PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed the state of transatlantic relations, criticizing the unpredictability of the US administration under President Donald Trump and likening key figures to oligarchs.

👥 Who’s Involved: Ursula von der Leyen, Donald Trump, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, US Vice-President JD Vance.

📍 Where & When: Comments were published in German newspaper Die Zeit, ongoing developments with trade talks involving the EU and US.

💬 Key Quote: “We don’t have bros or oligarchs making the rules.”

⚠️ Impact: The statement reflects tensions in US-EU relations, with discussions ongoing about tariffs and trade agreements. Trump has recently been noted for easing tariffs on European imports.

IN FULL:

In a candid evaluation of European and American relations, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, voiced concerns about the current dynamics, noting that traditional alliances are shifting. In an interview with Die Zeit, she criticized the US administration’s approach and compared influential figures to Russian oligarchs. This marks a significant moment in transatlantic discussions as von der Leyen emphasized Europe’s commitment to global trade principles, contrasting it with tactics she attributes to Washington.

Her comments come at a time when trade agreements between the US and EU are a point of contention. Trump recently retracted tariffs impacting European imports valued at £328 billion, a move following financial market instability. Nonetheless, Vice-President JD Vance has been critical of the EU, labeling it as undemocratic and suppressive towards right-wing populism.

“We don’t have bros or oligarchs making the rules,” von der Leyen said, adding, “[t]he West as we knew it no longer exists.”

Despite these challenges, von der Leyen claims Europe as a model of stability and predictability, stressing the region’s position in global economics. She highlighted that only a small portion of Europe’s trade is with the US, causing concern that as with prior decades, the European Union is inclined to move further towards the Chinese Communist Party and its brutal regime.

“In Europe, children can go to good schools however wealthy their parents are. We have lower CO2 emissions and higher life expectancy,’ she said, adding that “controversial debates are allowed at our universities,” in a clear dig at Trump’s policy of removing anti-American and anti-Israel students from college campuses.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: James Bennet, a former opinion editor for the New York Times, apologized to Sarah Palin during a federal court hearing about a 2017 editorial that falsely linked her political action committee to a 2011 shooting incident.

👥 Who’s Involved: James Bennet, Sarah Palin, Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ), U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff, and Steve Scalise (R-LA).

📍 Where & When: The event took place in federal court on Thursday during a revived defamation trial.

💬 Key Quote: “I did, and I do apologize to Gov. Palin for this mistake,” said James Bennet during his testimony.

⚠️ Impact: Bennet’s apology did not move Palin, who is scheduled to testify next week. The case has been reopened due to procedural errors acknowledged by an appeals court.

IN FULL:

During testimony in a federal libel case, former New York Times opinion editor James Bennet expressed remorse to Sarah Palin for a 2017 editorial that inaccurately linked her political action committee to a 2011 shooting. Bennet, tearful and emotional on the stand, admitted to having “blew it” by erroneously connecting a graphic from Palin’s Political Action Committee (PAC) to the attack that severely injured Rep. Gabby Giffords and killed six individuals. He openly apologized to Palin, acknowledging the error publicly.

The case centers around an editorial penned after a shooting incident at a congressional baseball game practice in 2017, where then-House GOP Whip Steve Scalise was badly injured. The editorial referenced a map from Palin’s PAC that displayed Democratic districts under crosshairs, incorrectly suggesting that it incited the earlier 2011 violence. The New York Times subsequently issued a correction to clarify that there was no such link.

Judge Jed Rakoff praised Bennet’s apology as both “heartfelt” and “moving.” Despite the sincerity expressed in court, Palin remained unaffected, indicating outside the courthouse that the lapse in truth had occurred years prior. She expressed skepticism over the timing of the acknowledgment, referring to it as “untruth,” and dismissed the emotional tone of the apology. Palin is expected to take the stand next week to present her testimony in the case.

The New York Times initially successfully navigated the legal challenges in 2022, with Bennet’s assertion that the misinformation was unintentional proving substantial in that case. However, procedural errors identified by an appeals court have paved the way for a second trial, granting Palin another opportunity to present her defamation contention against the newspaper.