President Donald Trump announced he was considering placing additional sanctions on Russia with an eye toward ending the war in Ukraine, and NASA could move its headquarters to the Space Coast.

Russia attacks Ukraine's energy supplies as Trump threatens Kremlin with new sanctions

Russia attacked Ukrainian energy facilities with dozens of missiles and drones during the night, officials said Friday, hobbling the country's ability to deliver heat and light to its citizens and to power weapons factories vital to its defenses.

The overnight barrage pounded residences and wounded at least 10 people. It came days after the U.S. suspended military aid and intelligence to Ukraine as the Trump administration pushes for a peace deal in the three-year-old war and in the wake of a stunning blowout between the U.S. and Ukrainian leaders in the Oval Office one week ago that left a minerals deal set to be signed between the two countries in shambles. 

Without U.S. intelligence, Ukraine's ability to strike inside Russia and defend itself from bombardment is significantly diminished.

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media he was "strongly considering" placing additional sanctions on Russia to force it into peace talks with Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office later, the president remarked that Russia was “bombing the hell” out of Ukraine at the moment and nodded to his “very strong” social media statement earlier that was meant to send the message that they “can’t do that.” 

Asked if he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was taking advantage of Ukraine’s current position after the decision by the U.S. to pause aid and intelligence sharing, Trump said he was “doing what anybody else would do.” 

“I think he wants to get it stopped and settled, and I think he’s hitting him harder than he’s been hitting him,” Trump continued. “And I think probably anybody in that position would be doing that right now.” 

Lawmakers weigh in on NASA headquarters

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida’s Republicans in Congress say they support relocating NASA’s D.C. headquarters to the Space Coast. The current D.C. lease ends in 2028, but currently, the agency maintains that it's “not planning to build a new headquarters,” and is instead “looking at options to lease a new facility in the Washington area.

Roughly 2,500 NASA employees are based at the agency’s D.C. headquarters. But, as the lease on the current space winds down, Florida Republicans want to move the headquarters to the Space Coast. 

“It makes so much sense that NASA headquarters would be where we launch into the future, and I’m excited that we can win that battle and not only reduce costs for the government but also make sure that NASA headquarters are where the rockets will actually take off,” Rep. Mike Haridopolos said.

Fellow Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has also written a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to consider the proposal to move NASA's headquarters, arguing the move “would offer significant strategic, economic, and logistical advantages” with the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station nearby.  

Florida Democrats had mixed views this week when asked about the prospect.

“My great fear is that Elon Musk is working right now to ensure that he gets additional contracts. He gets multibillion-dollar contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense,” Rep. Kathy Castor said. “I don’t think the issue right now is where the headquarters is. I think it’s the illegal shutdown of so many grants and initiatives that flow in partnership to our local communities, and then the outrageous sidelining of our public servants.” 

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Congress should make that decision.

“Obviously, there’s a possibility of more job creation and centralizing NASA in the state of Florida, but, you know, there’s a process that we go through, and it is not the president’s responsibility, or even allowed for him, to make unilateral decisions like that. Congress, through appropriations, has the power of the purse,” Wasserman Schultz said.

NASA, asked if it had any comment on the matter, responded with a statement from a spokesperson. “NASA is not planning to build a new headquarters," the statement said. "Our current lease is up in 2028, and the agency is looking at options to lease a new facility in the Washington area.”

Trump has nominated Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and commercial astronaut, to lead NASA. He has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.