Congress investigates military attacks after Hegseth report

Lawmakers from both parties have opened congressional investigations into U-S military strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats. The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have launched reviews of the Trump administration’s attacks on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. Republican and Democratic lawmakers cited a published report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for surviving crew members to be killed during a September attack. Hegseth called The Washington Post story “fake news” and President Trump said his administration would “look into” the matter.

Trump’s ex-lawyer disqualified as U.S. Attorney for NJ

President Trump’s ex-lawyer has been disqualified from serving as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor.
A federal appeals court ruled that efforts by the Trump administration to keep Alina Habba as the acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey violated the law. Judges on the panel questioned the government’s moves to keep Habba in place after her interim appointment expired and without her getting Senate confirmation. Just last week, another federal judge concluded that former White House staffer Lindsey Halligan was unlawfully appointed to the position of interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

After repeated questions, Trump says he’ll release MRI results

President Trump says he’ll release the results of his MRI test that he received in October. Responding to questions about MRI results, the president told reporters “if you want to have it released, I’ll release it.” He claimed the results were “perfect,” but added that he has “no idea” what part of his body was being examined. Until now, the White House has only said that the president received “advanced imaging” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center “as part of his routine physical examination.”

Trump confirms phone call with Venezuela’s Maduro

President Trump confirms he has spoken with Venezuelan President Maduro. After weeks of threatening military action on Venezuelan soil, the president told reporters that, “yes,” he had spoken with Maduro. However, he offered no details of the phone call, saying he didn’t want to comment on it. The New York Times first reported the two leaders spoke earlier in November and discussed a possible meeting in the U-S. Over the weekend, Donald Trump warned that Venezuela’s airspace should be considered “closed in its entirety.” But then on Sunday night, he said “don’t read anything” into those comments.

Rubio says US-Ukraine talks “productive,” but work remains

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says work remains in ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. Rubio said U-S and Ukrainian officials held productive talks for about four hours on Sunday, but said there’s a way to go before finding an endgame. The discussions were held in Florida, ahead of this week’s Moscow visit by U-S envoy Steve Witkoff, who’s scheduled to meet with Russian President Putin. President Trump pointing to some corruption problems in Ukraine, told reporters there’s still “a good chance” a deal can be reached.

Trump wants to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations after DC shootings

President Trump wants to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations after the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national. In a blistering social media post, the president blames immigrants for problems from crime to housing shortages as part of “social dysfunction” in America and is demanding “reverse migration.” He calls for a halt to migration from Third World countries and promises to try and expel millions of immigrants from the U-S by revoking their legal status. The president’s push to further tighten immigration policy comes after the shooting of National Guard members on Thanksgiving Eve.

Trump envoy Witkoff to meet with Putin in Moscow this week on Ukraine peace

President Trump is dispatching his special envoy to meet with Russian President Putin this week. Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to discuss an updated peace plan to end the war in Ukraine. U-S officials say the proposal has been fine-tuned after addressing concerns from Ukrainian officials. President Trump told reporters that Russia is “making concessions” after European allies said the plan favored Moscow. The president also said there’s “no deadline” for an agreement after first demanding that Ukraine had until Thanksgiving to decide.

New developments in Trump’s push for new 2026 congressional maps

There are some new developments in the Trump administration’s push for redistricting. A panel of three federal judges in North Carolina has cleared the way for a new congressional map to be used in the 2026 midterm elections. The judges rejected arguments that the Republican redrawn map amounted to unconstitutional political retaliation and diluted the voting power of Black voters. Meanwhile, in a reversal, Indiana Republicans will meet in December to consider a new congressional district map favoring GOP candidates. The state Senate’s Republican leader had previously said they would not meet because there was not enough support to pass a new map

Putin views U.S. peace plan for Ukraine as starting point, not a draft agreement

Russian President Putin says he views U-S proposals to end the war in Ukraine as a starting point for talks. Ahead of this coming week’s Moscow visit by U-S special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Russian leader insisted that Ukrainian forces must withdraw or face Russia’s larger army. Putin views President Trump’s proposed peace plan as a discussion framework, not a draft agreement. Kremlin officials have had little to say so far about the peace plan put forward last week by Trump. Since launching the invasion, Putin has shown no willingness to budge from his goals in Ukraine despite Donald Trump’s push for a settlement.

Trump wants to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations after DC shootings

President Trump wants to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations after the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national. In a blistering social media post, the president blames immigrants for problems from crime to housing shortages as part of “social dysfunction” in America and is demanding “reverse migration.” He calls for a halt to migration from Third World countries and promises to try and expel millions of immigrants from the U-S by revoking their legal status. The president’s push to further tighten immigration policy comes after the shooting of National Guard members on Thanksgiving Eve.

National Guard shooting suspect now faces first-degree murder charge

The suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members is now facing a first-degree murder charge. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, announced the upgraded charges after the death of 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom. Pirro said the suspect drove across the country to launch an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. He initially faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Trump sends Thanksgiving holiday greetings to Americans

President Trump says there’s much to be thankful for on this national holiday. The president is also grateful for the men and women wearing our nation’s uniform. He made his comments ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday at a White House event where he pardoned two turkeys.

Trump orders 500 more troops to DC after shooting of Guardsmen

President Trump is sending more troops to Washington, DC, after the shooting of two National Guardsmen. The president said he has directed the Pentagon to mobilize an additional 500 National Guard troops to the nation’s capital. In a video message from Florida, he said federal authorities believe they have identified the suspect as an Afghan immigrant. The president also asked Americans to remember the National Guard troops and their families in prayer this Thanksgiving.

Trump identifies DC shooting suspect as Afghan national

President Trump says the DC shooting suspect is believed to be an Afghan immigrant. Hours after the gunning down of two National Guardsmen near the White House, the president said the U-S must “re-examine every alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan.” The president described the shootings as an “act of terror” and said the suspect would pay “the steepest possible price.”

U.S. envoy coached Putin’s aide on pitching Trump, Bloomberg reports

A transcript published by Bloomberg News reveals that President Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, advised a senior aide to Vladimir Putin on how to pitch Trump on a Ukraine peace plan. During an October 14th call, Witkoff suggested that Putin should call the president to congratulate him on the Gaza peace deal and express respect for him as a man of peace. The White House did not dispute the transcript, and Donald Trump described Witkoff’s approach as “standard” negotiating procedure.

Trump envoy to meet with Putin in Moscow next week

President Trump is dispatching his special envoy to meet with Russian President Putin next week. Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to discuss an updated peace plan to end the war in Ukraine. U-S officials say the proposal has been fine-tuned after addressing concerns from Ukrainian officials. President Trump told reporters that Russia is “making concessions” after European allies said the plan favored Moscow. The president also said there’s “no deadline” for an agreement after first demanding that Ukraine had until Thanksgiving to decide.

Bessent: Trump could announced Fed pick before Christmas

President Trump is getting closer to naming his pick for Federal Reserve chairman. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrapped up a second round of interviews this week for a new Fed chair, and he told CNBC there was a good chance the president would announce his pick before Christmas. Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported that White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett is seen by allies and presidential advisers as the frontrunner. Donald Trump has been sharply critical of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, whose leadership term expires in May.

FBI seeking interviews with Dems over “illegal orders” video

The FBI is seeking interviews with the Democrats who urged U-S troops to defy “illegal orders.” Democratic lawmakers who appeared in the video say the FBI has contacted them to begin scheduling interviews. President Trump has accused the Democrats of sedition and said such behavior is “punishable by death.” The Pentagon is also investigating Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona over potential violations of military law. The Democrats described the FBI move as an effort by the Trump administration to intimidate them into silence.

Trump points to “tremendous progress” in Russia-Ukraine talks

President Trump is pointing to “tremendous progress” in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. The president said his plan to end the war has been “fine-tuned” following recent negotiations with both sides. He announced on social media that he’s sending envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Russian President Putin and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to meet with Ukrainian officials. He suggested he might meet soon with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, but only when the deal to the war is final “or in its final stages.”

Trump pardons two turkeys in Thanksgiving tradition

Justice Department appeals dismissal of Comey, James cases

The Trump administration is appealing the dismissal of cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the White House disagrees with a federal judge who ruled that the Trump administration’s prosecutor was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. Halligan is a former White House aide who was tapped to be a U-S Attorney with no prior prosecutorial experience.

White House optimistic about peace plan for Russia, Ukraine

The White House is optimistic about its 28-point peace plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. There’s been pushback from some European leaders, who believe the proposal heavily favors Russia. But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insists that both Ukraine and Russia are being represented in the negotiations. President Trump initially demanded that Ukraine accept the plan by Thanksgiving. U-S officials say ongoing talks have been productive.

Pentagon is probing Sen. Mark Kelly over “illegal orders” video

The Pentagon says it’s investigating Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona over possible breaches of military law. The investigation into the former Navy pilot stems from a video that featured several lawmakers calling for U-S troops to defy “illegal orders.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Senator Kelly needs to be held accountable. The Pentagon cited a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty for possible court martial or other measures.

Judge dismisses Comey, Letitia James criminal cases