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

Trump talks trade in phone call with China’s Xi

President Trump has been on the phone with China’s Xi Jinping. U-S and Chinese officials confirm that the two leaders had a phone call on Monday. According to China’s official news agency, Xi told the president that Taiwan’s return to mainland China is “an important part of the post-war international order. The presidents also discussed trade, but the Chinese statement did not reveal any concrete agreements on matters such as the purchase of American soybeans.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials claim progress on possible peace plan

Top U-S and Ukrainian officials say they’ve made progress toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war. At weekend talks in Geneva, officials discussed an American proposal for peace, which some European allies fear is too favorable to Moscow. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the talks as productive. He shared few details, though he said any final agreement would need Russia’s approval. Earlier, President Trump complained on social media that Ukraine’s leaders were not grateful for U-S military assistance.

Trump, Mamdani, MTG make for head-spinning politics

President Trump is at the center of some recent head-spinning politics. Friday offered an unexpected twist in U-S politics. First, here at the White House, President Trump had an extremely friendly meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. The warmth of their meeting came as a surprise after the two had lobbed hefty criticism at each other over the past few months. Then a few hours later, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time Trump loyalist, announced she’ll be resigning in January after a split with the president and GOP leadership.

Trump taps Jack Nicklaus to redesign Andrews AFB golf courses

President Trump has plans to renovate the two golf courses at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington. Over the past 10 months, the president has kept busy with plans to refurbish the Kennedy Center and build a massive White House ballroom. And now he’s overseeing upgrades and renovations at the Joint Base Andrew golf courses. On Saturday, he took an aerial tour with golf pro and friend Jack Nicklaus. He claimed the military base’s recreational facilities have “been destroyed through lack of maintenance.”

Trump says Marjorie Taylor Greene needed his endorsement

President Trump is reacting to Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation announcement. The president said after Greene “went bad” — going from a MAGA ally to a critic –it was only a matter of time for her to leave Congress. Despite that compliment, Donald Trump has called the GOP Congresswoman a “traitor” for being critical of party leadership’s handling of health care and the government shutdown

Western allies concerned about Trump’s Russia-Ukraine peace plan

Ukraine’s Western allies are raising concerns about the proposed U-S plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. President Trump has given Ukraine a deadline of Thanksgiving to accept a 28-point peace.
THe U-S proposal requires Ukraine to give up territory to Russia, which is a major concern for European allies, who see the plan as favoring Moscow. They also warn against rushing a deal. Asked if this proposal is his final offer to Ukraine, the president said, “no.”

White House turns focus to affordability after GOP election losses

The White House is talking more about the cost of living since this month’s GOP election losses. Voters in the off-year elections made it clear that pocketbook issues remain a top concern. Over the past two-and-a-half weeks, the Trump administration has tried to focus more on those concerns. Vice President JD Vance told an interviewer “we hear you” and “there’s a lot more work to do.” He said there had been progress on lowering prices, but the American people need to have “a little bit of patience.” And President Trump has removed some tariffs on food imports in a bid to lower grocery prices

Mamdani wants to discuss NYC’s affordability crisis with Trump

New York City’s mayor-elect plans to discuss cost-of-living issues with President Trump. During his upcoming Oval Office sit-down with the president, Zohran Mamdani wants to talk about how the two leaders could work to make New York City more affordable. When he announced the meeting on social media, Donald Trump referred to Mamdani as the “the Communist mayor of New York.” The mayor-elect said he’s “not concerned” his meeting with the president could be a political trap.

Ukraine would cede land to Russia in proposed U.S. peace plan

Details are beginning to emerge about President Trump’s plans for ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The proposed peace plan would limit the size of Ukraine’s military and Russia would gain land it has been unable to win on the battlefield. According to a draft document obtained by the AP, the proposal would also prevent the future expansion of NATO, which Moscow views as a potential threat. The White House says that it has been receiving input from each side in the conflict. But Ukrainian President Zelensky has strongly opposed previous calls for territorial concessions.

White House defends Trump calling female reporter “piggy”

The White House is defending President Trump calling a female reporter “piggy.” When a reporter questioned the president about Jeffrey Epstein last weekend, Donald Trump pointed his finger and said, “Quiet, piggy.” Asked about the incident, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the comment reflected the president’s frankness and transparency. On Tuesday in the Oval Office , the president called another female reporter “a terrible person.”

Trump says Dems’ message to military is “punishable by death”

President Trump says a video message from Democrats to the military is “seditious behavior” punishable by death. The president used a social media post to harshly criticize members of Congress who told military officials they shouldn’t follow “illegal orders.” He said such behavior is “punishable by death.” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, no, the president doesn’t believe the lawmakers should be executed. ongressional Democrats are outraged, calling the president’s threats disgusting and dangerous.

Democratic congresswoman indicted for stealing FEMA funds

A Democratic congresswoman is leaving a committee post after being indicted on stealing federal disaster funds. The Justice Department indicted Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida, accusing her of stealing 5-million dollars in FEMA funds. Her family’s health care company had received the money through a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract. Federal prosecutors also say some of the money was used for the congresswoman’s campaign. House rules require Cherfilus-McCormick to step aside from her committee assignment while this matter is ongoing.

Trump signs bill to force the release of Epstein files

President Trump has signed legislation that directs the Justice Department to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After fighting the release of files for months, the president had no choice but to sign the bill. Every member of Congress, except for one, voted for it. In the end, Donald Trump insisted the Epstein matter had become a distraction and said he wanted to move on. With the bill signed, the Justice Department is required to release all files and communications related to Epstein, including information about his death in federal prison, within 30 days.

Trump to meet with NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani at White House

President Trump will be sitting down with New York City’s mayor-elect in Washington. The president wrote on social media that he’ll meet face-to-face with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office on Friday. He said Mamdani had asked for the meeting. For months, the president slammed Mamdani’s democratic socialist politics, calling him a “communist” and predicting big problems in New York. Mamdani campaigned on affordability — an issue the president has focused on since Republican losses in this month’s off-year elections.

This fall’s job numbers are being delayed because of shutdown

New jobs numbers are being delayed because of the 43-day federal government shutdown. The September jobs report comes out Thursday morning — 7 weeks late. And now the Labor Department says it won’t be releasing a full jobs report for October. The shutdown put a stop to calculating the nation’s unemployment rate and some other key numbers. Instead, it will release some of the October jobs data along with the full November jobs report in the middle of December.

Former FBI Director Comey seeks dismissal of DOJ case

Former FBI Director James Comey has asked a judge to dismiss the Justice Department’s lawsuit against him. During a Wednesday court hearing, the Justice Department admitted the grand jury that charged Comey wasn’t presented with a copy of the final indictment. Comey’s lawyers say that lapse is grounds for dismissal of the case. Government lawyers denied that the prosecution was vindictive or selective. The former FBI director has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of making a false statement and obstructing Congress, and has denied any wrongdoing.

Trump interviewing “very good people” for Fed chair

President Trump says interviewing “some very good people” for the role of Federal Reserve chairman. The president has made no secret that he’ll be replacing Fed Chair Jerome Powell next year. And he says he’s already reviewing a list of candidates. The president said his first choice for the Fed was Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, but he declined the job.

House and Senate approve bill releasing the Epstein files

House votes 427 to 1 to release the Jeffrey Epstein files

The House voted overwhelmingly to release government files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. On a vote of 427 to 1, House lawmakers called for the Justice Department to publicly release the files. President Trump, who knew Epstein, had long dismissed the matter as a hoax. But he and House Speaker Mike Johnson were unable to prevent a bipartisan effort to force the files into the open. The president now says he will sign the bill if it passes the Senate.

Trump defends Saudi Crown Prince over 2018 journalist murder

President Trump defended the visiting Saudi Crown Prince over the 2018 killing of a journalist. During an Oval Office visit, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was asked about U-S intelligence that concluded he orchestrated the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. President Trump stepped in, lashed out at the reporter, and dismissed the criticism. He claimed that the Crown Prince “knew nothing about” the Khashoggi murder.