*By Carlo Versano*
One year after his "fire and fury" speech that threatened North Korea and its "little rocket man" leader with annihilation, President Trump addressed the annual United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, expanding on his "America First" motto and replacing North Korea with Iran as the main antagonist.
Trump said that the sanctions the U.S. imposed on Iran after pulling out of the nuclear deal have hurt the "corrupt dictatorship," while the president substantially softened his tone on North Korea ー which, according to Trump, has taken a "number of encouraging measures" since he last appeared in front of the body.
While North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has not launched a missile test since his June meeting with Trump in Singapore, there is little evidence that the regime has made meaningful steps toward denuclearization.
Trump also referenced OPEC, saying the cartel is "ripping off the rest of the world" by keeping oil prices high. The group has been reluctant to increase supply, and along with impending U.S. sanctions against Iranian crude exports, oil has risen to a four-year high.
But perhaps the most notable thread of Trump's UN address was an apparent change to the country's foreign aid policy.
"Moving forward, we're only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends," Trump said. That would be a major difference in how America has thought of aid in the post-war era, when it has been seen as a measure of altruism and an extension of diplomacy ー not something transactional.
For an administration that often views foreign policy in stark terms, Trump's speech stayed largely on message.
He rejected globalism and praised sovereignty, viewing the ideologies as mutually exclusive. At one point, he praised his White House for accomplishing "more than almost any administration in the history of our country," a statement that drew chuckles from the assembled world leaders.
"I didn't expect that reaction," Trump said, veering momentarily off script.
Republicans dropped Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday as their nominee for House speaker, making the decision during a closed-door session after the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump failed badly on a third ballot for the gavel.
Canada has removed 41 of its diplomats from India as tensions rise between the two nations.
Mitt Romney said he believes right-wing media is the reason for the radicalization of the GOP party.
An Army private who fled to North Korea before being returned home to the United States last month has been detained by the U.S. military, two officials said Thursday night, and is facing charges including desertion and possessing sexual images of a child.
Israel bombarded Gaza early Friday, hitting areas in the south where Palestinians had been told to seek safety, and it began evacuating a sizable Israeli town in the north near the Lebanese border, the latest sign of a potential ground invasion of Gaza that could trigger regional turmoil.
The Justice Department has secured a $9 million settlement with Ameris Bank over allegations that it avoided underwriting mortgages in predominately Black and Latino communities in Jacksonville, Florida, and discouraged people there from getting home loans.
Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Thursday, including in the south where Palestinians were told to take refuge, and the country's defense minister told ground troops to “be ready” to invade, though he didn’t say when.
Addressing the nation from the Oval Office, President Joe Biden has made his case for major U.S. backing of Ukraine and Israel in a time of war.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that inflation remains too high and that bringing it down to the Fed's target level will likely require a slower-growing economy and job market.
Despite deepening opposition, Rep. Jim Jordan is expected to try a third vote to become House speaker, even as his Republican colleagues are explicitly warning the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump that no more threats or promises can win over their support.
