The Wall Street Journal: What's News.

"Trump calls Zelensky a dictator."

Views expressed in this geopolitical news and analysis are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 19 February 2025, 2325 UTC.

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Russ Roberts (https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).

 

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Good afternoon. Here’s what you should know today, Feb. 19: The Trump administration moves to end New York City congestion pricing Nikola, once a darling of green investment, files for bankruptcy They’re 100 years old—and still doing people’s taxes By Zlati Meyer Thanks for reading What’s News! Look for the  to enjoy a free article on us—and share the link with a friend (or forward the whole newsletter!). PHOTO: NICOLAS TUCAT/ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES 1. The feud between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky escalated rapidly. Trump called his counterpart a “Dictator without Elections” ( read for free), and Zelensky accused Trump of repeating Russian propaganda. The exchange came a day after Trump said Zelensky started the Ukraine war, which began after Russia’s large-scale invasion three years ago. A significant deterioration in U.S.-Ukraine relations could complicate efforts to end the war. Meanwhile, Europe is struggling to respond to the American about-face, and Russians are cautiously optimistic about the rapid U.S. policy shift toward Moscow. 2. The Transportation Department rescinded its approval of New York City’s congestion pricing. The move was partly because the new program doesn’t offer drivers a toll-free way to enter lower Manhattan, the agency said. In a suit against the DOT, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that drivers would continue to be charged unless a court says otherwise and that the department didn’t have the power to rescind the approval. Separately, Trump’s proposed tariffs have scrambled global automakers’ reliance on the U.S. and prompted LVMH owner Bernard Arnault to work his presidential connections to spare his luxury empire. 3. Fed officials were broadly comfortable with their decision to hold interest rates steady last month. Their policy-meeting minutes, published today, contained nothing suggesting an immediate change to their wait-and-see stance. The central bank kept rates around 4.3% in January after three cuts. Officials cited strong consumer demand and changes to trade and immigration policy as potential factors that could hinder progress on lowering inflation. The Fed’s next meeting is March 18-19. 4. The Justice Department told a federal judge that its decision to drop bribery charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams was made in good faith. Acting U.S. deputy attorney general Emil Bove said the prosecution had interfered in the executive branch’s national-security and immigration-enforcement initiatives and “it reflects at a minimum the appearance of impropriety.” The directive to drop the case has drawn accusations of a quid pro quo in exchange for Adams’s cooperation on Trump’s immigration agenda. Four deputy mayors have threatened to step down, and several federal prosecutors quit in protest. Adams has maintained his innocence. 5. The redheaded Bibas children, the youngest hostages in Gaza, aren’t coming home alive. Hamas said the hostages it will release this week will include their and their mother’s bodies. The kidnapping of Ariel, 4; Kfir, 9 months; and Shiri, 33, during the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, became a symbol of that day’s brutality—and of Israel's desperate hopes for loved ones’ safety. In the months since the family’s capture, Israelis covered streets with posters and graffiti of the children’s likenesses; some carried balloons on the kids’ birthdays. Hamas previously released Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the children’s father. MEMBER MESSAGE: BUY SIDE FROM WSJ The Best CD Rates for February Looking to lock in competitive returns? Our guide to CD rates shows you how to maximize your savings with guaranteed interest over a fixed term. With the Fed making adjustments, now is the time to explore options that offer higher yields and protect your money. Find out how to secure the best CD rates for 2025 and make your savings work harder. LEARN MORE The Number $3.6 billion The amount of capital invested in Nikola that the electric-vehicle maker lost since its inception, according to the company’s bankruptcy filing. Nikola came to symbolize the excesses of a green-auto investment boom that has since cooled. The company plans to wind down its operations. Spotlight A new Airbus jet is bad news for Boeing. The European company is pulling ahead of its U.S. rival with a plane that’s a symbol of their diverging fortunes. The XLR has more than 500 orders so far, many from airlines replacing older Boeing planes. A string of crises— such as a midair door-plug blowout last January—has Boeing bleeding cash and mired in manufacturing problems. Read More ‏‏‎Quoted “This is now one of the most prominent, if not the most prominent way in the world that people launder money.” —Money-launder expert Craig Timms, referring to Chinese brokers who clean money for fentanyl traffickers through transactions in dollars, yuan and pesos. The brokers are part of an underground banking system serving China’s immigrant diaspora. Some Chinese nationals using the service might not know it involves drugs, U.S. officials say. Catch Up X Hinted at Possible Deal Trouble in Talks With Ad Giant to Increase Spending (Read)  Exclusive: Inspectors General Fired by Trump Speak Out (Watch) Apple Unveils iPhone 16e, With In-House Chip That Cost Billions (Read) Inside Trump’s Million-Dollar Dinners With Healthcare Executives (Read) The Battle for Overhead Bins Is Raging. These Are the Rules to Play By. (Read) What Do You Think? What should Boeing prioritize in order to compete with Airbus? Let us know at whatsnewsletter@wsj.com or reply to this newsletter. Include your full name and location, and we may publish your response in an upcoming issue. Take a Break PHOTO: JAMES R. HAGERTY/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Some tax professionals are almost as old as the 16th Amendment. (That one gave Congress the right to collect income taxes.) They’re crunching numbers into their 90s and beyond. Read More Beyond the Newsroom Buy Side from WSJ: See how the current 15-year mortgage rates compare.  Catch up on the day’s most important markets moves. Check out our newly redesigned Markets P.M. newsletter, delivered after the closing bell. Sign Up Today's newsletter was curated by Zlati Meyer in collaboration with Leigh Kamping-Carder in New York. Follow Zlati on X at @Zlatimeyer and Leigh at @Leigh_KC. Sign up for WSJ newsletters on markets, tech, careers and more.  Enjoying this newsletter? Get more from WSJ and support our journalism by subscribing today with this special offer.   Access WSJ‌.com and our mobile apps. Subscribe

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