LONDON (AP) — Joe Biden said in his first post-presidential interview that President Donald Trump’s pressure on Ukraine to give up territory to Russia amounts to “ modern-day appeasement,” a historically fraught term that refers to a failed effort to stop the Nazis from annexing land in Europe in the 1930s.

Biden told BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program in remarks aired Wednesday that Trump’s statements about acquiring Panama, Greenland and Canada have bred distrust of the United States in Europe.

Related Articles

Trump administration abruptly removes the vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board

Trump plans to announce the US will call the Persian Gulf the Arabian Gulf, officials tell AP

Top US officials will meet with Chinese delegation in Switzerland in first major talks of trade war

Trump says only 21 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza now believed to be alive

Erwin Chemerinsky: Trump wants to topple the republic’s last line of defense

“What president ever talks like that?” Biden said. “That’s not who we are. We’re about freedom, democracy, opportunity — not about confiscation.”

He also said it was a “difficult decision” to leave the U.S. presidential race in 2024 four months from Election Day to allow former Vice President Kamala Harris to challenge Trump. But, he added, making that move earlier as some critics had suggested “would(n’t) have mattered.”

The term appeasement refers to former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s efforts in the 1930s to appease Adolf Hitler’s moves to annex land in Europe, which failed to prevent World War II.

Trump has long dismissed the war in Ukraine as a waste of lives and American taxpayer money. Early in his presidency, Trump ordered a pause in American aid to Ukraine — then resumed it. The two countries last week signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources — a return on investment, Trump suggested, that could pave the way for more U.S. aid.

He has also said that Crimea, a strategic peninsula along the Black Sea in southern Ukraine that was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, “will stay with Russia.”

Biden said he worried that relations between the U.S. and Europe was eroding under Trump, with NATO member nations reconsidering whether they trust the U.S.

“Europe is going to lose confidence in the certainty of America and the leadership of America,” Biden told the BBC. The continent’s leaders, he added, were asking: “‘Can I rely on the United States? Are they going to be there?’”

Of special concern, Biden said, was the administration’s proposal to let Russia keep some Ukrainian territory in an effort to strike a peace deal that would put an end to fighting.

“It is modern-day appeasement,” Biden said.

Biden said Trump’s thrashing of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office in February was “beneath America.”

“I don’t understand how they fail to understand that there’s strength in alliances,” Biden said of the Trump administration on Monday.

Asked about Trump’s triumphant celebration of his first 100 days in office, Biden replied that he’ll let history render the judgement.

“I don’t see anything that was triumphant,” he said.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve could keep its key rate unchanged for several more months as it evaluates the impact of President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs on hiring and inflation, some economists say, even as the White House pushes for a rate cut.

The Fed is nearly certain to keep its rate unchanged when it concludes its latest policy meeting Wednesday. Chair Jerome Powell and other Fed officials have signaled that they want to see how the duties — including 145% on all imports from China — impact consumer prices and the economy.

The central bank’s caution could lead to more conflict between the Fed and the Trump administration. On Sunday, Trump again urged the Fed to cut rates in a television interview and said Powell “just doesn’t like me because I think he’s a total stiff.” With inflation not far from the Fed’s 2% target for now, Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argue that the Fed could reduce its rate. The Fed pushed it higher in 2022 and 2023 to fight inflation.

If the Fed were to cut, it could lower other borrowing costs, such as for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards, though that is not guaranteed.

Trump also said Sunday he wouldn’t fire Powell because the chair’s term ends next May and he will be able to appoint a new chair then. Yet if the economy stumbles in the coming months, Trump could renew his threats to remove Powell.

A big issue facing the Fed is how tariffs will impact inflation. Nearly all economists and Fed officials expect the import taxes will lift prices, but it’s not clear by how much or for how long. Tariffs typically cause a one-time increase in prices, but not necessarily ongoing inflation. Yet if Trump announces further tariffs — as he has threatened to do on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and copper — or if Americans worry that inflation will get worse, that could send prices higher in a more persistent way.

Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, said this could keep the Fed on the sidelines until September.

“It’s hard for them to cut sooner because they’ve got to weigh, what’s the inflation impact?” Bostjancic said. “Is this going to be somewhat persistent and add to inflation expectations?”

Economists and the Fed are closely watching inflation expectations, which are essentially a measure of how much consumers are concerned that inflation will worsen. Higher inflation expectations can be self-fulfilling, because it Americans think prices will rise, they can take steps that push up costs, such as asking for higher wages.

For now, the U.S. economy is mostly in solid shape, and inflation has cooled considerably from its peak in 2022. Consumers are spending at a healthy pace, though some of that may reflect buying things like cars ahead of tariffs. Businesses are still adding workers at a steady pace, and unemployment is low.

Still, there are signs inflation will worsen in the coming months. Surveys of both manufacturing and services firms show that they are seeing higher prices from their suppliers. And a survey by the Federal Reserve’s Dallas branch found that nearly 55% of manufacturing firms expect to pass on the impact of tariff increases to their customers.

“The bottom line is that inflation will be rising significantly over the next six months,” Torsten Slok, chief economist at the Apollo Group, said in an email.

Yet the tariffs could also weigh heavily on the economy, particularly because of the uncertainty they have created. Huge tariffs on about 60 other nations, announced April 2, were then postponed until July 9, but could be reimposed. Business surveys show that firms are postponing investment decisions until they have greater clarity.

Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, said the uncertainty surrounding trade policy gives him “night terrors.”

“The economics of uncertainty are absolutely suffocating,” Sweet said. “Businesses that don’t know the rules of the road, their knee-jerk reaction is to sit on their hands. And that’s what they’re doing.”

But if the uncertainty delays hiring, slows the economy and pushes up the unemployment rate, the Fed could quickly shift toward interest rate cuts. A sharp economic slowdown could eventually cool inflation by itself, economists say.

“If you felt like the economy was really slowing down, then I think that would probably take precedence (over inflation), because usually the way the committee thinks is that will also drag inflation somewhat with it,” said Jim Bullard, former president of the Federal Reserve’s St. Louis branch, and currently dean of Purdue University’s business school.

In March, the Fed signaled that it could cut rates twice this year. But since then, the Trump administration imposed duties that Powell said last month were larger and broader than the Fed expected.

The duties, Powell acknowledged, could both slow growth and lift prices, which puts the Fed in a tough spot. It would usually cut rates to boost growth and hiring, while it would raise them to cool spending and inflation. Powell signaled that if the two goals came into conflict, Fed officials would put more weight on inflation concerns.

“Without price stability, we cannot achieve the long periods of strong labor market conditions that benefit all Americans,” Powell said.

When you need to throw something together for a fast and easy weeknight meal, tacos are often a busy cook’s first choice.

Related Articles

Recipe: Spicy beef tostadas reinvigorate the Taco Tuesday tradition

What’s cooking in that one pot? For these moms, it’s a new food world

Umami’s an old flavor but still a new concept for many cooks. Here’s what to know

Brunch on (gluten-free!) potato-crust quiche with spinach, feta and bacon

Five weeknight dishes we couldn’t stop eating

That’s because you can stuff almost anything inside a hard or soft tortilla — including leftovers — top it with some shredded lettuce and/or crunchy veggies, add a generous sprinkling of cheese and feel like a total winner.

Tostadas — flat and crispy (and sometimes bowl-shaped) tortilla shells piled high with meat, seafood or vegetables — are just as easy if you’re looking to change things up on Taco Tuesday, but still want to stick to a Mexican theme.

Why do we love this Mexican version of the open-faced sandwich? Like their crunchy folded cousins, tostadas are very versatile. They also can be assembled in 20 minutes or less, depending on the chosen protein and whether or not any veggies have to be cooked.

In other words, you don’t have to think too hard to make tostadas.

This recipe brings together ground beef that’s been spiced up (considerably) with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and the traditional taco fixings of shredded iceberg lettuce, fresh tomato, chopped cilantro and crumbled Cotija cheese.

There’s also a layer of mashed refried beans to help the toppings stick to the fried tortilla.

Depending on how involved you want diners to be, you can either assemble the tostadas before serving or place the toppings in separate bowls and let everyone serve themselves. Some recipes call for frying the tostada shells in hot oil before adding the toppings to make them hot and extra crunchy, but I took the shortcut of simply warming them in the oven.

Tostadas can be eaten like a pizza slice with both hands, or on a plate using a fork and knife. Just note: The more toppings you pile on, the messier it will be.

Spicy Ground Beef Tostadas

INGREDIENTS

For meat layer:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus 2 tablespoons sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
8-ounce can refried beans, warmed
8 tostadas (flat crisp shell)

For topping:

Handful of shredded iceberg lettuce
Handful of shredded red cabbage
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped red onion
Large handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup crumbed Cotija cheese
1 avocado, peeled and cut into wedges
3 limes, divided
Salsa, optional

DIRECTIONS

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is sizzling, add ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it is no longer pink.

Stir in onion, garlic, chipotle peppers and sauce, cumin and chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (If meat is too spicy, thin sauce with a little water.)

Empty refried beans into a small saucepan placed over low to medium heat. Stir frequently until the beans are heated through. Keep the beans on warm while you prepare the various toppings and warm the tostada shells, adding water as necessary to keep a creamy consistency.

Toss shredded lettuce with juice of 1 lime and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cut 2 remaining limes into wedges.

Heat tostada shells in a preheated 350-degree oven until hot and crispy, about 3-4 minutes.

Assemble the tostadas. Divide the shells among plates and spread a thin layer of warmed refried bean on top. (This will act as a glue for the ground beef.)

Spoon the meat mixture on top of the beans. Top with shredded lettuce and cabbage, halved tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado and crumbled cotija cheese, and serve immediately.

If desired, spoon on some jarred salsa. For additional heat, add a few slices of pickled jalapeno; to tone it down a notch, add a dollop of sour cream.

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Today is Wednesday, May 7, the 127th day of 2025. There are 238 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the British liner RMS Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans, out of the nearly 2,000 on board.

Also on this date:

In 1945, Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, ending its role in World War II.

Related Articles

80 years after World War II, Germany is still painstakingly searching for its fallen soldiers

Today in History: May 6, the Hindenburg crashes in flames in New Jersey

St. Paul Sgt. Vick remembered 20 years after he was killed in line of duty

How Alcatraz became America’s most notorious prison

Today in History: May 5, Alan Shepard becomes first American in space

In 1954, the 55-day Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam ended with Vietnamese insurgents overrunning French forces; it would be the last major battle of the First Indochina War.

In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford formally declared an end to the “Vietnam era.” In Ho Chi Minh City — formerly Saigon — the Viet Cong celebrated its takeover.

In 1977, Seattle Slew won the Kentucky Derby, the first of his Triple Crown victories.

In 1984, Monsanto and six other chemical companies agreed to pay a $180 million settlement to Vietnam veterans who were exposed to the chemical herbicide Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

In 2020, Georgia authorities arrested a white father and son and charged them with murder in the February shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man they had pursued in a truck after spotting him running in their neighborhood near the port city of Brunswick. (The two men and a third white man would be convicted of murder in state court and hate crimes in federal court.)

Today’s Birthdays:

Singer Thelma Houston is 82.
Rock musician Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead) is 79.
Actor/former boxer Randall “Tex” Cobb is 75.
Actor Breckin Meyer is 51.
Reggaeton musician J Balvin is 40.
Actor-comedian Aidy Bryant is 38.
Actor-writer Maya Erskine is 38.
Actor Alexander Ludwig is 33.
YouTube personality MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) is 27.