Retired Maj. Gen. Riho Ühtegi, floated Friday by a group of public figures as a potential presidential candidate, says he considers himself a conservative and believes foreign policy has its place in the president's work, but that ensuring national unity is the job's most important task.

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Retired Maj. Gen. Riho Ühtegi, floated Friday by a group of public figures as a potential presidential candidate, says he considers himself a conservative and believes foreign policy has its place in the president's work, but that ensuring national unity is the job's most important task.

Riigikogu Speaker Lauri Hussar (Estonia 200) said he is considering convening the Riigikogu Council of Elders in August. The second deputy speaker, Toomas Kivimägi (Reform Party), likewise believes there is no need to hurry.

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The Muraste viewing platform in Harku Municipality, built to connect the community, has turned out far more popular than expected. But locals say the beautiful view is overshadowed by poorly parked cars, noise and litter problems.

Jalgpalli MMi viimases 1/16-finaalis alistas Kolumbia 1:0 Ghana ning kohtub järgmises ringis Šveitsiga.

Ameeriklased tähistavad 4. juulil 250 aasta möödumist oma iseseisvusdeklaratsioonist. Ameerika Ühendriikides sündinud, praegu Euroopa Vähemusuuringute Keskuse direktorina ja Tartu Ülikooli külalisprofessorina töötav Vello Pettai ütleb intervjuus Postimehele, et ei usu demokraatia kokkuvarisemisse oma sünnimaal.

Tusk says Poland is preparing for "various" scenarios after media reports of a planned Russian attack.

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Employers are being urged to use their "common sense" to allow staff to work flexibly where they can.

Wedding lists are being replaced by cash requests, but guests are divided over how much to give.

The U.S. National Park Service on Saturday will launch over 850,000 fireworks into the skies of Washington, bathing the capital in patriotic blasts of light for the nation’s 250th birthday. Then comes the fallout. Scientists have well documented the soot and heavy metal pollution that can spike severely in the wake of pyrotechnic displays, and the world-record-setting number of fireworks lined up for July 4 will mean an equally large jump in pollution, according to experts and internal NPS documents reviewed by POLITICO. There are no indications that the administration plans to suggest masking or other personal protection for revelers viewing the fireworks from the nation’s front lawn. And the Environmental Protection Agency said tracking the air quality impacts of the fireworks isn’t their jurisdiction. “First off, fireworks are awesome and we hope everyone enjoys the incredible shows in and around our nation’s capital as we celebrate 250 years of America,” EPA spokesperson Mike Bastasch said in an email. “The EPA is not issuing permits for the fireworks for this event.” But NPS officials have warned internally that the fireworks could cause hazardous levels of pollution around the National Mall. The draft air-quality analysis from May says people should “avoid prolonged exposure” to the fine particulate matter pollution, including by wearing N95 masks “when outdoors.” Last year, according to the park service, Washington’s display set off just 7,000 fireworks. Multiplying that by 120 could also deposit into the Potomac River water pollutants like perchlorates and heavy metals, the effects of which on humans and the environment are still not well understood by scientists. Some are excited by the research opportunities that such a large-scale operation poses. “I wish I could have got a team in D.C. to do all this stuff,” said Terry Gordon, a semi-retired research professor at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. By “all this stuff,” he’s referring to a study he did three years ago that sent a dozen students scurrying around New York on July 4 to sample the air and water (which required “sweet-talking” cops for access to the East River) before and after the Macy’s fireworks display. The results were eye-popping. Two of their air samplers saw fine particulate matter — soot and smoke particles so small they can be inhaled into lung tissue and enter the bloodstream — jump from a range of 10 to 15 micrograms per cubic meter to over 1,000 micrograms. A third site shot past 3,000 micrograms. The national standard over a 24-hour period set by EPA is 35 micrograms, and just 9 micrograms averaged annually. Gordon said he wanted to study this year’s Washington extravaganza, but most of his students have graduated and he figured tight security around the city would make access impossible. “This event coming up is a great natural experiment, let’s say, to see what would happen,” said David Luglio, one of Gordon’s students on the Macy’s study who is now a postdoctoral fellow at Tulane University. “Because if it is over 800,000 fireworks, I can’t imagine what that’s going to do to the air quality.” The good news is that the dirty air doesn’t linger too long. One study found that particulate matter from July Fourth fireworks remained elevated for about 24 hours across 315 different monitoring sites. On average, the fireworks displays increased pollution by 42 percent. But after a day, fireworks pollution dissipates and usually blows away or settles into water and soil within a day. “The question is: Are they the same or more toxic than the regular old fossil fuel combustion particles you might be breathing in day after day after day?” said Gordon, referring to common sources of pollution like vehicles and power plants. “That’s unclear.” The National Park Service and Freedom 250, the Trump-aligned organization helping plan the event, didn’t respond to requests for comment. Washington isn’t the only location beefing up their fireworks displays this year. Nashville is preparing its largest celebration ever, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, and San Francisco is planning to shoot fireworks from the Golden Gate Bridge for just the third time in history. Mount Rushmore will also host an elaborate fireworks display for the first time since 2020. This year’s festivities will coincide with a severe drought in Washington and 100-degree temperatures Thursday through Saturday. Washington-based utility DC Water is coordinating with the federal government to ensure there’s water available in the event of fires, as residents are known to set fireworks of their own. “Our Incident Management Team is preparing to monitor conditions and will activate for the Fourth of July events, with field staff strategically staged to respond as needed,” DC Water spokesperson Sherri Lewis said in an email. Unlike in years’ past, the fireworks are not just on the National Mall. Some will also be shot off eight Potomac River barges and from West Potomac Park. The drought means that pollutants may linger longer in the Potomac than they would under normal conditions, said Tyler Frankel, an associate environmental science professor at the University of Mary Washington. Contaminants can easily get trapped in the river near Theodore Roosevelt Island due to “tidal slosh,” a phenomenon where the water flows both upstream and downstream, Frankel said. Amphibians and juvenile fish are particularly vulnerable to perchlorates, compounds used in fireworks to enable a rapid burn but that can also disrupt animals’ developmental processes. “Even though we’ve gotten some significant rainfall, we’re still under drought conditions,” Frankel said. “The idea of this stuff getting flushed downstream to decrease the concentrations and mitigate effects, the time it takes to have that happen is being extended.” Other animals at risk include ospreys, iconic fish-eating birds that are currently in the midst of breeding season and are easily spooked by loud noises. The Chesapeake Bay region contains 20 percent of the world’s ospreys, but the population has declined in recent years, said Joanie Millward, executive director of the Virginia Osprey Foundation. When fireworks are set off, frightened ospreys often flee their nests, leaving chicks at risk of being eaten by predators, Millward said. “At best, it places a lot of stress on them. At worst, it can cause death,” she said. Health risks and ‘skyrocketing pollution’ Fireworks also rain down small but potentially potent amounts of heavy metals that are used to create vibrant colors but also pose serious health risks. A 2020 study conducted by Gordon found a “disturbing amount” of lead in the exhaust from some types of fireworks sold to individuals for home use. Consumer fireworks made up the vast majority of products sold in 2025 — almost 300 million pounds, versus 23.5 million pounds of “display” fireworks, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association. Overall fireworks consumption has more than doubled over the past 25 years. There’s ample research on the air quality impacts of fireworks from around the world — including Diwali celebrations in India, summer religious festivals in Malta and a Guy Fawkes Day observance in New Zealand. But much less is known about exactly what kind of public health impacts follow. No one has yet done epidemiological studies to look at whether hospital admissions for asthma or other cardiovascular and respiratory ailments increase after fireworks events, the kind of research that has been performed on wildfire smoke and ambient pollution. Gordon unsuccessfully sought a grant from the National Institutes of Health to do just that some years ago. But interest apparently remains; a government official contacted Gordon last week asking about whether such a study was feasible. He declined to say who, or even identify the agency, out of fear they would face retaliation. “We got jumped on [for] being so unpatriotic,” Gordon said of the Macy’s fireworks study. “And that was the opposite. … We all love fireworks. That’s why we had different funny names for the paper.” (The title they settled on? “Skyrocketing pollution.”) There are a few steps people can take to protect themselves from fireworks-related pollution, experts said. Observing the show from a greater distance would reduce exposure. So would staying inside and keeping windows closed. An indoor air filter will scrub out particles. And all those N95 masks left lying around from the pandemic would be effective, too. But that’s not necessarily enough for those with underlying conditions. “The 250th celebration is exciting, I don’t want to deny that for a second,” says the American Lung Association’s Laura Kate Bender. “But with more fireworks comes more health risks. Bigger shows put more smoke in the air.” Sam Schmitz knows that all too well. An organizer with Moms Clean Air Force who also has asthma, Schmitz spent last July Fourth “inside with a mask on, leaning over my air purifier struggling to breathe and weighing if I needed to go to the hospital.” Past Independence Day celebrations have sent her to the emergency room, so this year, she’s not taking any chances with the exponentially bigger fireworks display. She’s booked a hotel room in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in the hopes she will be safely away from any smoke. “I thought about going to New York or Baltimore where I have friends to celebrate with, but given that it’s the 250th, I’m nervous about fireworks in all the major cities this year,” she said. Heather Richards contributed to this report.

Ivo Daalder, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, is a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center and host of the weekly podcast “World Review with Ivo Daalder.” He writes POLITICO’s From Across the Pond column. We are living through the worst crisis in transatlantic relations since the end of World War II. We have the data to prove it. The annual Atlas of Impunity, of which I serve on the advisory board, ranks 172 countries by a single measure: how far the power of the state operates without accountability. In its latest edition, the U.S. — the country that built the postwar order and guaranteed it for 80 years — now ranks 117th. Compared to its Western allies, the U.S. occupies a solitary position on this list. It outranks Poland by 25 spots in terms of impunity, while Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Britain and Australia all rank more accountable by 30 to 50 spots. It seems the club of democracies that America assembled and sustained for all those decades now has a growing hole in its center: the U.S. itself. But it would be a mistake to assume the rest of the West is immune. For Washington, this is not a momentary drift. It is a fundamental breach. The U.S. is currently the only wealthy democracy in the index that is moving up the list in terms of impunity. The damage is concentrated in the country’s governance and economy, and the underlying numbers are striking: The score for freedom from political killings got three times worse in a single year, while that of impartial public administration fell sharply. These indicators don’t suggest a gentle slope of decline. They represent cliffs. And it is the disparity in accountability between the U.S. and its Western allies — as well as the speed of this shift — that lies at the foundation of the current transatlantic crisis. Just as concerning is the fact that the current administration in Washington does not seem to care. On the contrary, it defends its new direction as fundamental to its America First view. The 2025 National Security Strategy made this crystal clear, recasting allies as free riders and alliances as transactions conditioned on immediate U.S. interests. It cast a zero-sum view of geopolitics and the global economy, and advocated a might-makes-right perspective for global engagement. Turns out the nation that wrote the rules has formally announced it no longer feels bound by them. This perspective is unlikely to be temporary given that the second hard truth underlying the current crisis is this: The U.S. will not again carry the burden of global leadership as it did after 1945 — and not just because of one president but because the America of today is no longer the country it was. It is more insular, more selfish, more insecure and far less accountable. While the immediate cause of this crisis lies in American politics and policy, a contributing cause lies in Europe’s weakness and self-delusion. People take part in an anti-government protest decrying corruption and calling for early elections following the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad that killed 16 in November 2024, in central Belgrade on May 23, 2026. | Andrej Isakovic/AFP via Getty Images For years the continent mistook dependence for partnership and treated American security guarantees as a law of nature. For too long, it relied on cheap Russian energy and an open Chinese market to propel its economy. Now, as all three of these elements of strategic dependence have come crashing down, Europe is being forced to step up on all fronts simultaneously. The deeper self-deception, though, may be the belief that the problem lies entirely across the Atlantic. The illiberal tide has already made its way inside Europe’s house. From Serbia’s crackdown after the Novi Sad disaster and Romania’s annulled presidential election to Hungary’s backsliding under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to Slovakia’s far-right turn, the data underscores that this isn’t accidental. Illiberalism’s advancement has a very European path. It is no coincidence that in the four major Western European countries, the far right currently leads or rivals the lead in the polls: Britain’s Reform UK, Germany’s Alternative for Germany, France’s National Rally and Italy’s governing coalition. Elections will take place in most if not all of these countries — as well as in Poland — over the next 18 months. Whether this polling becomes electoral reality remains to be seen. But for the very first time, the U.S. is not holding the democratic center against this tide. It is funding the tide. The National Security Strategy warned that European nations face “civilizational erasure” and pledged to defend their “greatness” — against their own elected governments. A cap reading “Make Europe great again” is seen at the first Patriots Network conference in Paris on May 2, 2026. | Julie Sebadelha/AFP via Getty Images The U.S. State Department is now preparing to channel money from its Democracy Fund to the think tanks and civil society groups supplying Europe’s national-populist movements with their ideas. For 80 years, American power held the center. Now it’s bankrolling the periphery. This is why the crisis in transatlantic relations is so severe. When the anchor of a system declares the rules optional — tariffs by decree, sanctions on the international court, annexationist talk about Greenland, strikes on Iran that ignore the laws of war — it does not merely remove a guardrail; it issues a permission slip. The Atlas calls this “copycat impunity” — the normalization of the abnormal. And it is no longer the reserve of distant autocrats; it is for parties just one election away from power in Paris, London and Berlin, accompanied by American funding. Reversing this trend starts with seeing it clearly. The data shows that the gap between the most and least accountable countries is wider than at any point in recent years, that the U.S. is driving that divergence from within the democratic camp, and that the forces of impunity now have American strategy and money behind them. But that same data also shows the tide can be turned. Over the past five years, smaller countries like Fiji, Montenegro and Suriname rebuilt their accountability under severe constraints. The gravitational pull of EU membership carried Montenegro and Albania toward the rules, even as Washington walked away from them. These examples are proof that determined action by middle powers can hold the line. The question is whether Europe, Canada and Asia’s democracies will recognize the danger in time — and act not as dependents waiting for the U.S. to return but as custodians of an order they can no longer afford to leave in someone else’s hands. POLITICO occasionally publishes opinion pieces from guest authors to offer our readers a range of perspectives on the intersection of power and politics. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of POLITICO.

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