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.

Trump welcomes Saudi Crown Prince with military flyover, praise

President Trump treated Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman to a grand welcome at the White House. After watching a military flyover on the South Lawn, the two leaders sat side-by-side in the Oval Office, where the president heaped praise on the Crown Prince, calling him an “extremely respected” man. He also defended the Crown Prince his guest when asked about the 2018 killing of a journalist. Mohammed bin Salman said his country would be increasing its financial commitments to the U.S. from $600 billion to $1 trillion and the president said the U-S intends to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.

Trump to welcome Saudi Crown Prince to White House

President Trump welcomes the Saudi crown prince to the White House. The visit begins with a formal arrival ceremony, followed by talks in the Oval Office and lunch. In the evening, the White House will put on a lavish dinner. It has all the trappings of a state visit, but it’s an official visit because Crown Prince Mohammed is not technically a head of state. He and the president are expected to formalize several economic and military agreements.

Trump willing to meet with NYC Mayor-Elect Mamdani

President Trump may be warming up to New York City’s mayor-elect. For months, the president slammed Zohran Mamdani’s democratic socialist politics, calling him a “communist” and predicting big problems in New York. But he now plans to meet with the mayor-elect, saying they’ll “work something out.” Mamdani campaigned on affordability — an issue the president has focused on since Republican losses in this month’s off-year elections.

Former Fed governor violated ethics rules on stock trades

A former official at the Federal Reserve violated the central bank’s ethics rules. Former Fed Governor Adrianna Kugler, who retired in August, listed several stock trades in her financial disclosure documents for 2024 that violated the central bank’s ethics rules. The transactions are outlined in a report released by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Fed officials are barred from investing in individual stocks, bonds or cryptocurrencies.

Justice Dept sues to block California’s new congressional maps

The Justice Department is suing to block new congressional district boundaries approved by California voters. After President Trump called for Republican states to redraw their U-S House districts to add more GOP seats, California adopted new congressional maps that could help Democrats win more seats. And while the Trump administration supports redistricting in Texas and other red states, it’s fighting the move in California. It’s a legal battle that could determine which party wins control of the House of Representatives in 2026.

Trump’s fight with the BBC is latest run-in with media

President Trump’s latest run-in with the media was with a British broadcaster. A lawyer for the president sent a letter to the BBC last week demanding an apology for a misleading edit and threatening a one-billion dollar lawsuit. The network apologized, but said it strongly disagreed that there was a basis for a defamation case. Donald Trump has a long history of suing news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, ABC, and CBS.

Trump removes some tariffs hoping to lower grocery prices

President Trump has removed some tariffs on food imports amid concerns of rising prices. In a bid to lower the prices of some grocery items, the president ended U-S tariffs on beef, coffee, tropical fruits, and a wide range of other supermarket staples. It’s a dramatic reversal from a tariff policy that he’s repeatedly claimed didn’t make items more expensive for American consumers. But Donald Trump admitted to reporters that, “in some cases,” tariffs may increase prices. It remains to be seen if or by how much prices are affected by the move.

Trump cuts ties with MAGA supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene

President Trump has broken ties with one of his long-time MAGA supporters in Congress. In a social media post, the president cut ties with Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. He said he would endorse a challenger against her in next year’s midterms “if the right person runs.” The president described Greene as a “ranting lunatic” for criticizing the GOP over the government shutdown and for not developing a health care plan. She also supports the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, something Donald Trump opposes.

Trump opposes Epstein files release after promising it

President Trump once promised to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, but now is fighting to keep them from the public. Before winning reelection last year, Donald Trump called for the release of the investigative files into the late sex offender. It was a promise welcomed by MAGA supporters. But after taking office, the president directed the Justice Department not to release the files. Recently released Epstein emails claim Donald Trump knew about the sex trafficking, but was not involved. The White House said the emails were leaked to smear the president.

The U.S. reaches trade frameworks with 4 countries

The Trump administration has announced trade frameworks with four Central and South American countries. The White House says it has come to terms with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The trade frameworks are aimed at boosting the ability of American companies to sell industrial and agricultural products in those countries. The deals haven’t been finalized, but are expected to be signed within about two weeks.