D.C. “sandwich thrower” found not guilty of assault

A jury has found the man who threw a sandwich at a federal agent not guilty. Sean Dunn, a former Justice Department staffer, was cleared of a misdemeanor assault charge after a three-day trial in Washington federal court. Back in August, he was captured on video hurling a sub-style sandwich at a law enforcement agent. Dunn was upset over the Trump administration’s deployment of federal agents and the National Guard to curb crime in DC. His lawyer successfully argued that the sandwich throw was a harmless gesture of frustration and not a crime.

Trump announces deal to lower price of obesity drugs

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces retirement

Supreme Court questions Trump’s sweeping tariff powers

The Supreme Court’s conservative justices asked some tough questions about President Trump’s unilateral tariff authority. In a huge legal test of Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff powers, the high court heard oral arguments about the president’s use of an emergency law. Challengers argued he’s using it illegally, while the administration said the law allows the president to use it to impose tariffs. Chief Justice John Roberts, along with Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch expressed skepticism about bypassing Congress to levy tariffs.

Judge tells DOJ prosecutors to produce Comey trial materials

Justice Department prosecutors have been told to produce materials in their criminal case against former FBI director James Comey. A federal judge has given Trump administration prosecutors until the end of Thursday to produce grand jury materials and other evidence seized from an investigation into Comey. His attorney’s said they were at a disadvantage because they’d not been able to review materials gathered years ago. The judge scolded the Justice Department for adopting an “indict first” and investigate second approach. Comey has pleaded not guilty to charges of lying to Congress.

Trump says shutdown was a negative for GOP in elections

President Trump blames the government shutdown for the results from Tuesday’s elections. Following decisive Democrat victories in Tuesday’s off-year elections, the president said it didn’t turn out well for Republicans. And he thinks he knows why — the government shutdown was a “big factor, negative” for the Republican party. The president also said his absence from the ballot was a contributing factor. At a White House breakfast for GOP senators, he said “we must get the government open” and urged them to eliminate the filibuster.

Trump ramps up pressure on Senate GOP to eliminate filibuster

Administration warns of air travel “chaos” if shutdown drags on

The Trump administration is warning there could be chaos in the skies next week if the government shutdown drags on. Air travel has been disrupted with each passing day of the shutdown. And Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the situation will only get worse as the financial pressure grows on air traffic controllers and TSA employees who are forced to work without pay. Duffy warns there could be “mass chaos” if the stalemate lasts another week, predicting more flight delays and cancellations, and the possibility of closing certain parts of the airspace.

Supreme Court to hear arguments on Trump’s tariff powers

President Trump’s tariffs case is set to go before the Supreme Court. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the president must have emergency economic powers to impose tariffs — and that the White House is optimistic about its legal case. Justices will be deciding whether Donald Trump overstepped federal law to set sweeping import taxes.

Trump discussing no back pay for furloughed gov’t workers

The White House is leaving open the possibility that furloughed government workers will not receive back pay once the shutdown is over. More than half a million federal workers have been furloughed during the shutdown and, according to The Washington Post, the Trump administration may deny them back pay once the government reopens. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t dispute the report. Her response is causing confusion because, during his first term, President Trump signed a law that automatically guarantees back pay for furloughed government workers.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney dies at 84

Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84. Cheney served as vice president during both of George W. Bush’s administrations and is viewed as one of the most influential and powerful Number Two’s in White House history. Before becoming VP, Cheney had a long political career as a Republican in Washington, where he was a member of Congress, a White House chief of staff, and Secretary of Defense. His family says Cheney died Monday night due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.

Government shutdown reaches record 35th day

The federal government shutdown has now matched the longest shutdown in history. It’s Day 35 of the current shutdown — the same length as the shutdown that lasted from December 2018 to January 2019. During that impasse, Donald Trump demanded Congress give him money for a U-S-Mexico border wall. This time, the stumbling block is expiring health care tax credits. The impasse has created air travel delays, suspended food aid to tens of millions, and forced hundreds of thousands of federal workers to miss paychecks.

Top GOP Senator “optimistic” shutdown could end this week

The top Republican in the Senate is “optimistic” that the federal government could reopen by the end of the week. With the government shutdown now in its 35th day, there are some fresh signs it could end soon. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he thinks they’re “getting close to an off-ramp.” Talks are taking place about promising a vote on the health care tax credits being pushed by Democrats. Meanwhile, the Trump administration says it will partially fund the SNAP food assistance program this month by tapping an emergency fund.

Voters head to the polls in off-year elections

Voters head to the polls to decide key races electing governors, as well as mayor of the country’s largest city. New Jersey and Virginia are holding elections for governor in two contests that featured weekend campaign speeches by former President Obama and telephone rallies by President Trump last night. In New York City, the mayor’s race features Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. And California voters will decide on a statewide ballot measure that would redraw the congressional map.

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.

Transportation 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.

Trump 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.

Trump “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.”

Trump 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.

Energy 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.

Two 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.

Trump 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.

Trump 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.

Trump 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.