BRUSSELS – NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has weathered a fresh ordeal with President Donald Trump. This time over the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, which NATO is not a party to and was not consulted on. Trump has criticized NATO allies as “cowards” and threatened to leave the alliance over a perceived lack of support. He complains that NATO ignored his call for help when Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz. Rutte, who has won acclaim as a “Trump whisperer,” but he’s struggling to keep Trump engaged in NATO. He’s been praising Trump for successes in the war, and for boosting defense spending. At the same time, Rutte insists NATO will not join the war.
LONDON – Britain and Norway have conducted a weekslong operation to deter Russian spy submarines near undersea cables in the North Atlantic. Defense Secretary John Healey said Thursday that a Royal Navy frigate, aircraft and hundreds of personnel tracked a Russian attack sub and two spy submarines north of the U.K. The Russian vessels eventually left after the operation that lasted more than a month. NATO countries have expressed concern that Russia could sabotage underwater cables crucial for global communications. Healey warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences.
RAINELLE, West Virginia – West Virginia resident Rebecca Michalski struggles with soaring electricity bills that exceed her income. Despite efforts to conserve energy, her February bill hit $940.08. Many West Virginians are facing similar challenges, with utility costs surpassing rents and mortgages. President Donald Trump promised to cut electricity bills, but prices have risen instead. Nationwide, electricity increased 4.8% in February over a year earlier, with natural gas prices up 10.9%. during the same period. Rising energy costs are driven by increased demand, extreme weather, and infrastructure upgrades. West Virginia’s reliance on coal-fired plants contributes to the problem, leaving residents burdened by high utility costs.
INDIANAPOLIS – An Indiana politician says someone fired 13 shots at his front door and left behind a note reading “No Data Centers” on his doorstep. Indianapolis councilman Ron Gibson said he and his 8-year-old son weren’t harmed in the incident early Monday. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says officers called to a home on East 41st Street on Monday morning found evidence of gunshots being fired at a house, but no injuries were reported. Police say they believe it was an isolated, targeted incident and the FBI is assisting. Gibson supported the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission’s decision last week to approve a rezoning petition for a project for Metrobloks, a data center developer, in Gibson’s district.
– The Associated Press
