So much crazy happens with the Trump administration every day that some downright weird but incredibly telling stuff gets lost in the noise. A recent example was the scene on April 8 at the White House where, in the middle of his raging trade war, our president decided it was the perfect time to sign an executive order to bolster coal mining.

“We’re bringing back an industry that was abandoned,” said President Donald Trump, surrounded by coal miners in hard hats, members of a work force that has declined to about 40,000 from 70,000 over the last decade, according to Reuters. “We’re going to put the miners back to work.” For good measure, Trump added about these miners: “You could give them a penthouse on Fifth Avenue and a different kind of a job and they’d be unhappy. They want to mine coal; that’s what they love to do.”

It’s commendable that the president honors men and women who work with their hands. But when he singles out coal miners for praise while he tries to zero out development of clean-tech jobs from his budget — in 2023, the U.S. wind energy industry employed approximately 130,000 workers, while the solar industry employed 280,000 — it suggests that Trump is trapped in a right-wing woke ideology that doesn’t recognize green manufacturing jobs as “real” jobs. How is that going to make us stronger?

A headful of ideas from the ’70s

This whole Trump II administration is a cruel farce. Trump ran for another term not because he had any clue how to transform America for the 21st century. He ran in order to stay out of jail and to get revenge on those who, with real evidence, had tried to hold him accountable to the law. I doubt he has ever spent five minutes studying the workforce of the future.

He then returned to the White House, his head still filled with ideas out of the 1970s. There he launched a trade war with no allies and no serious preparation — which is why he changes his tariffs almost every day — and no understanding of how much the global economy is now a complex ecosystem in which products are assembled from components from multiple countries. And then he has this war carried out by a commerce secretary who thinks millions of Americans are dying to replace Chinese workers “screwing in little screws to make iPhones.”

But this farce is about to touch every American. By attacking our closest allies — Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea and the European Union — and our biggest rival, China, at the same time he makes clear he favors Russia over Ukraine and prefers climate-destroying energy industries over future-oriented ones, the planet be damned, Trump is triggering a serious loss of global confidence in America.

The world is now seeing Trump’s America for exactly what it is becoming: a rogue state led by an impulsive strongman disconnected from the rule of law and other constitutional American principles and values.

Let’s connect some dots

And do you know what our democratic allies do with rogue states? Let’s connect some dots.

First, they don’t buy Treasury bills as much as they used to.

So America has to offer them higher rates of interest to do so — which will ripple through our entire economy, from car payments to home mortgages to the cost of servicing our national debt at the expense of everything else.

“Are President Trump’s herky-jerky decision-making and border taxes causing the world’s investors to shy away from the dollar and U.S. Treasurys?” asked The Wall Street Journal editorial page Sunday under the headline, “Is There a New U.S. Risk Premium?” Too soon to say, but not too soon to ask, as bond yields keep spiking and the dollar keeps weakening — classic signs of a loss of confidence that does not have to be large to have a large impact on our whole economy.

The second thing is that our allies lose faith in our institutions.

The Financial Times reported Monday that the European Union’s governing “commission is issuing burner phones and basic laptops to some U.S.-bound staff to avoid the risk of espionage, a measure traditionally reserved for trips to China.” It doesn’t trust the rule of law in America anymore.

The third thing people overseas do is tell themselves and their children — and I heard this repeatedly in China a few weeks ago — that maybe it’s not a good idea any longer to study in America.

The reason: They don’t know when their kids might be arbitrarily arrested, when their family members might get deported to El Salvadoran prisons.

Is this irreversible? All I know for sure today is that somewhere out there, as you read this, is someone like Steve Jobs’ Syrian birth father, who came to our shores in the 1950s to get a doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, someone who was planning to study in America but is now looking to go to Canada or Europe instead.

Shrinking American things that matter

You shrink all those things — our ability to attract the world’s most energetic and entrepreneurial immigrants, which allowed us to be the world’s center for innovation; our power to draw in a disproportionate share of the world’s savings, which allowed us to live beyond our means for decades; and our reputation for upholding the rule of law — and over time you end up with an America that will be less prosperous, less respected and increasingly isolated.

Wait, wait, you say, but isn’t China also still digging coal? Yes, it is, but with a long-term plan to phase it out and to use robots to do the dangerous and health-sapping work of miners.

And that’s the point. While Trump is doing his “weave” — rambling about whatever strikes him at the moment as good policy — China is weaving long-term plans.

In 2015, a year before Trump became president, China’s prime minister at the time, Li Keqiang, unveiled a forward-looking growth plan called “Made in China 2025.” It began by asking, what will be the growth engine for the 21st century? Beijing then made huge investments in the elements of that engine’s components so Chinese companies could dominate them at home and abroad. We’re talking clean energy, batteries, electric vehicles and autonomous cars, robots, new materials, machine tools, drones, quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

The most recent Nature Index shows that China has become “the leading country globally for research output in the database in chemistry, earth and environmental sciences and physical sciences, and is second for biological sciences and health sciences.”

Does that mean China will leave us in the dust? No. Beijing is making a huge mistake if it thinks the rest of the world is going to let China indefinitely suppress its domestic demand for goods and services so the government can go on subsidizing export industries and try to make everything for everyone, leaving other countries hollowed out and dependent. Beijing needs to rebalance its economy, and Trump is right to pressure it to do so.

Poker night? Deal me in

But Trump’s constant bluster and his wild on-and-off imposition of tariffs are not a strategy — not when you are taking on China on the 10th anniversary of Made in China 2025. If Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent really believes what he foolishly said, that Beijing is just “playing with a pair of twos,” then somebody please let me know when it’s poker night at the White House, because I want to buy in. China has built an economic engine that gives it options.

The question for Beijing — and the rest of the world — is: How will China use all the surpluses it has generated? Will it invest them in making a more menacing military? Will it invest them in more high-speed rail lines and six-lane highways to cities that don’t need them? Or will it invest in more domestic consumption and services while offering to build the next generation of Chinese factories and supply lines in America and Europe with 50-50 ownership structures? We need to encourage China to make the right choices. But at least China has choices.

Compare that with the choices Trump is making. He is undermining our sacred rule of law, he is tossing away our allies, he is undermining the value of the dollar and he is shredding any hope of national unity. He’s even got Canadians now boycotting Las Vegas because they don’t like to be told we will soon own them.

So, you tell me who’s playing with a pair of twos.

If Trump doesn’t stop his rogue behavior, he’s going to destroy all the things that made America strong, respected and prosperous.

I have never been more afraid for America’s future in my life.

Thomas Friedman writes a column for the New York Times.

I love downtown St. Paul. But let’s be honest: it’s in bad, bad shape — like a beautiful old stage set abandoned after the final curtain.

Sometime this past fall, I went to meet a friend who still keeps an office in one of the bank buildings. I walked through eerily silent hallways. Every office I passed was dark and empty — except his, a cool corner space with the best office view I’ve ever seen. It felt like a scene from a dystopian film, like some invisible disaster had swept through and cleared out all life.

But I remember when it wasn’t like this.

The first time I visited St. Paul was in 1994. I was still living in Copenhagen, Denmark, and came to see my high school exchange-year friend, Reena, who had moved here from Texas. She was living downtown in a sweet condo with her fiancé, near a park. I remember the street-level cafés, the shops in the skyways, even a department store. And during the lunch hour, the streets were vibrant — almost European in their rhythm.

That trip was how I was first introduced to Minnesota. I met relatives I’d never known before. They introduced me to my future husband, and four years later, I moved to Minnesota at age 27. St. Paul became home.

Even after returning to Europe for two years to help my mother through her final chapter, I came back — because I love it here.

I grew up in Copenhagen, one of the most walkable, people-centered cities in the world. Tourists travel across oceans to experience its beauty and livability. And I believe — with the right vision — we could create something just as special right here in downtown St. Paul.

We already have the bones for it. I’ve always loved the Landmark Center square by Rice Park. Mears Park, The Saint Paul Farmers’ Market is still the most iconic and charming market I’ve seen — even compared to those in Europe. The surrounding cafés and bars used to buzz with life. Now, most have vanished.

For years, I was a member of the Saint Paul Athletic Club, housed on Cedar Street in a stunning 1920s-era building with vaulted ceilings and ornate details. Last I heard, it had gone up for auction. That building — like so many others — is just sitting there. Waiting. Wasting.

And here’s the hard truth: It’s a disgrace that our capital city, the symbolic heart of Minnesota, is now a place you’d avoid bringing out-of-town guests. We must do better.

City insiders acknowledge the problems. Madison Equities, which now owns a massive share of downtown property, has been called “a cancer” for the city — acquiring buildings while others bailed, only to let them sit in neglect. For years, city leaders looked the other way, hoping things would self-correct.

They didn’t.

Thankfully, it feels like we may be hitting bottom and starting to rebuild. Office-to-housing conversions are underway, including Landmark Towers, which officially reopens this month as apartments. But real estate professionals remind us: Conversions are expensive and only feasible for buildings with the right dimensions. Incentives like the new CUB tax credit can help, but it won’t be enough on its own. And we can’t just convert office buildings — we need to cultivate a culture. We need people. Residents. Artists. Students. Entrepreneurs. We need density, yes, but also soul and presence.

Let me remind you of something we did once before: around 25 years ago, certain homes along Selby Avenue were sold for one dollar. The catch? You had to live there and fix up your Victorian. People did. They showed up. They invested. Today, that area is one of the city’s most walkable and beloved neighborhoods.

So why not do something similar downtown?

What if the city or state purchased long-vacant buildings and turned them into deeply affordable housing for people under 30? Not a free-for-all, but an application-based program that vets for vision, diversity and community-mindedness. People who want to stay. Who want to plant roots and shape the neighborhood.

Offer these same young creatives ultra-low rent on street-level spaces to open cafés, yoga studios, vintage shops, bookstores, and pop-up galleries. And give them a path to ownership — let them buy into these buildings at ultra-low rates, as long as they agree to live and contribute there for a set number of years.

This isn’t just about real estate. It’s about culture, equity and livability. We don’t need to turn St. Paul into a mini-Minneapolis or a corporate hub — we can become something more human-scale, local, and uniquely alive.

Because right now it feels like downtown is being held hostage by vacancy and the wrong property owners.

But the bones are good. The opportunity is real. And we’ve done this before. We need the courage to bet on people’s presence, creativity, entrepreneurship again — then the business will follow.

Maria Toso is a yoga educator, writer and emotional healing coach, originally from Copenhagen, Denmark. She moved to Minnesota in 1998 and now calls St. Paul home. Maria teaches the Yoga Teacher Training program at Minneapolis College and is the founder of Heal What Hurts, a yogic process for transforming emotional triggers into sources of strength. Her forthcoming book by the same name will be published this September by local publisher Llewellyn Worldwide.

By TAMMY WEBBER

The Trump administration plans to eliminate habitat protections for endangered and threatened species in a move environmentalists say would lead to the extinction of critically endangered species due to logging, mining, development and other activities.

At issue is a longstanding definition of “harm” in the Endangered Species Act, which has included altering or destroying the places those species live. Habitat destruction is the biggest cause of extinction, said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service said in a proposed rule issued Wednesday that habitat modification should not be considered harm because it’s not the same as intentionally targeting a species, called “take.” Environmentalists argue that the definition of “take,” though, has always included actions that harm species, and the definition of “harm” has been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The proposed rule “cuts the heart out of the Endangered Species Act,” said Greenwald. “If (you) say harm doesn’t mean significant habitat degradation or modification, then it really leaves endangered species out in the cold.”

For example, he said spotted owls and Florida panthers both are protected because the current rule forbids habitat destruction. But if the new rule is adopted, someone who logs in a forest or builds a development would be unimpeded as long as they could say they didn’t intend to harm an endangered species, he said.

The proposed rule was expected to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, kicking off a 30-day public comment period.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman referred The Associated Press to the Department of Interior, which declined to comment.

Environmental groups will challenge the rule in court if it is adopted, said Drew Caputo, an attorney at Earthjustice.

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He said the proposal “threatens a half-century of progress in protecting and restoring endangered species,” including bald eagles, gray wolves, Florida manatees and humpback whales. He said that’s because the current rule “recognizes the common-sense concept that destroying a forest, beach, river, or wetland that a species relies on for survival constitutes harm to that species.”

The question is whether the Trump administration is entitled to repeal a rule that was upheld specifically by the Supreme Court and therefore subject to precedent, said Patrick Parenteau, an emeritus professor at the Vermont Law and Graduate School who has handled endangered species cases.

Because of the current definition of harm, “many, many millions of acres of land has been conserved” to help keep species alive, he said.

The issue is of particular concern in Hawaii, which has more endangered species than any other state — 40% of the nation’s federally listed threatened and endangered species — even though it has less than 1% of the land area, according to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Birds are among the most vulnerable. Since humans arrived, 71 birds have gone extinct, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Thirty-one of the 42 remaining endemic birds are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the department said and ten of these haven’t been seen in decades.

Associated Press reporter Audrey McAvoy in Hawaii contributed to this report.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

By SAM MEDNICK

BINYAMINA, Israel (AP) — Rachel Dancyg never thought she would see her dog again after it disappeared in the Hamas attack that sparked the ongoing war with Israel.

Her ex-husband and brother were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel and killed. She thought her beloved pet had suffered the same fate. So when a soldier called the family on Tuesday night, telling them that Billie had been found alive in Gaza, it was hard to believe.

“It’s a miracle,” Dancyg told The Associated Press on Wednesday, hours after being reunited with her now 3 1/2-year old Cavalier King Charles spaniel. “It doesn’t make sense … People didn’t survive. How did she?”

The reunion brought a rare touch of joy in Israel after 18 months of devastating war.

The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 others being kidnapped. Nearly 60 hostages remain in Gaza, more than half of whom are believed to be dead. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

An Israeli offensive launched after the attack has killed more than 51,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to local health authorities, and reduced large parts of Gaza to rubble. U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire and bring home remaining hostages appear to be at a standstill.

Nir Oz was one of the hardest hit communities, with nearly a quarter of the approximately 400 residents killed or captured in the 2023 attack. For Israelis, it stands out as the embodiment of their country’s vulnerability that day. Soldiers took hours to respond. Some families have said they saw Hamas fighters killing or kidnapping animals.

It’s unclear how Billie ended up in Gaza. When Hamas entered Dancyg’s home, she hid in the safe room with her family for eight hours, holding the door shut. But she fled so quickly there was no time to find the dog. For months, the community looked everywhere for Billie, but there was no trace of her.

The family later moved to northern Israel.

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Then, on Tuesday night, Dancyg’s daughter received a phone call from a soldier who had just returned from Gaza. He said he had their dog.

“I couldn’t believe it. I asked for a photo. I was really confused,” said her daughter, Lee Maor.

The soldier said he found Billie in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah — about 9 miles (15 kilometers) from the Kibbutz — days earlier, and she immediately gravitated toward his troops, not leaving their side. It might have been because Billie heard them speaking Hebrew, he told them.

Speaking to Israeli television, reserve soldier Aviad Shapira said he found Billie among the rubble and called out to her. “I said ‘shalom’ and she jumped on me,” he said.

He had a feeling that she didn’t belong in Gaza and that there was a story behind her, Shapira said. He brought the dog to a veterinarian and found the family’s contact information on a chip inside the animal.

Stroking Billie on her lap, Dancyg says it will take time to see how the odyssey has affected her. Billie appears happy to be home, but she seems disoriented and has lost weight, Dancyg said.

While Israeli media happily reported Billie’s return, the Nir Oz community reminded people not to forget what the family went through. In a Facebook post, the kibbutz called the reunion a “little light in a lot of sorrow.”

The body of Dancyg’s ex-husband, Alex, 76, was recovered by the army and returned in August. The body of her brother Itzhak Elgarat, 68, was returned earlier this year as part of a ceasefire.

For Dancyg, Billie’s return gives her some sense of closure. Yet she said it is bittersweet knowing there are hostages still in Gaza.

“I can’t get out of this trauma as long as they are there,” she said.