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Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that Russia is “asking for too much” to end its war with Ukraine, underscoring new frustrations in the Trump White House over its efforts to court Moscow on peace talks.

Speaking to the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, he said that the U.S. is focusing on a long-term settlement since Russia has rejected the U.S. call for a 30-day ceasefire. Moscow has said that sort of temporary pause is not in its strategic interest because it would allow Ukraine to regroup.

Vance stressed that Russia is likely to have to make concessions — the latest sign that the Trump administration is willing to get more aggressive with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much,” Vance said.

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Earlier this year, Utah and Idaho’s Republican-controlled legislatures passed bans on flying the rainbow pride flags and other “unofficial flags” on government property.

Leaders in both states’ capital cities, Salt Lake City and Boise, recently devised an inventive workaround – changing their official flags.

Salt Lake City’s mayor, Erin Mendenhall, proposed the adoption of three new city flags, which were unanimously approved by the city council. All three have the city’s traditional sego lily design, respectively imposed over a pride flag, a trans flag and a Juneteenth commemoration flag.

“Our city flags are powerful symbols representing Salt Lake City’s values,” said Mendenhall in a press release. “I want all Salt Lakers to look up at these flags and be reminded that we value diversity, equity and inclusion – leaving no doubt that we are united as a city and people, moving forward together.”

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The Trump administration’s reported plan to hurriedly deport immigrants to war-torn Libya would “clearly violate” an earlier court order barring such summary deportations, a federal judge warned Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy’s assessment followed an emergency motion filed by lawyers for a group of Asian immigrants seeking to block a military flight that appeared to be on the verge of taking off from Texas — even as the two competing governments that control portions of Libya reportedly indicated they would reject deportation flights from the United States.

Citing “alarming reports” in the media and accounts from some of their clients — nationals of Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines — the lawyers said the immigrants are at risk of being sent to Libya in defiance of an earlier injunction, issued by Murphy, prohibiting deportations to so-called third-party countries without notice and a chance to make a legal challenge. They asked Murphy to quickly prevent any deportation flights to Libya and to ensure the Trump administration is complying with his earlier order. They also asked Murphy to block flights to potential “stopover” nations like Saudi Arabia.

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The New York police department on Wednesday arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian activists who occupied part of the main library building on Columbia University’s campus on Wednesday evening, ending an hours-long standoff nearly a year after student anti-war protest swept the Ivy League school.

Claire Shipman, the university’s acting president, said in a statement that she requested officers with the NYPD to help clear the building, after protesters had refused to leave despite being warned that a failure to comply would result in disciplinary action and possibly arrest for trespassing. A spokesperson for the NYPD said officers arrested “multiple individuals” who refused to disperse.

Video posted online by the student activist group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) showed NYPD officers in riot gear entering the Butler library reading room, as protesters locked arms and chanted: “We have nothing to lose but our chains!”

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A Tennessee jury cleared three former Memphis, Tennessee, police officers Wednesday of all state charges stemming from the fatal beating of a Black motorist that sparked protests across the country two years ago.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were found not guilty of second-degree murder, among other charges, in the death of Tyre Nichols.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the men released immediately. All three were overcome with emotion as they hugged one another and their lawyers in the Memphis courtroom.

Each of the three defendants faced a count of second-degree murder, a count of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and a count of official oppression. There were acquitted of all.

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A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Trump’s dismantling of three federal agencies that support libraries, museums, minority businesses and mediation services.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell agreed with 21 Democratic-led states that the shutdowns violate the separation of powers.

“It also disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated,” McConnell wrote.

A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot was found dead on a riverbank in west-central Honduras several miles outside of an airbase over the weekend, officials confirmed.

An investigation is currently underway into the death of 25-year-old 1st Lt. Marciano Parisano, whose body was found on May 3 at around 2 p.m. local time in city of Comayagua, the Honduran National Police confirmed.

The South Texas native's body was found while he was on leave away from the Comayagua base, according to the U.S. Embassy.

"It is with deep sorrow and great sadness that we mourn the passing of Lieutenant Marciano Parisano. He served our unit and the mission at Soto Cano Air Base with honor, pride, and courage," U.S. Army Colonel Daniel Alder said in a news release. "His contribution to our team was invaluable."

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