American officials quickly discovered a major snag in planning for the summit: summertime is peak tourist season in Alaska, and options both available and equipped to host the two world leaders were severely limited.

No one at the White House quite knows how to spin President Donald Trump’s recent and increasingly frequent string of senior moments — least of all White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. After declaring a “public safety emergency” to deploy troops against street crime in Washington,

Friday's Alaska summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "is a listening exercise for the president," the White House said on Tuesday, tempering expectations for a quick Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal.