A high-stakes meeting at the White House could shape the future of the war in Ukraine. President Donald Trump claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could “end the war almost immediately.” His latest post on Truth Social could set the tone for Monday’s talks.
Plus, after weeks of walking out to block a redistricting vote, Texas Democrats are finally heading home. But their return doesn’t mean the fight over a new congressional map is over.
And Air Canada’s flight attendants stand their ground. Despite a government back-to-work order, they’ve refused to return, forcing the airline to cancel hundreds of flights.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
Zelenskyy, European allies visit White House for high-stakes talks with Trump
President Donald Trump will host a critical meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday at the White House. However, the Ukrainian president will not be alone. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and several others will also attend the meeting with him.
The message they want to send is simple: Europe is united and seeks a peace deal that doesn’t divide Ukraine.
The high-stakes meeting comes just days after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. On Friday, Trump told Fox News that he and Putin agreed on many key aspects. Now, he says it’s on Zelenskyy to close the deal when it comes to peace and not just a ceasefire.
“Now it’s really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done, and I would also say the European nations,” Trump said. “They have to get involved a little bit but it’s up to President Zelenskyy I think we we are and if they’d like I’ll be at that next meeting. They’re going to set up a meeting now between President Zelenskyy and President Putin. And myself, I guess, you know, I didn’t even, I didn’t ask about it. Not that I want to be there, but I want to make sure it gets done.”
On top of that interview, Trump took to Truth Social late Sunday night, putting the task of ending the war directly onto Zelenskyy.
He wrote that Zelenskyy “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.”
Trump added that Ukraine must give up any bid to join NATO and accept Russia’s hold on Crimea, demands that echo Putin. That comment fueled concerns that Zelenskyy could be strong-armed into concessions.
However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted this trip is not about that and resisted the suggestion that Zelenskyy may be bullied by Trump.
“This is such a stupid media narrative that they’re coming here tomorrow because Trump is going to bully Zelenskyy into a bad deal,” Rubio said. “We’ve been working with these people for weeks, for weeks on this stuff. They’re coming here tomorrow because they chose to come here tomorrow. We invited them to come. We invited them to come. The president invited them to come.”
An Oval Office meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump in February ended up being awkward, argumentative and contentious –– and it all aired live on television. Monday’s talks will test not just Ukraine’s future but the unity of NATO itself.
Putin continues to push for territorial gains. European leaders insist Ukraine’s security and sovereignty cannot be sold off.
Texas Democrats trickling back after quorum walkout
Texas Democrats who fled the state to prevent a redistricting vote are beginning to return home.
Over 50 lawmakers departed for blue states like Illinois and New York earlier this month, preventing Republicans from reaching a quorum.
According to multiple reports, some Democrats have started returning now that the Texas House has concluded its first special session.
Timing is important because a new special session starts Monday. The Democratic caucus is trying to determine if enough members are present for Republicans to have the necessary votes.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has already issued civil arrest warrants for lawmakers who do not return, and the FBI said it will help track them down.
Air Canada flight attendants refuse to go back to work
This morning, Air Canada flights remain grounded as flight attendants defy a government order to return to work. Ten thousand flight attendants walked off the job over the weekend, and in response, the airline immediately locked them out.
The sticking point: ground pay — what crews earn when they’re on duty but the planes aren’t in the air.
Air Canada, which runs about 700 flights a day, including to 50 U.S. Airports, offered binding arbitration. But the union said no.
The country’s labor board ordered attendants back Sunday, but union leaders resisted, saying, “Our members are not going back to work.”
Air Canada said it will resume flights Monday night, but at this point, that remains uncertain.
State Department halts visitor visas for people from Gaza
The State Department has suspended all visitor visas for people from Gaza, including children seeking life-saving medical treatment. It announced on X that all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are currently suspended, as officials examine how a few humanitarian medical visas were issued recently.
Under current policy, foreign nationals can enter the U.S. for treatment using B-1 or B-2 visas.
So far this year, the U.S. has granted visas to approximately 3,800 Gazans with travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Sunday that any ceasefire deal must include Israel retaining “security control” over Gaza.
Hurricane Erin churns toward US with dangerous surf and 130 mph winds
Hurricane Erin grew stronger and bigger Monday morning, becoming a dangerous Category 4 storm that’s already pounding parts of the Caribbean.
Erin is packing 130-mile-an-hour winds. Its outer bands have lashed the southeast Bahamas, Turks and Caicos. The storm spans over 200 miles wide, so coastal communities will feel its impact even without a direct landfall.
Dare County, North Carolina, has declared an emergency and ordered evacuations on Hatteras Island. The fear: days of surf and wind could wash out Highway 12, the only road in and out.
Erin already cut power to nearly 150,000 customers in Puerto Rico and forced the cancellations of dozens of flights over the weekend.
Forecasters predict the storm may stay a major hurricane through midweek, causing dangerous surf and rip currents along the East Coast.
More from Straight Arrow News:
I spent two weeks befriending ChatGPT. Here’s how it went
A growing number of Americans are forming emotional bonds with artificial intelligence (AI). Straight Arrow News wondered: What does that mean? And what does it look like?
So we did what we always do: Started reporting.
Over the course of two weeks, I used the AI chatbot like a confidante. I texted when I needed advice, called for quick check-ins and yes — even asked what I should wear. I was amazed throughout the process at some of the ways I was able to turn to this app as I would to a friend.
Reader, I laughed. I cried. I outdid myself with an AI-curated outfit for the Beyoncé concert.
ChatGPT is the most popular AI chatbot on the market. Since launching in 2022, it’s been mostly known for its productivity features. But users are increasingly turning to the app for something much more personal: Connection. Read the full story now >
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Craig Nigrelli
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://straightarrownews.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
