8/11 to 8/17, 2025

Welcome back, everyone. This is This Week, Basically, hosted by Robyn Davies. We’ve got a war shifting course, cartels cashing in on fentanyl, students pushed overseas, and Musk’s rockets flying tax-free. Then, airline strikes, dinosaur skeletons, and an opera star who swears good ragù has the same secret as good music. Let’s dig in.

We start in Ukraine, where President Trump has once again shifted his stance — and this time in Vladimir Putin’s favor. After promising European allies that a cease-fire was the priority, Trump came out of a summit in Alaska backing Putin’s plan instead: a “sweeping peace agreement” that would require Ukraine to cede the entire Donbas region, even parts Russia hasn’t conquered yet. In exchange, Putin offered a cease-fire on the current front lines and a promise not to attack again. But promises like that have been broken before . European leaders were polite but cold, while Ukraine braced for the fallout. The war has dragged on since 2022, and this shift hands Moscow leverage at the table.

Closer to home, the U.S. is throwing money at another fight — not in Europe, but in the Caribbean. Washington put a $5 million bounty on Jimmy Cherizier, better known as “Barbecue,” the Haitian gang boss who’s gone from police officer to the most-wanted man in Port-au-Prince. He’s accused of massacres, rapes, kidnappings, and torching neighborhoods; and yet he’s still giving interviews where he calls himself a revolutionary. His gangs toppled Haiti’s government last year, and now they control roads, the airport, and much of daily life . The U.S. indictment says he skirted sanctions and kept the money flowing anyway. Whether this bounty brings him in, or just raises his profile, is anyone’s guess.

Meanwhile, another battle is playing out south of the U.S. border; this one driven by cartels. A major investigation revealed how Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel is moving fentanyl into the United States with assembly-line efficiency. Precursor chemicals from China arrive at ports, labs hidden in farmland mix and press pills, and smugglers move them north through tunnels, trucks, and even drones. U.S. officials say fentanyl now kills more Americans annually than car crashes or gun violence combined . The profits are so huge that some cartels have shifted away from cocaine or marijuana altogether. Washington has pressed Mexico for more cooperation, but with corruption riddling law enforcement, shutting the flow down remains elusive.

And back in Washington, students are the latest to feel Trump’s second-term policies. International enrollment in U.S. universities has plunged as the administration makes visas harder to get, threatens deportations for political speech, and cuts research funding. That’s driving students toward Europe and Asia: especially South Korea, Singapore, and Switzerland . For decades, the U.S. was the top choice, but other countries are now stepping into that role. Universities abroad are rolling out scholarships and new transfer programs, while U.S. schools face declining applications and lost prestige. For young scientists, it’s simple: why risk your future where you’re not wanted?

If that weren’t enough, there’s a Musk subplot. SpaceX, the rocket company that sends satellites into orbit and astronauts to the ISS, is thriving — but most likely hasn’t paid federal income taxes for years. Internal documents show SpaceX lost over $5 billion in its early years and can now use those losses indefinitely to cancel out taxable income, thanks to a Trump-era policy change . Even though the company raked in billions last year, much of it from Pentagon and NASA contracts, it’s legally writing off those old losses. Other big tech firms pay billions; SpaceX, meanwhile, gets billions in federal checks and gives little back in taxes. Musk has privately told investors the company may never pay.

North of the border, Canada’s skies nearly froze. Ten thousand Air Canada flight attendants staged a walkout over pay, grounding around 700 flights and stranding 130,000 passengers. The government quickly imposed binding arbitration, ending the strike in under 12 hours . But the chaos won’t vanish overnight; it’ll take up to ten days to restore full service. Workers are furious, saying they’re only paid once planes are in the air, not for hours spent boarding passengers or sitting on the tarmac. With U.S. airlines recently changing that pay policy, Canada’s crews want the same.

Let’s pivot from planes to prehistory. In Pennsylvania, paleontologist Barry James has been rebuilding one of the largest triceratops skeletons ever found — a project that became a personal mission after the death of his wife, April, who had been his partner in both fossils and life. The couple worked side by side for decades, restoring skeletons for museums and private collectors. But when April fell gravely ill, she left behind unfinished sketches, poems, and a children’s book about “Buddy,” the triceratops. After her death in 2024, James poured his grief into completing the skeleton as a tribute. The nearly complete skull now stands in his workshop, a mix of bone, clay, and memory. For him, the work is both science and love story.

And to wrap on culture: meet Cecilia Bartoli, the Italian mezzo-soprano who refuses to slow down. At 59, she’s not just singing — she’s running the Salzburg Whitsun Festival, directing Monaco’s opera house, and still dazzling onstage . She compares her voice to ragù: it takes time, patience, and slow simmering to stay rich. Bartoli has kept her instrument in top shape by carefully choosing roles and constantly training. As she puts it, “You can’t rush good sauce, and you can’t rush good music.” In an industry where most divas retire by now, Bartoli’s just hitting her stride.

So that’s the week: Trump tilting toward Putin, fentanyl cartels flooding the U.S., students fleeing American campuses, and Musk’s rockets dodging taxes. Plus grounded flights, a triceratops built from grief, and an opera star proving longevity is an art form.

That’s all for now. As always, this is This Week, Basically. I’m Robyn Davies. Thanks for listening, and I’ll catch you next week.