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Biden sets off to Europe on first foreign trip
CBSN
President Biden is heading to Europe on Wednesday on his first foreign trip as president as the administration strives to emphasize relationships with U.S. allies.
While there, he will participate in both the G7 and NATO summits, as well as an EU-U.S. Summit. Mr. Biden's key message to allies has been that America is back, after former President Trump at times mocked leaders of the nation's closest allies and championed an "America first" platform. The White House says this trip will focus on America's commitment to rallying world democracies and defending shared values. But the most closely-watched part of the president's trip will be next week when Mr. Biden has a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The engagement promises particularly high stakes, especially given recent ransomware attacks in the U.S. committed by hackers that U.S. intelligence officials say are in Russia.![](/newspic/picid-6252001-20250214202746.jpg)
Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a high-stakes meeting at this year's Munich Security conference to discuss the Trump administration's efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Vance said the U.S. seeks a "durable" peace, while Zelenskyy expressed the desire for extensive discussions to prepare for any end to the conflict.
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Washington — The Trump administration on Thursday intensified its sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, the nation's largest employer, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who hadn't yet gained civil service protection - potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.
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It was Labor Day weekend 2003 when Matt Scribner, a local horse farrier and trainer who also competes in long-distance horse races, was on his usual ride in a remote part of the Sierra Nevada foothills — just a few miles northeast of Auburn, California —when he noticed a freshly dug hole along the trail that piqued his curiosity.