June 4, 2025
Russia Security Council Secretary Meets with Supreme Leader of North Korea
Russia’s top security official arrives in Pyongyang, scheduled to meet with Kim Jong Un.
Russian media Tass, confirming the arrival of Russia’s security council secretary in North Korea. The two nations signed a strategic partnership agreement last June. North Korea has provided artillery and troops to Russia in its war against Ukraine; Russia has provided weapons to North Korea.
Learn More:
- Russia’s top security official is in North Korea for talks on Putin’s war in Ukraine (AP)
- North Korea Gets a Weapons Bonanza From Russia (NYT)
Defense Secretary Will Not Attend NATO Meeting on Ukraine
The United States is focused on ending the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible, on terms that establish an enduring peace.
Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson on the U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth not attending a meeting Wednesday at NATO headquarters on supplying Ukraine with weapons and aid; he will attend a broader meeting on Thursday. This comes after the White House confirmed Ukraine did not inform the U.S. president about its recent drone attack on Russia.
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Iran Supreme Leader Criticizes Latest U.S. Nuclear Proposal
That’s none of your business.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with a message to the U.S. on X about Iran’s nuclear program, delivered in a televised speech marking the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic. Ayatollah Khamenei commented on Iran’s nuclear program and discussed the importance of uranium enrichment — a key step to attaining nuclear weapons, which the U.S. (and others) want to limit to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon. Talks between the two nations remain ongoing.
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Senate Starts Review of “Big, Beautiful Bill”
I think the Senate should make the bill substantially better, and I hope and believe we’ll do that.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) on the budget reconciliation package now in front of the U.S. Senate, after Elon Musk criticized the legislation as a “disgusting abomination.” Critics argue Musk, the founder and CEO of Tesla, does not like the bill because it strips tax credits for electric vehicles. Forecasts project the current bill will add an estimated $3 trillion to the U.S. debt. If the Senate changes the existing bill, it will have to return to the House for approval.
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White House Sends Rescissions Proposals to Congress
Every bit of savings helps.
Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), on a rescissions package sent to Congress by the White House that would cut just over $9 billion in spending; the CRFB reports the U.S. government spends $7 trillion annually, borrowing nearly $2 trillion each year. The president has the power of rescission — a not-often used process in recent years — where the president asks Congress to cut already approved (appropriated) spending. This rescissions package strips money from certain foreign aid programs and public broadcasting.
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by Jenna Lee, Founder of SmartHER News
