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.

Trump addresses Israel’s parliament after hostages’ release

Trump unhappy with China’s Xi, but still plans to meet

President Trump isn’t calling off a meeting with China’s president just yet. In a Friday social media post, the president said there didn’t seem to be a reason to meet with President Xi Jinping after China announced new trade restrictions on rare earth elements. But later, he told reporters that he’s going to be there regardless.” The two leaders have a planned meeting on an upcoming trip to South Korea. Still, the president is unhappy with his counterpart and he plans to slap an additional 100 percent tariff on Chinese imports.

Trump orders mass firings of furloughed federal workers

A labor union for federal employees is asking a judge to halt the Trump administration’s latest round of mass firings. The American Federation of Government Employees calls it “disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers.” At least one Republican lawmaker also opposes the cuts. Senator Susan Collins of Maine spoke out against White House plans to fire federal workers who have been furloughed. President Trump said the firings would be focused on Democrat-oriented areas.

Trump to visit Israel, Egypt to mark the Gaza ceasefire

President Trump will travel to the Middle East to attend an official signing of the Gaza ceasefire. The president will first visit Israel before traveling on to Egypt during his upcoming Mideast trip to mark the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. He expressed confidence that a ceasefire, which went into effect on Friday, will hold. The president also confirmed that he will deliver an address to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, and that he expects to meet with “leaders from all over the world” in Egypt.

Judge blocks Chicago National Guard deployment for 2 weeks

A federal judge is temporarily blocking the deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago. In a legal setback for the Trump administration, U-S District Judge April Perry is halting the president from deploying troops in the Chicago area for two weeks. She found no substantial evidence of a serious rebellion in Illinois, and said the Department of Homeland Security’s characterization of the threat “is simply unreliable.”

Tempers flare as Congress fails to end gov’t shutdown

The Senate voted again Thursday on a GOP plan to fund the government and end the shutdown, but it failed for a 7th time. Tempers have been flaring on Capitol Hill and neither side is showing any signs of compromise as the budget stalemate continues. Republicans have seized on comments from the Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, who said that Democrats were winning the shutdown fight, saying, “every day gets better for us.” Republicans argued it showed that Schumer’s motivation is purely political.

200 U.S. troops going to Israel to monitor Gaza deal

The United States is sending about 200 troops to Israel to monitor Gaza ceasefire deal. Officials say the troops will be part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private sector representatives. They will establish a “civil-military coordination center” in Israel to help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid, as well as logistical and security assistance.

Congress rolls back mining, drilling restrictions on federal land

The GOP-controlled Congress is rolling back restrictions on mining and drilling on federal land in three Western states. Senate Republicans voted this week to repeal land management plans adopted during the Biden administration for areas in Alaska, Montana and North Dakota. The House approved the appeals last month. President Trump is expected to sign the measures, which critics argue will drive up energy prices and harm the environment.