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Vance says Israel trip not about monitoring ceasefire like ‘a toddler’

admin - Latest News - October 22, 2025
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During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Vice President Vance said his trip to the region was not about monitoring the Gaza ceasefire like you would “a toddler,” but instead about strengthening Israel’s leadership in the Middle East.



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Savewith a NBCUniversal ProfileCreate your free profile or log in to save this articleOct. 22, 2025, 10:00 AM EDTBy Evan BushThe first half of this year was the costliest ever recorded for weather and climate disasters in the United States, according to an analysis published Wednesday by the nonprofit organization Climate Central.It is information that the public might never have learned: This spring, the Trump administration cut the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration program that had tracked weather events that caused at least $1 billion in damage. The researcher who led that work, Adam Smith, left NOAA over the decision. Climate Central, a research group focused on the effects of climate change, hired Smith to redevelop the database, which includes records back to 1980. According to the organization’s new analysis, 14 weather events exceeded $1 billion in damages in the first six months of 2025. The January wildfires in Los Angeles were, by far, the most expensive natural disaster so far this year — they caused more than $61 billion in damage. That also makes them the most expensive wildfire event on record.Suspect arrested in connection with deadly Palisades Fire02:09The findings show how the costs of weather and climate disasters continue to escalate as extreme weather grows more frequent and intense, and as populations spread into areas prone to costly destruction from wildfires and flooding. The report itself is also an example of the way nonprofit groups are increasingly taking over federal projects that once tracked and quantified the effects of climate change as the Trump administration makes cuts to climate science. President Donald Trump has called climate change a “con job.” His administration has cut funding for clean energy projects and is trying to remove the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate the greenhouse gas pollution that is causing global warming. Jennifer Brady, a senior data analyst and research manager at Climate Central who worked on the project, said the shuttering of NOAA’s billion-dollar disasters database upset staff at the nonprofit, who decided to take matters into their own hands. “This has always been one of our favorite datasets. It’s told so many different stories. It tells the climate change story. It tells the story of where people are living, how they’re living at risk,” Brady said. “We’re happy to bring it back.”Kim Doster, a NOAA spokesperson, said the agency “appreciates that the Billion Dollar Disaster Product has found a funding mechanism other than the taxpayer dime.”“NOAA will continue to refocus its resources on products that adhere to the President’s Executive Order restoring gold standard science, prioritizing sound, unbiased research,” Doster said in an email. The database was a politically polarizing project. House Republicans complained to NOAA’s administrator in 2024 about the program, voicing concerns about what they described as “deceptive data.” Last month, Senate Democrats introduced legislation that would require NOAA to publish the dataset and update it twice a year, saying that lawmakers used the reports to inform disaster funding decisions. But the bill remains in committee and stands little chance of passing in the Republican-controlled Senate.Last month, a Trump administration official told NBC News that NOAA had ended the database project because of uncertainties in how it estimated the costs of disasters. The official said that the project cost about $300,000 annually, that it required substantial staff hours and that the data “serves no decisional purpose and remains purely informational at best.”“This data is often used to advance the narrative that climate change is making disasters more frequent, more extreme, and more costly, without taking into account other factors such as increased development on flood plains or other weather-impacted spots or the cyclical nature of the climate in various regions,” the official said at the time.Brady, however, said the database has always acknowledged changes in population and climate variability as important factors in the cost of disasters. Climate Central’s work uses the same methodology and data sources that NOAA’s database did, she said. Those sources include National Flood Insurance Program claims, NOAA storm events data and private property insurance data, among others. The analysis captures the “direct costs” of disasters, such as damage to buildings, infrastructure and crops. It doesn’t factor other considerations, including loss of life, health-related costs of disasters or the economic losses to “natural capital” such as forests or wetlands. The data is adjusted to account for inflation. The new analysis of the first half of 2025 indicates that this year is on pace to be one of the costliest on record, even though no hurricanes have made landfall in the continental U.S.Last year, NOAA counted 27 billion-dollar disasters, with costs that totaled about $182.7 billion. That was the second highest number of billion-dollar disasters in the report’s history, after 2023. Climate Central is not the only group stepping in to re-create work the federal government used to do as the Trump administration makes cuts to climate science.A group of staffers laid off from NOAA has launched climate.us, a nonprofit successor to climate.gov, a federal website that once provided data and analysis to explain climate issues to the broader public. The site went dark this summer. Rebecca Lindsey, who edited climate.gov before she was laid off in February, said she and the other NOAA employees who co-founded the nonprofit have raised about $160,000. They plan to host the climate.gov archives on the new site and start publishing new articles about climate change in the next few weeks. “We’re rescuing this information and making sure when people need answers about what’s happening with the climate, they’ll be able to find them,” Lindsey said.The American Geophysical Union and American Meteorological Society also announced that they plan to publish a special collection of research focused on climate change, after the Trump administration told scientists volunteering to work on the National Climate Assessment — a comprehensive synthesis of research about climate change and its effects in the U.S. — that they were no longer needed. The administration laid off staffers in the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which organized the National Climate Assessment and coordinated climate research programs across different federal agencies. Walter Robinson, publications commissioner for the American Meteorological Society, said the National Climate Assessment had been “effectively canceled” by the administration’s decisions, which he viewed as an “abrogation” of the federal government’s responsibility. The new collection can’t replace the assessment, he added, but it aims to organize the latest science on the effects of climate change in the U.S. in one place. The research will be released across several scientific journals on a rolling basis. “People are stepping in,” Robinson said of his group’s efforts. “As scientists, we do what we can.” Evan BushEvan Bush is a science reporter for NBC News.
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November 14, 2025
Nov. 14, 2025, 2:54 PM ESTBy Mike CaliaEveryone knows Walmart. But not everyone outside Wall Street and corporate America knows of its CEO, Doug McMillon, the same way they know of Tesla’s Elon Musk, Disney’s Bob Iger or JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon.Yet, McMillon’s impact on the American consumer over the past 12 years is arguably as big, if not bigger, than any of those three. With affordability top of mind from Main Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, he built on Walmart’s reputation for low prices while pushing the company to embrace technologies that have helped it compete with — and sometimes vanquish — its competitors. He did so while weathering economic and political headwinds that, at times, threatened to make the company the face of big business run amok. Even with critics on all sides, Walmart remains popular with shoppers.“McMillon has been a transformational leader who embraced technology to modernize WMT’s operating model and strengthen its long-term competitive positioning,” Steven Shemesh, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, wrote using Walmart’s ticker symbol.When McMillon steps down in January, he will leave behind a company that reaches into almost every community in the country.It’s the biggest retailer and grocer in the United States, with more than 4,600 brick-and-mortar locations. Over the past decade, it has become an e-commerce giant, too. Walmart is also the largest private employer in the country, with 1.6 million U.S. associates. It’s got another 5,500 stores abroad, as well.Even Bentonville, the once-sleepy city where Walmart’s headquarters is based, has become a hot spot with fancy amenities — and high costs — more in line with major metropolitan areas than with rural Arkansas.McMillon’s tenure has been especially kind to the company’s long-term investors: Walmart’s stock price has gained about 300% since he took over in 2014. The company’s market value stands above $800 billion, comparable with JPMorgan’s and four times larger than Disney’s.McMillon, now 59, started as a Walmart associate when he was in high school in the 1980s, when the company was already well on its way to global supremacy. At the time, Walmart was criticized for gobbling up market share from five-and-dime stores in rural areas, while it also stomped over once-giant chains such as Sears, Kmart and Toys R Us. Walmart to allow customers to shop using ChatGPT02:34By the time McMillon climbed the ladder all the way to become Walmart’s fifth CEO in 2014, the company was king of the consumer mountain. But it was facing a new wave of competition from value-conscious rivals, from dollar-store chains to e-commerce behemoth Amazon.Walmart had also become a cultural symbol — and, sometimes, a punchline — for the struggles of working-class Americans in the country’s vast rural and exurban areas. The 1995 novel “Where the Heart Is,” later turned into a movie starring Natalie Portman, depicts a young, pregnant woman who secretly moves into a Walmart. So-called “Walmart moms” were a prized voter bloc in several recent presidential elections. Walmart is often criticized for its labor and business practices. Bernie Sanders, the progressive U.S. senator from Vermont, has ripped the company for years over what he has called its “starvation wages.” Sanders and other critics say the company doesn’t pay its fair share in taxes, while at the same time many of its hourly employees rely on food stamps and Medicaid — both taxpayer-funded safety net programs — to make ends meet.Walmart has attempted to address some concerns under McMillon. It has boosted pay and benefits for many employees and added fresher brands to its inventory while maintaining low prices. It has also supercharged its tech and e-commerce strategies, including its Walmart+ membership program, and renovated hundreds of stores. Its growth also led to some problems for customers, including scam sales from third-party sellers on its Walmart’s online marketplace, as well.As inflation took off starting in 2022, several of these initiatives enabled Walmart to snap up market share among families earning six-figure incomes, but who were still looking for lower prices. Walmart also emerged stronger from the early days of the Covid pandemic, ramping up its e-commerce and delivery programs and retooling its global supply chains at a time when Americans weren’t leaving home.“Doug’s leadership has focused on creating an environment where people are not afraid to experiment and try new things,” Neil Saunders, managing director of retail at GlobalData, wrote in an email to NBC News. “That has helped Walmart to future-proof itself.”The company’s now-diminished rival, Target, has slumped in the post-pandemic years after struggling with supply chain and inventory snafus. Target has also faced backlash from consumers earlier this year for dropping its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and products. Walmart also backed off its DEI initiatives under pressure from the Trump administration and conservative activists — but it didn’t take anywhere near the heat that Target did.Still, the McMillon-era Walmart was never far from political controversy, including when it tightened its gun and ammunition sales in 2019 following a mass shooting in Texas. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has praised McMillon’s Walmart — and picked fights with it. In recent weeks, the president touted Walmart’s yearly Thanksgiving meal deal package as evidence his policies were making things more affordable. While it is less expensive than last year’s version, the deal includes fewer, and cheaper, items — showing that even Walmart isn’t immune to inflationary pressures.That was clear in the spring, too, when the company said it would have to raise some prices because of Trump’s tariffs. The president lashed out on social media, warning: “Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain.”Walmart didn’t back off, but McMillon said on an earnings call that tariff effects were “gradual enough that any behavioral adjustments by the customer have been somewhat muted.” Indeed, the company raised its sales and profit revenue outlook for the year, heading into the holiday shopping season.And this was made possible largely because of how the company reshaped itself under McMillon’s stewardship. Even as he retires, handing off to successor John Furner, it would take a lot to “roll back” Walmart’s dominant position.“Furner is taking over one of the most desirable seats in corporate America,” wrote Scot Ciccarelli, an analyst with Truist Securities. He “just needs to continue to execute against the game plan they have already put in place.”Mike CaliaMike Calia is the managing editor for business and the economy at NBC News.
October 13, 2025
Oct. 13, 2025, 10:09 AM EDTBy Chantal Da SilvaAs Israeli hostages are freed and Palestinian prisoners and detainees released — and after President Donald Trump’s lengthy address to Israel’s parliament on Monday — focus is shifting to what comes next. Some of the longest applause for Trump’s speech came when he said that virtually the whole region had endorsed a plan for Gaza to be demilitarized and Hamas to disarm — key elements of his 20-point plan that have yet to actually be agreed upon. Now that phase one of his plan is being executed, negotiators and neighboring countries will watch whether key points of Trump’s proposal will be accepted by both Israel and Hamas in talks on the next phases.International Red Cross vehicles transport the second batch of released Israeli hostages from Deir al Balah in central Gaza on Monday. Bashar Taleb / AFP via Getty ImagesLast few daysA ceasefire came into effect in Gaza on Friday at noon local time, (5 a.m. ET), after the first phase of Trump’s plan was agreed by Israel and Hamas, bringing relative calm to the enclave for the first time in months since the last truce collapsed in March. Under the first phase of Trump’s plan, 20 living hostages were handed over to Israel on Monday. The remains of a further 28 hostages held by Hamas were expected to be released within 72 hours, although only four were initially, much to the disappointment of families.Israel also pledged to release 250 convicted prisoners and 1,700 Palestinians detained since Oct. 7. Over 150 of the freed prisoners were deported to Egypt.More aid has begun to flow into the enclave in recent days, although it falls far short of what aid workers say is necessary. Now what?Palestinians head north along al-Rashid Street towards Gaza City, Gaza, on Sunday.Ahmad Salem / Bloomberg via Getty ImagesHamas has long asserted that it would not release the last of the hostages until Israeli groups leave Gaza entirely, but having agreed to the first phase of Trump’s plan, the militant group is relying on guarantees from Trump that a full withdrawal will eventually happen. When and if Israel withdraws fully remains unclear. Meanwhile, it is also unclear whether Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, will agree to a key stipulation of Trump’s overall plan, as well as a crucial demand from Israel — that it disarm. Hamas has long refused calls to lay down arms, saying it has a right to armed resistance until Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian territories — and that has been a key sticking point in talks to negotiate an end to Israel’s offensive in Gaza.In an interview with Al Jazeera on Oct. 9, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said that no Palestinian would accept surrendering weapons and that the people of Gaza were in greater need than ever of resistance. President Trump talks to reporters on board Air Force One en route to Israel on Sunday.Chip Somodevilla / Getty ImagesThe militant group has agreed to step down from leadership over the territory and relinquish governance to a transitional body of Palestinian technocrats, which would be overseen by an international body, dubbed the “Board of Peace.” This body is expected to be headed by Trump, with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair also named as a possible member of the oversight body. Noting the plan aboard the Air Force One on Monday en route to Israel, Trump said he first wanted to find out whether “Tony would be popular with all.””I like Tony, I’ve always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he’s an acceptable choice to everybody,” he added. The idea of Blair joining the board has already drawn early criticism, with his reputation in the region shadowed by his decision to back the U.S.-led 2003 invasion of Iraq — and claims by the U.S. and Britain of Iraq having weapons of mass destruction found to be false. Trump optimistic Speaking aboard Air Force One on his way to Israel on Monday, Trump said he believed “everybody is happy” with his 20-point peace plan. Noting that much of Gaza now resembles a “demolition site” after more than two years of Israel’s offensive in the enclave, Trump said cleanup efforts would begin “pretty much immediately.” During his address to the Knesset, Trump also said Israel has won all it can by force. “Now, it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East,” he said. In Gaza, Palestinians across the enclave balanced their hopes for peace against fears that the ceasefire won’t hold, as many return to the areas where their homes once stood. “Everything is gone; no necessities of life remain,” one man told NBC News. “So, why do you live for? Our money, our homes that we worked hard for years — it’s all gone,” he said. “Nothing is left.”Chantal Da SilvaChantal Da Silva reports on world news for NBC News Digital and is based in London.The Associated Press contributed.
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