Hegseth had an unsecured internet line set up in his office to connect to Signal

 https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-signal-chat-dirty-internet-line-6a64707f10ca553eb905e5a70e10bd9d

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, two people familiar with the line told The Associated Press.

The existence of the unsecured internet connection is the latest revelation about Hegseth’s use of the unclassified app and raises the possibility that sensitive defense information could have been put at risk of potential hacking or surveillance.

Known as a “dirty” internet line by the IT industry, it connects directly to the public internet where the user’s information and the websites accessed do not have the same security filters or protocols that the Pentagon’s secured connections maintain.

Other Pentagon offices have used them, particularly if there’s a need to monitor information or websites that would otherwise be blocked.

Trump’s own strange and tepid wording illustrates his one-sided Ukraine peace plan

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/25/politics/trump-russia-ukraine-peace-efforts-language/index.html

“When Zelensky dares to speak the truth, Trump truly slams him,” John Herbst, the former US ambassador to Ukraine told Paula Newton on CNN International. “When Putin murders civilians with ballistic missiles he’s merely corrected. Or slightly chastised.”

“Stopping the war, stopping taking the whole country. Pretty big concession,” Trump said.

This answer betrays a strange misunderstanding of what happened in the war and shows just how comprehensively Trump views the war through Putin’s lens.

Trump Reveals Russia's 'Pretty Big Concession' in Peace Talks with Ukraine

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-reveals-russias-pretty-big-concession-peace-talks-ukraine-2063802

President Donald Trump asserted Thursday that Russia has already made a "pretty big concession" in the war in Ukraine by not attempting to seize the entire country. The president also contends that Russia's willingness to engage in peace talks that would "stop the war" is a concession.

However, that claim has been met with strong resistance from Ukraine and many European nations, who argue that merely halting a full-scale land grab hardly qualifies as a meaningful concession.

Trump’s peace offer on Ukraine is generous to Russia, and may not even be enough for Putin

 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/24/europe/trump-putin-peace-ukraine-analysis-intl/index.html

 Imposing a deadline on a negotiation for a deal you desperately want is a risky tactic if your only move is to walk away.

President Donald Trump has threatened just this, and emphasized on Wednesday it is proving easier to make a deal with Russia than Ukraine. Yet that seems a perilous misreading of his own predicament. It is easier for Trump to pressure Kyiv, yes, because they are dependent on US aid and intelligence for their mere survival. But that does not mean Russia is more amenable to a deal. In fact, they are palpably dragging their feet.

This is where the gulf between a life in business deals and one steeped in geopolitical negotiation yawns desperately. Now, Trump is not in the world of real estate – he is not trying to get Putin to buy something. Trump is pushing hard and fast for the Kremlin to agree to terms to end the war that Putin has clearly divined will improve, not worsen, over time.

Here’s the most dangerous concession to Putin in Trump’s peace plan

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/04/24/trump-ukraine-russia-crimea-stimson/

Accepting Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea would upend a core tenet of U.S. foreign policy.

In its well intentioned but rushed and ham-handed attempts to end the war in Ukraine, the Trump administration is flirting with disaster. Apparently, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, real estate developer Steve Witkoff, has crafted a peace plan after traveling to Moscow for three lengthy meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin — but never once going to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The one-sided plan is now being presented to the Ukrainians on a “take it or leave it” basis, with Trump on Wednesday writing online that Zelensky “can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country.”

Wristwatch electronic Shabbos

Igros Moshe (OC V #22. 25) Question Is it required to cover the buttons on an electronic watch on Shabbos which constantly shows the time even without pushing the button and is it permitted to move it on Shabbos? Answer  It is permitted to move it and the buttons do not need to be covered. The need for some reminder or cover is only for an actual fire because of concern it might be tilted to burn better. That is why there is no need for a light switch on the wall. However if you might push the button on the watch it is best to cover it or make some reminder on the button

Trump accuses Zelensky of sabotaging U.S. peace plan for Ukraine

 https://www.axios.com/2025/04/23/trump-attack-zelensky-response-ukraine-peace-plan

A source close to the Ukrainian government told Axios that Kyiv sees Trump's proposal as heavily biased toward Russia, with Moscow getting clear-cut wins and Kyiv only vague promises.

Giggling Putin Pals Celebrate Trump’s ‘Shocking’ Ukraine Surrender

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/giggling-putin-pals-celebrate-trumps-shocking-ukraine-surrender/

The generosity of President Trump’s unprecedented Ukraine peace proposal has stunned and delighted the Kremlin’s premier propagandists. Instead of the supposed Art of the Deal, they are celebrating President Putin’s “art of the steal.”

On Wednesday, state TV show 60 Minutes broadcast the clips of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on repeat. The Russian networks are thrilled with their words, which carry an enormous propaganda value for the Kremlin. Writer Sergey Strokan marveled, “Who could have imagined this?” Beaming ear-to-ear, host Olga Skabeeva replied, “No one ever—they can’t believe it even now—if you’re talking about Donald Trump. It’s shocking, it really is. Completely incredible!”

Trump criticises Zelensky as Ukraine refuses Russian control of Crimea BBC agrees with NY Post!

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78jx68d922o

Recognising Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea would not only be politically impossible for Zelensky to accept, it would also be contrary to post-war international legal norms that borders should not be changed by force.

He has consistently rejected the suggestion that his country give up its claim to the Crimean Peninsula.

"There's nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution," he said.

Why Ukraine is in an impossible spot with the White House peace deal

 https://nypost.com/2025/04/23/opinion/why-ukraine-is-in-an-impossible-spot-with-the-white-house-peace-deal/

Bottom line: Trump is asking Zelensky to make massive national-security concessions while abandoning hopes of a more realistic treaty and concrete security that might make such concessions strategically tenable — and allow him to try and sell the Ukrainian people on the bargain.

Trump can’t simply blame the war on Joe Biden and wash his hands of responsibility for what happens on his watch.

Trump’s Ukraine Ultimatum

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/russia-ukraine-settlement-donald-trump-ultimatum-vladimir-putin-volodymyr-zelensky-87eb20b8

The President puts pressure only on one side—not on Russia.

President Trump on Wednesday unleashed another broadside against Ukraine, and his dislike for President Volodymyr Zelensky isn’t news. But what matters to U.S. interests—and Mr. Trump’s Presidency—are the terms of a negotiated settlement. Mr. Trump’s current offer looks more like an ultimatum than grounds for a durable peace.

“We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vice President JD Vance said from India on Wednesday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sounded similar notes last week, and by “walking away” the Administration seems to mean abandoning Ukraine to Vladimir Putin’s designs.

Trump will pay a 'heavy political price' if he abandons Ukraine, WSJ editorial board warns

China sees 'world's biggest clown' Trump as most economically incoherent president

Trump now a 'historic failure' in 100 days: WashPo's Milbank on Trump slump & legal losses