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  • Government shutdown stretches into Day 4 with no clear exit ramp in view

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    WASHINGTON — With no votes expected to take place this weekend, the next chance for Congress to end the partial government shutdown will come Monday.

    What You Need To Know

    • With no votes expected to take place this weekend, the next chance for Congress to end the partial government shutdown will come Monday

    • President Donald Trump has embraced the federal shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to slash spending and shrink government

    • His administration has slashed billions in clean energy and transit funding in places like California and Illinois

    • Republicans in Congress believe they hold the upper hand in four-day-old stalemate, as Democrats voted against measures to keep the government open because they want to attach additional policy measures

    • But some in the GOP fear the strategy could backfire and cost them their political advantage

    President Donald Trump has embraced the federal shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to slash spending and shrink government, but new rounds of targeted spending cuts from the White House aimed at Democratic states and priorities are raising concerns among Republicans that they may be at risk of ceding their political advantage.

    Republicans in Congress believe they hold the upper hand in four-day-old stalemate, as Democrats voted against measures to keep the government open because they want to attach additional policy measures. But the sweeping cuts to home-state projects — and the threat of mass federal firings — have some in the GOP worried the White House may be going too far and potentially give Democrats a way out.

    “This is certainly the most moral high ground Republicans have had in a moment like this that I can recall, and I just don’t like squandering that political capital when you have that kind of high ground,” GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota told reporters this week.

    As hopes faded Friday for a quick end to the shutdown — with Democrats holding firm in a key Senate vote — the White House signaled more layoffs and agency cuts could follow. Trump shared a video Thursday night portraying budget director Russ Vought as the grim reaper. The cuts are raising fresh questions about whether voters want a government that uses discretionary power to punish political opponents — and whether Republicans may face electoral consequences for the White House’s actions.

    “There’s the political ramifications that could cause backlash,” Cramer said in another interview. “It makes everything going forward more difficult for us.”

    Since the shutdown began, Trump has moved to cancel $7.6 billion in clean energy grants across 16 states, all of which voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election. On Friday, the administration announced an additional $2 billion cut, this time to a major public transit project in Chicago. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is also reviewing funding to Portland, Oregon.

    “He’s just literally took out the map and pointed to all the blue states,” Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, told The Associated Press.

    Democrats have seized on the shutdown and cuts as evidence of Trump’s overreach. There could be near-term fallout, including in next month’s governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia. Democratic candidates in both states have linked their GOP opponents to Trump’s policies and criticized them for not standing up to his latest moves.

    In New Jersey, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill blasted Republican Jack Ciattarelli over Trump’s move to block funding for a long-delayed rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey, saying it will hurt commuters and put thousands of good-paying union jobs at risk.

    “What’s wrong with this guy?” Sherrill said Friday.

    In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger noted the state already has been hit hard by job cuts made by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. She said Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is “refusing to stand up for our workforce and our economy.”

    Earle-Sears said Democrats are to blame for the shutdown, and said Spanberger did nothing to encourage the state’s Democratic senators to stop it.

    The administration’s targeting of Democrat-led states has already begun to ripple through states like California, where $1.2 billion in funding for the state’s hydrogen hub was scrapped. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said it threatens more than 200,000 jobs.

    Though Harris won California handily in 2024, the state includes several competitive House districts that could decide control of the chamber in 2026. Similar districts exist in other states affected by the cuts, including New York and New Hampshire, which also has key gubernatorial and Senate races.

    Democratic groups have moved quickly to tie local Republicans to the fallout. American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic group, has highlighted swing-district Republicans in states where cuts have occurred, accusing them of having “sat by and let it happen.”

    “The cruelty that they might unleash on everyday Americans using the pretense of a shutdown is only going to backfire against them,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in an interview with The Associated Press and other outlets at the Capitol.

    The cuts are also complicating Senate negotiations, prolonging a shutdown that could leave thousands of federal workers without pay and halt key programs. Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat whom Republicans have tried to sway, said “there’s no question” the cuts have damaged talks.

    “If you’re trying to get people to come together and try to find common ground, that’s the absolute wrong way to do it,” said Peters.

    Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent, broke from Democrats earlier this week to support the GOP funding bill. He called the cuts “so utterly partisan as to be almost laughable.”

    “If they overreach, which is entirely possible, I think they’re going to be in trouble with Republicans as well,” said King.

    Many Senate Republicans have not endorsed Vought’s approach directly, instead blaming Democrats for rejecting funding bills and opening the door to the White House’s more aggressive moves.

    “It’s the reason why Republicans have continued to support a continuation,” said GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota. “If you’ve noticed, Republicans have solidly supported this short-term continuing resolution because we do not want to see this.”

    “It’s not like we promoted it,” said Rounds. “We’ve done everything we can right now to try to avoid it.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Government shutdown stretches into Day 4 with no clear exit ramp in view

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    WASHINGTON — With no votes expected to take place this weekend, the next chance for Congress to end the partial government shutdown will come Monday.

    What You Need To Know

    • With no votes expected to take place this weekend, the next chance for Congress to end the partial government shutdown will come Monday

    • President Donald Trump has embraced the federal shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to slash spending and shrink government

    • His administration has slashed billions in clean energy and transit funding in places like California and Illinois

    • Republicans in Congress believe they hold the upper hand in four-day-old stalemate, as Democrats voted against measures to keep the government open because they want to attach additional policy measures

    • But some in the GOP fear the strategy could backfire and cost them their political advantage

    President Donald Trump has embraced the federal shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to slash spending and shrink government, but new rounds of targeted spending cuts from the White House aimed at Democratic states and priorities are raising concerns among Republicans that they may be at risk of ceding their political advantage.

    Republicans in Congress believe they hold the upper hand in four-day-old stalemate, as Democrats voted against measures to keep the government open because they want to attach additional policy measures. But the sweeping cuts to home-state projects — and the threat of mass federal firings — have some in the GOP worried the White House may be going too far and potentially give Democrats a way out.

    “This is certainly the most moral high ground Republicans have had in a moment like this that I can recall, and I just don’t like squandering that political capital when you have that kind of high ground,” GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota told reporters this week.

    As hopes faded Friday for a quick end to the shutdown — with Democrats holding firm in a key Senate vote — the White House signaled more layoffs and agency cuts could follow. Trump shared a video Thursday night portraying budget director Russ Vought as the grim reaper. The cuts are raising fresh questions about whether voters want a government that uses discretionary power to punish political opponents — and whether Republicans may face electoral consequences for the White House’s actions.

    “There’s the political ramifications that could cause backlash,” Cramer said in another interview. “It makes everything going forward more difficult for us.”

    Since the shutdown began, Trump has moved to cancel $7.6 billion in clean energy grants across 16 states, all of which voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election. On Friday, the administration announced an additional $2 billion cut, this time to a major public transit project in Chicago. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is also reviewing funding to Portland, Oregon.

    “He’s just literally took out the map and pointed to all the blue states,” Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, told The Associated Press.

    Democrats have seized on the shutdown and cuts as evidence of Trump’s overreach. There could be near-term fallout, including in next month’s governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia. Democratic candidates in both states have linked their GOP opponents to Trump’s policies and criticized them for not standing up to his latest moves.

    In New Jersey, Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill blasted Republican Jack Ciattarelli over Trump’s move to block funding for a long-delayed rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey, saying it will hurt commuters and put thousands of good-paying union jobs at risk.

    “What’s wrong with this guy?” Sherrill said Friday.

    In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger noted the state already has been hit hard by job cuts made by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. She said Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is “refusing to stand up for our workforce and our economy.”

    Earle-Sears said Democrats are to blame for the shutdown, and said Spanberger did nothing to encourage the state’s Democratic senators to stop it.

    The administration’s targeting of Democrat-led states has already begun to ripple through states like California, where $1.2 billion in funding for the state’s hydrogen hub was scrapped. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said it threatens more than 200,000 jobs.

    Though Harris won California handily in 2024, the state includes several competitive House districts that could decide control of the chamber in 2026. Similar districts exist in other states affected by the cuts, including New York and New Hampshire, which also has key gubernatorial and Senate races.

    Democratic groups have moved quickly to tie local Republicans to the fallout. American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic group, has highlighted swing-district Republicans in states where cuts have occurred, accusing them of having “sat by and let it happen.”

    “The cruelty that they might unleash on everyday Americans using the pretense of a shutdown is only going to backfire against them,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in an interview with The Associated Press and other outlets at the Capitol.

    The cuts are also complicating Senate negotiations, prolonging a shutdown that could leave thousands of federal workers without pay and halt key programs. Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat whom Republicans have tried to sway, said “there’s no question” the cuts have damaged talks.

    “If you’re trying to get people to come together and try to find common ground, that’s the absolute wrong way to do it,” said Peters.

    Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent, broke from Democrats earlier this week to support the GOP funding bill. He called the cuts “so utterly partisan as to be almost laughable.”

    “If they overreach, which is entirely possible, I think they’re going to be in trouble with Republicans as well,” said King.

    Many Senate Republicans have not endorsed Vought’s approach directly, instead blaming Democrats for rejecting funding bills and opening the door to the White House’s more aggressive moves.

    “It’s the reason why Republicans have continued to support a continuation,” said GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota. “If you’ve noticed, Republicans have solidly supported this short-term continuing resolution because we do not want to see this.”

    “It’s not like we promoted it,” said Rounds. “We’ve done everything we can right now to try to avoid it.”

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    Associated Press

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  • Ex-NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez arrested while hospitalized after stabbing

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    INDIANAPOLIS — Former NFL quarterback and current Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez was arrested while in the hospital for his alleged role in an overnight altercation in downtown Indianapolis that left him injured, Indianapolis police said in a statement released Saturday afternoon.

    Police said Sanchez arrested for battery with injury, unlawful entry of a vehicle and public intoxication –– all misdemeanors.

    The former NFL quarterback remained in the hospital and had not been booked into the Adult Detention Center, Indianapolis authorities said Saturday afternoon. Police said that the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make the final charging decision.

    What You Need To Know

    • Former NFL quarterback and current Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez was arrested while in the hospital for his alleged role in an overnight altercation in downtown Indianapolis that left him injured, Indianapolis police said in a statement released Saturday afternoon

    • Police said Sanchez arrested for battery with injury, unlawful entry of a vehicle and public intoxication

    • The former NFL quarterback remained in the hospital and had not been booked into the Adult Detention Center, Indianapolis authorities said Saturday afternoon

    • Sanchez, who was in Indianapolis to call Sunday’s Raiders-Colts game, was in stable condition, Fox Sports said on social media

    Sanchez, who was in Indianapolis to call Sunday’s Raiders-Colts game, was in stable condition, Fox Sports said on social media.

    Indianapolis police initially released a statement that didn’t identify Sanchez but said they were investigating a confrontation that occurred around 12:30 a.m. Saturday between two men, one of whom was hospitalized with stab wounds.

    The other man received treatment for lacerations, police said. Detectives had reviewed video footage of the confrontation, which police said occurred in the popular downtown nightlife Wholesale District next to the Indiana statehouse.

    Police said earlier Saturday that the case would be given to the Marion County prosecutor’s office to decide on charges. That office didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry from The Associated Press.

    Police said neither man was a local resident and called it an “isolated incident between the two men and not a random act of violence.”

    Few other details were available.

    “We are deeply grateful to the medical team for their exceptional care and support. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, and we ask that everyone please respect his and his family’s privacy during this time,” Fox Sports said.

    Sanchez, 38, had a 10-year NFL career before retiring in 2019. He appeared on ABC and ESPN for two years before joining Fox Sports as a game analyst in 2021.

    The Long Beach, California, native, starred at Southern California before he was selected by the New York Jets with the fifth pick in the 2009 NFL draft.

    USC football also issued a statement on social media.

    He passed for 3,207 yards and 34 touchdowns while leading the Trojans to a 12-1 record during his junior year, which included a victory over Penn State in the 2009 Rose Bowl.

    He spent four seasons with the Jets, starting each of his 62 games while throwing for 12,092 yards and 68 touchdowns with 69 interceptions. The Jets lost in the AFC championship in each of Sanchez’s first two years in the league.

    Sanchez also appeared in games with Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington. He finished his playing career with 15,357 yards passing, 86 TD passes and 89 interceptions.

    The Jets and several of Sanchez’s former teammates posted message of support on social media on Saturday.

    “Sending our thoughts and love to Mark Sanchez and his family. Hoping for a speedy recovery, 6,” the Jets said, using Sanchez’s former jersey number.

    “Send prayers up for my former teammate mark.. sucks so much to see this,” Kerry Rhodes wrote.

    “So sad. Pray for his recovery,” Nick Mangold wrote.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Music Review: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’

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    Who is Taylor Swift’s heir apparent? Her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” offers an answer. It’s Taylor Swift.

    What You Need To Know

    • Taylor Swift’s 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” shows she’s still at the top of the cultural mainstream

    • The album released Friday features upbeat pop tracks and a return to the fold of Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback
    •  
    • The album’s themes explore fame, perception, love and Travis Kelce’s podcast with witty lyrics and catchy hooks
    • Swift’s dense vocabulary shines, though sometimes it feels a bit too much
    • Overall, the album captures the glitz and glamour of her “Eras Tour” with humor and humanity

    Her last album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” ended with the cautionary “Clara Bow,” an allegory that seemed to suggest her tenure atop the cultural mainstream was inherited from stars of the past, like the namechecked Stevie Nicks — and that a new generation of younger, elastic female pop performers could soon take her place. In 2025, there are many to choose from: Consider Chappell Roan’s full-throated theatrics, Olivia Rodrigo’s fiery punk-pop feminism, Sabrina Carpenter’s cheeky sexuality. In the knotty themes of Friday’s “The Life of a Showgirl,” best illustrated in the title track, Swift asserts that the baton hasn’t been passed, but rather shared. Because she isn’t going anywhere.

    “And all the headshots on the walls / Of the dance halls are of the b—— / Who wish I’d hurry up and die,” she sings with a wink, “But I’m immortal now, baby dolls / I couldn’t if I tried.” Notably, if she has a chosen successor in someone else, it’s the album’s sole feature: Carpenter, who sings on the stomp-clap closer in her newly adopted twang. The mournful glissando of lap steel — the album’s most country moment — arrives only with Carpenter’s introduction. The western genre is Swift’s past and Carpenter’s future.

    Suggestive bangers and a ‘New Heights’ namecheck

    If Swift is co-signing Carpenter, she’s also learning from her. Carpenter has cornered the market on tight pop songs with pert, provocative messages; Swift does the same with the manspreading swagger of the George Michael-interpolating “Father Figure,” which mentions a protege, and the funky “Wood.” (A carefully veiled PG-13 lyric: “His love was the key / That opened my thighs,” she sings. “Girls, I don’t need to catch the bouquet / To know a hard rock is on the way.”) Interwoven are suggestive, sensual ad-libs … and a direct reference to fiance Travis Kelce’s podcast.

    Across a brisk 12 tracks — Swift’s tendency toward abundance doesn’t manifest itself in a double album this time around, but instead in her endless vinyl variants — “The Life of a Showgirl” mostly delivers on its promise of up-tempo pop “bangers,” to borrow her own vernacular. Fans need not wait up for the long-anticipated “Reputation (Taylor’s Version),” because “The Life of a Showgirl” pulls from its essence. But this time, with a lot of affection, like a truer “Lover” era.

    Swift has long internalized criticisms and responded to them in her art, most directly in 2017’s “Reputation.” Here, she is once again concerned with her perception, articulated over booming, lush production on “CANCELLED!” or “Elizabeth Taylor.” On the latter, she sings, “Hollywood hates me / You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby.” Except this time, her love acts as an anchor. “I can’t have fun if I can’t have you,” she flirts.

    Welcome (back) to Sweden

    For “The Life of a Showgirl,” Swift enlisted Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback, the hitmaking duo she collaborated with on 2012’s “Red,” 2014’s “1989” and, of course, “Reputation.” Notably absent is her frequent producing partner Jack Antonoff. It’s a wise decision: In years past, Swift, Shellback and Martin’s pop experiments shifted not only her career trajectory but the genre itself. Before “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” an EDM drop in the middle of a radio pop hit was unimaginable. After, the style would dominate for half the decade.

    “The Life of a Showgirl” isn’t as seismic, but there are addictive and idiosyncratic Swiftisms here: acerbic wit and thick literary references in glassy pop hooks. Where a song like “Opalite,” if attempted by another other performer, would lose its weightlessness under its voluble aspirations, Swift manages to swoon. Stacked, opalescent harmonies and a vintage swing give the song, fittingly, an almost iridescent quality.

    And there are bops, like the undeniable opener “The Fate of Ophelia” with its 1980s-via-Robyn synth-pop and momentary “Summertime Sadness” vocal delivery.

    There’s a treasure trove of deliciously quotable lines, too, as expected. “Please God bring me a best friend who I think is hot,” she manages to make effortless in the “Midnights”-esque “Wi$h Li$t,” a lovely song about the mundanity of romance and the suburban fantasy of “a couple kids … a driveway with a basketball hoop.”

    The dictionary of a showgirl

    Swift’s dense vocabulary is on full display, often full of charm. But it is sometimes unwieldy, a common criticism of “The Tortured Poets Department,” like when she overstuffs “Our thoughtless ambition sparked the ignition on foolish decisions which led to misguided visions” into “Father Figure,” momentarily overvaluing clever writing over clever cadence.

    Or she is too modish. The colloquial “Eldest Daughter,” for example, mentions “trolling,” “memes” and “comments,” immediately dating itself. But sonically, it is a thoughtful acoustic ballad with emo movement, in which Swift contends with her “terminal uniqueness” and deep dedication to a loved one. It juxtaposes nicely with something like the casually cruel, pop-punk affected “Actually Romantic.” It’s hard not to hear some brief Hayley Williams in the distorted speakerphone vocals in the song’s coda or boygenius in its harmonies: another example of Swift pulling from those she’s influenced — and enlisted on her tours.

    Swift has said “The Life of a Showgirl” is meant to embody her “Eras Tour” — a singular global phenomenon, a canonical event in the history of pop performance that, in its over three-hour runtime, was a sensory explosion. On these 12 tracks, she’s approximating glitz and glamour with humanity and humor. She spends no time waiting in the wings. So let the show begin.

    ___

    “The Life of a Showgirl,” Taylor Swift

    Four out of five stars.

    On repeat: “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Opalite”

    Skip it: “Honey”

    For fans of: Witty one-liners, cocktails served in crystal glasses, Las Vegas, lechery

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    Associated Press

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  • Funding bill fails in Senate again on shutdown Day 3 with no deal in sight

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    WASHINGTON — The Senate on Friday once again failed to pass a short-term funding bill to reopen the federal government, making it likely that the shutdown now in its third day will stretch into a new week. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The Senate on Friday once again failed to pass a short-term funding bill to reopen the federal government, making it likely that the shutdown now in its third day will stretch into a second week
    • Two Democratic senators and one independent who caucuses with Democrats crossed party lines to join all but one Republican in backing the bill, which seeks to keep the government funded through mid-November and passed the GOP-House earlier this month; The same three also joined with the GOP in backing the bill two previous times
    • Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House; however, because their support is needed for a funding bill to pass in the Senate, Democrats are demanding changes to address the “health care crisis” in America they say was created by the GOP

    • The House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries made clear to reporters on Thursday that his party wants extensions on subsidies for those with health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act set to expire at year’s end

    • Potentially complicating matters on Democrats’ demand to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, Johnson on Friday said Republicans want to bring “reforms” to the program, also referred to as Obamacare

    Two Democratic senators and one independent who caucuses with Democrats crossed party lines to join all but one Republican in backing the bill, which passed the GOP-House earlier this month and seeks to keep the government funded through mid-November. The same three also joined with the GOP in backing the bill two previous times. Two senators, one Democrat and one Republican, did not vote. Friday’s vote marked the Senate’s fourth attempt at ushering the funding measure through the upper chamber. 

    Republican leader Sen. John Thune of South Dakota signaled earlier that he would save the next try for next week, telling reporters at a press conference “hopefully over the weekend they’ll have a chance to think about it,” referring to Democrats.

    After Friday’s vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana declared that Tuesday of next week through the following Monday would be a district work period, meaning lawmakers in his chamber will not return to the Capitol. 

    The Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York lamented at a press conference Friday afternoon that Republicans have “wasted a week.”

    State of play

    Senators are now expected to head home for the weekend with little glimmer of a deal in sight. Thune indicated Friday morning that as of now, he is still banking on enough Democrats relenting under the pressure of repeated votes and flipping sides to turn the lights back on. 

    “We will have a vote in another hour or two – it will be the fourth time the Democrats will have an opportunity to vote to keep the government open,” Thune said before the vote. “Now, at some point, reason, good sense, common sense, has to take effect here, because that’s really what this is.”

    But so far there has been no sign of such a scenario, with no new Democrats flipping in Friday’s vote. But per Senate rules, Republicans need 60 votes for the bill to pass, meaning seven Democrats – or eight if Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky continues to vote no – need to support the measure. 

    Along with the GOP-supported, short-term funding patch, senators have also rejected a counter bill Democrats offered that would reopen the government and address their health care concerns. 

    Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House. However, because their support is needed for a funding bill to pass in the Senate, Democrats are demanding changes to address the “health care crisis” in America they say was created by the GOP.

    Specifically, Democrats also want extensions on subsidies for those with health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act, which have lowered costs for millions of Americans but are set to expire at year’s end, in the temporary funding patch. 

    The House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York made clear to reporters on Thursday that his party wants a permanent extension of the health care credits. 

    “Everyone is about to experience dramatically increased premiums, copays, and deductibles because of the Republican health care crisis – everyone in America,” Jeffries said at a press conference on Friday. “And as that happens, they’ll know that this is a result of Donald Trump and failed Republican policies who have launched the largest assault on health care in American history.”

    Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have stressed they are ready to engage in bipartisan negotiations over funding and are slamming Republicans for being unwilling to do so. For the third-straight day, Johnson insisted again on Friday that the short-term funding bill passed in his chamber was as “clean” as can be – meaning it aims to keep spending at the current level previously passed by Congress and doesn’t contain tacked-on policies supported by Republicans – and therefore, there is nothing in it that can be negotiated. 

    Republicans say they are willing to have conversations about the health care subsidies but argue that the issue doesn’t need to be dealt with until closer to the end of the year when they expire and that the government needs to be kept open first. 

    Responding to a question about Democrats wanting agreements in writing, Johnson on Friday said the other side of the aisle wants “immediate, easy answers” on things that “take a long time to deliberate.”

    Potentially complicating matters on Democrats’ demand to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, Johnson said Republicans want to bring “reforms” to the program, also known as Obamacare.

    “But we have more reforms coming to try to fix Obamacare, which is not working for the people,” he said. “But you need common sense, responsible Republicans who are serious about policy to fix that for the people, and that’s what we’re working to do.”

    Thune reiterated the sentiment, saying he couldn’t make commitments on the subsidies because “that’s not something that we can guarantee that there are the votes there to do.” 

    The president’s position

    The shutdown has the potential to impact the economy, with hundreds of thousands of workers expected to be furloughed. And President Donald Trump has marveled at the “unprecedented opportunity” he says Democrats in Congress handed him to enact potentially permanent layoff and cuts to “Democrat Agencies” during the shutdown. 

    The president said he was meeting with his Office of Management and Budget chief, Russ Vought to discuss just that.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who referred to the potentially permanent layoffs as an “unfortunate consequence” of the shutdown at Friday’s press briefing, said earlier this week that the firings were “imminent” and could be in the thousands. 

    “Unfortunately, we’re having to do a massive review of the bureaucracy to be good stewards of the American taxpayer dollar, and it’s the Democrats who have forced the White House and the president into this position to shut the government down,” Leavitt said Friday. 

    Despite being active on social media, Trump has not held public events over the last couple of days of the shutdown, leading Jeffries to accuse him Friday of being in a “witness protection program.” 

    Leavitt called that “ridiculous fodder” and pointed to the president’s work behind the scenes. 

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    Maddie Gannon

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  • British police say deadly rampage at U.K. synagogue was a terrorist attack

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    MANCHESTER, England — An assailant drove a car into people outside a synagogue Thursday in northern England and then began stabbing them, killing two and seriously wounding three in a terrorist attack on the holiest day of the Jewish year, police said.

    What You Need To Know

    • British police have declared that a deadly rampage at a synagogue that killed two people on the holiest day of the Jewish year was a terrorist attack

    • Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner Laurence Taylor in Manchester said the assailant was killed by officers and two other suspects were arrested

    • He provided no further information on the arrests. Authorities said the suspect rammed his car into pedestrians and began stabbing people

    • It took police some time to confirm he was dead because of concerns he had an explosive on him

    Officers shot and killed the suspect, Greater Manchester Police said, though it took authorities some time to confirm he was dead because of concerns he had an explosive on him.

    The Metropolitan Police in London, who lead counter-terror policing operations, declared the assault a terrorist attack.

    Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said two other suspects were arrested, though he provided no further information on the arrests.

    The attack took place as people gathered at an Orthodox synagogue in suburban neighborhood of Manchester on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar.

    Antisemitic incidents in the U.K. have soared following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and Israel’s ensuing military campaign in Gaza, according to Community Security Trust, an advocacy group for British Jews that works to eliminate antisemitism.

    More than 1,500 incidents were reported in the first half of the year, the second-highest reported since the record set a year earlier.

    “This is every rabbi’s or every Jewish person’s worst nightmare,” said Rabbi Jonathan Romain, of Maidenhead Synagogue and head of the Rabbinic Court of Great Britain. “Not only is this a sacred day, the most sacred in the Jewish calendar, but it’s also a time of mass gathering.”

    Witnesses describe a car driving toward the synagogue and then a stabbing attack

    In a series of posts on X, Greater Manchester Police said they were called to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue shortly after 9:30 a.m. — shortly after services were set to begin. The caller said he saw a car being driven toward members of the public and that one man had been stabbed.

    Chava Lewin, who lives next to the synagogue, said she heard a bang and thought it might be a firework until her husband ran inside their house and said there had been a “terrorist attack.”

    A witness told her that she saw a car driving erratically crash into the gates of the house of worship.

    “She thought maybe he had a heart attack,” Lewin said. “The second he got out of the car, he started stabbing anyone near him. He went for the security guard and tried to break into the synagogue.”

    Minutes later, police fired shots, saying they believed they had hit the assailant.

    Video on social media showed police with guns pointed at a person lying on the ground beneath a blue Star of David on the brick wall of the synagogue.

    A bystander could be heard on the video saying the man had a bomb and was trying to detonate it. When the man tried to stand up, a gunshot rang out and he fell to the ground.

    Police later detonated an explosion to get into the suspect’s car.

    Manchester was the site of Britain’s deadliest attack in recent years, the 2017 suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert that killed 22 people.

    Authorities declare an emergency

    Immediately after the attack, police declared “Plato,” the national code-word used by police and emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack.”

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was appalled by the attack and additional police officers would be deployed at synagogues across the U.K.

    He flew home early from a summit of European leaders in Copenhagen, Denmark, to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency committee.

    “The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific,” Starmer said on the X platform.

    King Charles III said he and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked and saddened” to learn of the attack “on such a significant day for the Jewish community.”

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this appalling incident and we greatly appreciate the swift actions of the emergency services,” he said on his social media feed.

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  • Government shutdown begins as nation faces new period of uncertainty

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    WASHINGTON — Plunged into a government shutdown, the U.S. is confronting a fresh cycle of uncertainty after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline.

    What You Need To Know

    • Roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed, some potentially fired by the Trump administration. 

    • The president, who met privately with congressional leadership this week, appeared unable to negotiate any deal between Democrats and Republicans to prevent that outcome

    • This is the third time Trump has presided over a federal funding lapse, the first since his return to the White House this year

    • Republicans have refused to negotiate for now and have encouraged Trump to steer clear of any talks

    Roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed, some potentially fired by the Trump administration. Many offices will be shuttered, perhaps permanently, as Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as retribution. His deportation agenda is expected to run full speed ahead, while education, environmental and other services sputter. The economic fallout is expected to ripple nationwide.

    “We don’t want it to shut down,” Trump said at the White House before the midnight deadline.

    But the president, who met privately with congressional leadership this week, appeared unable to negotiate any deal between Democrats and Republicans to prevent that outcome.

    This is the third time Trump has presided over a federal funding lapse, the first since his return to the White House this year, in a remarkable record that underscores the polarizing divide over budget priorities and a political climate that rewards hardline positions rather than more traditional compromises.

    Plenty of blame being thrown around

    The Democrats picked this fight, which was unusual for the party that prefers to keep government running, but their voters are eager to challenge the president’s second-term agenda. Democrats are demanding funding for health care subsidies that are expiring for millions of people under the Affordable Care Act, spiking the costs of insurance premiums nationwide.

    Republicans have refused to negotiate for now and have encouraged Trump to steer clear of any talks. After the White House meeting, the president posted a cartoonish fake video mocking the Democratic leadership that was widely viewed as unserious and racist.

    What neither side has devised is an easy offramp to prevent what could become a protracted closure. The ramifications are certain to spread beyond the political arena, upending the lives of Americans who rely on the government for benefit payments, work contracts and the various services being thrown into turmoil.

    “What the government spends money on is a demonstration of our country’s priorities,” said Rachel Snyderman, a former White House budget official who is the managing director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank in Washington.

    Shutdowns, she said, “only inflict economic cost, fear and confusion across the country.”

    Economic fallout expected to ripple nationwide

    An economic jolt could be felt in a matter of days. The government is expected Friday to produce its monthly jobs report, which may or may not be delivered.

    While the financial markets have generally “shrugged” during past shutdowns, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis, this one could be different partly because there are no signs of broader negotiations.

    “There are also few good analogies to this week’s potential shutdown,” the analysis said.

    Across the government, preparations have been underway. Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, headed by Russ Vought, directed agencies to execute plans for not just furloughs, as are typical during a federal funding lapse, but mass firings of federal workers. It’s part of the Trump administration’s mission, including its Department of Government Efficiency, to shrink the federal government.

    What’s staying open and shutting down

    The Medicare and Medicaid health care programs are expected to continue, though staffing shortages could mean delays for some services. The Pentagon would still function. And most employees will stay on the job at the Department of Homeland Security.

    But Trump has warned that the administration could focus on programs that are important to Democrats, “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”

    As agencies sort out which workers are essential, or not, Smithsonian museums are expected to stay open at least until Monday. A group of former national park superintendents urged the Trump administration to close the parks to visitors, arguing that poorly staffed parks in a shutdown are a danger to the public and put park resources at risk.

    No easy exit as health care costs soar

    Ahead of Wednesday’s start of the fiscal year, House Republicans had approved a temporary funding bill, over opposition from Democrats, to keep government running into mid-November while broader negotiations continue.

    But that bill has failed repeatedly in the Senate, including late Tuesday. It takes a 60-vote threshold for approval, which requires cooperation between the two parties. A Democratic bill also failed. With a 53-47 GOP majority, Democrats are leveraging their votes to demand negotiation.

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said Republicans are happy to discuss the health care issue with Democrats — but not as part of talks to keep the government open. More votes are expected Wednesday.

    The standoff is a political test for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who has drawn scorn from a restive base of left-flank voters pushing the party to hold firm in its demands for health care funding.

    “Americans are hurting with higher costs,” Schumer said after the failed vote Tuesday.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson sent lawmakers home nearly two weeks ago after having passed the GOP bill, blaming Democrats for the shutdown.

    “They want to fight Trump,” Johnson said Tuesday on CNBC. “A lot of good people are going to be hurt because of this.”

    Trump, during his meeting with the congressional leaders, expressed surprise at the scope of the rising costs of health care, but Democrats left with no path toward talks.

    During Trump’s first term, the nation endured its longest-ever shutdown, 35 days, over his demands for funds Congress refused to provide to build his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

    In 2013, the government shut down for 16 days during the Obama presidency over GOP demands to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Other closures date back decades.

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  • Chunk, a 1,200-pound bear with a broken jaw, wins Fat Bear Week contest

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    ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Chunk, a towering brown bear with a broken jaw, swept the competition Tuesday in the popular Fat Bear Week contest — his first win after narrowly finishing in second place three previous years.

    What You Need To Know

    • Chunk, a 1,200-pound behemoth with a broken jaw, swept the competition Tuesday in the popular Fat Bear Week contest — his first win after finishing in second place three previous years

    • The annual online competition allows viewers to follow 12 bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve on live webcams as they fish for salmon, and then cast ballots in a bracket-style tournament that lasts a week

    • Chunk — known officially as Bear 32 — beat out Bear 856 for the crown

    • A glut of sockeye salmon fueled a memorable feast this summer for the contest, and more than 1.5 million people voted

    The annual online competition allows viewers to follow 12 bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve on live webcams and cast ballots in a bracket-style, single-elimination tournament that lasts a week. Chunk — known officially as Bear 32 — beat out Bear 856, who doesn’t have a nickname, in the final bracket, according to totals posted on the organizers’ website.

    Chunk’s weight was estimated at 1,200 pounds by contest organizers. While they do not weigh individual bears during the contest because of safety concerns, Chunk and others have had their density scanned to bolster weight estimates in the past using laser technology called LIDAR.

    “Despite his broken jaw, he remains one of the biggest, baddest bears at Brooks River,” said Mike Fitz, a naturalist for explore.org. Fitz said Chunk likely hurt his jaw in a fight with another bear.

    The contest is wildly popular. This year it attracted over 1.5 million votes from fans who watched the ursines gorge on a record run of fall salmon as they fished in the Brooks River about 300 miles from Anchorage.

    It is the largest glut of salmon in the living memories of the bears or the humans who have been running the Fat Bear Week contest since 2014, according to Katmai Conservancy spokesperson Naomi Boak.

    That abundance “decreased conflict in the river since salmon were readily available,” Boak said in an email. In Tuesday’s announcement, Katmai National Park ranger Sarah Bruce estimated around 200,000 salmon made their way up Brooks River.

    In leaner years, the toughest bears jockey for the best fishing spots at Brooks Falls, where the salmon converge in a bottleneck and leap from the water as they fight their way upstream to spawn.

    This year, Brooks Falls fishing spots were often empty as bears hunted up and down stream. There was even room for humans to fish. At one point Monday, one of the Explore.org live cameras showed two people calmly casting fishing rods along the river even as brown bears plodded upstream and downstream from them.

    Voters in the online contest could review before and after photos of the bears, lean at the start of summer and fattened at the end. The bears are not actually weighed — that would be too dangerous and difficult — and some fans choose their favorite based on looks or backstory.

    The live cameras at Brooks Falls captured the moments in 2024 when mother bear 128 Grazer ‘s cub slipped over the waterfall and floated into the fishing spot occupied by Chunk, who attacked and injured the cub. Grazer fought Chunk, but the cub ultimately died. After the dramatic fight, voting fans handed Grazer a victory over Chunk.

    Fat Bear Week was started in 2014 as an interactive way to inform the public about brown bears, the coastal cousins of grizzlies. They spend summers catching and eating as many salmon as possible so they can fatten up for hibernation in Alaska’s cold, lean winters.

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  • Fresh cycle of uncertainty as government shutdown begins

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    WASHINGTON— Plunged into a government shutdown, the U.S. is confronting a fresh cycle of uncertainty after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline.

    What You Need To Know

    • The government shutdown has begun, and it’s plunging the U.S. into a fresh cycle of uncertainty

    • President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline

    • Roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed, and many offices will be shuttered

    • Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as he seeks to punish Democrats

    Roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed, some potentially fired by Trump’s Republican administration. Many offices will be shuttered, perhaps permanently, as Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as retribution. His deportation agenda is expected to run full speed ahead, while education, environmental and other services sputter. The economic fallout is expected to ripple nationwide.

    “We don’t want it to shut down,” Trump said at the White House before the midnight deadline.

    But the president, who met privately with congressional leadership this week, appeared unable to negotiate any deal between Democrats and Republicans to prevent that outcome.

    This is the third time Trump has presided over a federal funding lapse, the first since his return to the White House this year, in a remarkable record that underscores the polarizing divide over budget priorities and a political climate that rewards hard-line positions rather than more traditional compromises.

    Plenty of blame being thrown around

    The Democrats picked this fight, which was unusual for the party that prefers to keep government running, but their voters are eager to challenge the president’s second-term agenda. Democrats are demanding funding for health care subsidies that are expiring for millions of people under the Affordable Care Act, spiking the costs of insurance premiums nationwide.

    Republicans have refused to negotiate and have encouraged Trump to steer clear of any talks. After the White House meeting, the president posted a cartoonish fake video mocking the Democratic leadership that was widely viewed as unserious and racist.

    Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday said Republicans want to resolve the health care issues that concern Democrats but will not negotiate until the government reopens.

    Until then, he stressed, people and federal workers will be affected in a variety of ways, and, as examples, he cited people on federal food assistance programs, potential flight delays for air travelers and service members not getting paid while they report for duty.

    “It’s craziness, and people are going to suffer because of this,” Vance said on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends.”

    What neither side has devised is an easy off-ramp to prevent what could become a protracted closure. The ramifications are certain to spread beyond the political arena, upending the lives of Americans who rely on the government for benefit payments, work contracts and the various services being thrown into turmoil.

    “What the government spends money on is a demonstration of our country’s priorities,” said Rachel Snyderman, a former White House budget official who is the managing director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank in Washington.

    Shutdowns, she said, “only inflict economic cost, fear and confusion across the country.”

    Economic fallout expected to ripple nationwide

    An economic jolt could be felt in a matter of days. The government is expected Friday to produce its monthly jobs report, which may or may not be delivered.

    While the financial markets have generally “shrugged” during past shutdowns, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis, this one could be different partly because there are no signs of broader negotiations.

    “There are also few good analogies to this week’s potential shutdown,” the analysis said.

    Across the government, preparations have been underway. Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, headed by Russ Vought, directed agencies to execute plans for not just furloughs, as are typical during a federal funding lapse, but mass firings of federal workers. It’s part of the Trump administration’s mission, including its Department of Government Efficiency, to shrink the federal government.

    What’s staying open and shutting down

    The Medicare and Medicaid health care programs are expected to continue, though staffing shortages could mean delays for some services. The Pentagon would still function. And most employees will stay on the job at the Department of Homeland Security.

    But Trump has warned that the administration could focus on programs that are important to Democrats, “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”

    As agencies sort out which workers are essential, or not, Smithsonian museums are expected to stay open at least until Monday. A group of former national park superintendents urged the Trump administration to close the parks to visitors, arguing that poorly staffed parks in a shutdown are a danger to the public and put park resources at risk.

    No easy exit as health care costs soar

    Ahead of Wednesday’s start of the fiscal year, House Republicans had approved a temporary funding bill, over opposition from Democrats, to keep government running into mid-November while broader negotiations continue.

    But that bill has failed repeatedly in the Senate, including late Tuesday. It takes a 60-vote threshold for approval, which requires cooperation between the two parties. A Democratic bill also failed. With a 53-47 GOP majority, Democrats are leveraging their votes to demand negotiation.

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said Republicans are happy to discuss the health care issue with Democrats — but not as part of talks to keep the government open. More votes are expected Wednesday.

    The standoff is a political test for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who has drawn scorn from a restive base of left-flank voters pushing the party to hold firm in its demands for health care funding.

    “Americans are hurting with higher costs,” Schumer said after the failed vote Tuesday.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson sent lawmakers home nearly two weeks ago after having passed the GOP bill, blaming Democrats for the shutdown.

    “They want to fight Trump,” Johnson said Tuesday on CNBC. “A lot of good people are going to be hurt because of this.”

    Trump, during his meeting with the congressional leaders, expressed surprise at the scope of the rising costs of health care, but Democrats left with no path toward talks.

    During Trump’s first term, the nation endured its longest-ever shutdown, 35 days, over his demands for funds Congress refused to provide to build his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

    In 2013, the government shut down for 16 days during the Obama presidency over GOP demands to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Other closures date back decades.

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  • Trump, Netanyahu meet at White House as pressure mounts to end war in Gaza

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    WASHINGTON — Days after his defiant speech at the United Nations rejecting demands to end the war in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is conferring with his most important supporter about the path ahead in the nearly two-year-old Gaza war.

    What You Need To Know

    • Days after using a U.N. address to reject international demands for an end to the war in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss the path ahead in the brutal conflict

    • Monday’s meeting in Washington comes at a tenuous moment

    • Israel is increasingly isolated after losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies

    • At home, Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever

    But Monday’s meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington comes at a tenuous moment. Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies. At home, Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

    The question now is whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to wind down the conflict.

    As he welcomed Netanyahu to the White House on Monday morning, Trump responded affirmatively when asked by reporters whether he was confident a deal would be soon reached to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

    “I am. I’m very confident,” Trump said.

    White House urges Israel and Hamas to get to a ceasefire and hostage release deal

    Hours before Netanyahu and Trump met for talks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged both sides to finalize an agreement to bring an end to the nearly two-year old war in Gaza.

    “Ultimately the president knows when you get to a good deal, both sides are going to leave a little bit unhappy,” Leavitt told reporters at the White House on Monday morning. “But we need this conflict to end.”

    In a post Sunday on social media, the Republican president said: “We have a real chance for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!”

    Trump and Netanyahu are first holding talks with aides in the Oval Office. A joint press conference is expected later.

    The uncertainty surrounding the meeting casts it as “one of the most critical” in the yearslong relationship between the two leaders, said professor Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israeli relations at Bar-Ilan and Reichman universities.

    “Netanyahu might have to choose between Trump and his coalition members,” a number of whom want the war to continue, Gilboa said. A move by Netanyahu to end the war would leave him on shaky political ground at home a year before elections.

    Oded Ailam, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, agreed Trump is likely to demand a permanent ceasefire, leaving Netanyahu with few options. Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to continue the offensive until Hamas is destroyed.

    Israel could seek to include ‘red lines’

    If Trump puts the pressure on, the Israeli leader would probably seek to include “red lines” in any deal, Ailam said. Netanyahu, Ailam says, might demand that Hamas be dismantled. Netanyahu might also set a condition that if the militant group resumes fighting or returns to power, the Israeli military would have the right to operate freely in Gaza, he said.

    Trump joined forces with Netanyahu during Israel’s brief war with Iran in June, ordering U.S. stealth bombers to strike three nuclear sites, and he’s supported the Israeli leader during his corruption trial, describing the case as a “witch hunt.”

    But the relationship has become more tense lately. Trump was frustrated by Israel’s failed strike this month on Hamas officials in Qatar, a U.S. ally in the region that had been hosting negotiations to end the war in Gaza.

    Recent comments have hinted at growing impatience from Washington. Last week, Trump vowed to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank — an idea promoted by some of Netanyahu’s hard-line governing partners. The international community opposes annexation, saying it would destroy hopes for a two-state solution.

    Michael Doran, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, dismissed the idea Trump’s comments about the West Bank were a sign of friction. He said the remarks allowed Netanyahu to resist pressure from right-wing members of his government.

    “That was a clever move by Trump,” Doran said. “It simultaneously showed responsiveness to Arab and Muslim allies while actually helping out Netanyahu.”

    On Friday, Trump raised expectations for the meeting with Netanyahu, telling reporters the U.S. was “very close to a deal on Gaza.”

    Trump has made similar pronouncements in the past with nothing to show for it.

    Proposal does not include expulsion of Palestinians

    Trump’s proposal to stop the war in Gaza calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, according to three Arab officials briefed on the plan. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been formally unveiled.

    Hamas is believed to be holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed by Israel to be alive. The militant group has demanded Israel agree to end the war and withdraw from all of Gaza as part of any permanent ceasefire.

    Trump discussed the plan with Arab and Islamic leaders in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. It doesn’t include the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, which Trump appeared to endorse earlier this year.

    The 21-point proposal also calls for an end to Hamas rule of Gaza and the disarmament of the militant group, said the officials briefed on the plan. Hundreds of Palestinians, including many serving life sentences, will be released by Israel, according to the proposal.

    The plan also includes the establishment of an international security force to take over law enforcement in postwar Gaza, they said.

    A Palestinian committee of technocrats would oversee the civilian affairs of the strip, with power handed over later to a reformed Palestinian Authority, they said. Netanyahu has rejected any role for the authority, the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinians, in postwar Gaza.

    A Hamas official said the group was briefed on the plan but has yet to receive an official offer from Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The group has repeatedly rejected laying down arms and has linked its weapons to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

    Netanyahu acknowledged the U.S. plan Sunday in an interview with Fox News Channel, saying Israeli officials were “working with President Trump’s team … and I hope we can make it a go.”

    In his speech Friday at the U.N., Netanyahu praised Trump multiple times, calling him an essential partner who “understands better than any other leader that Israel and America face a common threat.”

    Israel has lost much of the world’s goodwill

    But apart from the U.S. leadership, Israel has lost much of the international goodwill it once could count on.

    At a special session of the U.N. Security Council last week, nation after nation expressed horror at the 2023 attack by Hamas militants that killed about 1,200 people in Israel, saw 251 taken hostage and triggered the war. Then many of the representatives went on to criticize the response by Israel and call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and influx of aid.

    Israel’s sweeping offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run administration. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the U.N. and many independent experts. The fighting has displaced 90% of the Gaza population, with an increasing number now starving.

    In recent weeks, 28 Western-aligned countries that circled behind Israel two years ago have called on it to end the offensive in Gaza. They also criticized Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid, which have contributed to famine in parts of Gaza.

    Ten countries — including Britain, France, Canada and Australia — recognized Palestinian statehood last week, hoping to revive the long-moribund peace process. Several Arab states, including some with longstanding relations with Israel, have accused it of committing genocide in Gaza, as have leading genocide scholars, U.N. experts and some Israeli and international rights groups. The U.N’s highest court is weighing genocide allegations raised by South Africa that Israel vehemently denies.

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    Associated Press

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  • Trump says he’s imposing 100% tariffs on movies made outside U.S.

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    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday he will impose a 100% tariff on movies made outside the United States.

    In a post on Truth Social, he said, “Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing ‘candy from a baby.’”

    California has been especially hard hit, he said, singling out Gov. Gavin Newsom as “weak and incompetent.” He said the tariff was necessary “to solve this long time, never ending problem.”

    What You Need To Know

    • President Donald Trump said Monday he will impose a 100% tariff on movies made outside the United States

    • In a post on Truth Social, he said, “Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing ‘candy from a baby’”

    • He said California had been particularly hard hit

    • President Trump first proposed the idea of a tariff on foreign-made films in May


    Trump did not say when or how the tariff could be enacted. It would be the first time he has essentially imposed a tariff on a service rather than a good.

    Newsom’s press office responded to Trump’s announcement on X, saying, “The Governor tried to explain this to Trump months ago — when this was initially proposed — that his actions will cause irreparable damage to the U.S. film industry. Today’s move is 100% stupid.”

    The post linked to a story from The Hill in May with the headline “Hollywood studios’ stocks fall after Trump foreign film tariff vow.”

    Parsing the data on how many global feature films are made in the United States is tricky, according to film industry data researcher Stephen Follows. Many films are produced in multiple countries, and there is no system in place to track it, Follows wrote on his website in May, after Trump first proposed the idea of a 100% tariff on foreign-made films. At that time, the president described such films as a national security threat.

    Like many manufactured goods, Follows said films are made with a global supply chain that is further convoluted by streamers such as Netflix, making a movie’s country of origin unclear. In addition, American studios routinely back films from foreign markets, Follows said.

    The major Hollywood studios made 87.3% of global feature films in 2024, according to StephenFollows.com, but crunching country-of-origin data from IMDb since 2000, the analyst found American films made up about a third of all international feature films.

    The U.S. ranks first for global movie productions, followed by India, the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada, Follows said, adding that the 200 top-grossing movies filmed since 2000 were shot in 1.6 countries. According to Follows, 23.9% of films that listed the U.S. as the country of origin on IMDb had shot at least one day in the U.K. or Canada.

    Imposing a 100% tariff on foreign-made films would require a new system to define what makes a film “American,” he said.

    The Motion Picture Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s post, but the trade group has previously said that three times as many U.S. films are exported than foreign films are imported to the U.S.

    In July, California expanded its film and television tax credit program for projects that shoot in the state from $330 million to $750 million. Intended to stem the tide of TV and movie programs leaving Hollywood to shoot elsewhere, the expanded credit has so far lured 22 new television projects, Newsom’s office said last month.

    According to the nonprofit Los Angeles film permitting group FilmLA, just one in five TV shows and movies are currently filmed in Los Angeles — a city that is home to Hollywood and was long the center of the industry. But rising costs, incentives that failed to keep up with other states and countries, and the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes have created a perfect storm for productions to flee.

    A recent FilmLA report found that on-location filming in Los Angeles fell 6.2% in the second quarter of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier.

    FilmLA noted that shooting days for feature films were down 21.4% compared with the same quarter in 2024 but were up 22.6% compared with the first quarter of 2025.

    The decline in productions has major economic consequences for California, which on its own is the fourth largest economy in the world.

    The California Production Coalition estimates the average location shoot adds $670,000 and 1,500 jobs per day to the local economy. There are about 10,500 entertainmeent-related businesses in the state, according to a report from Beacon Economics.

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    Susan Carpenter

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  • 3 dead in ‘highly premeditated’ shooting at North Carolina waterfront bar

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    SOUTHPORT, N.C. — A mass shooting that shattered the evening tranquility of a picturesque, seaside town in North Carolina was a “highly premeditated” attack that left three people dead and five injured, police said Sunday. The suspect who allegedly carried out the attack on a waterfront bar was in custody.

    Nigel Edge, 40, of Oak Island is accused of opening fire Saturday night from a boat into a crowd gathered at the American Fish Company in Southport, a historic port town about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Wilmington, Police Chief Todd Coring said. 

    At a press conference Sunday, Coring said the location was “targeted,” but he did not elaborate.

    Authorities said Edge piloted a small boat close to shore, which was lined with bars and restaurants, stopped briefly and fired. He then sped away.

    A makeshift memorial sprung up outside American Fish Company in Southport, N.C. where three people were killed and eight others were injured. (Spectrum News 1/David Ivey)

    Roughly half an hour after the shooting, a U.S. Coast Guard crew spotted a person matching the suspect’s description pulling a boat from the water at a public ramp on Oak Island. The person was detained and turned over to Southport police for questioning, officials said.

    Edge is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and five counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He could face additional charges, Coring said.

    The weapon used was an assault rifle, although Coring didn’t specify what kind.

    “We understand this suspect identifies as a combat veteran. He self-identifies. Injured in the line of duty is what he’s saying, he suffers from PTSD,” Coring said, referring to post-traumatic stress disorder.

    Edge is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday, District Attorney Jon David said. He is being held without bond.


    Among the five people hospitalized with injuries, at least one “is now clinging for their life,” David said. Some of the victims were vacationers from out of town.

    Oak Island Police Chief Charlie Morris said the suspect was known to police as someone “who frequently hung out on our pier,” and that he had filed lawsuits against the town and police department over the last few years. He did not elaborate.

    The district attorney said Edge had had “minor contacts” with police in the past “but nothing significant in his past which would give us any indication that he was capable of such horror.”

    It was not immediately known whether Edge has an attorney to speak on his behalf. No attorney was listed on court documents.

    Investigators from multiple agencies — including the State Bureau of Investigation and the Coast Guard — remained on the water and at the scene Sunday collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.

    Officials did not immediately release the names of the victims.  

    “Our hearts are heavy this morning following the tragic mass shooting in Southport that claimed the lives of three individuals and left others injured,” Brunswick County Sheriff Brian Chism. On behalf of the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and my prayers are with those who are recovering from their injuries.”

    He went on to call Southport a strong and resilient community” and asked that people pray for the victims and their families. 

    (Spectrum News 1)

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Death toll in mass shooting, arson fire at Michigan church rises to 4

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    GRAND BLANC, Mich. — Police say four people are dead and eight injured following a shooting and arson fire Sunday morning at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Two of the victims were fatally shot, and the remains of two others were found in the wreckage of the church.

    What You Need To Know

    • Four people are dead and eight injured following a shooting and fire at a church in Grand Blanc, Mich., Sunday morning 

    • Police said the suspect, a 40-year-old man from neighboring Burton, Mich., drove his vehicle into the front of the church, exited, and opened fire

    • At some point, the suspect set the church on fire. Police killed the suspect in the parking lot at 10:33 a.m. 

    • As of 5 p.m. Sunday, seven victims had been stabilized and one remained in critical condition 

    Police said it appears the suspect drove his vehicle into the church during service and opened fire. At some point, the church was set on fire. There were hundreds of people inside the church at the time. Investigators say it appears the suspect used an accelerant, likely gasoline, to start the blaze. 

    Two police officers engaged with the suspect, shooting and killing him. The suspect was identified as 40-year-old Thomas Sanford, of Burton, Mich. Police said he was armed with a rifle. Police said the suspect’s home and cellphone records will be searched. The FBI is speaking to victims and witnesses. 

    The injured victims were treated at nearby Henry Ford Genesys.

    Speaking at a news conference Sunday night, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye praised the bravery and quick action of first responders and members of the church. 

    “I’d also like to acknowledge the heroism of not only the first responders, but the people who were inside that church at the time. They were shielding the children who are also present within the church, moving them to safety,” he said. 

    Police received a call about the shooting at 10:25 a.m. Police were at the scene within a minute, and the suspect was killed in the church’s parking lot at 10:33 a.m.  

    Reuben Coleman, acting special agent in charge of FBI Detroit field office, said the bureau is investigating the shooting and fire as an “act of targeted violence.”

    “This act of violence has no place in our state or anywhere else in our country. The FBI is committed to continue finding out the facts, circumstances and motives behind this tragedy,” he said. 

    Authorities said they also investigated a series of bomb threats made to other locations, some of them churches. Those locations were cleared. 

    The church is located at 4285 McCandlish Road. Grand Blanc is located near Flint.

    An offsite reunification was set up at NCG Cinema — Grand Blanck Trillium, located at 9220 Trillium Circle Ave. 

    Grand Blanc Community schools canceled classes for Monday. 

    Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement saying her heart is breaking over the shooting. 

    Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., released the following statement: 

    “This is horrifying. I will continue to monitor as more information is available and am prepared to support the community however possible. Grateful for the courage and quick actions of the first responders.”

    Vice President JD Vance asked for prayers for the victims and first responders. 

    President Donald Trump issued the following statement:

    “I have been briefed on the horrendous shooting that took place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The FBI was immediately on scene, and will be leading the Federal investigation, and providing full support to State and Local Officials. The suspect is dead, but there is still a lot to learn. This appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America. The Trump Administration will keep the Public posted, as we always do. In the meantime, PRAY for the victims, and their families. THE EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” 

    Henry Ford Health released the following statement: 

    “Henry Ford Genesys Hospital is caring for patients injured in the tragic shooting and fire at a nearby church. Our hearts go out to our patients, their families, and the community—including the people worshiping when the tragic act of violence occurred. 

    “Our team has cared for 9 people injured in the shooting and fire so far.  Our hospital is fully staffed with experienced caregivers, and we are grateful to our team members who continue to care for all our patients at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital. Counselors and spiritual care are available to provide confidential support and counseling services for our patients and team members.” 

    Stay with Spectrum News for updates on the breaking story.

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    Craig Huber

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  • 3 dead, multiple injured in shooting at a North Carolina waterfront bar

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    SOUTHPORT, N.C. — Three people are dead and several others are injured after a shooting at the American Fish Company in Southport, city officials said.

    The Southport Police Department responded to calls of shots fired with multiple injuries at the waterfront bar around 9:30 p.m. Saturday night. Officials said a person on a boat traveling on the Cape Fear River opened fire, fatally wounding three patrons, and injuring at least eight others. The boat then fled the area towards the Intracoastal Waterway in the direction of Oak Island.

    The city of Southport said the U.S. Coast Guard detained the suspect around 10 p.m. and was turned over to the Southport Police Department for questioning, officials said.

    The investigation is ongoing. Officials have not released information on those who were killed or wounded in the shooting. 

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Palestinian death toll tops 66,000 as Israel’s Netanyahu to meet with Trump

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    CAIRO — Over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Sunday, a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to the White House for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on halting Israel’s ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip.

    Netanyahu has come under heavy international pressure to end the war. Key Western allies have joined a growing list of countries recognizing a Palestinian state over Israeli objections. The European Union is considering sanctions against Israel and there are growing moves for a sports and cultural boycott against Israel.

    After dozens of delegates poured out of the hall, a defiant Netanyahu told fellow world leaders Friday at the U.N. General Assembly that his nation “must finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza as his military continued its offensive in Gaza City.

    What You Need To Know

    • The death toll among Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war has topped 66,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry
    • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the U.S. to meet with President Donald Trump amid growing pressure to stop the war
    • Netanyahu told world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly that Israel “must finish the job” against Hamas
    • Trump has proposed a 21-point ceasefire plan, including the release of hostages and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces. The U.S. ambassador to Israel will visit Cairo to discuss the ceasefire
    • Israel’s offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced around 90% of the population and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine

    Trump has so far stood behind Israel. But the U.S. leader has shown signs of impatience lately, particularly after Israel’s bombing of Qatar earlier this month in what appears to have been a failed attempt to kill Hamas’ leadership. In Monday’s White House meeting, Trump is expected to share a new proposal for ending the war.

    Forty-eight hostages are still held captive in Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive. Ceasefire talks have been stalled since Israel’s widely condemned strike in Doha, Qatar.  Ceasefire talks have been stalled since Israel’s widely condemned strike in Doha, Qatar.

    Trump’s 21-point ceasefire plan

    Trump has floated a 21-point proposal for an immediate ceasefire.

    The proposal would include the release of all hostages within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, according to three Arab officials briefed on the plan. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing talks, said the proposal is not final and changes are highly likely.

    Trump discussed the proposal with Arab leaders in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

    A Hamas official said the group was briefed on the plan but has yet to receive an official offer from Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Hamas has said it is ready to “study any proposals positively and responsibly.”

    The official said the group had previously said it was willing to release all hostages in return for an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip.

    U.S. Ambassador to Israel will be in Cairo to push ceasefire

    The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, will visit Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials to discuss the ceasefire as well as Egypt’s frayed ties with Israel, according to officials.

    The U.S. Embassy in Israel said Huckabee will travel to Cairo as part of “regular diplomatic consultations” between regional partners, though the exact timing was not confirmed.

    The relationship between Israel and Egypt — the first Arab country to establish ties with Israel — has unraveled in recent months over Israel’s attack targeting Hamas leadership in Doha and worries that Palestinians squeezed out of the Gaza Strip could flood into Egypt. Israel has also expressed concern over an Egyptian military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula, a violation of the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries.

    Nonstop explosions reported in Gaza

    Local hospitals in central Gaza said at least 10 people were killed when at least two strikes hit homes in the Nuseirat refugee camp.

    Gaza’s Health Ministry said in its daily report the death toll has climbed to 66,005, with a further 168,162 wounded since the war started. Among the dead were 79 who were brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours, it said.

    The ministry, part of the Hamas-run administration, does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its toll, but has said women and children make up around half the dead. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the U.N. and many independent experts.

    Residents reported hearing sounds of explosions overnight across the city, likely coming from the demolition of buildings through the detonation of explosive-laden vehicles and robots. “They were nonstop,” Sayed Baker, a Palestinian who shelters close to a Shifa hospital, said of the explosions.

    The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes, but said it struck 140 Hamas military targets over the past 24 hours, including militants, observation equipment and infrastructure.

    On Sunday, the military said it had struck a high-rise building in Gaza City after warning residents to evacuate. The strike leveled the 16-story Macca tower. No casualties were reported.

    The Israeli military said the building housed “military infrastructure belonging to Hamas.” It is the latest in a series of demolitions in recent weeks as Israel expands its offensive.

    Israel’s offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced around 90% of the population and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine.

    On Sunday, Israeli security forces also shot dead the alleged attacker in a car-ramming incident in which a man was seriously injured at a road junction near Nablus in the West Bank. The attack was praised by Hamas. Violence has surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which alongside Gaza and east Jerusalem was captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and the Palestinians want for a future state. ___ Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

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    Associated Press

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  • Shutdown standoff deepens ahead of crucial Monday meeting at the White House

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    WASHINGTON — Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican Majority Leader John Thune are digging in ahead of this week’s deadline to keep the government open, showing little evidence of budging even as both sides have agreed to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Leader John Thune are digging in ahead of this week’s deadline to keep the government open, showing little evidence of budging
    • Both sides have agreed to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday
    • Republicans say that Democrats need to help them pass a simple extension of government funding by Tuesday night to avoid a shutdown, and they will not agree to negotiate on it even as they will need a bipartisan vote to pass it
    • Democrats say they want immediate talks on health care and that they are willing to shut down the government if they don’t get concessions

    Republicans say Democrats need to help them pass a simple extension of government funding by Tuesday night to avoid a shutdown and they will not agree to negotiate until after it’s approved. Democrats say they want immediate talks on health care, and they are willing to shut down the government if they don’t get concessions.

    A shutdown is “totally up to the Democrats,” Thune, R-S.D., said in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

    “The ball is in their court.” Thune said. “There is a bill sitting at the desk in the Senate right now, we could pick it up today and pass it, that has been passed by the House that will be signed into law by the president to keep the government open.”

    Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the same program that “it’s up to them” whether Republicans will negotiate when the two sides meet at the White House on Monday.

    “God forbid the Republicans shut the government down,” Schumer said. “The American people will know it’s on their back.”

    The Senate standoff is just the latest in annual disagreements over funding, but hopes are dimming for a quick resolution. Democrats have suggested they are more willing than ever to allow a shutdown as they face demands from their base voters to fight harder against Trump and the Republican-lead Congress. Some even argue that a shutdown might not make much difference because Trump has slashed so many government jobs already.

    “We’re hearing from the American people that they need help on health care,” Schumer said. “And as for these massive layoffs, guess what? Simple, one-sentence answer: they’re doing it anyway.”

    The Senate is expected to vote on the House-passed bill to extend government funding on Tuesday, ahead of the 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline to avert a shutdown. The bill would keep the government open for another seven weeks while Congress finishes its annual spending bills.

    Republicans will likely need at least eight Democrats to approve a short-term fix, as Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is expected to vote against it. Majority Republicans hold 53 seats and they need 60 votes to end a filibuster and pass the legislation.

    Schumer said Democrats need “a serious negotiation” at the White House meeting with Trump and the four top congressional leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

    Trump last week abruptly cancelled a planned meeting with Democrats after “reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands” of Democrats, Trump said on social media.

    Schumer said the rescheduled White House meeting is “a good first step.”

    “Now if the President at this meeting is going to rant and just yell at Democrats and talk about all his alleged grievances and say this, that and the other thing, we won’t get anything done. But my hope is it will be a serious negotiation,” Schumer said.

    Ahead of the last potential government shutdown in March, many Democrats called on Schumer to resign after he provided support for Republicans to keep the government open.

    Democrats now fear, among other things, that Republicans will allow Affordable Care Act tax credits expire that have made health insurance more affordable for millions of people since the COVID-19 pandemic. Informally known as Obamacare, tax credits for the expanded health coverage program which go to low- and middle-income people, are set to expire at the end of the year and open enrollment starts in November.

    Some Republicans are open to extending the tax credits, but not without changes. Thune said Sunday that the program is “desperately in need of reform” and “is fraught with waste, fraud, and abuse. There are so many people who don’t even know they have coverage, because the payments are made directly to the insurance company.”

    The White House has raised the possibility of mass firings across the federal government if there is a shutdown. Trump’s White House told agencies to prepare large-scale layoffs of federal workers if the government shuts down.

    Johnson told CNN’s State of the Union that Trump “wants to bring in the leaders to come in and act like leaders and do the right thing for the American people.” Johnson said “the only thing we are trying to do is buy a little time” with a short-term extension to finish the appropriations process.

    “It’s fine to have partisan debates and squabbles but you don’t hold the people hostage for their services to allow yourself political cover and that’s what Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are doing right now.”

    Johnson said Schumer “is doing this for one reason: He is trying to get cover from the far left base of his party because they’ve been hammering for not fighting Trump. So he’s going to try to show that he’s fighting Trump.”

    Jeffries told ABC’s “This Week” that “we are always of the view that we need to fund the government,” later adding he is “hopeful” a deal can be reached.

    Jeffries said the White House did not explain why the meeting was initially canceled and that his party would work to blunt the health care cuts Republicans approved earlier this year. Jeffries said time is of the essence because higher healthcare costs would go out “in a matter of days.”

    “We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people but that also addresses the Republican healthcare crisis that’s harming everyday Americans.”

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  • Trump asks Supreme Court to uphold restrictions on birthright citizenship

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    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ‘s administration is asking the Supreme Court to uphold his birthright citizenship order declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.

    What You Need To Know

    • President Donald Trump’s administration is asking the Supreme Court to uphold his birthright citizenship order declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily aren’t American citizens

    • The appeal was provided to The Associated Press on Saturday

    • It sets in motion a process at the high court that could lead to a definitive ruling from the justices by early summer on whether the citizenship restrictions are constitutional

    • Lower-court judges have so far blocked them from taking effect anywhere, and the administration isn’t asking the court to let the restrictions take effect before it rules

    The appeal, shared with The Associated Press on Saturday, sets in motion a process at the high court that could lead to a definitive ruling from the justices by early summer on whether the citizenship restrictions are constitutional.

    Lower-court judges have so far blocked them from taking effect anywhere. The Republican administration is not asking the court to let the restrictions take effect before it rules.

    The Justice Department’s petition has been shared with lawyers for parties challenging the order, but is not yet docketed at the Supreme Court.

    Any decision on whether to take up the case probably is months away and arguments probably would not take place until the late winter or early spring.

    “The lower court’s decisions invalidated a policy of prime importance to the president and his administration in a manner that undermines our border security,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote. “Those decisions confer, without lawful justification, the privilege of American citizenship on hundreds of thousands of unqualified people.”

    Cody Wofsy, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who represents children who would be affected by Trump’s restrictions, said the administration’s plan is plainly unconstitutional.

    “This executive order is illegal, full stop, and no amount of maneuvering from the administration is going to change that. We will continue to ensure that no baby’s citizenship is ever stripped away by this cruel and senseless order,” Wofsy said in an email.

    Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term in the White House that would upend more than 125 years of understanding that the Constitution’s 14th Amendment confers citizenship on everyone born on American soil, with narrow exceptions for the children of foreign diplomats and those born to a foreign occupying force.

    In a series of decisions, lower courts have struck down the executive order as unconstitutional, or likely so, even after a Supreme Court ruling in late June that limited judges’ use of nationwide injunctions.

    While the Supreme Court curbed the use of nationwide injunctions, it did not rule out other court orders that could have nationwide effects, including in class-action lawsuits and those brought by states. The justices did not decide at that time whether the underlying citizenship order is constitutional.

    But every lower court that has looked at the issue has concluded that Trump’s order violates or likely violates the 14th Amendment, which was intended to ensure that Black people, including former slaves, had citizenship.

    The administration is appealing two cases.

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco ruled in July that a group of states that sued over the order needed a nationwide injunction to prevent the problems that would be caused by birthright citizenship being in effect in some states and not others.

    Also in July, a federal judge in New Hampshire blocked the citizenship order in a class-action lawsuit including all children who would be affected.

    Birthright citizenship automatically makes anyone born in the United States an American citizen, including children born to mothers who are in the country illegally, under long-standing rules. The right was enshrined soon after the Civil War in the first sentence of the 14th Amendment.

    The administration has asserted that children of noncitizens are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and therefore not entitled to citizenship.

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    Associated Press

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  • Trump says he’ll send troops to Portland to handle ‘domestic terrorists’

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    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Saturday he will send troops to Portland, Oregon, “authorizing Full Force, if necessary” to handle “domestic terrorists” as he expands his controversial deployments to more American cities.

    What You Need To Know

    • President Donald Trump says he’ll send troops to Portland, Oregon, “authorizing Full Force, if necessary” to handle what he is calling “domestic terrorists”

    • He’s expanding his controversial deployments to more American cities

    • He made the announcement Saturday on social media, writing that he was directing the Department of Defense to “provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland”

    • Trump deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the summer and as part of his law enforcement takeover in the District of Columbia

    He made the announcement on social media, writing that he was directing the Department of Defense to “provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland.”

    Trump said the decision was necessary to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, which he described as “under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”

    Since the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Republican president has escalated his efforts to confront what he calls the “radical left,” which he blames for the country’s problems with political violence.

    He deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the summer and as part of his law enforcement takeover in the District of Columbia.

    The ICE facility in Portland has been the target of frequent demonstrations, sometimes leading to violent clashes. Some federal agents have been injured and several protesters have been charged with assault. When protesters erected a guillotine earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security described it as “unhinged behavior.”

    Trump, in comments Thursday in the Oval Office, suggested some kind of operation was in the works.

    “We’re going to get out there and we’re going to do a pretty big number on those people in Portland,” he said, describing them as “professional agitators and anarchists.”

    Earlier in September, Trump had described living in Portland as “like living in hell” and said he was considering sending in federal troops, as he has recently threatened to do to combat crime in other cities, including Chicago and Baltimore.

    “Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for -– and do not need -– federal intervention,” Portland’s mayor, Keith Wilson, said in a statement after Trump’s threat. Wilson said his city had protected freedom of expression while “addressing occasional violence and property destruction.”

    In Tennessee, Memphis has been bracing for an influx of National Guard troops, and on Friday Republican Gov. Bill Lee said they will be part of a surge of resources to fight crime in the city.

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    Associated Press

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  • Netanyahu says Israel ‘must finish the job’ against Hamas during U.N. address

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    UNITED NATIONS –– In a speech Friday broadcast to the Gaza Strip via loudspeakers and through the takeover of Palestinians’ cellphones, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his country’s efforts to destroy Hamas and told world leaders that Israel was “not done yet.” 

    What You Need To Know

    • In a speech Friday broadcast to Gaza via loudspeakers and through the takeover of Palestinians’ cell phones, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his country’s efforts to destroy Hamas and told world leaders that Israel was “not done yet” 

    • As Netanyahu came to the podium to commence his remarks, dozens of delegates from multiple countries walked out, but others in the room applauded at the start of his speech and periodically throughout his address.

    • Netanyahu denounced calls for a Palestinian state, saying that his country would not let other nations “shove a terror state down our throats”

    • The Israeli leader also vociferously rejected allegations that his country was committing genocide in Gaza and weaponizing hunger, during his address to the United Nations General Assembly

    “Thanks to the resolve of our people, the courage of our soldiers and the bold decisions we took, Israel rebounded from its darkest day to deliver one of the most stunning military comebacks in history,” Netanyahu said during his United Nations General Assembly address. “But we are not done yet. The final elements, the final remnants of Hamas are holed up in Gaza City.

    “That is why Israel must finish the job,” he said.

    As Netanyahu came to the podium to begin his remarks, dozens of delegates from multiple countries walked out. Others in the room applauded at the start of his speech and periodically throughout the address.

    Netanyahu has faced growing international calls for an end to the war in Gaza, which began when Hamas-led militants killed roughly 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. The Gaza Health Ministry recently estimated that 65,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 167,000 injured since October 2023.

    During his address Friday, Netanyahu said that “special efforts” by Israeli intelligence had taken over the cellphones of Gazans to broadcast his remarks live. He called on remaining Hamas leaders to free the hostages and lay down their weapons or Israel would “hunt you down.”

    Netanyahu said that Israel has brought back 207 hostages, and about 20 of the 48 remaining in Gaza are still believed to be alive.

    He then read the names of the 20 hostages aloud, saying he wanted to speak directly to them by way of speakers pointing into the territory for his remarks, speaking first in Hebrew and then in English.

    “We will not rest until we bring all of you home,” he said.

    Shortly after Netanyahu concluded his remarks, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that an agreement on Gaza may be “very close.”

    “I think it’s a deal that will get the hostages back,” Trump said, without providing additional details. “It’s going to be a deal that will end the war. It’s going to be a dea l— it’s going to be peace.” 

    Allowing a Palestinian state would be ‘sheer madness,’ Netanyahu says

    Netanyahu denounced calls for a Palestinian state, saying that his country would not let other nations “shove a terror state down our throats.”

    “Giving the Palestinians a state one mile from Jerusalem after Oct. 7 is like giving al-Qaida a state one mile from New York City after Sept. 11,” he said. “This is sheer madness, and we won’t do it.”

    In the last few weeks, several countries –– including France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia –– joined some 150 others around the world in formally recognizing a Palestinian state. The U.N. General Assembly also voted overwhelmingly this month to pass a nonbinding resolution, supporting a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and urging Israel to commit to a Palestinian state.

    The Israeli leader said Friday that these nations sent a message that “murdering Jews pays off.”

    The Israeli prime minister’s address came a day after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gave a virtual address to the U.N., during which he thanked countries for recognizing a Palestinian state. Abbas said that the Palestinian Authority, which oversees the West Bank, was prepared to take over governance of Gaza and that Hamas would have no future role in leading the territory. 

    The Palestinian leader also condemned the planned expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Israel announced in August that it approved an expansion of settlements to divide the West Bank –– a move that Palestinians and rights groups say would divide much of the West Bank and destroy hopes for a future Palestinian state.

    Later Thursday, Trump told reporters gathered at the Oval Office that he wouldn’t allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank. Possible annexation has been floated in Israel in response to U.S. allies moving to recognize a Palestinian state. 

    Netanyahu refutes accusations of genocide in Gaza

    The Israeli leader vociferously rejected allegations Friday that his country was committing genocide in Gaza and weaponizing hunger.

    A United Nations Human Rights Council report earlier this month contended that Israel was committing genocide, and the world’s leading authority on food crisis declared last month that famine was occurring in Gaza City –– both charges that Israel refutes.

    Netanyahu called the allegations of genocide “antisemitic lies,” saying efforts by his country to encourage Gazans to leave the largest city in the territory disproved the charge.

    “Would a country committing genocide plead with a civilian population it is supposedly targeting to get out of harm’s way?” he said. He also blamed Hamas for stealing food intended for Gazans. 

    Many Palestinians are unwilling to be uprooted, while others are too weak or can’t afford to leave, international aid groups say.

    Netanyahu calls for ‘snapback’ sanctions on Iran

    Netanyahu praised Trump for “his bold and decisive action” in bombing Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites earlier this year. 

    “President Trump and I promised to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and we delivered on that promise,” Netanyahu said, later adding, “We lifted a dark cloud that could have claimed millions and millions of lives.”

    Netanyahu called Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium to be “eliminated” and for “snapback” sanctions to be reinstated over its failure to comply with conditions of the 2015 nuclear deal. 

    A 30-day deadline triggered by France, Germany and the United Kingdom is set to end Sunday. However, the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote Friday on whether to delay the reimposition of sanctions by six months.

    During his own address to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed the United States and Israeli attacks for “dealing a grievous blow upon international trust.” 

    The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.

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    Christina Santucci

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  • Netanyahu says Israel ‘must finish the job’ against Hamas during U.N. address

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    UNITED NATIONS –– In a speech Friday broadcast to the Gaza Strip via loudspeakers and through the takeover of Palestinians’ cellphones, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his country’s efforts to destroy Hamas and told world leaders that Israel was “not done yet.” 

    What You Need To Know

    • In a speech Friday broadcast to Gaza via loudspeakers and through the takeover of Palestinians’ cell phones, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his country’s efforts to destroy Hamas and told world leaders that Israel was “not done yet” 

    • As Netanyahu came to the podium to commence his remarks, dozens of delegates from multiple countries walked out, but others in the room applauded at the start of his speech and periodically throughout his address.

    • Netanyahu denounced calls for a Palestinian state, saying that his country would not let other nations “shove a terror state down our throats”

    • The Israeli leader also vociferously rejected allegations that his country was committing genocide in Gaza and weaponizing hunger, during his address to the United Nations General Assembly

    “Thanks to the resolve of our people, the courage of our soldiers and the bold decisions we took, Israel rebounded from its darkest day to deliver one of the most stunning military comebacks in history,” Netanyahu said during his United Nations General Assembly address. “But we are not done yet. The final elements, the final remnants of Hamas are holed up in Gaza City.

    “That is why Israel must finish the job,” he said.

    As Netanyahu came to the podium to begin his remarks, dozens of delegates from multiple countries walked out. Others in the room applauded at the start of his speech and periodically throughout the address.

    Netanyahu has faced growing international calls for an end to the war in Gaza, which began when Hamas-led militants killed roughly 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. The Gaza Health Ministry recently estimated that 65,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 167,000 injured since October 2023.

    During his address Friday, Netanyahu said that “special efforts” by Israeli intelligence had taken over the cellphones of Gazans to broadcast his remarks live. He called on remaining Hamas leaders to free the hostages and lay down their weapons or Israel would “hunt you down.”

    Netanyahu said that Israel has brought back 207 hostages, and about 20 of the 48 remaining in Gaza are still believed to be alive.

    He then read the names of the 20 hostages aloud, saying he wanted to speak directly to them by way of speakers pointing into the territory for his remarks, speaking first in Hebrew and then in English.

    “We will not rest until we bring all of you home,” he said.

    Shortly after Netanyahu concluded his remarks, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that an agreement on Gaza may be “very close.”

    “I think it’s a deal that will get the hostages back,” Trump said, without providing additional details. “It’s going to be a deal that will end the war. It’s going to be a dea l— it’s going to be peace.” 

    Allowing a Palestinian state would be ‘sheer madness,’ Netanyahu says

    Netanyahu denounced calls for a Palestinian state, saying that his country would not let other nations “shove a terror state down our throats.”

    “Giving the Palestinians a state one mile from Jerusalem after Oct. 7 is like giving al-Qaida a state one mile from New York City after Sept. 11,” he said. “This is sheer madness, and we won’t do it.”

    In the last few weeks, several countries –– including France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia –– joined some 150 others around the world in formally recognizing a Palestinian state. The U.N. General Assembly also voted overwhelmingly this month to pass a nonbinding resolution, supporting a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and urging Israel to commit to a Palestinian state.

    The Israeli leader said Friday that these nations sent a message that “murdering Jews pays off.”

    The Israeli prime minister’s address came a day after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gave a virtual address to the U.N., during which he thanked countries for recognizing a Palestinian state. Abbas said that the Palestinian Authority, which oversees the West Bank, was prepared to take over governance of Gaza and that Hamas would have no future role in leading the territory. 

    The Palestinian leader also condemned the planned expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Israel announced in August that it approved an expansion of settlements to divide the West Bank –– a move that Palestinians and rights groups say would divide much of the West Bank and destroy hopes for a future Palestinian state.

    Later Thursday, Trump told reporters gathered at the Oval Office that he wouldn’t allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank. Possible annexation has been floated in Israel in response to U.S. allies moving to recognize a Palestinian state. 

    Netanyahu refutes accusations of genocide in Gaza

    The Israeli leader vociferously rejected allegations Friday that his country was committing genocide in Gaza and weaponizing hunger.

    A United Nations Human Rights Council report earlier this month contended that Israel was committing genocide, and the world’s leading authority on food crisis declared last month that famine was occurring in Gaza City –– both charges that Israel refutes.

    Netanyahu called the allegations of genocide “antisemitic lies,” saying efforts by his country to encourage Gazans to leave the largest city in the territory disproved the charge.

    “Would a country committing genocide plead with a civilian population it is supposedly targeting to get out of harm’s way?” he said. He also blamed Hamas for stealing food intended for Gazans. 

    Many Palestinians are unwilling to be uprooted, while others are too weak or can’t afford to leave, international aid groups say.

    Netanyahu calls for ‘snapback’ sanctions on Iran

    Netanyahu praised Trump for “his bold and decisive action” in bombing Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites earlier this year. 

    “President Trump and I promised to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and we delivered on that promise,” Netanyahu said, later adding, “We lifted a dark cloud that could have claimed millions and millions of lives.”

    Netanyahu called Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium to be “eliminated” and for “snapback” sanctions to be reinstated over its failure to comply with conditions of the 2015 nuclear deal. 

    A 30-day deadline triggered by France, Germany and the United Kingdom is set to end Sunday. However, the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote Friday on whether to delay the reimposition of sanctions by six months.

    During his own address to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed the United States and Israeli attacks for “dealing a grievous blow upon international trust.” 

    The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.

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    Christina Santucci

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