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In today's issue:

▪ Trump focuses on foreign policy legacy

▪ Copper, pharmaceutical tariffs coming 'soon'

▪ DOJ under fire over Epstein memo

▪ Texas officials on defense amid tragedy

President Trump, fresh off a major win in Washington with his massive tax and domestic policy bill, is increasingly turning his focus abroad to cement his presidential legacy as a dealmaker.

Trump opened the week by threatening steep new tariffs on two major trading partners, Japan and South Korea, along with a dozen other countries starting next month as he puts pressure on nations to come to the negotiating table.

The president then hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday as his administration pushes to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal by the end of the week and eyes a new round of peace talks with Iran.

On Tuesday, Trump amped up his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a sprawling Cabinet meeting, dismissing the Russian leader's warm words as "meaningless" and accusing him of spewing "bulls---" without agreeing to end the Ukraine war.

Foreign policy will be in focus again Wednesday as Trump hosts African leaders at the White House for lunch, with trade and investment opportunities expected to be topics of discussion.

Throughout the week, the administration has also focused on Texas following the flash flooding tragedy over the holiday weekend that killed more than 100 people. At least 161 people are still missing from the flooding, the governor said. Trump plans to visit Kerr County on Friday.

This week's spate of foreign policy moves, with many of the meetings with heads of state long planned, comes on the heels of Congress clearing Trump's signature second-term "big, beautiful bill" full of his spending priorities. That's opened up Trump to turn his attention to potential legacy-defining efforts to end multiple wars and revamp global trade.

NETANYAHU AND TRUMP met at the White House again Tuesday evening to discuss Gaza amid renewed optimism surrounding negotiations for a ceasefire. The U.S. put forward a proposal for a 60-day truce between Israel and Hamas, which would open the door to negotiations for a permanent end to the war. Netanyahu has welcomed the U.S. proposal, and Hamas leaders have entered into negotiations in Qatar.

A Qatari delegation spent hours in meetings with senior White House officials on Tuesday. Diplomats in Doha serve as mediators in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, said during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting that issues surrounding a 60-day ceasefire agreement have been reduced from four down to one, with hopes for an agreement “by the end of the week.” Witkoff is expected in Doha later this week.

Here is the latest on the ceasefire negotiations — and what's on Trump’s agenda when it comes to the future of Gaza.

“We need both sides to agree,” Netanyahu said Tuesday afternoon following meetings in Congress. “I hope we will pass the finish line. The less I speak about this publicly the better.”

▪ CNN: What issue remains in the ceasefire draft between Israel and Hamas?

▪ The New York Times: How do Israel and Hamas negotiate in Qatar?

Trump, who for years has made no secret of his ambition to win a Nobel Peace Prize, was nominated by Netanyahu on Monday for his efforts to broker a ceasefire last month between Israel and Iran.

“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier. That's what I want to be, a peacemaker and a unifier,” the president said during his January inauguration address.

TRUMP IS ALSO PRESSURING to end the three-year war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The president has acknowledged a tougher time getting both sides to quickly end the conflict.

“We get a lot of bulls--- thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,” the president said Tuesday. “He’s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

While he has had a contentious relationship with both sides in the war — alternately supporting and villainizing both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin — his latest comments show a further souring on the Russian leader, who refused to attend a summit in Istanbul, organized by Washington, in an effort to wind down hostilities in Ukraine.

▪ The Wall Street Journal: Putin's strategy of paying lip service to peace falters as Trump loses patience.

▪ The Hill: GOP........

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