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Tag: President Donald Trump

  • ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump planned across the nation today

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    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.They rallied with signs like “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism,” and in many places it looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People,” preamble that people could sign, and protesters in frog costumes, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.Demonstrators packed places like New York City’s Times Square, the historic Boston Commons, Chicago’s Grant Park, Washington, D.C., and hundreds of smaller public spaces.Many protesters were especially angered by attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reymann said being called a terrorist all week by Republicans was “pathetic.”“This is America. I disagree with their politics — but I don’t believe that they don’t love this country. I believe they are misguided. I think they are power hungry,” Reymann said, carrying a large American flag.Trump himself is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his club. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.Organizers hope to build opposition movementMore than 2,600 rallies are planned Saturday in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners.“Big rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.While protests earlier this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in the spring and Trump’s June military parade — drew crowds, organizers say this one is uniting the opposition. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.“There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers. In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations.Before noon, several thousand people had gathered in Times Square, chanting “Trump must go now,” and waving sometimes-profane signs with slogans insulting the president and condemning his immigration crackdown. Some people carried American flags.Retired family doctor Terence McCormally was heading to Arlington National Cemetery to join others walking across the Memorial Bridge that enters Washington directly in front of the Lincoln Memorial. He said the recent deployment of the National Guard made him more wary of police than in the past.“I really don’t like the crooks and conmen and religious zealots who are trying to use the country” for personal gain, McCormally said, “while they are killing and hurting millions of people with bombs.”Republicans denounce ‘Hate America’ ralliesRepublicans have sought to portray Saturday’s protesters as far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, now in its 18th day.From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.” They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.“I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.“Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”Many demonstrators responded to such hyperbole with silliness in part because they say Trump leans heavily on theatrics — like claiming cities he sends troops to are war zones — said Glen Kalbaugh, a Washington protester.“So much of what we’ve seen from this administration has been so unserious and silly that we have to respond with the same energy,” said Kalbaugh, who wore a wizard hat and held a sign with a frog on it.Democrats try to regain their footingDemocrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government. It’s also a way to draw a moral line in the sand, said Murphy, the senator from Connecticut.“Trump does think that he’s a king,” Murphy said at the Washington rally, “and he thinks that he can act more corruptly when the government is shut down. But he cannot.”The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.“What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” said march organizer Levin. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”___Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, and Chris Megerian in Washington, Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Safiya Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.

    WASHINGTON —

    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.

    They rallied with signs like “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism,” and in many places it looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People,” preamble that people could sign, and protesters in frog costumes, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.

    This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.

    Demonstrators packed places like New York City’s Times Square, the historic Boston Commons, Chicago’s Grant Park, Washington, D.C., and hundreds of smaller public spaces.

    Many protesters were especially angered by attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reymann said being called a terrorist all week by Republicans was “pathetic.”

    “This is America. I disagree with their politics — but I don’t believe that they don’t love this country. I believe they are misguided. I think they are power hungry,” Reymann said, carrying a large American flag.

    Trump himself is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

    “They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his club. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.

    Organizers hope to build opposition movement

    More than 2,600 rallies are planned Saturday in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners.

    “Big rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.

    While protests earlier this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in the spring and Trump’s June military parade — drew crowds, organizers say this one is uniting the opposition. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.

    “There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers. In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations.

    Before noon, several thousand people had gathered in Times Square, chanting “Trump must go now,” and waving sometimes-profane signs with slogans insulting the president and condemning his immigration crackdown. Some people carried American flags.

    Retired family doctor Terence McCormally was heading to Arlington National Cemetery to join others walking across the Memorial Bridge that enters Washington directly in front of the Lincoln Memorial. He said the recent deployment of the National Guard made him more wary of police than in the past.

    “I really don’t like the crooks and conmen and religious zealots who are trying to use the country” for personal gain, McCormally said, “while they are killing and hurting millions of people with bombs.”

    Republicans denounce ‘Hate America’ rallies

    Republicans have sought to portray Saturday’s protesters as far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, now in its 18th day.

    From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.” They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.

    “I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

    “Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”

    Many demonstrators responded to such hyperbole with silliness in part because they say Trump leans heavily on theatrics — like claiming cities he sends troops to are war zones — said Glen Kalbaugh, a Washington protester.

    “So much of what we’ve seen from this administration has been so unserious and silly that we have to respond with the same energy,” said Kalbaugh, who wore a wizard hat and held a sign with a frog on it.

    Democrats try to regain their footing

    Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.

    But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government. It’s also a way to draw a moral line in the sand, said Murphy, the senator from Connecticut.

    “Trump does think that he’s a king,” Murphy said at the Washington rally, “and he thinks that he can act more corruptly when the government is shut down. But he cannot.”

    The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.

    “What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” said march organizer Levin. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”

    ___

    Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, and Chris Megerian in Washington, Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Safiya Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.

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  • DC-area immigrants face challenges under Trump administration – WTOP News

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    WTOP spoke with members of the D.C. region’s immigrant community for their feedback on President Donald Trump’s moves against immigrants and how the community has responded.

    President Donald Trump’s return to the White House brought along a sweeping immigration crackdown when he said he would deport “the worst of the worst.”

    That pledge has led to raids and arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, including many people currently detained with no criminal convictions. According to a Department of Homeland Security report in September, over 2 million people have been deported or willingly left the United States since Trump’s inauguration.

    A Pew Research Center analysis found that as of June 2025, 19% of the U.S. labor force were immigrants, down from 20%, with Trump’s anti-immigrant actions becoming a main factor for the drop.

    Those actions have brought fear and anxiety to the immigrant communities throughout the nation.

    WTOP spoke with members of the D.C. region’s immigrant community for their feedback on Trump’s moves against immigrants and how the community has responded.

    Finding work

    José arrived in the United States from Mexico in 1995. He’s been living in the D.C. region for over a year, working either for companies in plumbing-related jobs or for the Workers Co-op Without Borders through CASA, one of the largest immigration rights organizations in the country.

    While he has been able to find work, José told WTOP he knows many of his friends and co-workers are struggling to make ends meet.

    “I have heard that for many people, jobs are scarce because of what’s happening,” José said in Spanish.

    Yet, the recent government shutdown is affecting José and others as work has dried up.

    “A lot of the work the companies got was from government workers,” José said. “And now, they don’t want to spend.”

    ‘Risks of being profiled’

    Cesar Garzon, a naturalized citizen from Venezuela, works for a worker-owned landscaping company, the Swamp Rose Co-op, based out of Silver Spring, Maryland. He said while the economic outlook led to some cancellations, he and his team have remained busy with steady work for the last eight months.

    However, Garzon admitted it has been harder to find people who can help provide an additional hand.

    “There has been a reducing workforce,” Garzon said. “A lot of people have kind of decided to either leave or they’re just not working.”

    With the current political climate, Garzon said he and his co-workers established some strategies in case they are wrongly identified during a possible interaction with an ICE agent, including setting up a contact person.

    “We face the risks of being profiled, and of course, that’s not fun,” Garzon said.

    New skills to find new jobs

    Lindolfo Carballo, senior director of the community economic development department for CASA, told WTOP that he has seen an uptick in immigrants applying for jobs at the organization’s job centers. However, he has also seen an increase in immigrants attempting to learn skills for different types of work.

    But there is still some fear in the community. Carballo said the Trump administration’s continued actions are making it difficult for employers to hire workers and for workers to find jobs.

    “The truth of the matter is that there is a need for workers,” he said. “It’s a very large need of workers.”

    Carballo encourages those immigrants who are still in the U.S. to continue fighting for their rights.

    “We need to fight back,” Carballo said. “We need to be resilient. We need to stand up for our rights and, of course, right now, it’s very difficult. But we know that we will overcome.”

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Jose Umana

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  • ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump planned across the nation today

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    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people will gather Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “No Kings” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and it is expected to be the largest. It comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.Trump himself is away from Washington at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday. He later departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. super PAC fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.While the earlier protests this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in spring, then to counter Trump’s military parade in June — drew crowds, organizers say this one is building a more unified opposition movement. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.“There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers.As Republicans and the White House dismiss the protests as a rally of radicals, Levin said their own sign-up numbers are growing. More than 2,600 rallies are planned in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners. They said rallies are being planned within a one-hour drive for most Americans.Overseas, a few hundred Americans already gathered in Madrid to chant slogans and hold signs at a protest organized by Democrats Abroad, with similar rallies planned in other major European cities.Republicans have sought to portray participants in Saturday’s rallies as far outside the mainstream of American politics, and a main reason for the prolonged government shutdown, now in its 18th day.From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.”They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.“I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.“Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government.In a Facebook post, Sanders of Vermont, himself a former presidential contender, said, “It’s a love America rally.”“It’s a rally of millions of people all over this country who believe in our Constitution, who believe in American freedom and,” he said, pointing at the GOP leadership, “are not going to let you and Donald Trump turn this country into an authoritarian society.”The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent, unsure about how best to respond to Trump’s return to the White House. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations. The march Saturday will have more than 2,600 registered locations, Levin said.“What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” Levin said. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he wasn’t sure if he would join the rallygoers Saturday, but he took issue with the Republicans’ characterization of the events.“What’s hateful is what happened on January 6th,” he said, referring to the 2021 Capitol attack, as Trump’s supporters stormed the building to protest Joe Biden’s election victory. “What you’ll see this weekend is what patriotism looks like, people showing up to express opposition to the extremism that Donald Trump has been unleashing on the American people.”Riddle reported from Montgomery, Alabama. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed.

    WASHINGTON —

    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people will gather Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “No Kings” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.

    This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and it is expected to be the largest. It comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.

    Trump himself is away from Washington at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

    “They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday. He later departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. super PAC fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.

    While the earlier protests this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in spring, then to counter Trump’s military parade in June — drew crowds, organizers say this one is building a more unified opposition movement. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.

    “There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers.

    As Republicans and the White House dismiss the protests as a rally of radicals, Levin said their own sign-up numbers are growing. More than 2,600 rallies are planned in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners. They said rallies are being planned within a one-hour drive for most Americans.

    Overseas, a few hundred Americans already gathered in Madrid to chant slogans and hold signs at a protest organized by Democrats Abroad, with similar rallies planned in other major European cities.

    Republicans have sought to portray participants in Saturday’s rallies as far outside the mainstream of American politics, and a main reason for the prolonged government shutdown, now in its 18th day.

    From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.”

    They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.

    “I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

    “Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”

    Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.

    But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government.

    In a Facebook post, Sanders of Vermont, himself a former presidential contender, said, “It’s a love America rally.”

    “It’s a rally of millions of people all over this country who believe in our Constitution, who believe in American freedom and,” he said, pointing at the GOP leadership, “are not going to let you and Donald Trump turn this country into an authoritarian society.”

    The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent, unsure about how best to respond to Trump’s return to the White House. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.

    In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations. The march Saturday will have more than 2,600 registered locations, Levin said.

    “What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” Levin said. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”

    House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he wasn’t sure if he would join the rallygoers Saturday, but he took issue with the Republicans’ characterization of the events.

    “What’s hateful is what happened on January 6th,” he said, referring to the 2021 Capitol attack, as Trump’s supporters stormed the building to protest Joe Biden’s election victory. “What you’ll see this weekend is what patriotism looks like, people showing up to express opposition to the extremism that Donald Trump has been unleashing on the American people.”

    Riddle reported from Montgomery, Alabama. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed.

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  • REPORT: US Has Seized Survivors After Strike On Suspected Drug-Carrying Vessel In Caribbean – KXL

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    United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addresses a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025 (AP Photo/Omar Havana)

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States took survivors into custody after its military struck a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean — the first attack that anyone escaped alive since President Donald Trump began launching deadly attacks in the region last month, a defense official and another person familiar with the matter said Friday.

    Trump later confirmed the attack.

    “We attacked a submarine, and that was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs” Trump said while hosting the Ukrainian president at the White House.

    Secretary of State Rubio did not dispute that there were survivors, but he repeatedly said details would be forthcoming.

    The strike Thursday brought the death toll from the Trump administration’s military action against vessels in the region to at least 28.

    It is believed to be at least the sixth strike in the waters off Venezuela since early September, and the first to result in survivors who were picked up by the U.S. military. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the survivors, who the people said were being held on a U.S. Navy vessel.

    They confirmed the strike and the seizing of survivors on the condition of anonymity because the attack had not yet been publicly acknowledged by Trump’s administration.

    Trump has justified the strikes by asserting that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, relying on the same legal authority used by the Bush administration when it declared a war on terror after the Sept. 11 attacks. That includes the ability to capture and detain combatants and to use lethal force to take out their leadership.

    Some legal experts have questioned the legality of the approach. The president’s use of overwhelming military force to combat the cartels, along with his authorization of covert action inside Venezuela, possibly to oust President Nicolás Maduro, stretches the bounds of international law, legal scholars said this week.

    For the survivors of Thursday’s strike, the saga is hardly over. They now face an unclear future and legal landscape, including questions about whether they are now considered to be prisoners of war or defendants in a criminal case. The White House did not comment on the strike.

    Reuters was first to report news of the strike late Thursday.

    The strikes in the Caribbean have caused unease among both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill, with some Republicans saying they have not received sufficient information on how the strikes are being conducted. A classified briefing for senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month did not include representatives from intelligence agencies or the military command structure for South and Central America.

    However, most Senate Republicans stood behind the administration last week when a vote on a War Powers Resolution was brought up, which would have required the administration to gain approval from Congress before conducting more strikes.

    Their willingness to back the administration will be tested again. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, along with Sens. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, and Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, is bringing another resolution that would prevent Trump from outright attacking Venezuela without congressional authorization.

     

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    Grant McHill

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  • Key moments from a momentous day for Israelis and Palestinians

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    (CNN) — The last 20 living hostages held in Gaza were released on Monday, reuniting with their families in jubilant scenes as world leaders gathered in Egypt to discuss the future of Gaza and the next phases of the US-brokered ceasefire deal.

    For the first time in more than two years, Hamas and its allies are not holding any living hostages in Gaza.

    Meanwhile, 1,718 Palestinian detainees who were being held in Israel without charge were released on Monday and returned to Gaza. Israel also released 250 Palestinians serving long-term sentences.

    Addressing the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on Monday during his trip to the Middle East, US President Donald Trump said the “long and painful nightmare is finally over.”

    “This is a historic dawn of a new Middle East,” Trump told Israeli lawmakers, having earlier projected confidence that the ceasefire deal would hold and that the war in Gaza was over.

    But a number of issues related to the 20-point plan brokered by Trump, alongside Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, remain unresolved.

    Here are some key moments from Monday and where the peace process may go next:

    Hostages freed

    The remaining 20 living hostages were released in two groups on Monday, prompting elation and relief throughout Israel.

    In Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, large crowds cheered, waved flags and chanted “thank you, Trump!” as news of the hostages’ freedom was announced.

    Emotional scenes unfolded at the Re’im military facility in southern Israel, where the released hostages were reunited with their immediate families after more than two years in captivity.

    In footage shared by the Israeli military, 24-year-old Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, was met by his parents and siblings. His family cried and embraced him in a large hug.

    Omri Miran embraces his father Dani in Re’im, Israel, after his release from captivity on October 13. Credit: Israel Defense Forces / Reuters via CNN Newsource

    Omri Miran, 48, who was kidnapped when Hamas gunmen broke into his family’s home in kibbutz Nahal Oz, was met by his wife Lishay Miran-Lavi and his father Dani Miran. Photos showed him playing with his children for the first time in more than two years.

    “We are at the beginning of a complex and challenging, yet moving, journey of recovery,” Miran’s family said in a statement.

    Under the agreement brokered by the US, Hamas and its allies were meant to release all of the remaining hostages, including 28 dead ones, within 72 hours of the ceasefire being announced.

    Israeli authorities said that Hamas had handed over four coffins said to contain the remains of four deceased hostages to the Red Cross on Monday.

    Later in the day, Israeli police said the coffins had been released into Israel, before being escorted to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for formal identification. Israel has not yet confirmed the identities of the remains being returned.

    Palestinian prisoners released

    Israel released 1,718 Palestinian detainees – detained by its forces in Gaza over the past two years and held without charge – on Monday. The detainees were brought back to Gaza on buses, where they were met by large crowds at Nasser hospital in the southern part of the enclave.

    A freed Palestinian is hugged by a relative in Ramallah, West Bank, after he was released from an Israeli jail on October 13. Credit: Ammar Awad / Reuters via CNN Newsource

    Israel also released 250 Palestinians serving life or long-term prison sentences.

    Some of those released prisoners were taken to the occupied West Bank, where they were hugged by family and friends as they emerged from buses in Ramallah. CNN also witnessed a substantial presence of Palestinian security forces and medics at the scene.

    A further 154 Palestinian prisoners who had been serving long sentences in Israeli jails were deported to Egypt, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society. Israeli authorities had demanded that prisoners convicted of “violent offenses” be deported to third countries rather than be allowed to return to the West Bank or Gaza.

    Trump’s pointed address to Israel

    Trump spoke for more than an hour in the Israeli parliament, taking a victory lap for the ceasefire deal and repeatedly, pointedly telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to not restart the war.

    “Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms. You’ve won. I mean, you’ve won,” Trump said. “Now it’s time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. It’s about time you were able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.”

    The US president also warned that more war would diminish Netanyahu’s legacy, adding that he will be remembered for the truce “far more than if you kept this thing going.”

    Netanyahu has previously been accused of prolonging the war in Gaza in order to delay and distract from his corruption cases and domestic political troubles, an accusation he’s rejected.

    World leaders meet in Egypt

    Trump traveled on to Egypt to meet with other world leaders, including the leaders of Qatar, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. They converged on the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, where Egypt and the US are co-hosting a summit on the end of the Gaza war and the next phases of a peace plan.

    World leaders took part in a signing ceremony for the Gaza ceasefire deal during the summit.

    Netanyahu said he was invited but did not attend.

    The 20-point ceasefire plan brokered by the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey still has several unresolved issues and details that must be hammered out.

    Those sticking points include how the largely destroyed Gaza Strip will be governed after the war, as well as how Hamas’ disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza will be carried out.

    Next steps of ceasefire plan

    The full withdrawal of the Israeli military is contingent on Hamas’ disarmament, according to the agreement, leaving some wiggle room for Netanyahu to say Israel still has the freedom to resume fighting.

    Hamas’ chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said last week that the group has received guarantees from the US and international mediators confirming that this deal means “the war has ended permanently,” rather than representing a temporary ceasefire. It’s not clear in what form those guarantees came.

    The key unanswered question is what will happen to Hamas, according to Burcu Ozcelik, senior research fellow for Middle East security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a British think tank.

    “You have what looks like a pathway to Palestinian statehood … but this, ultimately, is a Palestinian state that does not seem to have any place for Hamas. To what extent Hamas will agree to this and comply with this in the weeks and months to come – I think that is a big question,” Ozcelik told CNN.

    “I think Israel will retain what it sees as its national security imperative to operate in Gaza if it believes that there is a credible threat to its security and its border communities,” Ozcelik said. “But at the same time, there needs to be a governing body in Gaza. There needs to be security and law enforcement. There needs to be basic service delivery and distribution of vital humanitarian aid.”

    She added that other regional actors will be expected to play an important role in the transition, particularly Egypt and Turkey. “I think for the time being, all sides are going to want to be seen as doing all that they can to make Trump’s plan work.”

    CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Ivana Kottasova, Kara Fox, Tim Lister, Abeer Salman and Eyad Kourdi contributed to this report.

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  • China Vows to Stand Firm Against Trump’s 100 Percent Tariff Threat

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    China signaled Sunday that it would not back down in the face of a 100 percent tariff threat from President Donald Trump, urging the U.S. to resolve differences through negotiations instead of threats. U.S. Vice President JD Vance defended Trump’s position and seemed to warn China not to be aggressive in its response.

    “China’s stance is consistent,” the Commerce Ministry said in a statement posted online. “We do not want a tariff war but we are not afraid of one.”

    It was China’s first official comment on Trump’s threat to jack up the tax on imports from China by Nov. 1 in response to new Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earths, which are vital to a wide range of consumer and military products.

    The back and forth threatens to derail a possible meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping and end a truce in a trade war in which new tariffs from both sides briefly topped 100 percent in April.

    In response, Vance said Sunday that Trump is committed to protecting America’s economic livelihoods while making the United States more self-sufficient. He said the fact that China has “so much control over critical supply in the United States of America” is the definition of a national emergency and therefore justifies Trump’s move to impose tough tariffs.

    “It’s going to be delicate dance and a lot of it is going to depend on how the Chinese respond. If they respond in a highly aggressive manner, I guarantee you the president of the United States has far more cards than the People’s Republic of China,” Vance said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

    “If, however, they’re willing to be reasonable, then Donald Trump is always willing to be a reasonable negotiator. We’re going to find out a lot in the weeks to come about whether China wants to start a trade war with us or whether they actually want to be reasonable,” Vance continued. “I hope they choose the path of reason. The president of the United States is going to defend America regardless.”

    Trump has raised taxes on imports from many U.S. trading partners since taking office in January, seeking to win concessions. China has been one of the few countries that hasn’t backed down, relying on its economic clout.

    “Frequently resorting to the threat of high tariffs is not the correct way to get along with China,” the Commerce Ministry said in its post, which was presented as a series of answers from an unnamed spokesperson to four questions from unspecified media outlets.

    The statement called for addressing any concerns through dialogue.

    “If the U.S. side obstinately insists on its practice, China will be sure to resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” the post said.

    In addition to the 100 percent tariff, Trump threatened to impose export controls on what he called “critical software,” without specifying what that means.

    Both sides accuse the other of violating the spirit of the truce by imposing new restrictions on trade.

    Trump said in a social media post that China is “becoming very hostile” and that it is holding the world captive by restricting access to rare earth metals and magnets.

    The Chinese Commerce Ministry post said the U.S. has introduced several new restrictions in recent weeks, including expanding the number of Chinese companies subject to U.S. export controls.

    On rare earths, the ministry said that export licenses would be granted for legitimate civilian uses, noting that the minerals also have military applications.

    The new regulations include a requirement that foreign companies get Chinese government approval to export items that contain rare earths sourced from China, no matter where the products are manufactured.

    China accounts for nearly 70 percent of the world’s rare earths mining and controls roughly 90 percent of their global processing. Access to the material is a key point of contention in trade talks between Washington and Beijing.

    The critical minerals go into many products, from jet engines, radar systems and electric vehicles to consumer electronics including laptops and phones. China’s export controls have hit European and other manufacturers, as well as American ones.

    The Commerce Ministry statement said that the U.S. is also ignoring Chinese concerns by going forward with new port fees on Chinese ships that take effect Tuesday. China announced Friday that it would impose port fees on American ships in response.

    Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Trump Says Inflation is ‘Defeated’ and the Fed has Cut Rates, Yet Prices Remain Too High for Many

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    Inflation has risen in three of the last four months and is slightly higher than it was a year ago, when it helped sink then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Yet you wouldn’t know it from listening to President Donald Trump or even some of the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve.

    Trump told the United Nations General Assembly late last month: “Grocery prices are down, mortgage rates are down, and inflation has been defeated.”

    And at a high-profile speech in August, just before the Fed cut its key interest rate for the first time this year, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said: “Inflation, though still somewhat elevated, has come down a great deal from its post-pandemic highs. Upside risks to inflation have diminished.”

    Yet dismissing or even downplaying inflation while it is still above the Fed’s target of 2 percent poses big risks for the White House and the Federal Reserve. For the Trump administration, it could find itself on the wrong side of a potent issue: Surveys show that many Americans still see high prices as a major burden on their finances.

    The Fed may be taking an even bigger gamble: It has cut its key interest rate on the assumption that the Trump administration’s tariffs will only cause a temporary bump up in inflation. If that turns out to be wrong — if inflation gets worse or remains elevated for longer than expected — the Fed’s inflation-fighting credibility could take a hit.

    That credibility plays a crucial role in the Fed’s ability to keep prices stable. If Americans are confident that the central bank can keep inflation in check, they won’t take steps — such as demanding sharply higher pay when prices rise — that can launch an inflationary spiral. Companies often increase prices further to offset higher labor costs.

    But Karen Dynan, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said this week that with memories of pandemic-era inflation still fresh and tariffs pushing up the cost of imported goods, consumers and businesses could start to lose confidence that inflation will stay low.

    “If that proves to be the case, in hindsight it will be that the Fed cuts — and I do expect several more — are going to be seen as a mistake,” Dynan said.

    So far, the Trump administration’s tariffs haven’t lifted inflation as much as as many economists expected earlier this year. And it remains far below its 9.1 percent peak three years ago. Still, consumer prices increased 2.9 percent in August from a year earlier, up from 2.6 percent at the same time last year and above the Fed’s 2 percent target.

    The government is scheduled to release the September inflation report on Wednesday, but the data will probably be delayed by the government shutdown.

    Tariffs have pushed up the cost of many imported items, including furniture, appliances, and toys. Overall, the cost of long-lasting manufactured goods rose nearly 2 percent in August from a year earlier. It was a modest gain, but comes after nearly three decades when the cost of such items mostly fell.

    The cost of some everyday goods are still rising more quickly than before the pandemic: Grocery prices moved up 2.7 percent in August from a year ago, the largest gain, outside the pandemic, since 2015. Coffee prices have soared nearly 21 percent in the past year, partly because Trump has slapped 50 percent import taxes on Brazil, a leading coffee exporter, and also because climate change-induced droughts have cut into coffee bean harvests.

    Most Fed officials are still concerned that inflation is too high, according the minutes of its Sept. 16-17 meeting. Yet they still chose to cut their key interest rate, because they were more worried about the risk of worsening unemployment than about higher inflation.

    But the concern for some economists is that the ongoing rollout of tariffs and the fact that many companies are still implementing price hikes in response could result in more than just a temporary boost to inflation.

    “It is a big gamble after what we’ve been going through … to count on it being transitory,” said Jason Furman, an economist at Harvard University and a former top adviser to President Barack Obama. “Once upon a time, (3 percent inflation) would have been considered really high.”

    Just two weeks ago, Trump slapped new tariffs on a range of products, including 100 percent on pharmaceuticals, 50 percent on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, and 25 percent on heavy trucks. On Friday, he threatened “a massive increase of tariffs” on imports from China in response to that country’s restrictions on rare earth exports.

    Some companies are still raising prices to offset the tariff costs. Duties on steel and aluminum imports have pushed up the cost of the cans used by Campbell Soups, leading the company’s CEO to say in September that it will implement “surgical pricing initiatives.”

    Chris Butler, CEO of National Tree Company, the nation’s largest artificial Christmas tree seller, says his company will raise prices by about 10 percent this holiday season on its trees, wreaths, and garlands to offset tariff costs. About 45 percent of its trees are made in China, with the rest from Southeast Asia, Mexico, and other countries. The cost of labor and real estate is too high to make them in the United States, he said.

    Butler also expects there will be a reduced supply of artificial trees and decorations this year, which could lift industry-wide prices further, because most production in China shut down when tariffs on that country hit 145 percent earlier this year. Production resumed after Trump reduced the duties to 30 percent but at a slower pace.

    Butler has pushed his suppliers to absorb some of the cost of the tariffs, but they won’t pay all of it.

    “At the end of the day, we can’t absorb the entirety of it and our factories can’t absorb the entirety of it,” he said. “So we’ve had to pass along some of the increases to consumers.”

    Many Fed policymakers are aware of the risks. Jeffrey Schmid, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, who votes on interest rate decisions, said Monday that high inflation that results from a loss of confidence in the central bank is harder to fight than other price spikes, such as those that result from supply disruptions.

    “The Fed must maintain its credibility on inflation,” Schmid said. “History has shown that while all inflations are universally disliked, not all inflations are equally costly to fight.”

    Yet some Fed officials say that other trends are offsetting the impact of tariffs. Fed governor Stephen Miran, whom Trump appointed just before the central bank’s September meeting, said Tuesday that a steady slowdown in rental costs should reduce underlying inflation in the coming months. And the sharp drop in immigration as a result of the administration’s clampdown will reduce demand, he said, cooling inflation pressures.

    “I’m more sanguine about the inflation outlook than a lot of other people are,” he said.

    Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • National Guard troops in Illinois can remain federalized but can’t be deployed, appeals court rules

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    (CNN) — A federal appeals court ruled Saturday the National Guard troops in Illinois can remain under federal control but can’t be deployed as the appeals process continues in the ongoing showdown between the Trump administration and the state.

    The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to temporarily pause part of a lower court’s order this week that halted deployments of National Guard troops in the state for two weeks – the latest in a bicoastal court saga over whether President Donald Trump is exceeding his authority by deploying troops to quell demonstrations outside ICE facilities near Democratic-led cities like Chicago and Portland.

    “Members of the National Guard do not need to return to their home states unless further ordered by a court to do so,” the order says.

    Troops in the Chicago area are now engaged in “planning and training,” but “not conducting any operational activities at this time,” US Northern Command said in a Friday update.

    There were 300 members of the Illinois National Guard and 200 members of the Texas National Guard activated under Title 10 and in the Chicago area as of Wednesday, the command previously said.

    “This is a victory for our state,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement. “This is a victory for state and local law enforcement – who know their communities and who protect the right of their communities to speak truth to power.”

    In response to the ruling, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told CNN, “Amidst ongoing violent riots and lawlessness, that local leaders like Pritzker have refused to step in to quell, President Trump has exercised his lawful authority to protect federal officers and assets. President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities and we expect to be vindicated by a higher court.”

    The Trump administration had filed a notice of appeal this week against US District Court Judge April Perry’s decision Thursday to grant a temporary restraining order blocking Trump’s National Guard deployment in Illinois.

    “I have seen no credible evidence that there has been rebellion in the state of Illinois” that would justify federalizing National Guard soldiers, Perry said in her ruling, calling Department of Homeland Security assessments of the protests “unreliable.”

    Sending in troops would “only add fuel to the fire,” the judge added.

    Leaders in areas like Illinois and Oregon have emphatically disputed the Trump administration’s characterizations of their cities as “war-ravaged” and uncontrollably violent, arguing in court that the situation on the ground is not as extreme as federal officials are portraying it to be.

    Other states have rallied behind Illinois’ legal battle, as Maryland – along with 19 other states, Washington, DC, and three governors’ offices – filed an amicus brief Saturday evening calling the president’s deployment of the National Guard across the US “unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic.”

    “The Trump Administration’s shifting and expanding misuse of the National Guard exemplifies the concentration of power that the Founding Generation feared,” the brief reads.

    On the West Coast, a three-judge panel with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is still weighing whether the Trump administration should be blocked from deploying the Oregon National Guard to respond to ICE protests in Portland. They have yet to release a decision, though state Attorney General Dan Rayfield on Thursday said he expects a ruling “in the coming days.”

    The appeals court ruled Wednesday to temporarily allow the federalization of the Oregon National Guard, while the block against deploying the troops remains in effect.

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  • Trump announces 130% tariffs on China. The global trade war just came roaring back

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    (CNN) — President Donald Trump announced he will impose an additional 100% tariff on goods from China, on top of the 30% tariffs already in effect, starting November 1 or sooner. The threat is a massive escalation after months of a trade truce between the two nations.

    “The United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Friday afternoon. “Also on November 1st, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software.”

    Trump’s announcement is tied to Beijing ramping up export controls on its critical rare earths, which are needed to produce many electronics. As a result, Trump appeared to call off a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that was scheduled for later this month in South Korea.

    Trump’s initial message Friday, delivered via a Truth Social post, in which he threatened “massive” new tariffs, was ill received by investors on Friday as fears of a spring déjà vu, when tariffs on Chinese goods soared to a stunning 145%, set in. Markets closed sharply lower on Friday after Trump’s initial comments, with the Dow falling by 878 points, or 1.9%. The S&P 500 was down 2.7%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq tumbled 3.5%.

    While Trump doesn’t always act on his threats, investors, consumers and businesses still have reason to worry.

    President Donald Trump is threatening to raise tariffs on Chinese goods shipped to the United States. Credit: Jessica Koscielniak / Reuters via CNN Newsource

    The two largest economies depend on each other

    The United States and China are the world’s two largest economies. Although Mexico has recently replaced China as the top source of foreign goods shipped to the United States, America depends on China for hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of goods. Meanwhile, China is one of the top export markets for America.

    In particular, electronics, apparel and furniture are among the top goods the United States receives from China. Trump has pushed CEOs, especially in tech, to move production to the United States, but he’s softened his approach in recent months as business leaders have satisfied the president with announcements of hundreds of billions of dollars in investments in US manufacturing — even if they continue to make the bulk of their products overseas.

    Shortly after imposing minimum 145% tariffs on Chinese goods — an effective embargo on trade, Trump issued an exemption for electronics, making them subject to 20% tariffs instead. The move was, in many ways, an acknowledgment that the Trump administration understood the pain he was inflicting on the US economy through his sky-high tariffs.

    Then, in May, US and Chinese officials further established the interdependence of trade by agreeing to lower tariffs on one another. China brought levies on American exports down to 10% from 125%, and the United States brought rates down to 30% from 145%.

    Both countries’ stock markets rallied as a result.

    It was only a matter of time

    Trump on Friday claimed trade hostility from China “came out of nowhere.” But in reality, it’s been bubbling up for months.

    For the United States, a critical part of trade agreements has been to ensure China will increase its supply of rare earth magnets. Yet despite several apparent breakthroughs, Trump has in recent months repeatedly accused China of violating the terms.

    Trump first responded by putting restrictions on sales of American technologies to China, including a key Nvidia AI chip. Many of these restrictions were later lifted.

    Then came the Trump administration’s announcement that it would soon impose fees on goods transported on Chinese-owned or -operated ships. China countered with a similar plan on American ships that took effect Friday.

    In short: Trump has already demonstrated there’s no limit to how high he’ll go with tariffs on China, and Xi has shown no mercy in how he chooses to retaliate.

    But Trump’s ability to continue to impose tariffs on a whim could soon end, pending the verdict in a landmark case kicking off in the Supreme Court next month. Xi, however, faces no such constraints.

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  • New York Attorney General Letitia James indicted for alleged mortgage fraud

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    This two-count indictment of New York attorney General Letitia James accuses her of bank fraud and of making false statements to *** financial institution. Specifically, it alleges that she intentionally misrepresented *** rental property as her secondary residence to obtain better mortgage terms. James is *** longtime foe of President Donald Trump. Last year she won *** civil lawsuit alleging that the president and his company overstated real estate values. Now the president has publicly urged the Justice Department to prosecute James and other political opponents. In *** video message yesterday, James said this indictment is part of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system. These charges are baseless. And the president’s own public statements make clear. That his only goal is political retribution at any cost. Lindsay Halligan, US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, wrote in *** statement, quote, No one is above the law. The charges, as alleged in this case, represent intentional criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust, unquote. Now if convicted, James faces up to 30 years in prison per count. She’s expected to make her first appearance in federal court on October 24th at the White House, I’m Jackie DeFusco.

    New York Attorney General Letitia James indicted for alleged mortgage fraud

    New York Attorney General Letitia James is the latest political foe of President Donald Trump to face federal charges.

    Updated: 8:01 AM EDT Oct 10, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    New York Attorney General Letitia James is the latest political foe of President Donald Trump to face federal charges. A federal grand jury indicted James on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The indictment accuses her of intentionally misrepresenting an investment property in Norfolk, Virginia, as her secondary residence to obtain better mortgage terms.In a video statement on Thursday, James said the indictment is part of the president’s “desperate weaponization of our justice system.””These charges are baseless. And the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” James said. Trump has publicly urged the Justice Department to prosecute James and other political opponents. In a Truth Social post last month that was directed at Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump alleged his opponents are “guilty as hell” and complained “nothing is being done.” Trump said, “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”Last year, James won a civil lawsuit against the president, alleging that Trump and his companies artificially inflated real estate values. An appeals court later overturned the staggering fine, which had grown to more than half a billion dollars with interest, but upheld the lower court’s finding that Trump committed fraud. Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement Thursday, “No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust.”The statement noted that James faces up to 30 years in prison per count if convicted. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 24.Halligan, who previously served as a White House aide and Trump’s personal lawyer, is also spearheading the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. She was appointed to the job after the Trump administration removed Erik Siebert, the veteran prosecutor who had overseen both investigations for months and resisted pressure to file charges. On social media last month, Trump wrote, “I withdrew the Nomination of Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, when I was informed that he received the UNUSUALLY STRONG support of the two absolutely terrible, sleazebag Democrat Senators, from the Great State of Virginia. He didn’t quit, I fired him!”James specifically cited the shakeup as evidence that her prosecution is politically motivated. “His decision to fire a United States attorney who refused to bring charges against me and replaced them with someone who was blindly loyal, not to the law but to the president, is antithetical to the bedrock principles of our country,” James said. Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:

    WASHINGTON —

    New York Attorney General Letitia James is the latest political foe of President Donald Trump to face federal charges.

    A federal grand jury indicted James on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The indictment accuses her of intentionally misrepresenting an investment property in Norfolk, Virginia, as her secondary residence to obtain better mortgage terms.

    In a video statement on Thursday, James said the indictment is part of the president’s “desperate weaponization of our justice system.”

    “These charges are baseless. And the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” James said.

    Trump has publicly urged the Justice Department to prosecute James and other political opponents. In a Truth Social post last month that was directed at Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump alleged his opponents are “guilty as hell” and complained “nothing is being done.”

    Trump said, “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

    Last year, James won a civil lawsuit against the president, alleging that Trump and his companies artificially inflated real estate values. An appeals court later overturned the staggering fine, which had grown to more than half a billion dollars with interest, but upheld the lower court’s finding that Trump committed fraud.

    Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement Thursday, “No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust.”

    The statement noted that James faces up to 30 years in prison per count if convicted. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 24.

    Halligan, who previously served as a White House aide and Trump’s personal lawyer, is also spearheading the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. She was appointed to the job after the Trump administration removed Erik Siebert, the veteran prosecutor who had overseen both investigations for months and resisted pressure to file charges.

    On social media last month, Trump wrote, “I withdrew the Nomination of Erik Siebert as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, when I was informed that he received the UNUSUALLY STRONG support of the two absolutely terrible, sleazebag Democrat Senators, from the Great State of Virginia. He didn’t quit, I fired him!”

    James specifically cited the shakeup as evidence that her prosecution is politically motivated.

    “His decision to fire a United States attorney who refused to bring charges against me and replaced them with someone who was blindly loyal, not to the law but to the president, is antithetical to the bedrock principles of our country,” James said.

    Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:

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  • Letitia James, the New York attorney general who defeated Trump in court, indicted by Justice Department

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    (CNN) — New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted Thursday in Alexandria, Virginia, as President Donald Trump’s Justice Department continues to pursue charges against his political opponents.

    James has been under investigation since May over a 2023 mortgage she took out to buy a home in Norfolk, Virginia. Thursday’s indictment focused on a 2020 mortgage for a different property in Norfolk.

    The grand jury returned two felony charges: bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. James’ first court appearance is scheduled for October 24 in Norfolk.

    According to the indictment, James claimed on mortgage paperwork that a home she purchased in Norfolk would be her second residence. That claim allowed her to get favorable loan terms not available for investment properties, prosecutors say.

    But, prosecutors allege, James did not use the house and instead rented the property to a family of three. They allege she falsely stated in loan applications that the residence would be a secondary home when they allege James knew she would use it as an investment property.

    According to the indictment, James received a lower mortgage rate on the property as a secondary mortgage than she would have had it been treated as an investment property. Prosecutors allege James received improper gains of $18,933 over the life of the loan.

    The charges come as Trump continues to call for his enemies to be prosecuted in court. Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday to allegedly making a false statement in a congressional proceeding. The Justice Department has also opened investigation into former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, and others.

    “This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system,” James said in a statement.

    “These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” she added. “The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties.”

    James’ relationship with Trump has been adversarial for years as James campaigned on promises to investigate Trump and ultimately won a civil fraud case against Trump, his adult sons and his real estate business. A judge found them liable for fraud for inflating the value of their properties, and ordered Trump to pay $355 million in penalties.

    Attorney General Letitia James sits in the courtroom during the civil fraud trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump at New York Supreme Court in January 2024 in New York City. Credit: Seth Wenig/Pool / Getty Images/File via CNN Newsource

    A New York appeals court tossed the penalties and Trump has appealed the verdict.

    During the 11-week trial, Trump’s anger toward James was palpable. He railed against her in the courthouse hallways and from the witness stand. Trump testified as James sat across from him in the courtroom galley.

    “This is a political witch hunt and I think she should be ashamed of herself,” Trump testified. “You believe this political hack back there and that’s unfortunate.”

    James often punched back outside of the courtroom, on social media or in video statements.

    Last month CNN reported that Justice Department prosecutors in Virginia, led at the time by Erik Siebert, interviewed dozens of witnesses and did not believe they gathered enough evidence to support criminal charges against James.

    Under pressure by Trump to bring charges against Comey and James, Siebert resigned and was replaced as US attorney by Trump’s former personal attorney Lindsey Halligan.

    “No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” Halligan said in a statement. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”

    Ed Martin, Trump’s Justice Department weaponization chief, posted on social media after the charges were announced: “Promises made, Promises kept.”

    Martin previously posed for photos outside of James’ Brooklyn home in August and called on her to resign in a letter to her attorney.

    Mortgage fraud investigation

    The investigation had focused on a mortgage obtained in 2023 for a property in Norfolk.

    Her attorneys provided a document to the Justice Department in April to push back on what they called “threadbare” allegations.

    They said that one document in the mortgage application “mistakenly” said the property would be James’ primary residence. But they submitted other documents to argue there was no fraud.

    In one document, James writes in an email to her loan originator, “this property WILL NOT be my primary residence.”

    That property in question, however, was unrelated to the underlying charges in the indictment, according to a source familiar.

    CNN’s Casey Gannon and Devan Cole contributed to this report.

    This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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    Kristen Holmes, Hannah Rabinowitz, Kara Scannell and CNN

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  • US diplomat fired over relationship with woman accused of ties to Chinese Communist Party

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    The State Department said Wednesday that it has fired a U.S. diplomat over a romantic relationship he admitted having with a Chinese woman alleged to have ties to the Chinese Communist Party.The dismissal is believed to be the first of its kind for violating a ban on such relationships that was introduced late last year under the Biden administration.The Associated Press reported earlier this year that in the waning days of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency, the State Department imposed a ban on all American government personnel in China, as well as family members and contractors with security clearances, from any romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens.Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesman, said in a statement that the diplomat in question was dismissed from the foreign service after President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reviewed the case and determined that he had “admitted concealing a romantic relationship with a Chinese national with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party.””Under Secretary Rubio’s leadership, we will maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any employee who is caught undermining our country’s national security,” Pigott said.The statement did not identify the diplomat, but he and his girlfriend had been featured in a surreptitiously filmed video posted online by conservative firebrand James O’Keefe.

    WASHINGTON —

    The State Department said Wednesday that it has fired a U.S. diplomat over a romantic relationship he admitted having with a Chinese woman alleged to have ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

    The dismissal is believed to be the first of its kind for violating a ban on such relationships that was introduced late last year under the Biden administration.

    The Associated Press reported earlier this year that in the waning days of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency, the State Department imposed a ban on all American government personnel in China, as well as family members and contractors with security clearances, from any romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese citizens.

    Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesman, said in a statement that the diplomat in question was dismissed from the foreign service after President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reviewed the case and determined that he had “admitted concealing a romantic relationship with a Chinese national with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party.”

    “Under Secretary Rubio’s leadership, we will maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any employee who is caught undermining our country’s national security,” Pigott said.

    The statement did not identify the diplomat, but he and his girlfriend had been featured in a surreptitiously filmed video posted online by conservative firebrand James O’Keefe.

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  • Kiss rocker Gene Simmons recovering after crashing SUV

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    Kiss rock star Gene Simmons is recovering after he fainted while driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and crashed his SUV into a parked car, authorities said.Simmons, a co-founder and bassist for the legendary band, was evaluated at a hospital Tuesday before being released. He posted on social media that he was doing well.“Thanks, everybody, for the kind wishes. I’m completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens,” he said on X.The 76-year-old’s SUV crossed several lanes before hitting a parked car along the highway, agencies that responded to the crash told several media outlets. Simmons was then transported to a hospital, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.Kiss retired from a half-century of touring in 2023, but Simmons and his bandmates plan to play in November at a special event in Las Vegas. In August, President Donald Trump announced that Kiss will be among this year’s Kennedy Center honorees.

    MALIBU, Calif. —

    Kiss rock star Gene Simmons is recovering after he fainted while driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and crashed his SUV into a parked car, authorities said.

    Simmons, a co-founder and bassist for the legendary band, was evaluated at a hospital Tuesday before being released. He posted on social media that he was doing well.

    “Thanks, everybody, for the kind wishes. I’m completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens,” he said on X.

    The 76-year-old’s SUV crossed several lanes before hitting a parked car along the highway, agencies that responded to the crash told several media outlets. Simmons was then transported to a hospital, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

    Kiss retired from a half-century of touring in 2023, but Simmons and his bandmates plan to play in November at a special event in Las Vegas. In August, President Donald Trump announced that Kiss will be among this year’s Kennedy Center honorees.

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  • White House: Mass Layoffs Will Start if Shutdown Talks ‘Going Nowhere’

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    The Trump administration will start mass layoffs of federal workers if President Donald Trump decides negotiations with congressional Democrats to end a partial government shutdown are “absolutely going nowhere,” a senior White House official said on Sunday.

    As the shutdown entered its fifth day, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNN’s “State of the Union” program that he still saw a chance that Democrats would back down, averting a costly shutdown and federal employee layoffs that have been threatened by White House budget director Russell Vought.

    “President Trump and Russ Vought are lining things up and getting ready to act if they have to, but hoping that they don’t,” Hassett said.

    “If the president decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere, then there will start to be layoffs. But I think that everybody is still hopeful that when we get a fresh start at the beginning of the week, that we can get the Democrats to see that it’s just common sense to avoid layoffs like that.”

    Trump described the potential job cuts on Sunday as “Democrat layoffs,” telling reporters: “Anybody laid off that’s because of the Democrats.”

    No sign of talks

    There have been no tangible signs of negotiations between congressional leaders since Trump met with them last week. The shutdown began on Oct. 1, the start of federal fiscal year 2026, after Senate Democrats rejected a short-term funding measure that would keep federal agencies open through Nov. 21.

    “They’ve refused to talk with us,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told CBS’ “Face the Nation” program, saying the impasse could be solved only by further talks between Trump and the four congressional leaders.

    Democrats are demanding a permanent extension of enhanced premium tax credits to help Americans purchase private health insurance through the Affordable Care Act and assurances that the White House will not try to unilaterally cancel spending agreed to in any deal.

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said he is willing to address the concerns of Democrats but that they must first agree to reopen the federal government.

    Trump also expressed an interest in the healthcare question while emphasizing Republican interests in reforming the ACA, also known as Obamacare.

    “We want to fix it so it works. Obamacare has been a disaster for the people, so we want to have it fixed so it works,” the president said.

    Senate vote on Monday

    Rank-and-file Senate Democrats and Republicans have held informal talks aimed at finding common ground on healthcare and other issues in hopes of reaching a deal to reopen the government.

    Asked if the lawmakers are any closer to a deal, Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego told CNN: “At this point, no.”

    On Monday, the Senate is due to vote for a fifth time on the stopgap funding bill that has already passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and on a Democratic alternative. Neither measure is expected to receive the 60 votes needed to advance.

    With a 53-47-seat majority and one Republican opposed to the House funding bill, Republican leaders need at least eight Democrats to support the measure but have seen only three cross the aisle so far.

    “It’s open up the government or else,” John Thune told the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures.”

    “That’s really the choice that’s in front of them right now,” the South Dakota Republican said.

    Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Leah Douglas; additional reporting by Jasper Ward, Raphael Satter and David Morgan; writing by David Morgan; editing by Michelle Nichols and Chizu Nomiyama

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    Reuters

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  • Government Shutdown Enters Fifth Day as Democrats and Republicans Remain at an Impasse

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    Republican and Democratic lawmakers at an impasse on reopening the federal government provided few public signs Sunday of meaningful negotiations talking place to end what has so far been a five-day shutdown.

    Leaders in both parties are betting that public sentiment has swung their way, putting pressure on the other side to cave. Democrats are insisting on renewing subsidies to cover health insurance costs for millions of households, while President Donald Trump wants to preserve existing spending levels and threatening to permanently fire federal workers if the government remains closed.

    The squabble comes at a moment of troubling economic uncertainty. While the U.S. economy has continued to grow this year, hiring has slowed and inflation remains elevated as Trump’s import taxes have created a series of disruptions for businesses and employers have hurt confidence in his leadership. At the same time, there is a recognition that the nearly $2 trillion annual budget deficit is financially unsustainable yet there has to be a coalition around the potential tax increases and spending cuts to reduce borrowing levels.

    House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, among those appearing on the Sunday news shows, said there have been no talks with Republican leaders since their White House meeting Monday.

    “And unfortunately, since that point in time, Republicans, including Donald Trump, have gone radio silent,” Jeffries said. “And what we’ve seen is negotiation through deepfake videos, the House canceling votes, and of course President Trump spending yesterday on the golf course. That’s not responsible behavior.”

    Trump was asked via text message by CNN’s Jake Tapper about shutdown talks. The Republican president responded with confidence but no details.

    “We are winning and cutting costs big time,” Trump said in a text message, according to CNN.

    His administration sees the shutdown as an opening to wield greater power over the budget, with multiple officials saying they will save money as workers are furloughed by imposing permanent job cuts on thousands of government workers, a tactic that has never been used before.

    Even though it would Trump’s choice, he believes he can put the blame on the Democrats for the layoffs because of the shutdown.

    “It’s up to them,” Trump told reporters on Sunday morning before boarding the presidential helicopter. “Anybody laid off that’s because of the Democrats.”

    While Trump rose to fame on the TV show “The Apprentice” with is catchphrase of “You’re fired,” Republicans on Sunday claimed that the administration would take no pleasure in letting go of federal workers, even though they have put funding on hold for infrastructure and energy projects in Democratic areas.

    “We haven’t seen the details yet about what’s happening” with layoffs, House Speaker Mike Johnson said on NBC. “But it is a regrettable situation that the president does not want.”

    Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, said that the administration wants to avoid the layoffs it had indicated could start on Friday, a deadline that came and went without any decisions being announced.

    “We want the Democrats to come forward and to make a deal that’s a clean, continuing resolution that gives us seven more weeks to talk about these things,” Hassett said on CNN. “But the bottom line is that with Republicans in control, the Republicans have a lot more power over the outcome than the Democrats.”

    Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California defended his party’s stance on the shutdown, saying on NBC that the possible increase in health care costs for “millions of Americans” would make insurance unaffordable in what he called a “crisis.”

    But Schiff also noted that the Trump administration has withheld congressionally approved spending from being used, essentially undermining the value of Democrats’ seeking compromises on the budgets as the White House could decline to not honor Congress’ wishes. The Trump administration sent Congress roughly $4.9 billion in “ pocket rescissions ” on foreign aid, a process that meant the spending was withheld without time for Congress to weigh in before the previous fiscal year ended last month.

    “We need both to address the health care crisis and we need some written assurance in the law, I won’t take a promise, that they’re not going to renege on any deal we make,” Schiff said.

    The television appearances indicated that Democrats and Republicans are busy talking, deploying internet memes against each other that have raised concerns about whether it’s possible to negotiate in good faith.

    Vice President JD Vance said that a video putting Jeffries in a sombrero and thick mustache was simply a joke, even though it came across as mocking people of Mexican descent as Republicans insist that the Democratic demands would lead to health care spending on immigrants in the country illegally, a claim that Democrats dispute.

    Immigrants in the U.S. illegally are not eligible for any federal health care programs, including insurance provided through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. Still, hospitals do receive Medicaid reimbursements for emergency care that they are obligated to provide to people who meet other Medicaid eligibility requirements but do not have an eligible immigration status.

    The challenge, however, is that the two parties do not appear to be having productive conversations with each other in private, even as Republicans insist they are in conversation with their Democratic colleagues.

    On Friday, a Senate vote to advance a Republican bill that would reopen the government failed to notch the necessary 60 votes to end a filibuster. Johnson said the House would close for legislative business next week, a strategy that could obligate the Senate to work with the government funding bill that was passed by House Republicans.

    “Johnson’s not serious about this,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on CBS. “He sent his all his congressman home last week and home this week. How are you going to negotiate?”

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Sunday that the shutdown on discretionary spending, the furloughing of federal workers and requirements that other federal employees work without pay will go on so long as Democrats vote no.

    “They’ll get another chance on Monday to vote again,” said Thune on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

    “And I’m hoping that some of them have a change of heart,” he said

    Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Trump Says There Could be Firings and Project Cuts if Shutdown Continues

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    U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said federal workers could be fired and projects cut if a government shutdown continues, even as he suggested Americans might get rebate checks from new tariff revenues.

    “There could be firings, and that’s their fault,” Trump said of Democrats in Congress, when asked in an interview with OAN television network about a recent memo from the Office of Management and Budget that raised prospects of firings.

    “We could cut projects that they wanted, favorite projects, and they’d be permanently cut,” he said, adding, “I am allowed to cut things that should have never been approved in the first place and I will probably do that.”

    The federal government partially shut down on Wednesday after Congress failed to reach a funding deal, with only essential services continuing.

    Trump said revenues from new tariffs were just starting to kick in but could eventually reach $1 trillion a year. He said some of the funds would help pay down the government’s debt, which he said could reach $38 trillion.

    Trump’s tariff estimate far exceeds that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who last month said customs duty revenues from Trump’s tariffs could top $500 billion a year.

    U.S. Treasury data shows the federal government has $37.64 trillion in federal debt.

    The Republican president said his administration was looking at using tariff revenues to issue rebate checks for Americans.

    “We also might make a distribution to the people, almost like a dividend to the people of America,” Trump told OAN. “We’ve thinking maybe $1,000 to $2,000. It’d be great.”

    Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Andrea Shalal, Editing by Franklin Paul and Cynthia Osterman

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    Reuters

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  • Trump’s National Guard deployment in Portland, Oregon halted as Chicago braces for troops

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    President Donald Trump’s crime and immigration crackdown hit a legal roadblock in Portland, Oregon, as new details emerged about the administration’s plan to send federal troops into Chicago. On Saturday, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s effort to federalize 200 members of the Oregon National Guard. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut said the plan to send troops to Portland likely overstepped Trump’s authority and threatened state sovereignty. “This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law. Defendants have made a range of arguments that, if accepted, risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power — to the detriment of this nation,” Immergut said. The decision was celebrated by state and local leaders who brought the lawsuit, but the White House vowed to appeal. “President Trump exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement — we expect to be vindicated by a higher court,” said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland has been at the center of recent protests. On Saturday, hundreds marched to the building, prompting federal agents to deploy tear gas, among other crowd-control munitions. At least six people were arrested. Similar demonstrations and a similar debate have been playing out in Chicago. On Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security said federal agents shot and injured one woman during what the agency described as a “defensive” response to an alleged vehicle-ramming attack. On Saturday, Trump authorized 300 troops to protect federal officers and assets in Chicago, despite opposition from Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker. The timeline of the National Guard’s arrival was not immediately clear. More from our Washington Bureau:

    President Donald Trump’s crime and immigration crackdown hit a legal roadblock in Portland, Oregon, as new details emerged about the administration’s plan to send federal troops into Chicago.

    On Saturday, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s effort to federalize 200 members of the Oregon National Guard. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut said the plan to send troops to Portland likely overstepped Trump’s authority and threatened state sovereignty.

    “This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law. Defendants have made a range of arguments that, if accepted, risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power — to the detriment of this nation,” Immergut said.

    The decision was celebrated by state and local leaders who brought the lawsuit, but the White House vowed to appeal.

    “President Trump exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement — we expect to be vindicated by a higher court,” said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson.

    An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland has been at the center of recent protests. On Saturday, hundreds marched to the building, prompting federal agents to deploy tear gas, among other crowd-control munitions. At least six people were arrested.

    Similar demonstrations and a similar debate have been playing out in Chicago. On Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security said federal agents shot and injured one woman during what the agency described as a “defensive” response to an alleged vehicle-ramming attack.

    On Saturday, Trump authorized 300 troops to protect federal officers and assets in Chicago, despite opposition from Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker. The timeline of the National Guard’s arrival was not immediately clear.

    More from our Washington Bureau:

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  • Trump considers massive bailout of at least $10 billion for American farmers hurt by his trade war

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    Washington (CNN) — American farmers are having a tough year, in no small part because of President Donald Trump’s trade war. Now, the White House is gearing up to extend them a multi-billion-dollar bailout, sources tell CNN.

    Surging costs and foreign retaliation from tariffs have hurt the US agriculture industry — as have immigration-related labor shortages and plummeting commodity prices. Farm production expenses are estimated to reach $467.4 billion in 2025, according to the Agriculture Department, up $12 billion from last year.

    Farm bankruptcies rose in the first half of the year to the highest level since 2021, according to US courts data.

    Trump’s policies have exacerbated those woes, from the deportation of the industry’s key migrant workforce to renewed trade tensions between the United States and China. And for traditional American crops, such as soybeans, the situation has grown particularly precarious.

    “There’s no doubt that the farm economy is in a significant challenge right now, especially our row croppers,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters Tuesday. “So not just soybeans, although I think they’re probably the top of the list, but corn, wheat, sorghum, cotton, et cetera.”

    Indeed, the US soybean industry has become the poster child of the farm economy’s plight in the first year of Trump’s second term. The president recognizes these problems, White House officials tells CNN, and has increased pressure on his administration to address them urgently.

    Over the past few weeks, the White House has held a series of interagency meetings with the Departments of Agriculture and Treasury as they attempt to finalize a relief package for US farmers, the sources said. Discussions over the best way to aid the agriculture industry are ongoing, the officials said, but they have zeroed in on two options.

    “There are a lot of levers we can use to help ease the pain they are feeling,” one of the officials told CNN. One idea, floated publicly by Trump as recently as Wednesday, is to give farmers a percentage of the income the United States is receiving from the administration’s tariffs on goods being imported into the country.

    “We’ve made so much money on Tariffs, that we are going to take a small portion of that money, and help our Farmers. I WILL NEVER LET OUR FARMERS DOWN!” Trump wrote on social media this week. The other is tapping into a “slush fund,” as the officials described it, at the Department of Agriculture.

    The Trump administration also dipped into the fund, known as Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), in March to similarly provide assistance to farmers. USDA at the time issued $10 billion in direct payments to eligible agricultural producers of eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year.

    The administration has also discussed implementing a combination of the two, depending on where they can most quickly pull the funds from, one White House official said. The current range of aid they are looking to offer ranges from $10 billion to $14 billion.

    “The final figure will depend on how much farmers need and the amount of tariff revenue coming in,” the official told CNN.

    Trump himself as privately been applying pressure on his team to ensure that American farmers, many of whom the Trump administration credit for helping the president win the November 2024 election, are protected. But the other reason they are making the agriculture industry such a priority, officials say, is because the Trump administration views protecting farmers as a national security issue.

    “We need to grow our own food. We can’t rely on imports from other countries, that poses a problem for national security. And right now, the government is subsidizing a lot of that process,” one Trump administration official argued.

    US soybean industry in crisis

    An issue complicating the Trump administration’s goals revolve around soybeans — America’s largest agricultural export, valued at more than $24 billion in 2024, according to USDA data.

    Last year, about half of those exports went to China, but since May, that’s dropped down to zero as a result of an effective embargo China has placed on US soybeans in retaliation for Trump’s tariffs on the country. China has implemented 20% tariffs on US soybeans, making the crop from other countries significantly more attractive.

    That couldn’t come at worse time for soybean farmers, with the harvest season in full swing and some farms reporting strong yields. And their luck might not change anytime soon, with Beijing ramping up its reliance on South America — inadvertently aided the US Treasury’s financial lifeline provided to Argentina in recent weeks.

    A combine harvester during a soybean harvest at a farm outside St. Peter, Minnesota. Credit: Ben Brewer/Bloomberg / Getty Images via CNN Newsource

    Last week, the Trump administration said it would arrange a $20 billion lifeline to Argentina’s central bank, which would exchange US dollars for pesos to help stabilize Argentina’s financial market. Argentina also temporarily scrapped export taxes on grains to help stabilize the peso, but China didn’t waste any time.

    Beijing purchased “at least 10 cargoes of Argentine soybeans,” according to a report from Reuters. Brazil has also helped meet China’s demand for soybeans, with both countries announcing a pact in July to deepen agricultural trade ties.

    As a result, America’s hobbled soybean industry is calling on the Trump administration to finish its trade negotiations with China.

    “US soybean farmers have been clear for months: the administration needs to secure a trade deal with China. China is the world’s largest soybean customer and typically our top export market,” American Soybean Association President Caleb Ragland said last week in a statement.

    Pressure on Trump

    Many farmers say time is of the essence as they start to bring in this year’s crop.

    “We’re always hopeful that those negotiations are moving forward, but yet with harvest here, patience may be running thin,” one Indiana farmer told CNN, describing the industry’s many challenges, which also include the deportation of key workers.

    Trump has heard the calls for action.

    On Wednesday, Trump blamed China for the pain soybean farmers are facing, arguing Beijing is refusing to buy soybeans for negotiating purposes amid the two countries’ tariff dispute. He added that he plans to make soybeans “a major topic of discussion” when he meets face-to-face with China’s President Xi Jinping in South Korea next month.

    Part of the reason Trump has given the issue so much attention, White House officials say, is because Rollins has forced the issue with not only the president, but also one of his closest advisers: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

    On Tuesday, a photo of Bessent’s phone captured by the Associated Press went viral, showing a text from a contact named “BR,” presumed to be Rollins. Her messages illustrated panic within the Trump administration over the soybean industry’s woes, which worsened over the Argentina ordeal.

    During this “time of uncertainty” for farmers and ranchers, Rollins said that she is in “constant communication” with the White House and partners across the government. Rollins also called Trump’s idea of temporarily giving tariff revenue to farmers “a very elegant solution.”

    “To this moment of uncertainty, the ability to offset any payments to the farmers through potential tariff revenue is really where the president wants us to head, and that’s what we’re looking at,” she added.

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    Alayna Treene, Bryan Mena and CNN

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  • Oregon’s Leaders React To Federal Judge Blocking President Trump’s National Guard Order In Oregon – KXL

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    A protester is sprayed by a Department of Homeland Security officer outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

    SALEM, Ore. – Oregon’s leaders are reacting to a federal judge’s ruling that temporarily blocks President Trump from sending the Oregon National Guard to Portland.

    Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek responded by calling the decision a validation of her administration’s efforts to resist what she described as “baseless and dangerous federal overreach.”

    “Today’s ruling validates what Oregonians already know: justice has been served, and the truth has prevailed,” Kotek said. “There is no insurrection in Portland. No threat to national security. No fires, no bombs, no fatalities due to civil unrest. The only threat we face is to our democracy — and it is being led by President Donald Trump.”

    Attorney General Dan Rayfield, whose office argued the case in court, echoed the governor’s assessment.

    “The court agreed with our position. Today’s ruling is a healthy check on the president,” Rayfield said. “Members of the Oregon National Guard are not a tool for him to use in his political theater.”

    The legal battle stemmed from Trump’s attempt to send federally controlled National Guard troops to Portland amid ongoing protests. Oregon officials maintained that the deployment was politically motivated and legally unjustified.

    Portland Mayor Keith Wilson had this to say:

    “Today’s outcome is proof that Portlanders’ commitment to peaceful expression and civic unity truly matters,” said Mayor Keith Wilson. “We have not met aggression with aggression. We’ve stood firm, calm and grounded in our shared values and that is why this decision went our way. Portland has shown that peace is power.”

    Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., also applauded the decision, saying it reinforces what many in the state have long asserted.

    “Today’s victory clearly supports what Oregonians already know: we don’t need or want Donald Trump to provoke conflict by deploying federal troops in our state,” Wyden said. “I will keep working with local and state officials to ensure Trump does not keep wasting millions of taxpayer dollars to make Portland the center of his perverse fantasy about conducting assaults on U.S. cities.”

    Kotek concluded her statement by urging Oregonians to remain vigilant and united.

    “Oregon remains united and ready to defend our values and our rights — today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes,” she said.

    The temporary restraining order will remain in effect as the broader legal challenge proceeds.

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    Grant McHill

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  • Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration From Deploying Troops In Portland – KXL

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    PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from deploying the National Guard in Portland, ruling in a lawsuit brought by the state and city.

    U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued the order pending further arguments in the suit. The plaintiffs say a deployment would violate the U.S. Constitution as well as a federal law that generally prohibits the military from being used to enforce domestic laws.

    Immergut wrote that the case involves the intersection of three fundamental democratic principles: “the relationship between the federal government and the states, between the military and domestic law enforcement, and the balance of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.

    “Whether we choose to follow what the Constitution mandates with respect to these three relationships goes to the heart of what it means to live under the rule of law in the United States,” she wrote.

    Generally speaking the president is allowed “a great level of deference” to federalize National Guard troops in situations where regular law enforcement forces are not able to execute the laws of the United States, the judge said, but that has not been the case in Portland.

    Plaintiffs were able to show that the demonstrations at the Portland immigration facility were not significantly violent or disruptive in the days or weeks leading up to the president’s order, the judge wrote, and “overall, the protests were small and uneventful.”

    “The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts.”

    The Defense Department had said it was placing 200 members of Oregon’s National Guard under federal control for 60 days to protect federal property at locations where protests are occurring or likely to occur after Trump called the city “war-ravaged.”

    Oregon officials said that description was ludicrous. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in the city has recently been the site of nightly protests, which typically drew a couple dozen people in recent weeks before the deployment was announced.

    Trump The Republican president has deployed or threatened to deploy troops in several U.S. cities, particularly ones led by Democrats, including Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago and Memphis. Speaking Tuesday to U.S. military leaders in Virginia, the president proposed using cities as training grounds for the armed forces.

    Last month a federal judge ruled that Trump’s deployment of some 4,700 National Guard soldiers and Marines in Los Angeles earlier this year was illegal, but he allowed the 300 who remain in the city to stay as long as they do not enforce civilian laws.

    As for Portland, the Defense Department announced that it was placing 200 members of Oregon’s National Guard under federal control for 60 days to protect federal property at locations where protests are occurring or likely to occur.

    That announcement came after Trump called “war-ravaged” in late September, a characterization that Oregon officials called ludicrous while saying they do not need or want federal troops there.

    The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland has been the site of nightly protests, and the demonstrations and occasional clashes with law enforcement have been limited to a one-block area in a city that covers about 145 square miles (375 square km) and has about 636,000 residents.

    A handful of immigration and legal advocates often gather at the building during the day. At night, recent protests have typically drawn a couple dozen people.

    A larger crowd demonstrated Sept. 28 following the announcement of the guard deployment. The Portland Police Bureau, which has said it does not participate in immigration enforcement and only intervenes in the protests if there is vandalism or criminal activity, arrested two people on assault charges.

    A peaceful march earlier that day drew thousands to downtown and saw no arrests, police said.

    Trump sent federal officers to Portland over the objections of local and state leaders in 2020 during long-running racial justice protests following George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police. The administration sent hundreds of agents for the stated purpose of protecting the federal courthouse and other federal property from vandalism.

    That deployment antagonized demonstrators and prompted nightly clashes. Federal officers fired rubber bulled and used tear gas.

    Viral videos captured federal officers arresting people and hustling them into unmarked vehicles. A report by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general found that while the federal government had legal authority to deploy the officers, many of them lacked the training and equipment necessary for the mission.

    The government agreed this year to settle an excessive force lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union by paying compensating several plaintiffs for their injuries.

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    Grant McHill

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