The U.S. Air Force has issued updated guidance that centralizes and standardizes separation boards for service members who no longer meet military requirements, including those affected by transgender policy changes.The Associated Press first reported the change, citing an internal memo dated Aug. 12, 2025.According to the memo, once a board confirms a member meets the policys criteria, "the board must recommend separation."Hearings are closed and will not be recorded. Instead, the case file includes an abbreviated transcript prepared after the hearing. The policy narrows the boards role to a single factual finding.NAVY SECRETARY PUSHES REVIEW BOARD TO PURGE DEI FROM NAVAL ACADEMY AND RESTORE 'WARRIOR ETHOS'Supporters of stricter readiness standards argue the change avoids drawn-out cases and clarifies discipline. The AP notes that, in the past, boards sometimes retained members despite serious infractions, discretion critics said led to inconsistency.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has made "restoring the warrior ethos" and tougher physical standards central to his tenure. In his Jan. 25 message to the force, he vowed to "restore the warrior ethos rebuild our military and reestablish deterrence," then directed a rapid, department-wide review of fitness, body composition and grooming standards.'RED TAPE': TRUMP ADMIN UNLEASHES DOGE-ALIGNED PROCESS TO FIRE FEDERAL WORKERS FOR MISCONDUCTIn July, he tightened medical waiver rules for new recruits, writing that Americas warfighters must be physically and mentally capable of performing in the harshest conditions.The memo says the rules apply across the Department of the Air Force, including the Space Force, under a single Consolidated Disposition Authority to ensure uniform process and oversight. The AP also reported last week that the Air Force moved to end early retirement benefits for those who do not meet service requirements.The AP framed the shift within broader Trump-era directives affecting transgender service members and cited Pentagon figures putting the affected population in the low thousands. While some legal advisers have raised questions about appeals without recordings, supporters counter that swift, decisive action is essential for cohesion and defense.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. The Air Force could not be reached.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A California high school girls volleyball team forfeited a match against a team believed to include a biological male trans athlete Friday night.Riverside Poly High School in Riverside County, California, announced its forfeit against Jurupa Valley High School in a statement."Riverside Poly High Schools girls volleyball team will not take the court for tonights scheduled game against Jurupa Valley High School," the statement said."This match will be recorded as a forfeit in non-league standings. We understand this is disappointing for our athletes, families and supporters, and we appreciate the communitys understanding. We remain committed to providing a safe, positive environment for all student-athletes throughout the season."CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMNo reason for the forfeit was provided in the statement.Amanda Vickers, a member of the Riverside Unified School District board, told Fox News Digital she believes the forfeit is in response to Jurupa Valley including trans athlete AB Hernandez on its roster. Hernandez was listed on Jurupa Valley's roster last season and is believed to be on the roster again this year."I do believe it is because they are playing AB Hernandez, and that a decision was made that the students didn't want to," Vickers said. "I did get a message yesterday that there [were] parents [of players] that were wearing Save Girls Sports shirts. So they were kind of prepared for a protest today."TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS-ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUNDVickers added she believes the forfeit was significant for the sake of the safety of the female athletes, referencing former high school volleyball player Payton McNabb, who suffered permanent brain damage when she was struck in the head with a spike from a trans athlete in 2022."What this is about is there is a difference between biological girls and biological boys. And, tonight, the girls of Riverside Polly High School, they're not going to end up like Payton McNabb," Vickers said.Jurupa Unified School District provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the forfeit."We were notified that Riverside Poly High School canceled todays scheduled girls volleyball match with Jurupa Valley High School. They did not disclose the reason. We have no additional comment at this time," the statement said.Fox News Digital has reached out to Jurupa Valley High School head volleyball coach Liana Manu and Hernandez's mother for a response.Riverside became a hotbed of controversy involving trans athletes in girls sports last year during Hernandez's highly-publicized season and after a lawsuit was filed by two girls at Martin Luther King High School that alleged a trans athlete took one of the girls' varsity spots on the cross-country team. The students at the school then began wearing the "Save Girls Sports" T-shirts every week in response after school administrators allegedly compared the shirts to swastikas, according to the lawsuit.Hernandez was the focus of a national media firestorm in May during the athlete's run to a California girls track and field championship. The postseason meets that Hernandez competed in were met with protests by female athletes and their families who often wore the "Save Girls Sports" shirts.Hernandez's run seemingly drew a response from President Donald Trump, who posted a Truth Social message this week leading up to the state final suggesting the state not allow the trans athlete to compete. Hernandez won the championship in the girls high jump and triple jump at a meet that saw an LGBTQ protester arrested for allegedly assaulting a conservative activist and a plane flying overhead with a banner that said "No boys in girls' sports."The U.S. Department of Justice then filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education (CDE) and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) for its policies that have allowed biological males to compete in girls sports across the state despite Trump signing an executive order in February to prohibit it.Hernandez was honored by state Sen. Sabrina Cervantes at the Jurupa City Council Aug. 7. Cervantes was present to give Hernandez two certificates on behalf of the California state senate and delivered a speech recognizing the athlete's championships.A bipartisan survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found a majority of California residents oppose biological male trans athletes competing in women's sports.That figure included more than 70% of the state's school parents."Most Californians support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth," the poll stated."Solid majorities of adults (65%) and likely voters (64%) support requiring that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with. An overwhelming majority of public school parents (71%) support such a requirement."Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

President Donald Trump rated his closely-watched summit Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin a "10" out of 10 and touted "very good progress" in the road to peace in Ukraine, but said "there's no deal until there's a deal," in an exclusive interview on "Hannity.""I can tell you, the meeting was a very warm meeting," President Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity. "You know, hes a strong guy, hes tough as hell on all of that, but the meeting was a very warm meeting between two very important countries, and its very good when they get along. I think were pretty close to a deal. Now look, Ukraine has to agree to it."HILLARY CLINTON SAYS SHE'D NOMINATE TRUMP FOR NOBEL PRIZE IF HE BROKERS PEACE BETWEEN RUSSIA, UKRAINEThe two world leaders gathered in Alaska on Friday afternoon in hopes of peacefully working towards an end to the war in Ukraine. On Air Force One, President Trump said he was meeting with the Russian leader to "save a lot of lives" and expressed hopes for a ceasefire in the future. The commander-in-chief later reported the summit was "extremely productive," but that they were "not there yet" on ending the conflict."There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say," Trump told the press following the meeting. "A couple of big ones that we haven't quite gotten there, but we've made some headway. So, there's no deal until there's a deal."Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed similar sentiments, adding the summit was a "constructive atmosphere of mutual respect."Trump told "Hannity" the leaders "spoke very sincerely," and he thinks Putin "wants to see it [a deal] done."The next steps in peace talks include calls between President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other NATO leaders. Trump told "Hannity" he would advise Zelenskyy to "make a deal.""They're fighting a big war machine, and we, I think, are close to a deal, but I don't like saying it. I always say, if I'm really close, I say 50-50 because so many things can happen. But I think President Putin would like to solve the problem, and it was a problem that should have never happened. This was a war. All of those families have lost somebody, and I have a book of thousands of people. They presented me with it today. Thousands of people, prisoners, that will get released. "Trump revealed that he is willing to be at a peace meeting between the Putin and Zelenskyy."Now, it's really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done, and I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit, but it's up to President Zelenskyy ... and if they'd like, I'll be at that next meeting," he said. "They're going to set up a meeting now between President Zelenskyy and President Putin and myself, I guess. You know, I didn't ask about it but I want to make sure it gets done and we have a pretty good chance of getting it done."Putin stated during the press conference that he "can confirm" President Trump's previous statements that a war would not have broken out under the Trump administration. Trump told Fox News he believes it happened under the Biden administration due to "gross incompetence.""I love seeing this country be great again and Vladimir said just a little while ago, he said, 'I've never seen anybody do so much so fast.' He said, 'Your country is like... hot as a pistol,' and a year ago, he thought it was dead. Everybody thought it was dead," Trump said.Ultimately, the president stressed the importance of finding an end to the conflict for the sake of the people."If we get this solved, its a really big day because were going to save a lot of lives," he said.Fox News Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump was tight-lipped after his high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday but offered some key insight into the meeting to Fox News Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview.Here are the key takeaways from Trumps highly anticipated meeting with the Russian leader as shared with Hannity.Trump told Hannity that "as far as Im concerned, theres no deal until theres a deal." He noted, however, that "we did make a lot of progress."The president noted to Hannity that he believes Putin is not only open to peace but that he "wants to see it done."TRUMP SAYS HE 'WON'T BE HAPPY' IF PUTIN DOES NOT AGREE TO A CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE DURING ALASKA SUMMITPressed by Hannity to share what the "one big issue you dont agree on" that kept the leaders from walking away with a ceasefire deal, Trump declined to share. He said, "No, Id rather not. I guess somebodys going to go public with it, theyll figure it out, but no, I dont want to do that, I want to see if we can get it done."After taking such a major step as to physically meet with the Russian president, Trump said it is now "up to [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy to get it done and maybe the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit."The president said that he would be open to attending a trilateral meeting with the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, saying, "If theyd like, Ill be at that meeting. Theyre going to set up a meeting now between President Zelenskyy and President Putin and myself, I guess, not that I want to be there, but I want to get it done."He added, "Ill be there."PUTIN PRAISES TRUMPS SINCERE PEACE EFFORTS, SIGNALS POSSIBLE US-RUSSIA NUCLEAR DEALTrump said that he would rate the meeting a 10 out of 10, saying, "I think the meeting was a 10 in the sense that we got along great."Asked what he thought finally brought Putin to the negotiating table, Trump answered, "I dont want to say anything brought him, hes a very smart guy, nothing brought him to the table, so to speak.""I think he respects our country now, he didnt respect it under Biden, I can tell you that, he had no respect for it."Trump also commented that he "was so happy" that Putin shared his belief during their joint press conference that the Russia-Ukraine war would have never happened had he been in office at the time.ZELENSKYY NOT INVITED TO UPCOMING TRUMP, PUTIN TALKS WHITE HOUSE SAYS THIS WAS THE REASONWithout hesitating, Trump said that his advice to Zelenskyy after Fridays meeting with Putin would be "make a deal."Trump shared that Putin told him he believed the 2020 election was rigged because of the widespread mail-in voting, saying, "you cant have a great democracy with mail-in voting."

As President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, reactions from lawmakers back in Washington, D.C., flooded in, including one Republican who said he wants the president nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize following the summit.While Republicans largely praised Trump for an assertive posture and for his efforts working towards peace, Democrats accused the president of being too friendly with Putin."President Trump, I think, is just crystal clear that Putin's back is against the wall and I think he demonstrated that clearness with his very first action before saying a word with the fact that he flew B-2 bombers over [Putin's] head," said Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla. "That was not on accident, obviously. For him to fly a B-2 bomber over Vladimir Putin's head, it was a signal to him that when President Trump says, 'Hey there could be very serious consequences.'"MIKE POMPEO ADVISES AMERICANS NOT TO 'OVERREAD' THIS PART OF TRUMP AND PUTIN'S MEETINGHowever, while Mast expressed that he saw Trump challenging Putin, Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell described the summit as akin to "Trump toast[ing] Putin like he was giving him the lifetime achievement award.""What a Kremlin kiss a-- our president is," Swalwell added.Meanwhile, as the meeting was kicking off, Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., said, "The very fact that Putin will be on American soil is a huge win for him.""First, he is legitimized and not a global pariah. Second, he would be subject to arrest in 123 countries due to his ICC arrest warrant. Here [sic] is walking free," Vindman lamented.FROM ADMIRATION TO ALASKA: A TIMELINE OF TRUMP AND PUTINS HIGH-STAKES ENCOUNTERS"Trump invited a dictator onto U.S. soil just to get his s*** rocked," added the official X account for the Democratic Party.But Republicans rallied around the president's handling of the summit, with Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., announcing Friday night after the summit concluded that he intends to draft a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Trump.Some Republicans took the opportunity Friday to slam the former Biden administration for failing to take the necessary action to halt the war in Ukraine. "When Joe Biden became president he waved the sanctions on Nord Stream 2, he gave Putin and Russia a multi-billion dollar gift, and the reason that caused the war is because Putin had refrained from invading Ukraine because he didn't want to damage the natural gas pipelines that run through Ukraine," Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Friday in an interview on Fox News.During the summit, while Putin was addressing reporters, he said that he believed the claim from Trump and Republicans that had Trump been president when the war began instead of Biden, it likely never would have started in the first place."The key to ending this war honorably and justly is to create an infrastructure of deterrence that Biden and Obama failed to do which will prevent a third invasion," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said following Friday's summit.The South Carolina senator added that following the summit, a meeting between Trump, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be necessary. The senator argued that, with such a meeting, he would be "cautiously optimistic" that the war could end "well before Christmas.""If that meeting fails to materialize, I think President Trump may have to go all in to punish those who buy cheap Russian oil and gas, propping up Putins war machine," Graham concluded.

"Real Time" host Bill Maher pushed back against the idea that President Donald Trump is "Putins bi--h" after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday."Lets not have the zombie lie that [Trump] is still backing Putin," Maher told his panel. "First of all, he bombed Iran, that was a Putin ally. He didnt get out of NATO. He mended fences with NATO. And he put sanctions back on Russia."After a three-hour meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska, where the two discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine, Trump called the meeting "very warm" in an exclusive interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.He also said Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy want him to attend the next meeting.MSNBC HOST EXPLODES LIVE ON AIR OVER PUTIN TALKS, RANTS TRUMP 'DOESN'T GIVE A S--- ABOUT DEMOCRACY'Hours after that interview, Maher confessed the "one thing" he knows about Trump.If somebody is the kind of person that would "see the good in anybody," this would be "the good" in Trump, the late-night host teased."He really does hate war," Maher insisted. "He really does not like it when people die in war."One of Mahers panelists, County Highway editor-at-large Walter Kirn, added some wit to the discussion.TRUMP REVEALS HIS GAME PLAN FOR MEETING WITH PUTIN IN ALASKA: 'IT'S LIKE CHESS'"Youre really coming around, Bill," Kirn joked."Im not coming around," Maher countered, insisting hes not "on anyones team." He went on to call his statement "true s--t."The duo had a sterner discussion when Maher first introduced the "zombie lie" about Trumps relationship with Putin."I think its kind of a zombie lie that Trump is Putins, you know, bi--h," Maher began. "Because he was certainly over friendly to him for a very long time, considering who Putin is. A thug and a murderer.""In 2015, Obama met [Putin] and nobody said anything," Kirn retorted."He met him, he didnt praise him," Maher argued. "He didnt say hes the greatest guy in the world. I could read 20 compliments that Trump has given to him."TRUMP AND PUTINS RELATIONSHIP TURNS SOUR AS PRESIDENT PUSHES FOR RESOLUTION WITH UKRAINETrump has repeatedly called Putin "smart" and blamed former President Joe Biden for Russias invasion of Ukraine, including at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference."The problem is not that Putin is smart, which, of course, hes smart," Trump told the crowd. "The real problem is that our leaders are dumb. They've allowed him to get away with this travesty and this assault on humanity."TheCenter for Strategic and International Studies estimates the total number of casualties in the war in Ukraine to be 1.4 million since February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday he will travel to Washington, D.C. on Monday to meet with President Donald Trump.Zelenskyy's announcement comes a day after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine."On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation," Zelenskyy wrote on X.TRUMP RATES PUTIN SUMMIT A '10 OUT OF 10' AND TOUTS 'VERY GOOD PROGRESS' TOWARD PEACEThis is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to troll President Donald Trump on social media by mimicking his infamous writing style.The press team for the Democratic governor has made several posts on X in recent days mirroring how Trump often writes when posting on X or Truth Social, including using all capital letters and nicknames.In the latest post on Friday, Newsom's team responded to the White House Rapid Response account, which shared a picture of Trump scowling and pointing a finger at Russian President Vladimir Putin following a meeting on Friday between the two world leaders in Alaska."TINY HANDS IS OUT HERE COPYING ME BUT WITHOUT THE STAMINA (SAD), AND CERTAINLY WITHOUT THE 'LOOKS.' TOTAL BETA! GCN," the governor's press team replied on X along with a similar picture from earlier this year of Newsom pointing a finger at Trump's chest.CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS ACCUSE NEWSOM OF 'SINISTER REDISTRICTING SCHEME' AFTER TRUMP MOCKERYAfter the meeting on Friday, the press team accused Trump of refusing to take questions and having low energy during his time with Putin again in all caps."TRUMP JUST FLED THE PODIUM WITH PUTIN NO QUESTIONS, NOTHING! TOTAL LOW ENERGY. THE MAN LOOKED LIKE HED JUST EATEN 3 BUCKETS OF KFC WITH VLAD. IS HE AFRAID THE PRESS WILL ASK ABOUT ME??? (AMERICAS FAVORITE GOVERNOR) AND THE FACT I 'STOLE THE CAMERAS' THIS WEEK WITH 'THE MAPS'?" the press team wrote."MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING HE BEGGED PUTIN TO HOLD HIS HANDS (TINY) ON THE WAY OUT," the post continued. "ADMIT IT, DONNIE J YOU'RE TERRIFIED BECAUSE THIS WAS THE WORST WEEK OF YOUR LIFE BECAUSE OF ME, GAVIN C. NEWSOM. 'THE MAPS' WILL END YOUR PRESIDENCY, RETAKE CONGRESS FOR THE PEOPLE, AND EXPOSE YOUR RIGGED "LITTLE GAME." MY "PERFECT MAPS" ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN ANYTHING IN TRUMP TOWER (WHICH MANY SAY SMELLS WEIRD). @STEVENCHUENG47 EXPLAIN THIS DISASTER!!! ENJOY YOUR FLIGHT HOME, DONALD YOURE PUTINS PROBLEM NOW. IM AMERICAS SOLUTION. GCN."The post referred to Newsom announcing that California Democrats would draw redistricting maps in their favor in response to Texas Republicans' efforts to redraw maps in their favor in their state a move supported by Trump.The account also accused Trump of considering giving California to Russia during his meeting with Putin."MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT DONALD J. WOULD CONSIDER 'GIVING AWAY' THE FREE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO HIS 'BEST FRIEND' VLADIMIR PUTIN ALL BECAUSE I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, STOLE THE CAMERAS THIS WEEK WITH "THE MAPS," the post reads, in part."AMERICA WOULD COLLAPSE WITHOUT CALIFORNIA AND NOT EVEN 'DUMMY DONALD' (TINY HANDS) COULD MAKE SUCH A 'DISASTROUS DEAL.' BUT IF HE EVER TRIES TO 'SWAP' CALIFORNIA TO RUSSIA, MARK MY WORDS THERE WILL BE BIG, BEAUTIFUL CONSEQUENCES FOR HIM!!! AND BELIEVE ME HE WONT LIKE THEM!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT MATTER!!! GCN."CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR DEMANDS TRUMP ABANDON TEXAS REDISTRICTING PUSH, THREATENS BALLOT MEASURE RESPONSEIn another cap-filled post on Friday, the press team suggested Newsom should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his redistricting efforts, after a handful of world leaders announced they had nominated Trump for the award."MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING AND I AGREE THAT I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM (AMERICAS FAVORITE GOVERNOR) DESERVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE," the account wrote. "WHY? BECAUSE OF THE 'MOST INCREDIBLE MAPS IN THE HISTORY OF MAPPING' (EVEN COLUMBUS). THESE MAPS WILL END THE 'VERY RIGGED' ELECTIONS, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN (MAGA!!!), RETAKE CONGRESS 'FOR THE PEOPLE', AND SAVE DEMOCRACY. NOBODY ELSE COULD HAVE DONE THIS CERTAINLY NOT THE 'SELF-PROCLAIMED' MASTER DEALMAKER DONALD 'TACO' TRUMP (TINY HANDS) WHO MISSED 'THE DEADLINE' AND LOST (SAD!).""PEACE THROUGH MAPS NO ONE HAS EVER THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE," the account continued. "I AM THE 'PEACE TIME' GOVERNOR NOW, STOPPING 'POLITICAL WARS' BEFORE THEY START. HARMONY, UNITY, EVEN LOVE. THE NOBEL COMMITTEE HAS GIVEN THIS AWARD TO LESSER PEOPLE FOR MUCH LESS. I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, ACTUALLY EARNED IT. THE WORLD WILL BE SAFER, KINDER, AND FRANKLY MORE 'BEAUTIFUL' BECAUSE OF MY MAPS. GIVE GAVIN THE NOBEL, MANY ARE SAYING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! GCN."Before the series of posts on Friday, Newsom's press team made several other posts targeting Trump and mocking "MAGA" Republicans throughout the week."Vaxxed?" the account wrote on Friday in response to a picture another user shared of Trump and Putin in which the user said the U.S. president "looks awful."

It was a made-for-TV moment: The two leaders met on the tarmac at Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson in Anchorage, Alaska, Air Force One and two F-35 fighters in the background. As they walked together, overhead came the roar of those F-35s, followed by the low, almost ghostly sweep of a B-2 stealth bomber a display of U.S. airpower as much as a nod to the Cold War history between the nations.Hours later, after their closed-door discussions, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared again this time on a raised stage, each behind a podium, U.S. and Russian flags flanking both sides, with a blue backdrop behind them that read "Pursuing Peace." It was the first U.S.-hosted summit between American and Russian presidents on U.S. military soil.TRUMP, PUTIN WRAP 'EXTREMELY PRODUCTIVE' SUMMIT BUT 'NOT THERE YET' ON ENDING WARTrump had spent days rehearsing via secure calls with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, coordinating "red lines" to take into the meeting: no territorial concessions to Russia, Ukraine in the room for all negotiations, and clear conditions for any sanctions relief. Yet, despite the military pomp and the careful stagecraft, what emerged from Alaska was not a deal, but a diplomatic pause warm words, thin details, and the hard work still ahead.A Cautious Press ConferencePutin spoke first, describing the talks as "constructive and mutual respect." He recalled moments in history when the U.S. and Russia "worked together" and said he sought a "long-term settlement." He acknowledged Russias "legitimate concerns" and said it was "very important for our countries to turn the page." He described a "trustworthy tone" in the conversation and praised Trump for having "a good idea of what he wants." In a line clearly aimed at the cameras back home, Putin claimed Trump told him that if he had been president earlier, "there would not have been war," and confirmed that he believed it was true.Trump followed, also taking no questions. "We had productive meetings," he said. "Big agreements. No deal until there is a deal." He promised to call "NATO," to "call Zelenskyy," and declared, "We really made great progress today." He reminded the audience of his "fantastic relationship with Putin" and judged there was "a good chance of getting there," even if "were not there yet." Most importantly, Trump said, "We need to stop thousands of people being killed every week."For all the positive tone, the substance was modest. Putin left Alaska dangling the prospect of a ceasefire but with strings attached. We know from prior statements that he wants the U.S. to lift certain sanctions and drop tariff threats aimed at countries like India that buy Russian energy. He intends to keep control of two eastern Ukrainian provinces seized in 2022. Likely, Trump did not concede those points, but evidently they agreed to a follow-on meeting "soon."The Reality on the GroundWhile the flags fluttered in Anchorage, the war did not stop. Russian forces pressed forward modestly nearDobropillia in Donetsk region, testing Ukrainian defenses in what looks like an attempt to improve their tactical position before any pause. Ukraine rushed reinforcements, stabilizing the line for now, but fighting remains intense.Russias long-range bombardment shows no sign of abating. In July alone, Moscow launched more than70 cruise missiles and thousands of Iranian-made Shahed drones at Ukrainian targets. Ukraine has answered withdeep strikes including a hit on a Russian oil refinery and the bombing of a cargo ship carrying drone parts in the Caspian Sea. Neither side is behaving as if the wars end is imminent.Thats why any ceasefire talk must be backed by ironclad verification: neutral observers on the ground, satellite surveillance, clearly mapped lines, and automatic "snap-back" sanctions for violations. Without that, Moscow will have every incentive to rearm under the cover of diplomacy.What the Summit ClarifiedIf nothing else, Alaska revealed the bottom lines.For Putin, its about locking in territorial gains and relieving the economic pressure eroding his war machine. Rolling back sanctions on countries that help him skirt restrictions would boost his revenues and signal to others that U.S. economic warfare is negotiable.For Trump, its about testing whether Putin can be moved toward de-escalation without sacrificing U.S. credibility. Involving Zelenskyy keeps Ukraines fate from being decided in absentia, and reaffirming NATOs support reassures allies.For Ukraine, its a double-edged sword. A follow-on meeting offers a diplomatic opening, but Putins explicit territorial demands remain a political, legal, and moral red line.Implications for Key PlayersUnited States: Washington must resist trading sanctions relief for vague promises. The sanctions regime is one of the few levers that works, and any easing must be tied to measurable, sustained compliance verified by independent intelligence as well as neutral monitors.Russia: Putin leaves Alaska with the optics of being a willing negotiator useful for his domestic image but no immediate relief on sanctions or Western recognition of his land grabs. Expect him to probe Western unity with limited escalations in the next two weeks.Ukraine: Kyiv has a brief window to reinforce its defenses and prepare a clear case for the next meeting: explicit security guarantees, timetables for arms deliveries, and a non-negotiable stance on sovereignty.Europe: Allied capitals can point to a small win: the U.S. did not cut a side deal. But they must be ready to step up enforcement and fill any gaps if U.S. resolve wavers.China: Beijing will study Alaska closely. If the West blinks on sanctions enforcement, it could embolden Chinese adventurism in the Pacific. A unified Western stand would send the opposite message.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONThe Way AheadIf the U.S. wants these ceasefire talks to go anywhere, three steps are essential:The Alaska summit was not the breakthrough some hoped for, but it wasnt a failure, either. It gave both sides a clearer picture of the negotiating terrain and bought time for positioning. But time favors the side that uses it best.For the United States, that means holding firm on sanctions, bolstering Ukraines defenses, and treating any ceasefire as the start of a rigorous verification process, not the wars conclusion. For Ukraine, it means preparing for two divergent paths: meaningful diplomacy or intensified conflict. For Russia, it means deciding whether continued war is worth the mounting cost when the West refuses to pay in land.If Alaska was merely a pause, the next meeting will decide whether it becomes a bridge to peace or a bridge to nowhere.

Katie Miller, wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, spoke with Fox News Digital about why she decided to launch a podcast in the evolving media space, specifically geared toward busy, working moms."It is past time I spoke for myself and not for somebody else," Miller told Fox News Digital. "You could say that everybody has a podcast, but there truly isn't one that is in this particular space, which is a conservative female speaking to other conservative women. I don't mean conservative in the politicized term. I mean someone who is a mom, wife, wants their kids to eat healthy, tries their best, has a career, and it is something relatable for me and for my friends."Miller announced on Thursday that she was launching "The Katie Miller Podcast" after exiting the White House as a former adviser at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).Miller told Fox News Digital that she decided to start a podcast to cater more to lifestyle content and what it means to be a wife and mom in 2025.MICHELLE OBAMA'S PODCAST PUTS HER IN LIMELIGHT IN NEW TRUMP ERA, BUT SHE'S NOT COMING TO DEMOCRATS' RESCUEMiller, who has a communications background, said it was a "completely different task to do it yourself," rather than coaching someone else to do it.She told Fox News Digital she has planned for wide-ranging guests with diverse views and discussed what she wanted her overarching message to be."I would hope that the only guests I have are not only people who identify as conservative or Republicans. I find, you know, my best conversations in my real life are that of diverse views, but I hope the message that is overarching is that you can have a family, you can have a career, you could have a husband, and that it is not just the binary choice between either you have a career and you have a family. I don't think you need to wait to have kids, I think there's a way to have it all," she said.Miller said her career proved women could do it all.WHITE HOUSE DISCLOSES WHO WILL LEAD DOGE EFFORTS AFTER MUSK'S DEPARTURE"I went from being the vice president's communications director to being an adviser to Elon Musk," she said. "My career proves that's true."The former DOGE adviser released an interview with Vice President JD Vance on Monday, during which he went into detail about how he and the second lady balance sacred family time.She also has episodes planned with former ESPN host Sage Steele and boxing legend Mike Tyson."It will have some people from politics because those are, you know, my friends," Miller explained. She added, "I'm working just as hard to get people from other walks of life."CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREShe revealed she's learned that a lot of the people she interacts with deal with similar struggles."And sometimes the person at the bar says their life is so amazing, and you're like, But only if you knew what we were really going through. And that's what I hope to bring to this podcast," she added.Miller said life gets messy as a mom and career woman, and said she hoped the podcast could be a place for "brutal honesty" to discuss missing the mark and have the dialogue about it.Miller also discussed how she and her husband make time for their kids and each other, despite their busy lives.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"It is very important to me and my husband and I that one of us is at home for dinner every night with our children. And so dinner in our house is 5:30. My husband puts our kids to bed every night, when he can, obviously, there are certain travels. But we are truly a team, and we eat dinner at the table, we have breakfast together. My kids are very scheduled, but they know they can reach me, and if they're having a bad day, I cancel everything," she said.Miller also spoke about the podcast space, which has become increasingly more popular and was seen as a major force in President Donald Trump's 2024 victory. She compared podcasts to what magazines used to be, and said "they all had very specific advertisers they would go to, to reach a certain population of the world.""I think that is what podcasting has become, is this specific subset of individuals that's curated for specific audiences based on what they want to hear," Miller told Fox News Digital.