should be allowed to do so voluntarily. And called on other nations to take in Palestinian refugees.

NETANYAHU: In Hebrew

The prime minister also says that the opportunity for a partial ceasefire deal with Hamas—quote—“is behind us” after the terror group repeatedly misled negotiators.

Netanyahu says the only acceptable deal now is one in which Hamas releases all remaining hostages and surrenders.

NYC Mamdani sanctuary city » In New York City, the Democratic nominee for mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is not just running against several other candidates for the office. He’s also looking to score points with the party’s base by campaigning against President Trump.

Rallying supporters in Staten Island Wednesday, the self-proclaimed socialist took aim at the president’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

MAMDANI:  We are fighting to keep this city a sanctuary city.

That drew this response from Trump’s border czar Tom Homan:

HOMAN:  He says he wants to uphold the sanctuary city policy. How about upholding the law? The law says it's a crime to this country legally.

The latest polls show Mamdani with a comfortable lead in a five-person race that includes incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and former New York Governor Andew Cuomo, both running as independents.

I'm Kent Covington.

Thousands of Ukrainian orphans are missing. Advocates want the US to keep the pressure on Russia. And later: Divorce numbers are down but there’s a catch.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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