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Myanmar's military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing leaves after a military parade on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025.
HARD NUMBERS: Myanmar monastery suffers deadly airstrike, US State Department to cut staff, Nvidia sets valuation record, Mahmoud Khalil sues US government, Haiti’s gangs kill thousands
23: At least 23 people were killed on Friday in an airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in northern Myanmar. The attack is believed to have been carried out by the country’s ruling military junta. Since seizing power in a 2021 coup, the junta has been locked in brutal civil war with several powerful rebel groups.
15%: The US State Department is about to lay off 15% of its 18,000 US-based staff, as part of an efficiency drive. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the move will make Washington’s foreign policy more agile, while critics say it will downsize America’s diplomatic capabilities at a critical moment.
$4 trillion: The AI chipmaker Nvidia has become the world’s first company valued at more than $4 trillion. Its remarkable rise in value is one of the fastest in Wall Street history, leaving its main domestic rivals Apple and Microsoft feeling.. Nvious indeed.
$20 million: Former Columbia University student and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil filed a $20-million claim Thursday against the US government for damages incurred during his Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention. The lawsuit accuses ICE of false arrest and imprisonment, malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The Department of Homeland Security dismissed Khalil’s claims as “absurd.”
5,000: Gang violence has killed nearly 5,000 people in Haiti since last October alone, according to a new UN report. The Caribbean country has been mired in a deepening political, economic, and humanitarian crisis since the 2021 assassination of president Jovenel Moïse. An international police force sent to the island last year has failed to dislodge the gangs, which control large swathes of the capital, Port-au-Prince.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speak with the media following meetings with a Ukrainian delegation on Ukraine-Russia peace talks, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 11, 2025.
Waltz out of White House, as Rubio adds more to his plate
US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz will exit his post, CBS News first reported, and will be nominated as ambassador to the United Nations. The move brings a premature end to the Floridian’s tumultuous White House stint, one that has been marred ever since he accidentally added a journalist from The Atlantic to a Signal chat discussion about US attack plans in Yemen. President Donald Trump confirmed the reshuffle on social media.
It began before Signal-gate. Waltz reportedly didn’t gel with Trump or his most senior advisers from the off. He clashed with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and his history – he advocated against Trump’s rise in 2016 – left him vulnerable to attacks from the right.
Dems on offense. Rep. Derek Tran (D-CA), who holds a swing seat covering parts of Los Angeles and Orange County, called Waltz “one of the rotten apples in the barrel.” But he didn’t stop there, calling for the ousting of Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth too.
“It’s not enough that it’s just Waltz, it has to be Hegseth as well,” he told GZERO. Hegseth was the one who shared the war plans on the Signal chat that Waltz created but has thus far escaped punishment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have been calling for Hegseth’s head for over a month.
From one Florida man to another. In his stead, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve in Waltz’s role on an interim basis, adding yet another role to his portfolio. The former Florida senator entered the administration as the secretary of state, before subsuming USAID into his command in February as well as Waltz’s role now.
Whether he lasts in this trio of roles for long is another matter — the Miami native has long had presidential ambitions, which he could pursue in 2028.
Not the launchpad it used to be. Six of the first 15 US presidents had served as secretary of state before becoming commander-in-chief, but none since. Mike Pompeo, who held the position for the last two years of Trump’s first term, flirted with a run but ultimately declined when his polling mirrored that of the fictional Connor Roy in “Succession.” Rubio’s path to the presidency thus remains a challenging one.A search and rescue operation is underway in the Sviatoshynskyi district after a massive overnight missile and drone attack by Russian troops, Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 24, 2025. At least eight people were killed in the strike, and 77 people sustained injuries.
Another setback for Russia-Ukraine peace talks
It’s all Big Smoke and no fire in London, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pulled out of Russia-Ukraine peace talks with a coalition of European leaders that were scheduled to take place in the British capital on Wednesday. The decision came right as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuffed the Americans’ peace plan that involved formally recognizing Crimea as Russian territory. US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who also canceled plans to be in London, is instead headed to Moscow for his fourth round of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Breaking overnight. Russia pounded Kyiv overnight with missiles and drone strikes, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens more. It was the heaviest attack on the Ukrainian capital since July. Zelensky was in South Africa when the bombs hit, but he will cut short the trip and return home early.
The Americans pile on the pressure. Rubio warned last week that the US will “move on” from peace talks if a deal wasn’t eminently “doable.” Vice President JD Vance echoed this sentiment on Wednesday. President Donald Trump pushed the Ukrainians to accept the peace deal on Wednesday, while claiming that Russia was on the verge of accepting it.
Would the terms be enough for Russia? It’s unclear, but Putin reportedly offered to pause fighting on Tuesday in an apparent effort to reach a peace deal. On the other hand, the Russian leader’s past comments suggest he wants more.
“Putin last year said he also expects Ukraine to give up control over the parts of the claimed regions that Russia does not yet control,” said Alex Brideau, Russia director at Eurasia Group. “It may also demand new elections, on the assumption that it would lead a government that is friendlier to Russia.”
“Whether that’s realistic,” Brideau added, “Putin appears unwilling to deviate much from these demands.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is seen as he meets with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the Department of State in Washington DC on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Secretary Rubio has announced a dramatic reorganization and shuttering of multiple organizations within the State Department.
State Department announces major overhaul
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a reduction in State Department staff and bureaus on Tuesday as the Trump administration continues its staffing and program cuts. But some diplomats are breathing a sigh of relief.
While the cuts are deep – 15% of US-based staff and 22% of bureaus, plus further consolidation of offices – they are much less severe than previously reported plans.
Undersecretaries are ordered to devise roadmaps to guide the reductions in force and reorganizations by July 1. Crucially, several functions previously believed to have been at risk, including African affairs, migration and refugee programs, and pro-democracy efforts, are not included in the planned cuts and consolidations. That said, around 700 Washington-based staff will lose their jobs, and 132 bureaus or internal divisions, including those focused on war crimes and conflict prevention, will be shuttered.
Some offices will be created as well, including a new assistant secretary for emerging threats. It is also important to note that these cuts are internally driven, and not imposed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
No overseas embassies or consulates have been closed yet, but we have our eye out for when the full restructuring plans are delivered.Ukraine ceasefire talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 11 2025.
Ukraine, US ceasefire - Russia's move?
Ukraine and the United States on Tuesday jointly announced a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, pending approval from the Kremlin.
The deal, brokered during negotiations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, comes the same day that Ukraine mounted its biggest drone attack to date on Moscow, killing at least three people, damaging buildings, and briefly shutting down four major airports. The show of force came after Russia stepped up attacks on Ukraine, following US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s shocking shouting match with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Feb. 28.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointedly addressed Moscow, saying “Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it’ll be up to them to say yes or no. If they say no, then we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.”
The US also confirmed it will immediately restore intelligence sharing and military aid with Kyiv, both of which had been suspended last week. A minerals deal between Ukraine and the US will also move forward “as soon as possible.” And in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron urged 30 nations to begin security planning for Ukraine’s long-term stability.
Eurasia Group and GZERO President Ian Bremmer says he expects “the Europeans will come out and support that 30-day cease ceasefire in very short order.” But Putin’s response is another matter, he says, noting that the Russian leader is likely to try to see how quickly he can get a sit-down with Trump. That way “you don’t just talk about that deal, but you put it in the context of a much broader deal and you keep the Europeans out of it.” For more of Ian's insights on this, click here to watch his latest QuickTake.
Ukraine hopes for Europe's help as US negotiates with Russia
Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: So much going on around the major confrontation between Russia and Ukraine. The Americans now meeting with the Russians in Riyadh while the Europeans have had an immediate emergency summit, many of them. Not all of the EU, but rather if you will, a coalition of the capable and willing in Paris yesterday.
Where is all of this going? Well, the Europeans clearly now understand that they need to come up with a deal that includes Ukraine before the Americans and Russians create some kind of grand bargain, or a deal will be made over their heads, and probably one that they are not going to be very happy with. President Zelensky of Ukraine is looking much more desperate in this environment, understanding that he is in trouble, not only because his forces are having a hard time maintaining the front lines, that's been true for a while now, but also because he is in danger of losing the United States.
The deal that was offered by Secretary of Treasury Bessent to Zelensky in Kyiv in the past days was exploitative. It was referred to by Zelensky as colonial. It would have meant 50% of development rights, exploitation rights of European resources, Ukrainian resources would go to the United States in a privately held company that the Americans would own. And that this was going to pay primarily for aid that had already been given to the Ukrainians. In other words, under the Biden administration, which is kind of unprecedented and staggering, but nonetheless was the offer. He immediately rejected it, but of course, that has led to a big rift all of a sudden between the United States and Ukraine at a time where Zelensky had been doing everything possible to say, "Yes, we know we need peace. Yes, we know we need to work with Trump. Trump is a peacemaker. We're going to engage." That is a very different position right now.
So, he is counting more on the Europeans, but can the Europeans give him anything? Well, coming out of the meeting in Paris, the answer is not so much. First of all, because Olaf Scholz, who is still chancellor for another week before the Germans have elections, said that it was premature to talk about peacekeepers. Premature? When the Americans are about to cut a deal with the Russians, it's not premature. It's way too late. So Olaf looked weak, he looked bitter, and he undermined any possible consensus. So, this meeting was a real problem.
Still, you had Macron, who was talking about the need to commit peacekeepers. You had the Brits, who wavered. They were saying they're definitely going to commit, but only if there's American backstop, which the United States wouldn't support. Poland had said, "No," because they need all of their troops in Poland, which is a sign of great weakness there and deep concern. The Baltics, the Nordics, they would certainly provide something. It is going to take time, though, and time is one thing they do not have.
We will see what comes out of the Marco Rubio meeting that he is leading his delegation in Riyadh together with a super team of major negotiators from Russia. I say super team because that's the way it's been presented on Russian state media. They have been, for the last 24 hours, extolling Trump, extolling the importance of the special presidential plane they are bringing down to Riyadh for these meetings, talking about the potential of recreating an order between the United States and Russia that is not just about Ukraine, but is about NATO containment. Is about engaging in, essentially carving up the world a sphere of influence orientation, where the Russians get a piece of the Arctic, and the Americans get a piece of the Arctic. And the Russians have their territorial ambitions codified, and the Americans have their own territorial ambitions codified. It is absolutely the antithesis of the world that the Europeans want and that frankly, the Americans had been standing for post-World War II.
Increasingly, the Europeans feel like they are fighting a two-front war, from the Russians on one side who are a direct national security threat, and the Americans who are saying that the Europeans' threat is from inside the house and that the EU is a problem, and you want people who are going to make Europe great again, like the AfD in Germany, who 80% of the Germans consider to be a neo-Nazi party. This is a crisis for the transatlantic relationship. It is a crisis for NATO. The secretary general, indeed, attending those meetings in Paris, what he has to say between the Europeans and the Americans, I'd hate to be in his position right now.
Anyway, lots happening every day. That's where we are right now, and I'll talk to you all real soon.
Marco Rubio speaks after he is sworn in as Secretary of State by U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, on Jan. 21, 2025.
Tough talk on Taiwan
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clashed with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in their first phone call on Friday over the independence of Taiwan, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. During the conversation, Wang reaffirmed China’s position that the island nation is part of China and reportedly told Rubio “I hope you will act accordingly,” a Chinese phrase usually employed by a superior warning a student or employee to behave and act responsibly. Rubio has previously called Beijing the top US threat and was twice sanctioned by China in 2020.
And Rubio may have more wars of words with Wang in the future. China is reportedly ramping up efforts to encourage the independence movement on the Japanese island of Okinawa, which hosts 70% of US bases in the region – and is a mere 466 miles from Taiwan.
Chinese state media frequently highlights US military crimes in Okinawa, and Chinese social media propaganda claims most Okinawans favor independence. A poll published in May 2022 showed that only 3% of residents favored full independence, although 48% supported greater autonomy through a federal arrangement with Tokyo.
Reports suggest Beijing also tried but failed to establish an underground police station in Okinawa and plans to establish a Ryukyu Research Centre to remind locals of the island’s status as a former independent empire until it was annexed by Japan in 1609. Beijing has also been conducting a “charm offensive,” stressing Okinawa’s cultural ties to China – and strengthening its claim to the island.Trump’s Team of … Reprisals?
Trump team … Assemble!
Usually, obsession with team building is reserved for the world of sports, not politics. There are Hollywood movies about NFL draft day, and the trade deadlines in basketball, hockey, and baseball command all-day TV specials. But those seem trivial compared to the global obsession with Trump Team 2.0. Who is on it, and what does it mean for the next four years?
Cabinet-building has long been crucial for both the success of a presidency and for the direction of the United States. From the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln to Donald Trump, the team often tells the tale of power.
After narrowly winning the election of 1860, Lincoln knew the United States was lurching toward civil war. He needed a united team to take on the emerging secessionist Confederacy, but he didn’t choose loyalists. Instead, he made a radical choice to bring in his chief opponents like William Seward, Salmon Chase, and Edward Bates. In her bestselling book, Doris Kearns Goodwin called this a “Team of Rivals.”
Initially, it looked like a rookie mistake. Seward tried to sabotage Lincoln, leaking false announcements about a surrender of Fort Sumter, the place where, soon after, the first shots of the Civil War were fired.
But Lincoln asserted his leadership without alienating his team, and Seward soon became one of his closest confidants. Co-opting and including his chief opponents is roundly hailed as one of Lincoln’s finest strategies.
If Lincoln put together a team of rivals, Trump has assembled a team of reprisals. This is a group of ardent MAGA loyalists, not rivals — as Ian Bremmer pointed out in our GZERO video. Their job is to radically transform every part of government, from trade policy to foreign policy. There are three goals: reformation, reduction, and reprisal. And that last point is critical. The foundational promise Trump made to voters was to smash “the enemies within.” And that is exactly what this team is built to do.
Here is a starter menu:
- The Deep State: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have been appointed to actively find “efficiencies” and dismantle large swaths of the government. “You’re fired” will be the watchwords.
- The Military: Pete Hegseth, the veteran and Fox News commentator, is headed for the secretary of defense job, where he has long said he would fire all generals who support programs like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
- The Border: Tom Homan, the nominated “border czar,” has warned all illegal aliens to get ready for mass deportation, while South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem will be Trump’s Homeland Security chief working alongside Homan.
- The Department of Education: Trump has promised to close this down completely to stop the so-called “woke agenda.”
- The Environmental Protection Agency: Expect former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to gut EPA regulations. He has already signaled his priorities, with a social media post saying he will “restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.” The EPA might have to change its initials to the DBD, for Drill, Baby, Drill. Still, there are some signs of resistance here. Even the CEO of ExxonMobil pushed back, saying, “I don’t think the challenge or the need to address global emissions is going to go away.”
- Trade: China hawk Sen. Marco Rubio will be the secretary of state, likely overseeing a world of high tariffs that will trigger trade wars alongside the existing wars already raging.
- The Legal System: Matt Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general is taking the most incoming. Gaetz believes he and Trump are victims of Democratic “lawfare,” and he’s ready to hit back. “The hammer of Justice is coming,” declared Elon Musk on X, lest anyone think there will be no reprisals.
To Trump supporters — and that means the majority of voters — this is exactly what they wanted. Expect them to follow through on everything you heard on the campaign trail. As folks used to say, take Trump and his team both seriously and literally.
The president-elect has long claimed he is the victim of multiple attacks from the establishment because he promised to “drain the swamp” and, unlike in 2016, he’s wasting no time assembling a team to fight back. Of the many things to expect from Donald Trump, reprisals are at the top of the list.
How to cover the Trump team fairly?
Covering this transition in a meaningful, insightful way requires genuine balance and adherence to fairness. In the current climate of hyper-polarization, anything but praise for the president-elect can be cast as “woke” bias from the “lamestream” media. On the other hand, anything positive about Trump is often cast as supplicant cozying up to a kleptocracy.
Neither is helpful.
The key is not to focus on the fertilized fears on social media but on the real actions of the Trump team. What will they actually do? Who is benefiting from the radical change?
What will be the impact of their policies on the economy, rights, security, climate, and social coherence?
Each question will have a specific answer, and tracking them with facts and credibility will be key over the next four years. In an environment where distrust and disinformation are weaponized, straight talk and nonpartisan insight will become more valuable than ever.
This is just the beginning of the second Trump era, and it will be significantly more transformative than the first. Trump’s Team of Reprisals is ready to do exactly what they promised on the campaign trail, best summed up in three words: fight, fight fight.