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Greg Clugston
SRN Correspondent Greg Clugston keeps you informed about all the news coming from the White House.
Government to partially fund SNAP food aid in November
The Trump administration will partially fund the SNAP food aid program to keep it running during the government shutdown. In response to a pair of judges’ rulings, the Department of Agriculture will provide some SNAP benefits after funding ran out over the weekend. It’s not clear how much beneficiaries will receive. It’s also not immediately known how quickly beneficiaries will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. SNAP is the country’s largest food program and serves about 1 in 8 Americans.
Listen DownloadTransportation Secretary: Nation’s airspace is still safe during shutdown
The Transportation Secretary says the nation’s airspace is safe despite the government shutdown’s impact on federal aviation workers. The shutdown has forced 13-thousand air traffic controllers and 50-thousand Transportation Security Administration officers to work without pay and snarled tens of thousands of flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the administration would close the U-S aviation system if he thought the shutdown was making it too unsafe to travel. He told CNBC there are “significant delays” but it hasn’t reached the point where it’s too risky to fly.
Listen DownloadTrump orders Pentagon to begin potential action in Nigeria
President Trump is threatening Nigeria with military action over the persecution of Christians. Upset with what he calls the “mass slaughter” of Christians, the president said he’s ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria. He wrote on social media that the U-S “may very well go into” Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to stop the killing. The president also warned that he “will immediately stop all aid and assistance” to the West African nation.
Listen DownloadTrump “won’t be extorted” by Democrats over shutdown
President Trump says Republicans aren’t interested in compromising with Democrats over the government shutdown. With the shutdown entering its 6th week, the president said he “won’t be extorted” by Democrats. Appearing on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” he said that Democrats who are demanding an extension in health care subsidies “have lost their way” and predicted that they will eventually capitulate to Republicans. The president said if Democrats don’t vote to reopen the government “it’s their problem.”
Listen DownloadTrump says China has assured him no action against Taiwan
President Trump says China won’t use military action against Taiwan as long as he’s in office. The president told CBS’s “60 Minutes” that Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured him that Beijing would take no action against Taiwan while Donald Trump’s in the White House. U.S. officials have long been concerned about the possibility of China using military force against Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing.
Listen DownloadEnergy Secretary says U.S. nuclear tests will not be explosions
Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified President Trump’s recent order for the U-S to start testing nuclear weapons for the first time in three decades. He told Fox News the tests will be “system tests…not nuclear explosions.” Wright’s comments came after the president was coy late last week on whether he was actually ordering the resumption of explosive testing of nuclear weapons.
Listen DownloadTwo judges say SNAP food aid funding must continue during shutdown
Two federal judges have ruled for the continuation of the SNAP food aid program during the government shutdown. In two separate rulings, the judges said the Trump administration must continue to pay for SNAP using emergency reserve funds during the government shutdown. Because of the shutdown, food aid funding was set to expire this weekend. The judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island gave the administration leeway on whether to fund the program partially or in full for November. SNAP is the nation’s biggest food aid program and is used by more than 40 million Americans.
Listen DownloadTrump raises concern over Nigeria’s “slaughter” of Christians
President Trump is putting Nigeria on notice for its persecution of Christians. The president says “Christianity is facing an existential threat” in Nigeria and that his administration will designate the West African nation as a “country of particular concern.” That designation does not necessarily mean that sanctions will be imposed, but is one step ahead of that. He writes in a social media post that “radical Islamists” are responsible for the “mass slaughter” of thousands of Christians.
Listen DownloadTrump declines details on resuming underground nuke tests
President Trump won’t say whether he plans to resume underground nuclear detonation tests. The president announced this week that he instructed the Pentagon to start testing nuclear weapons in response to other countries doing the same. But he’s offering few details right now. The United States has not conducted nuclear weapons tests in three decades.
Listen DownloadTrump wants Senate to end filibuster to bypass Democrats
President Trump wants the Senate to change its rules so Republicans can end the government shutdown.
Republicans have a majority in the Senate, but are unable to reach the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold without help from Democrats. So, the president is calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster, which would allow the GOP to bypass Democrats and reopen the government. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has strongly opposed changing the filibuster and repeatedly said he is not considering changing the rules to end the month-long shutdown.
Food banks prepare for surge if federal assistance is cut off
The nation’s food banks are preparing for a surge of hungry people if federal assistance is cut off this weekend. States are scrambling to figure out what to do if federal food assistance comes to a halt on Saturday because of the government shutdown. Food banks and pantries that were already struggling after federal program cuts this year are now bracing for a wave of new people needing help. The Trump administration says it won’t use a roughly 5 billion dollar contingency fund to keep food aid flowing, and that it won’t reimburse states that temporarily cover the costs.
Listen DownloadTrump set to hold talks with Chinese President Xi
President Trump is set to hold talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Thursday’s face-to-face meeting between the presidents will be their first since Donald Trump’s first term. It comes as tensions remain high between the U-S and China, as both countries have been willing to play hardball. Even though President Trump has vowed to impose additional 100 percent tariffs on Chinese exports, he has repeatedly expressed optimism about reaching a trade deal this week.
Listen DownloadTrump appears to rule out third term in office
President Trump appears to be ruling out a third term in office. Donald Trump has been publicly toying with the idea of running for a third term in the White House, even though the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment says no one can be elected president more than twice. He told reporters aboard Air Force One that “if you read it, it’s pretty clear. I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad.” However, the president didn’t rule out entirely the possibility of staying in office despite that, saying, “we’ll see what happens.”
Listen DownloadTrump says U.S. has reached a trade deal with South Korea
President Trump says he’s reached a trade deal with South Korea. On the last stop of his Asia trip, the president announced that a deal had been struck and was pretty much finalized. Later, the South Korean government confirmed a 350-billion dollar investment package in the U-S to include cash payments and shipbuilding cooperation. Also, U-S tariffs on South Korean cars will be lowered from 25 to 15 percent.
Listen DownloadVance believes U.S. troops will be paid during shutdown
Vice President Vance says members of the military likely will be paid this week amid the second-longest government shutdown. The vice president met with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill as the pressure to end the shutdown is taking on new urgency. He said he believes the administration will be able to keep paying the troops “at least for now.” But more federal workers will soon miss their first full paycheck. As the stalemate drags on, Republicans are trying to encourage a handful of Senate Democrats to vote for stopgap funding to reopen the government.
Listen DownloadJudge blocks Trump from firing federal workers during shutdown
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. U-S District Judge Susan Illston granted a preliminary injunction that bars the firings while a lawsuit challenging them plays out. She said that labor unions were likely to prevail on their claims that the job cuts were arbitrary and politically motivated. Trump administration lawyers say the district court does not have the authority to hear personnel challenges, and that the president has broad authority to reduce the federal workforce.
Listen DownloadHouse GOP issues scathing report on Biden’s health, actions
House Republicans have released a report on former President Biden’s cognitive health and his actions in office. The long-promised report issues a scathing critique of Joe Biden’s inner circle, accusing a cover-up of the former president’s mental condition and misuse of the autopen. Even though the report includes no specific instances of illegal activity. Republicans said their findings cast doubt on all of Joe Biden’s actions in office. And they’re urging the Justice Department to conduct a full investigation. Biden has denied he was unaware of his administration’s actions.
Listen DownloadHouse Speaker doesn’t “see a path” for third Trump term
House Speaker Mike Johnson is throwing cold water on the idea of a third Trump term. President Trump isn’t ruling out a possible third term in the White House, saying he would “love” to do it. But House Speaker Johnson, who’s a constitutional lawyer, said he doesn’t “see a path” for a third presidential term. He said the country doesn’t allow it, and amending the Constitution would take a decade and be too time consuming. But that hasn’t stopped the president from raising the possibility and selling hats that say “Trump 2028.”
Listen DownloadU.S. conducts three more strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats
The Pentagon has announced a deadly attack on suspected drug-runners in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. military carried out three strikes against boats accused of carrying drugs, killing 14 and leaving one survivor. A Pentagon official said the strikes were conducted off the coast of Colombia, in a continued escalation of attacks against suspected drug smugglers. This is the first time multiple strikes have been announced in a single day. Hegseth posted video footage to social media, showing boats exploding and in flames.
Listen DownloadTrump bonds quickly with Japan’s new prime minister
President Trump bonded quickly with Japan’s new prime minister. The president had nothing but praise for Prime Minister Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, as the two leaders exchanged warm words and he offered continued American support. After their bilateral meeting, the president invited Takaichi to join him for a speech to U-S troops aboard an aircraft carrier. Donald Trump also announced hundreds of billions of dollars in Japanese investment as part of a trade deal.
Listen DownloadTrump predicts successful trade outcome with China
President Trump is sounding optimistic about his upcoming talks with Chinese President Xi. The two leaders will be meeting soon at a regional summit in South Korea and President Trump predicts a successful trade outcome. In particular, the president wants China to buy more soybeans from American farmers. He has threatened massive tariffs on Chinese imports if a deal isn’t reached.
Listen DownloadFederal Reserve lacks jobs data ahead of policy meetings
When Federal Reserve officials meet next week to discuss interest rates, they’ll be lacking some key economic data. Official employment data hasn’t been released since the federal government shutdown began on the first of October. It makes for a less-than-ideal situation for policymakers as they assess economic risks. Wall Street expects the central bank to lower its benchmark interest rate next week, but economists point out that the labor market is a big question mark.The most recent information points to weak job growth.
Listen DownloadTrump warns that Hamas will be “eradicated” if they misbehave
President Trump has a warning for Hamas as it keeps an eye on the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Following weekend skirmishes involving Hamas militants, the president said the situation “will be taken care of very quickly.” He dispatched U-S envoys to Israel this week to shore up the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Listen DownloadTrump raises new doubts about Ukraine’s ability to defeat Russia
President Trump is voicing doubts about Ukraine’s ability to defeat Russia. The president said while he thinks it’s possible that Ukraine can defeat Russia, he’s now doubtful it will happen. His comments added a fresh layer of skepticism toward Kyiv as he plans to meet again in the coming weeks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on ending the war. Last month, Donald Trump said Ukraine could win back all its territory, but now says it’ll have to give up land to settle with Russia.
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