Trump 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.

Trump 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.

Federal 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.

Trump 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.

Trump 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.

Trump posts AI video of him dumping sewage on No Kings protesters

The Trump White House is trolling the No Kings demonstrations with AI videos. After millions of Americans marched in favor of democracy over the weekend, President Trump and Vice President Vance each posted AI-created videos online. In one, the president is shown flying a fighter jet and dumping sewage on peaceful demonstrators exercising their free speech rights. The other shows Donald Trump wearing a crown as Democratic leaders bow before him. The videos are the latest creations from a presidential communications office that recently portrayed the White House budget director as the Grim Reaper slashing government jobs.

U.S. and Australia sign critical-minerals deal

The United States and Australia have signed a critical-minerals deal in response to China’s tougher export rules. During a White House meeting, President Trump and Australian Prime Minister Albanese hailed the agreement. The leaders described it as an 8-and-a-half billion dollar deal between allies. GC, Wash.

U.S. envoys return to Israel to shore up Gaza ceasefire

American envoys returned to Israel to shore up the Gaza ceasefire after a major flare up over the weekend. Presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Israeli officials in Tel Aviv to support the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. Tensions remain high after Israel accused Hamas of killing two soldiers. The Israeli military has resumed enforcing the ceasefire. The next stage of the ceasefire focuses on disarming Hamas and establishing an internationally backed authority in Gaza.

Trump on Russia-Ukraine: End war at current battle lines

President Trump says Ukraine should give up territory in order to end the war with Russia.  Even though Russia is the aggressor and despite his recent openness to helping Ukraine win, the president now says most of the contested Donbas region of Ukraine should go to Russia. At the current battle line, most of Donbas would be in Russian hands. The president plans to meet with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in the coming weeks.

Surprise retirement from U.S. Southern Command leader

The Navy admiral who leads U-S military forces in Latin America is stepping down. In a surprise announcement, Admiral Alvin Holsey, the head of U-S Southern Command, will retire at the end of December, two years ahead of schedule. Reuters reports that there had been tension between Admiral Holsey and Defense Secretary Hegseth over operations in the Caribbean. His upcoming departure is noteworthy given the Trump administration’s escalating tensions with Venezuela, including the president’s authorization of CIA covert operations in that country.

Several universities reject Trump’s education compact

Two universities have rejected the Trump administration’s higher education funding deal. The White House recently sent a letter to nine universities asking them to commit to Trump administration policies on gender and race in exchange for priority access to funding. MIT leadership said the proposal would limit free speech and campus independence. Similar concerns were cited in rejections from Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California.

Trump using military, intelligence assets against Venezuela

President Trump is going after Venezuela with both military and intelligence assets. Since early September, the U-S military has carried out a series of deadly strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. Four of the five vessels originated from Venezuela. This past week, President Trump made the unusual acknowledgement that he authorized the CIA to carry out covert action in Venezuela. The aggressive actions are seen as a sharp escalation in U-S efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

Trump, Zelensky meet to discuss missiles, Russia war

President Trump seems to be backing away from the idea of selling long-range missiles to Ukraine for its war against Russia. Ukrainian President Zelensky used a White House visit to request Tomahawk missiles from the U-S, but President Trump sounded hesitant. Zelensky told the president that the Gaza peace deal could carry over to the Russia Ukraine war. Before the Zelensky meeting, Donald Trump announced he would soon meet with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Hungary.

Bolton pleads not guilty to classified doc charges

Former Trump adviser John Bolton has pleaded not guilty to charges of sharing classified information. Bolton entered his plea in a Maryland courtroom and was ordered released from custody. The Justice Department case accuses him of emailing classified information to family members and keeping top secret documents at his home.The 76-year-old Bolton is a longtime fixture in Republican foreign policy circles and served for more than a year in Trump’s first administration as national security adviser. He has since been a vocal critic of the president.

Government shutdown could put food assistance at risk

Federal food assistance could be at risk in November if the government shutdown isn’t over by then. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, will continue through October. But if the government isn’t reopened by November, food assistance to 40 million low-income people could be at risk. SNAP benefits one in 8 people in the U-S. States are scrambling to figure out what to do if the benefits are cut off.

U.S. warns Russia it will “impose costs” if Ukraine war doesn’t end

The United States has issued a new warning to Russia about its war with Ukraine. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U-S will “impose costs” on Russia if the Ukraine war does not end. At a meeting in Brussels, he told Ukraine’s Western backers that “if there is no path to peace in the short term, then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression.” Hegseth warned that the U-S military stands ready to do its part in ways that, in his words, “only the United States can do.”

Ukrainian officials meet with U.S. weapons makers

Ukrainian officials have been meeting with prominent American weapons manufacturers. The delegation from Ukraine met with representatives of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon during a U-S visit. It came ahead of President Zelensky’s meeting with President Trump at the White House on Friday. Zelensky is widely expected to request approval to obtain Tomahawk cruise missiles, which could allow Ukraine to strike targets deep into Russia. This past weekend, Donald Trump said he may give the go-ahead if Moscow doesn’t end its war soon

U.S. military strikes another suspected drug-carrying boat

The U-S military has struck another suspected drug-carrying boat in the waters off Venezuela.
President Trump said six people aboard the vessel were killed in the strike and no U.S. forces were harmed. It’s the fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean as the Trump administration has asserted it’s treating alleged drug traffickers as unlawful combatants. On Capitol Hill, some Republicans want more information from the White House on the legal justification and details of the strikes.

More tariffs have gone into effect

There’s another batch of goods now affected by import taxes. New tariffs on imported kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, and upholstered furniture are now in effect. The Trump administration says the aim is to boost domestic production and to protect American companies. These latest tariffs are prompting concerns among some small business owners who worry that higher-priced cabinets will lead potential customers to delay renovations.

Fed Chair Powell hints at more interest rate cuts

The head of the Federal Reserve is hinting at more interest rate cuts. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that a sharp slowdown in hiring poses a growing risk to the U.S. economy. And he said “the outlook for employment and inflation does not appear to have changed much since the September meeting. Those comments suggest that the Fed could cut its key interest rate twice more this year.

Trump, world leaders sign Gaza peace deal in Egypt

President Trump and other world leaders have signed a Gaza peace document at a summit in Egypt. The president told the global summit it’s a monumental moment for the Mideast and the world. And he urged leaders to “put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us.” The president said the next step is rebuilding Gaza.

No signs of government shutdown ending anytime soon

Two weeks into the government shutdown, there are no signs of ending the stalemate anytime soon.
House Speaker Mike Johnson warns that this shutdown could last a while longer. The Pentagon will pay military personnel this week, but many other federal workers are not getting their paychecks. And the White House is carrying out mass firings, with Vice President Vance warning of “painful” cuts ahead.

Trump urges Israel to seize the moment for Mideast peace

Trump asks Israel to pardon Netanyahu on corruption charges

President Trump waded into Israeli domestic politics during his Gaza peace tour in the Middle East. In a surprising turn during his speech to Israel’s parliament, the president called for Netanyahu to be pardoned on corruption charges. Netanyahu became the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to be indicted when he was charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. But the president declared that the prime minister is “one of the greatest wartime” leaders.