Monday was a pivotal day in Washington: President Donald Trump met face-to-face with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone. The big question now is whether a three-way summit is finally on the horizon.
Plus, Hurricane Erin barrels up the East Coast, leaving rip currents and rescues in its wake. Dozens of swimmers have already been pulled from the water in North Carolina, and now a state of emergency is in place for the Outer Banks.
And back in Austin, but not backing down: One Democrat takes a stand against what she calls an overbearing police presence at the Texas Capitol.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025.
White House meeting sets stage for potential trilateral summit
The White House hosted a pivotal meeting on Monday, with Ukraine’s future and Russia’s war on the line. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump and top European leaders for hours of talks, all aimed at ending the fighting.
Trump greeted Zelenskyy, who arrived in a black suit, at the door to the West Wing. Inside the Oval Office, both leaders struck a markedly different tone from their combative visit earlier this year.
Zelenskyy said the U.S. and Trump personally could help resolve the conflict through diplomatic means, adding that he’s open to trilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Before the meeting began, Zelenskyy said, ”I think we showed that we are strong people and we supported the idea of the United States, of personally President Trump, to stop this war, to make a diplomatic way of finishing this war. And we are ready for trilateral (meeting), as the president said, this is a good signal about trilateral. I think this is very good.”
The meeting expanded to include European heads of state in the East Room, with a show of unity from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Finland. Trump told them he believes Putin is ready to move toward peace.
Trump said, “I think you’ll see that President Putin really would like to do something else. I think when we set that up, when we do, I think it’s going to be when, not if. I think we’re going to see some very positive moves. We’re going to set that up today after this — after this meeting.”
Shortly after the meeting, Trump revealed he phoned Putin directly, posting on Truth Social that arrangements are underway for a summit between Putin and Zelenskyy.
This would be followed by a trilateral summit, including Trump himself.
Still, the day wasn’t all heavy diplomacy.
In the Oval Office, a reporter complimented Zelenskyy on his black suit, a lighter moment that stood in contrast to the tense visit back in February.
Reporter: You look fabulous in that suit.
Trump: I said the same thing. I said the same thing. Isn’t that nice? That is the one that attacked you last time.
Zelenskyy: I remember that. Yeah.
Reporter: I apologize to you. You look wonderful. No. My first question for you, President Zelenskyy…
Zelenskyy: But you are in the same suit. You see, I changed; you are not.
Reporter: Maybe, yours is much better.
All laughter aside, the real test now is whether Monday’s warmth and momentum can translate into real progress. As they say, time will tell.
Hurricane Erin’s massive eye captured by US Air Force
Hurricane Erin, still a dangerous Category 3, is now giving us a dramatic new look at its power. Fresh video from the U.S. Air Force shows Erin’s massive eye spinning across the Atlantic. The storm has already flooded Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos.
Along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a new video captured the massive waves pounding the shore.
Lifeguards reported rescuing at least 60 swimmers on Monday alone. Some evacuations are already underway on Hatteras Island, with parts of Highway 12 expected to stay underwater for days.
Forecast models show Erin will bend north and then northeast by Thursday. But forecasters warn of wells, or waves up to 20 feet high, and winds as high as 120 miles per hour.
Beach managers from Delaware to Long Island have urged people to stay out of the water.
The storm’s hurricane-force winds stretch nearly 80 miles from its center, but as of now, Erin is not expected to make U.S. Landfall.
Texas Democrat refuses GOP escort rule; spends night on House floor
A Texas Democrat is taking a stand at the state capitol Tuesday morning. State Rep. Nicole Collier refuses to sign a Republican order, which would put her under police escort. Instead, she camped out on the House floor overnight in protest.
Collier said she won’t “sign her dignity” by agreeing to around-the-clock monitoring from the state’s Department of Public Safety.
She spent the night inside the chamber, joined by fellow State Democrats Gene Wu and Vince Perez, in a show of defiance against what they call intimidation tactics.
Her stand came just hours after house democrats returned from their two-week walkout. That move denied Republicans a quorum and stalled the redistricting process.
Their charter flight landed in Austin on Monday, and by that afternoon, they walked into the capital to cheers from supporters.
However, Republicans were ready. They ordered lawmakers to remain under DPS supervision until Wednesday morning and even required “permission slips” to leave the floor.
Most Democrats complied, showing off their escorts to reporters. Collier, however, refused.
With Democrats back inside, the House finally reached a quorum for the first time this month. The quorum cleared the way for Republicans to move forward on new congressional maps, which could add up to five more GOP seats in Washington, D.C.
Hamas agrees to ceasefire plan as death toll in Gaza surpasses 62,000
In the Middle East, Hamas agreed to a new ceasefire proposal Tuesday morning in its nearly two-year conflict with Israel. The deal — brokered by Egypt and Qatar — would include the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, according to The New York Times.
It comes as Israel announces a plan to re-occupy Gaza City and other populated areas, a move that could worsen what aid groups describe as already a humanitarian disaster, with Gaza on the verge of famine.
Gaza Health Ministry reported that more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed during the 22 months of conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet said whether he will accept the ceasefire terms.
Partial victory for Trump administration as judge limits lawsuit over Florida facility
A partial win for the Trump administration in a high-profile case over Florida’s controversial “Alligator Alcatraz.”
On Monday, a federal judge in Miami dismissed part of a lawsuit filed by civil rights lawyers. The attorneys argued that the government was violating detainees’ Fifth Amendment rights by failing to specify which immigration court had jurisdiction.
The judge said that the issue is now moot because the government has announced that those cases will be heard in South Florida’s Krome Immigration Court.
But the case is far from over. The judge kept alive claims that the government is violating the First Amendment by making it harder for detainees to speak with their lawyers. He called that a “live controversy.”
Instead of dismissing it, he transferred the remaining case to another federal court. The Middle District of Florida, which has jurisdiction over the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Cambridge dictionary adds TikTok words like ‘skibidi’
A word that once meant nothing now officially recognized as something. The Cambridge Dictionary is adding “Skibidi” and other TikTok-derived words.
The dictionary defines it as humorous slang that can mean “cool” or “bad” or just be used as a joke with no real meaning at all. Which, if you’ve been on TikTok lately, makes perfect sense.
“Skibidi” isn’t the only viral addition. Cambridge has been busy filling its pages with trendy terms because, well, language is always evolving these days.
You’d be “delulu” to think they wouldn’t keep up. That’s another word they’ve just added — “delulu.” It’s a play on the word delusional. It means believing something that isn’t true, usually because you want to.
The dictionary’s lexical program manager told CNN they only add terms they believe have real “staying power.”
More from Straight Arrow News:
School districts address food insecurity and foster resilience
More than 1 in 8 U.S. households are “food insecure,” meaning they do not have access to enough quality food to meet their basic needs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The 7 million-plus children in these homes are more likely to experience poor health and absenteeism, and typically score lower in math and reading.
In North Texas, schools are taking action. The nonprofit health system Texas Health Resources is working with school districts to secure grants and provide food to families through grocery markets, supported largely by community and corporate donations.
One such initiative is THRIVE, launched in 2019 at Linda Tutt High School in Sanger, Texas. The program has since expanded to six North Texas schools, with a seventh market expected to open soon.Alisha Odom of Fort Worth, Texas, told SAN that she has noticed dramatic changes in her son Brandon since he began participating in the program at O.D. Wyatt High School. Brandon, a sophomore, earns vouchers based on his grades and behavior. He delivers those vouchers to his mother to spend at the school grocery store. 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.
