Quote:Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s video message for travelers about the government shutdown is not being aired in at least five airports because it blames Democrats for the lapse in federal funding.
Oregon’s Portland International Airport, Washington’s Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and three airports in New York – Niagara Falls International Airport, Buffalo Niagara International Airport and Westchester County Airport – are not broadcasting Noem’s message because it is “political” and “inappropriate,” according to multiple reports.
“It is TSA’s top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe. However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government,” Noem says in the video, meant to play at TSA checkpoints in every public airport in the US amid the government shutdown.
“And because of this, many of our operations are impacted and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” the DHS secretary adds.
Noem, who oversees the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), sent the video to airports last week.
“We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel,” Noem continues. “And our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
The partial government shutdown began on Oct. 1, after all-but-three Senate Democrats refused to vote for a continuing resolution that would’ve kept Washington funded through Nov. 21.
A Port of Seattle spokesperson said the “political nature” of Noem’s video is why it won’t be playing for travelers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
“The Port of Seattle will not play the video on its screens at SEA airport, due to the political nature of the content,” the spokesperson told The Seattle Times, adding, “We continue to urge bipartisan efforts to end the government shutdown and are working to find ways to support federal employees working without pay at SEA during the shutdown.”
A Portland International Airport official argued that the video might violate the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from engaging in certain political activities.
“We didn’t consent to playing it, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits using public assets for political purposes and messaging,” the official told a local ABC News affiliate.
“Additionally, Oregon law states that no public employee can promote or oppose any political committee, party, or affiliation. We believe consenting to playing this video on Port assets would violate Oregon law,” the official added.
Quote:White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino is poised to play an even larger role in President Donald Trump’s administration, the president announced Sunday.
Trump says Scavino, in addition to his current role, will now lead the White House Presidential Personnel Office. The office was previously held by Sergio Gor, who is now transitioning to become the U.S. Ambassador to India.
“I am pleased to announce that the great Dan Scavino, in addition to remaining Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, will head the White House Presidential Personnel Office, replacing Sergio Gor, who did a wonderful job in that position, and will now become the Ambassador to India,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Dan will be responsible for the selection and appointment of almost all positions in government, a very big and important position. Congratulations Dan, you will do a fantastic job!” he added.
Scavino’s new appointment comes as the Trump administration is in a pitched fight with Democrats to define the cause of the ongoing government shutdown.
Trump allies have pointed to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s refusal to work with Republicans.
The president also sought to mitigate damage on Saturday by ordering War Secretary Pete Hegseth to make sure military service members get paid next week, regardless of the shutdown.
“Chuck Schumer recently said, ‘Every day gets better’ during their Radical Left Shutdown,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I DISAGREE! If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.”
Quote:The sister-in-law of former presidential nominee and ex-Utah senator Mitt Romney was found dead on a street in a Los Angeles suburb Friday evening, according to officials and reports.
Carrie Elizabeth Romney was discovered dead on a street near a shopping mall parking garage in Valencia, Calif. at around 8:30 p.m., TMZ reported.
She was 64 years old. Her death is being investigated, and a cause and manner have not yet been determined, according to records from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.
It’s “unknown at the moment” if Carrie “jumped or fell” from the multi-story parking garage or a nearby building, Los Angeles County Deputy Brenda Serna wrote in an email to The Post.
The medical examiner’s office and Mitt Romney did not immediately return requests for comment.
The Republican senator led a presidential campaign against former President Barack Obama in 2012. He made decent headway countrywide, making for a tight race that he ultimately lost.
He tried to organize a campaign for the 2008 race, but lost the Republican bid to the late Arizona Senator John McCain.
While in the Senate, Romney was the only one in his party who voted to convict President Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2020.
Quote:A Massachusetts monk claims “insidious lies” about him being a fake cleric and splurging on luxury items led the feds to bring multimillion-dollar COVID-relief fraud charges against him — which were later dismissed — but his church and reputation never recovered, new court papers show.
Rev. Father Andrew Bushell, an Orthodox Christian monk at St. Nicholas church, sued the Department of Justice, FBI agents and the town of Marblehead, Mass., after arresting him under false pretenses in 2022 for allegedly carrying out a $3.6 million fraud scheme — only to toss out the charges a year later, according to a federal lawsuit filed last Friday.
He and his church’s general counsel Tracey Stockton were accused of blowing the funds on $40,000 in antique furniture, $90,000 in audio video system equipment, a $40,000 Swiss watch, a $7,000 Goyard handbag, expensive wine and $2,400 in Hermes and luxury items.
Bushell told The Post in an exclusive interview that the accused parties to the suit should be “in jail” for what they put him through, which has caused donors to lose faith in his ministry, burdened him with legal fees and kept the construction of the monastic shrine and place of worship from being completed.
“[Former Massachusetts US Attorney Rachael] Rollins weaponized the DOJ, FBI and other federal agents to manufacture a pack of lies to destroy St. Nicholas, me and intimidate God-fearing Orthodox Christians,” he said.
Now, the monk is suing under claims of violation of religious freedom, conspiracy, retaliation and other related allegations — after the Trump administration acknowledged the extent of other anti-Christian discrimination and “weaponized” prosecutions under the Biden DOJ.
“Armed” federal agents “in tactical gear” busted into St. Nicholas church in a “military-style,” “pre-dawn raid,” taking him “away in handcuffs” while he was praying on Oct. 13, 2022, the civil suit claims.
“The timing and manner of the arrest were designed to maximize psychological pressure and public humiliation, not to serve any legitimate law enforcement purpose,” added Stockton in the 20-page filing.
He wasn’t provided with his prayer rope, rosary or Bible while he was locked up and he was forced to eat food that violated his “monastic dietary practices,” the filing alleges.
Rollins — who resigned from office after being faulted for an “extraordinary” abuse of power by federal ethics watchdogs in 2023 — claimed when bringing the case that Bushell’s conduct was “brazen, criminal behavior” that took advantage of taxpayer-funded relief.
Rollins left office on May 19, 2023, and was found the following day in a DOJ inspector general’s report to have improperly meddled in the Suffolk County district attorney’s race. In September 2025, she agreed to a public reprimand for her actions by the Massachusetts Bar.
Former FBI Boston field office special agent in charge Joseph Bonavolonta, who is named in the suit, claimed in a statement at the time of Bushell’s arrest that Bushell was “a purported Orthodox Christian monk” who spent “tens of thousands of dollars on exclusive memberships, expensive wine, property, renovations, and even a $40,000 wristwatch.”
Bushell said the charging documents were full of “defamatory and misleading fictions of misspent church funds that either mischaracterized $18 bottles of wine for church events, misconstrued clerical memberships donors gave to help serve the Church’s mission, or were simply not true.”
Quote:Indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James was defiant Monday in her first public appearance since being hit with federal charges over allegations she committed bank fraud and lied to a financial institution to obtain a lower mortgage rate.
“We see powerful voices trying to silence truth and punish dissent and weaponize justice for political gain,” James told supporters of Zohran Mamdani at a rally for the New York City mayoral frontrunner in Washington Heights.
“We are witnessing the fraying of our democracy, the erosion of our system of government,” the Empire State’s top prosecutor argued, describing the current state of politics as “a defining moment in our history.”
James, who is facing 60 years behind bars if convicted of the two charges against her, called on rally-goers to “stand together to defend our rights.”
“To protect every safeguard, every institution, every immigrant, every norm and every rule of law,” the indicted prosecutor continued.
“I know what it feels like to be attacked for just doing your job,” James said. “But I also know what it feels like to overcome adversity. And so I stand on solid rock.”
“I will not bow! I will not break! I will not bend! I will not capitulate! I will not give in! I will not give up!” she screamed.
“You come for me, you got to come through all of us! Every single – all of us. We’re all in this together.”
Amid her legal woes, James said that “over the last few days” she’s “summoned” the “strength” and “courage” of her ancestors.
Quote:Four people have been arrested in connection with a shooting spree at a Mississippi homecoming football game that killed six and injured more than a dozen, according to authorities.
Teviyon L. Powell, 29; William Bryant, 29; and Morgan Lattimore, 25, have been charged with capital murder, and Latoya A. Powell, 44, has been charged with attempted murder for Friday’s shooting, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Jackson Field Office announced Monday.
Earlier this week, the FBI announced they were seeking the public’s help in locating the whereabouts of four individuals in connection with the shooting.
On Sunday, the agency released photos of one female and three males shown in surveillance video and identified in an FBI poster as “unknown suspects.”
Other arrests are currently pending, authorities added.
The shooting occurred around midnight on Main Street in Leland, Mayor John Lee previously told The Post.
The four victims who died on the scene were identified by the county coroner as Oreshama Johnson, 41; Calvin Plant, 19; Shelbyona Powell, 25; and Kaslyn Johnson, 18, WBLT reported.
Amos Brantley, 18, and JaMichael Jones, 34, later died from their injuries at the hospital, the outlet reported.
Ten others were treated at the hospital. Their identities have not been released.
Several of the victims included recent graduates of Leland High School who returned for a popular annual reunion at the school’s homecoming football game.
The gunfire came out of nowhere, recalled witness Jennifer Buckner, who was enjoying the party with her niece and some friends.
The first round was just a few quick shots that didn’t completely disrupt the party, but it resumed several minutes later and delved into chaos.
“It was maybe 10 minutes of consistent, perpetual, automatic rounds being let off. …It went on for so long. And people just started running,” Buckner told The Post.
The FBI said the gunfire appears to have been “sparked by a disagreement among several individuals,” but has not disclosed an exact motive for the bloodbath.
Two other people were killed in a separate homecoming football game shooting on the east side of the state in Heidelberg Friday night.
Quote:A former student allegedly stabbed three staff members at a special needs school in California and planted two bombs in the surrounding area on Monday morning, according to authorities.
The ex-student is accused of knifing the three staffers at Switzer Learning Center, a private school in Torrance for neurodivergent students from kindergarten to 12th grade, at around 8:15 a.m., the Torrance Police Department said in a statement.
He was arrested after attempting to stab a fourth staff member and fleeing the scene, cops said.
While being cuffed, the former student told cops that he had planted two pipe bombs close to the school near 208th Street and Amapola Avenue, according to police.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department bomb squad responded and located two devices, which were found to be “incendiary,” cops said.
Officials detonated the two devices on the scene, the Los Angeles Times reported. The area was deemed safe after officials had warned residents to stay clear of the immediate vicinity.
Two staff members were brought to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The third staff member was treated on the scene, authorities added.
Additional details about the suspect or a motive in the attack are not yet known.
The knifeman — whose identity hasn’t been released — remains in custody, police said.
Mom Cristina Morales, 54, told the LA Times she had been waiting for hours for her 18-year-old son with autism to be released from the school.
“I’m nervous,” she told the outlet. “My son gets stressed out easily.”
Quote:WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson has made overtures to firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after she publicly revolted against the GOP’s strategy in the government shutdown fight and called for the enhanced Obamacare subsidies to be extended.
Johnson (R-La.) claims he reached out to Greene (R-Ga.) after she broke ranks and offered to let her sit in on the committee that deals with health care policy.
“I had a thoughtful conversation with my friend Marjorie Taylor Greene on the phone the other night … to inform her that there are many Republicans in Congress that have been working around the clock on this,” the speaker recalled on “Fox News Sunday.”
“They’re on the committees of jurisdiction that deal with this. Marjorie doesn’t serve on those committees, so I offered to have her come into the room and be a part of that discussion, if indeed she wants to.”
Last week, Greene blasted Johnson for not bringing the House back in session amid the partial government shutdown and chided GOP leadership for not nuking the Senate filibuster to reopen the government.
For the past two weeks, Democrats have been blocking a clean GOP spending patch to reopen the government while demanding Republicans cave to their healthcare demands.
Democrats have demanded Republicans reverse their reforms to Medicaid in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (now the Working Families Tax Cut Act) and permanently extend the enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire by the end of the year.
While Greene backed the Medicaid changes, the congresswoman declared last week that she wants to extend those enhanced subsidies, which were beefed up under the Biden administration during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m going to go against everyone on this issue because when the tax credits expire this year my own adult children’s insurance premiums for 2026 are going to DOUBLE, along with all the wonderful families and hard-working people in my district,” she said.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that President Trump’s planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping is back on — after Trump threatened 100% additional tariffs Friday and said there “seems to be no reason” for a scheduled Oct. 29 summit.
“He will be meeting with party chair Xi in Korea — I believe that meeting will still be on,” Bessent told Fox Business in an interview after Beijing sought to blunt blowback to its new export controls.
Bessent helped broker a May cease-fire in the US-China trade war and said there was “substantial communication” over the weekend — after the Chinese government announced rules Thursday requiring companies to get permission to export products with rare-earth and critical minerals like batteries, magnets and computer chips to power artificial intelligence (AI) products.
Trump sought to thaw tensions some with China on Sunday, saying Xi “doesn’t want Depression for his country, and neither do I. The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!!”
“Don’t worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment,” he also claimed in a Truth Social post.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Sunday that the new rules are not intended as export bans and that there may be flexibility in enforcement, including “license exemptions to effectively promote legitimate trade.”
“This is China versus the world — they have pointed a bazooka at the supply chains and the industrial base of the entire free world, and we’re not going to have it,” Bessent said on Fox Business. “A group of bureaucrats in China cannot tell us and our allies how to run our supply system.”
Major US stock market indices were up Monday morning after plummeting Friday on fears of a renewed trade war.
Quote:The Clintons have pushed back their deposition dates for the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had been expected to testify before the panel last week on Oct. 9 — but did not appear — and former President Bill Clinton was slated to be grilled on his ties to Epstein on Tuesday.
But an Oversight Committee spokesperson told The Post Monday that the panel is “having conversations with the Clintons’ attorney to accommodate their schedules.”
“The deposition won’t occur tomorrow,” the spokesperson said of Bill’s upcoming testimony.
The Clintons were subpoenaed in early August by Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) as part of the panel’s review of the federal government’s probe into Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Everybody in America wants to know what went on in Epstein Island, and we’ve all heard reports that Bill Clinton was a frequent visitor there, so he’s a prime suspect to be deposed by the House Oversight Committee,” Comer said of the former president’s subpoena during an interview with Newsmax in August.
The Kentucky Republican, who has led the Oversight panel since January 2023, described the Clinton summons as “the most challenging subpoena I’ve ever issued.”
“ut what makes this subpoena different is that the Democrats voted with Republicans,” Comer added.
Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges, visited the White House at least 17 times — beginning shortly after Bill Clinton was sworn into office in 1993.
The late financier also donated $10,000 to the in 1993 to the White House Historical Association, according to the former first lady’s files.
Quote:New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy — who was overseas for a wedding as a powerful nor’easter made its way up the coast to his home state — faced a barrage of criticism for his latest globe-trotting jaunt as his reps remained tight-lipped about whether he planned on cutting his trip short.
Saturday’s state of emergency declaration was made by Lt. Gov Tahesha Way — currently serving as acting governor of the Garden State — while Murphy and his wife, Tammy, were already long gone.
Spokesman Tyler Jones told The Post the state’s first couple were at a friend’s wedding in Europe and not coming home until Tuesday.
Jones declined to elaborate where in Europe the Murphys were traveling, nor whose wedding they were attending. The outgoing term-limited Democrat is known to have a villa in Italy where he takes frequent excursions with his family.
Murphy’s office didn’t return a request for comment Monday.
No public announcement was made prior to Murphy being out of town, although the governor’s office did send out his public schedule to a large number of reporters before the trip.
On Monday, Murphy’s post on X acknowledging Indigenous People’s Day — the woke left’s thumb-in-the-eye answer to Columbus Day — was met with a torrent of jabs over his frequent-flyer ways.
“Today, let us also honor New Jersey’s Indigenous communities – from the Ramapough-Munsee Lenape Nation in Ramapo to the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation in Bridgeton. #IndigenousPeoplesDay,” Murphy wrote.
Quote:A state of emergency has been declared in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County in New York as a powerful nor’easter that was tearing up the East Coast slammed portions of the Northeast on Sunday and Monday with powerful winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul made the announcement on Sunday evening.
“Due to the ongoing nor’easter, I’m declaring a State of Emergency for NYC, Long Island and Westchester,” she said in a post on X. “We’re ready to assist local partners as damaging winds and heavy rain move in, with the potential for flooding and power outages.”
Because of the inclement weather and the state of emergency, New York City’s Columbus Day Parade was forced to be canceled.
“Due to the Governor’s declaration of a State of Emergency on the evening of October 12 in response to the dangerous weather conditions brought on by the nor’easter, including high winds, heavy rain and flooding in surrounding areas, we must cancel the 81st Annual Columbus Day Parade for the safety of all participants and viewers,” officials said in an announcement.
Officials said the parade cannot be rescheduled and will be held again in 2026.
Video recorded in Freeport, New York, on Long Island, showed flooded streets as the nor’easter continued to impact the area Sunday night and into Monday morning.
The nor’easter first slammed areas of the Southeast and Carolinas over the weekend, dumping several inches of rain and producing tropical storm-force wind gusts from an already-battered North Carolina coast up to the Jersey Shore.
Quote:Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani fundraised for an infamous United Nations relief agency with well-documented ties to Hamas over the weekend — drawing outrage from Republican North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Stefanik, who has said she’ll run in next year’s gubernatorial election, also tore into Gov. Kathy Hochul over her support for the Democratic mayoral nominee, Mamdani, as she denounced him as an “antisemite.”
“On the eve of all the living hostages held by Hamas terrorists finally returning home, @KathyHochul endorsed Antisemite Communist NYC Mayor candidate is raising funds for an organization that participated in the October 7th terrorist attacks and brutally held hostages captive,” Stefanik raged on X.
“Do not let the pro-Hamas jihadis win and destroy NY! FIRE HOCHUL.”
Mamdani had proudly posted an image of himself running the “New York City Gaza 5K” to raise money for the notorious UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Sunday.
The Big Apple mayoral frontrunner billed UNRWA as a benevolent organization that “delivers critical humanitarian aid and services to Palestinians in Gaza.”
Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack against Israel, multiple investigations found that several planners and participants in the massacre were on UNRWA’s payroll.
UNRWA later fired 10 of the 12 staff members allegedly involved in the attacks after being informed by Israel. The other two were confirmed to have died.
Over 10% of UNRWA’s main and senior education staff in the Gaza Strip were members of Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to a November 2024 report from the Israeli non-profit organization IMPACT-se.
In 2023, the US sent $154 million to UNRWA. Trump quickly yanked funding for the group after roaring back into the White House in January.
The Post reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment.
His wife, meanwhile, on Sunday publicly mourned the death of Palestinian influencer Saleh al-Jafarawi, who openly glorified the Oct. 7 attacks.
Jafarawi, who documented the war in Gaza, was confirmed killed Sunday in clashes between Hamas and other Palestinian factions, according to reports.
Quote:New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani’s wife publicly mourned the death of a Palestinian influencer who openly glorified the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.
Rama Duwaji, an animator who tied the knot with the socialist in a February civil ceremony, posted four broken-heart emojis on Instagram Sunday to grieve Palestinian influencer Saleh al-Jafarawi.
“Beloved Jafarawi,” she wrote on her Instagram story.
Jafarawi, who documented the war in Gaza, was confirmed killed Sunday in clashes between Hamas and other Palestinian factions, according to reports.
Jafarawi’s death was cheered by many Israelis, who saw him as a Hamas propagandist, though many pro-Palestinian activists mourned him.
The 27-year-old Palestinian became known as “Mr. FAFO” in Israeli media because he gleefully celebrated the Hamas terror attack.
He then posted a video of himself sobbing when Israel launched strikes on Gaza and began its war on Hamas.
Video posted to Jafarawi’s X account, where he had more than 250,000 followers, showed him dead — wearing a press vest.
MIDDLE EAST, YEAH, THIS REGION COULD NOT BE IGNORED
Quote:President Trump publicly urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his bribery charges in a stunning off-script moment during his triumphant speech to the Knesset on Monday.
“Hey, I have an idea. Mr. President, why don’t you give him a pardon? Give him a pardon,” Trump said during his rousing address to the Israeli parliament, triggering big applause.
“By the way, that wasn’t in the speech, as you probably know, but I happen to like this gentleman right over here,” Trump continued.
“It just seems to make so much sense. You know whether we like it or not, this has been one of the greatest wartime [leaders].”
“And cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?”
Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history, had been indicted in 2019 on charges of breach of trust, bribery and fraud.
The charges revolve around three cases and include accusations that the PM and his wife reaped lavish gifts such as champagne and cigars from the wealthy Israeli elite.
Netanyahu is also accused of offering Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli newspaper, and telecom giant Bezeq assistance in exchange for more positive coverage of himself.
Prosecutors rested their case last year, and defense attorneys have cross-examined witnesses in a long, drawn-out process.
Netanyahu had been set to testify, but that has been delayed due to scheduling snarls.
The prime minister has vehemently denied the allegations against him. So far, the trial has featured testimony from over 140 witnesses, including once-close allies, and a wide array of evidence such as text messages and recordings.
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump boasted in a speech to world leaders that the Gaza peace agreement could be his “greatest deal” yet — claiming it could end 3,000 years of conflict in the region.
“All I’ve done all my life is deals. The greatest deals just sort of happen,” Trump, 79, said at a celebratory peace-deal signing attended by dozens of nations in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
“And that’s what happened right here. And maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all.”
Trump basked in the praise of prominent NATO allies and Muslim world leaders in the Red Sea resort city after Hamas released 20 Israeli hostages held during the two-year war in exchange for a prisoner release and troop pullback by Israel.
The leaders of France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia, Jordan and Egypt attended the celebration in Egypt, which Trump heralded as about much more than Gaza.
The American leader said permanent peace could be achieved for the first time since the days of David and Goliath.
“From ancient times, this region has been extraordinarily mixed with respect to people, culture, religions and all of the different elements of national characters, unlike maybe anywhere else on Earth,” Trump said.
“And for 3,000 years, there’s been conflict. For whatever reason, there’s been tremendous conflict, always conflict. But today, for the first time anyone can remember, we have a once in a lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us.”
With the world’s leaders looking on, Trump signed a document enshrining his 20-point peace plan, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Qatari Emir Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signing as guarantors.
Quote:President Trump joked Monday that the Norwegian representative to the Gaza peace conference was hiding after the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee snubbed him Friday by giving its prestigious peace prize to a Venezuelan opposition leader.
“We have Norway. Oh, Norway, aye aye aye! Norway, what happened? Norway, what happened?” Trump said during a celebratory speech on the peace agreement he helped broker between Hamas and Israel.
“Where’s Norway? I don’t think he wants to stand. Oh, he’s back there.”
It was not immediately clear who was representing the Nordic kingdom at the peace deal ceremony in Egypt.
Trump, 79, was snubbed three days prior despite a campaign by his US and foreign supporters to win him the honor, which controversially was given to former President Barack Obama during his first year in office.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee is chosen by the country’s parliament and decided to honor Maria Machado, a former member of Venezuela’s National Assembly who was barred last year from running for president against authoritarian socialist incumbent Nicolas Maduro.
Nominations for the Peace Prize technically were due Jan. 31, the same month Trump reclaimed power and before he brokered a growing list of international accords. Some of his advisers believe he stands a better shot next year.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, asked by Trump to address the Egyptian gathering, announced that he’s re-nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in ending four days of fighting in May with neighboring India.
The governments of Israel and Cambodia also nominated Trump for the prize this year, citing his role ending their fighting with Iran and Thailand, respectively.
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, who in August jointly called for Trump to receive the honor for helping end their decades-old conflict, both attended the Gaza ceremony, with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan approaching Trump afterward to thank him.
“Today is one of the greatest days in contemporary history,” Sharif said Monday of the Gaza peace deal.
Quote:U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Iran is “tired" of war following June’s 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which included U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities. Speaking at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on Monday, Trump said Washington is ready for peace, signaling a potential diplomatic shift after years of tensions.
“Iran, we are ready when you are and it will be the best decision Iran has ever made, and it’s gonna happen,” Trump said, emphasizing that peace would benefit both nations.
Newsweek has contacted the State Department and Iran's Foreign Ministry via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump’s visit to the Middle East comes at a moment when the region remains fragile amid the Gaza conflict, the release of hostages, and recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. His remarks signal an attempt to convert military pressure into leverage, showing Tehran that continued escalation carries costs, while opening a possible path for diplomacy. The strikes and regional dynamics have left Iran weakened and more isolated, underlining the limits of its influence in the Middle East.
The trip also reinforces U.S. commitment to Israel and regional allies, underscoring Washington’s role in shaping security, deterring aggression, and influencing the balance of power across the region.
What To Know
During the 12-day war, Israel’s surprise airstrikes targeted Iranian positions, while the U.S. struck three major nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Trump described the operation as a decisive move: “We dropped 14 bombs on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which has been confirmed to have obliterated those facilities.” He credited the campaign with preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and reducing the broader threat to Israel and its neighbors.
At the same time, he suggested a potential diplomatic path, saying, “It would be great if we made a peace deal with them, wouldn’t it be nice, I think they want to, I think they’re tired,” signaling that Iran’s weakened position could create openings for negotiation.
Israel's Role
Praising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said: “Great job and my people loved working with you. Many of Iran’s top terrorists, including nuclear scientists and commanders, have been extinguished from this earth.” He credited the coordinated operations for weakening Iran-backed forces across the region and shifting the balance of power in favor of Israel and its allies. Trump also highlighted the release of hostages from Gaza, held by Hamas for two years, as evidence of U.S.-Israeli cooperation and broader regional stabilization.
Quote:President Trump left the door open Monday for a potential Palestinian state, telling reporters “we’ll have to see” if a one-state or two-state solution would be the better path forward for Gaza.
The president made the remark on the future of the Palestinian enclave as he traveled back to Washington aboard Air Force One, after taking part in the historic signing of the first phase of an Israel-Hamas peace deal in Egypt.
“Well, we’re going to have to see,” Trump told reporters when asked about how the strip will be governed if the peace deal holds. “A lot of people like the one-state solution, some people like the two-state solution. We’ll have to see.”
Trump noted that he hasn’t publicly commented on the solution he prefers.
The president’s 20-point peace framework calls for Gaza to be governed by a “temporary transitional” Palestinian committee overseen by an international “Board of Peace”— headed by Trump himself – as the strip is redeveloped.
The framework notes that upon the redevelopment of Gaza, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
“At some point I’ll decide what I think is right,” Trump told reporters. “But it would be in coordination with other states and other countries.”
Trump indicated that he didn’t discuss the political future of Gaza with the world leaders gathered in Egypt for the signing ceremony.
“I’m not talking about single state or double state … I’m talking about the rebuilding of Gaza,” he said.
“That was a power room,” Trump continued. “Those are the richest countries … really, seriously rich countries, and they can handle it.”
Quote:ABC’s “The View” lauded the safe return of Israeli hostages on Monday, with co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin praising her former boss Donald Trump and his administration’s key role in the historic moment.
If this deal holds, Griffin said, it is a “massive diplomatic achievement.”
“The whole world can breathe a sigh of relief,” she said. Earlier, co-host Whoopi Goldberg played clips of celebrations of the current peace in the war-torn area, saying, “we can all pray that it stays that way.”
Griffin said there were no Jews around the world who didn’t feel the impact of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists went on a horrific rampage, killing more than 1,100 people and kidnapping 250 others, including young children.
“Whether you like Trump or not, I think he, I think [Special Envoy] Steve Witkoff, and I think Jared Kushner do deserve credit for this deal,” Griffin said, noting the direct negotiations between the latter two and Hamas. “I used to be of the mind that we don’t negotiate with terrorists, but sometimes the only way to get peace is to sit down with some of the most evil people and try to come up with what we can do to end the bloodshed. So thank God, I pray that this peace holds.”
Griffin pledged in January to wear a MAGA hat if Trump freed the Israeli hostages.
“If he gets the Israeli hostages out, I promise i will wear a MAGA hat for one day on the show, and say, ‘Thank you for doing it,’” she said on the show.
Co-host Sara Haines noted Monday that the deal had left Hamas, the terrorist group that governs Gaza, in a powerless position. The deal freed 2,000 Palestinian prisoners or detainees of Israel during the conflict as well, and there is a ceasefire as of Monday.
On Monday, Trump addressed the Israeli Knesset, where he celebrated the deal and basked in gushing praise from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his support of Israel and role in getting the surviving hostages home to their families.
Trump called the moment a “historic dawn of a new Middle East” and called on the rebuilding of Gaza from the rubble of the war.
“Donald Trump went on record saying, there are things Israel now needs to do as well, so his deal was a compromise,” Haines said. “Neither side got everything they wanted, but most importantly those hostages are home.”
Quote:The mother of freed Israeli soldier Matan Angrest said her son was beaten so savagely by his Hamas captors that he blacked out — in one of many chilling accounts emerging since the release of 20 surviving hostages under the Israel–Hamas peace deal this week.
“He remembers being beaten so badly that he lost consciousness,” Anat Angrest told local media in Israel as she described her son’s ordeal after his abduction on Oct. 7, 2023.
“They covered him with black sacks and dragged him away,” she told Haaretz.
Angrest, an Israel Defense Forces soldier taken from his tank near Gaza, told his family that during airstrikes, tunnel walls collapsed around him.
“Many times they found themselves buried in dust under the rubble, trying to climb out and survive,” his mother said.
She added that for the last four months of captivity, he was confined to a dark tunnel.
Several of the freed hostages — among them Ariel Cunio and Rom Braslavski — were kept in complete isolation, Haaretz reported.
Cunio told Israel’s public broadcaster Kan that he spent his entire captivity alone, unaware for months that his brother David and partner Arbel Yehoud were still alive.
Braslavski, 21, was also held alone and told relatives he was starved, shackled, and forced to sleep barefoot on cold ground.
Survivors said Hamas guards ate in front of them while they went hungry.
“The treatment grew harsher once the IDF resumed ground operations in March,” Kan reported.
Channel 13 News said the hostages were never given shoes and that some were kept chained continuously.
The parents of Alon Ohel said their 24-year-old son was shifted through tunnels in Gaza until several weeks ago, when he was moved to serve as a human shield.
“They suddenly moved him to another tunnel in central Gaza,” his parents told Channel 12.
“The IDF had announced an operation to capture [Gaza] City, and they moved him to use him as a human shield.”
Quote:Hamas on Monday said it has recalled 7,000 members of its security forces to “cleanse Gaza of outlaws and collaborators,” including militiamen armed by Israel — sparking fears of a bloody civil war inside the war-torn enclave.
The terror group made the announcement after Israeli Defense Force began pulling back its troops as they fulfill their part of the historic peace deal brokered by President Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Without the IDF in control and Hamas struggling following two years of war with Israel, some experts caution that a struggle among the Palestinians is now brewing as factions seek to fill the power vacuum left behind.
“Gaza is flooded with arms. Looters have stolen thousands of weapons and rounds of ammunition from Hamas stores during the war, and some groups have even received supplies from Israel,” a former Palestinian Authority security officer told the BBC on Monday.
“This is a perfect recipe for civil war: weapons, frustration, chaos, and a movement desperate to reassert control over a shattered and exhausted population.”
Hamas in a statement claimed that it was “imposing order and restoring security and stability following the cease-fire.”
However, Hamas claims that it is “restoring order” to Gaza, with the terrorist group posting statements to its official media website quoting a group dubbed “The Gaza City Families Gathering” supporting them for “enforcing order and protecting the lives and property of citizens.”
“Gaza will rise again, strong with the will of its people, and capable of restoring life despite all the attempts at confusion and disruption directed by the occupation,” the group said.
Phase two of the peace deal calls for the disarmament of Hamas, but so far, the terrorist group has rejected the idea, seeking further talks before taking next steps.
Thousands of Palestinians have fought against Hamas throughout the war in Gaza, senior Israeli officials have told The Post.
Tensions have also been rising between Hamas and the Al Qaeda-linked Dughmush clan — one of Gaza’s most powerful factions that’s long been at odds with Hamas, the BBC reported.
Quote:GAZA STRIP — Senior Israel Defense Force commanders have warned dismantling Hamas’ terror tunnels under Gaza needs to be a top priority if the ceasefire is to hold.
Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Hamas-Israel war does not include details on how Hamas infrastructure such as its underground tunnels and weapons production facilities will be destroyed.
Israel Defense Forces Res. Brigadier General Danny Van Buren told The Post the eradication of the Hamas tunnels “is a major part of demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
“In order to keep the ceasefire and put a foundation for peace in place, one necessary part is to eliminate Hamas infrastructure.
“The tunnel system is the major weapon Hamas still has… When I looked at the 20-point Trump plan, the weak part is the way we are going to demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
“I am not sure if there is a good mechanism to destroy the tunnels. They will not give up weapons voluntarily.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said after the safe return of all 20 remaining living hostages Monday, the next phase is “the destruction of all of Hamas’ terror tunnels in Gaza.”
The “Gaza metro,” as it is known within Israel’s security establishment, contains more than 310 miles of tunnels, half the length of the New York Subway system.
Recently built tunnels were being discovered right up until the ceasefire went into effect on Oct. 10. The tunnels – often built below hospitals and civilian infrastructure – have been used by Hamas terrorists to hide, stockpile weapons, make bombs and get around Gaza unnoticed. The first tunnel networks were first discovered by the IDF in 2013.
The IDF granted The Post rare access to see a freshly discovered Hamas terrorist tunnel under a hospital compound firsthand in the nearly encircled Gaza City on October 3.
Amid the sounds of artillery fire and sporadic rifle shots in a near-gutted apartment building seized from Hamas terrorists in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, a senior IDF identified the newly discovered 1.5-kilometer-long and 18 to 25-meter-deep Hamas tunnel, which ran across the compound of the closed Jordanian Field Hospital.
“Hamas company commanders and fighters were with the Jordanians” in the Field Hospital, the official claimed.
Quote:An Indian student has become the first known national from his country to be detained in the Ukraine War after he was allegedly strong-armed into fighting for Russia to dodge a prison sentence, according to reports.
Sahil Majothi, a 22-year-old from Gujarat, was captured by Ukrainian forces and featured in a viral video posted to Facebook this week by Ukraine’s 63rd Mechanized Brigade, where he claimed he joined the Russian army in exchange for freedom after he was allegedly framed in a drug case last April, his mother told BBC News.
Majothi reportedly moved to Russia in January 2024, completed a language course in St. Petersburg, and then relocated to Moscow for college, the outlet reported.
While studying, he also worked as a kitchenware courier in Moscow.
In April 2024, his mother, Hasina Majothi, claims someone slipped drugs into a package while he was on a delivery run.
The young student was then arrested and held for six months before being sentenced to seven years in a Russian prison. His family hired a lawyer, but soon lost all contact, the mother recalled.
“The police caught him with it and charged him,” Hasina Majothi told the outlet.
In the clip released by Ukraine’s 63rd Mechanized Brigade, Majothi claimed he was given a choice to fight for Russia or rot in jail.
The exact date or location when the clip was taken cannot be verified.
“I don’t know how he ended up in Ukraine. I only found out through the viral video,” Hasina Majothi said.
Majothi also said he was promised sums ranging from 100,000 to over a million roubles for his military service, but never received a dime.
After just 15 days of basic training in September 2024, he was reportedly tossed into the war zone — and by Oct. 1, one day after being deployed, Majothi claims he split from his Russian unit following an altercation with a commander.
He then stumbled upon a Ukrainian dugout and asked for help, the outlet said.
After the video went viral, Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad questioned members of Majothi’s family, the outlet reported.
ATS officials in India confirmed details of his arrest and detention in Russia to the outlet.
His detainment comes amid rising concerns that Indian nationals have been recruited into the Russian military.
Quote:President Trump has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington for discussions this week, fresh off the high of ending the war in Gaza, The Post can confirm.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Olha Stefanishyna confirmed that Zelensky received an “official invitation for the president of Ukraine to come to the United States for a meeting,” the embassy exclusively told The Post on Monday.
Zelensky later confirmed the White House meeting would happen Friday, when they “will discuss a series of steps that I intend to propose.”
First, a delegation of Ukrainian officials including Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, Zelensky’s chief adviser Andriy Yermak and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov will arrive in the nation’s capital for a series of discussions this week with Washington leaders.
“There will be several other important meetings – with defense companies, and possibly with senators and members of Congress,” Zelensky said in a post to X. “I will also meet with energy companies.”
“This is necessary — it was President Trump’s proposal — and I will meet with these companies because there are pressing needs linked to various formats of attacks, not even the attacks that Russia has already carried out. In any case, we must be prepared. So, it will be helpful,” he added.
It comes after Zelensky and Trump held back-to-back calls on Saturday and Sunday, the Ukrainian president said in a post to X on Monday. The White House invitation was extended after the calls, per the Ukrainian embassy.
“Yesterday, we agreed on a set of topics to discuss today, and we covered all the aspects of the situation: defense of life in our country, strengthening our capabilities — in air defense, resilience, and long-range capabilities,” Zelensky said of the conversations.
“We also discussed many details related to the energy sector.”
Quote:Hungary has dropped its opposition to a proposed European Union-wide ban on liquified natural gas (LNG) from Russia, bringing the bloc's 19th sanctions package one step closer to reality as Brussels seeks a united front on raising the costs of Moscow's war against Ukraine.
Why It Matters
Landlocked Hungary and neighboring Slovakia remain the EU's top destinations for Russian fossil fuel, with imports totaling $450 million and $298 million in August, according to data compiled by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Because EU sanctions require the support of all 27 members to proceed, both Budapest and Bratislava have used their leverage to secure an exemption, arguing that switching suppliers too quickly would jeopardize their economies.
The shift comes as Brussels and President Donald Trump—who pledged to end the war in Ukraine within 100 days of beginning his second term—put pressure on Russia as President Vladimir Putin rebuffs calls for a negotiated end to the conflict, now nearing its fourth year.
Newsweek reached out to the Hungarian and Russian foreign ministries and the White House for comment.
What To Know
The latest sanctions package, announced September 19, seeks to further restrict European revenues funding Russia's war chest.
In addition to closing the loophole on Russian LNG, the package would lower the oil price cap on Russian crude oil to $47.60, sanction over 100 additional vessels believed to be in the "shadow" fleet of sanctions-busting vessels, and implement full bans on business with Russian energy giants such as Gazprom and Rosneft.
For Budapest, the shift coincides with new efforts to diversify energy sources.
On October 2, state-owned MVM CEEnergy signed its longest-ever LNG contract—a decade-long deal with France’s Engie—to supply 400 million cubic meters of gas per year between 2028 and 2038, Hungarian media reported.
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who announced the Engie deal, called it “a pillar of energy security,” emphasizing that diversification “does not mean closing one route when another opens.” He stressed that energy independence “must remain a matter of national sovereignty.”
Meanwhile, Hungary is courting Turkmenistan as another potential source. Deputy Secretary of State for Eastern Affairs Adam Stifter said in an October 1 statement Turkmenistan is a "reliable partner" that Budapest hopes "will soon become a gas supplier to Europe—and, more precisely, to Hungary.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a right-wing populist and one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe, has long maintained that sanctions risk damaging Europe’s competitiveness more than Russia’s.
The central European country has increased its supply of Russian gas since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and is contracted to receive 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Russian majority state-owned gas company Gazprom until 2036.
Quote:Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has said any U.S. delivery of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles "could end badly" after U.S. President Donald Trump floated sending the missiles to Kyiv.
Why It Matters
Vice President JD Vance suggested last month the U.S. could consent to Ukraine's long-repeated request for Tomahawk sea-launched missiles, which would add significantly to Kyiv's ability to strike deep into Russia. The weapons have a range of roughly 1,550 miles, broadly similar to the Kalibr cruise missiles the Kremlin has frequently used against Ukraine.
Russia has warned it would destroy Washington's relations with Moscow and that the missiles can't be used by Ukraine without U.S. involvement.
What To Know
Medvedev, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the current deputy chair of Russia's security council, said on Monday the "delivery of these missiles could end badly for everyone," before adding: "Most of all, for Trump himself."
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment via email.
Trump and Medvedev have previously publicly clashed, including when Medvedev alluded to Russia's "dead hand" mechanism, which is designed to launch nuclear weapons even if Russia's most senior commanders are taken out by an enemy attack.
Trump then deployed two U.S. Navy nuclear submarines after what he called Medvedev's "highly provocative" statements. The Republican has labeled Medvedev, who is well known for his bellicose social media commentary, a "stupid person."
"One can only hope that this is another empty threat," Medvedev said in his Monday post to messaging app Telegram, adding: "Like sending nuclear submarines closer to Russia."
Trump said he "may" send the missiles when fielding questions from journalists on Air Force One, en route to Israel overnight into Monday. "We'll see," the U.S. president added.
"I might say 'Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks,'" Trump said.
Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Sunday he had spoken with Trump twice in two days and discussed "strengthening" Ukraine, including the country's long-range capabilities. The conversations were "productive," Zelensky added.
A spokesperson for Kyiv's foreign ministry had said last week there was a "very detailed and active discussion about the possibility of providing these missiles."
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna has said the Russian embassy in Washington, D.C. had given her Moscow’s report into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Luna, a congresswoman for Florida’s 13th district, posted on X that she had received the documents and they would be reviewed and translated by experts before being publicly released.
Russia's Embassy to the U.S. confirmed on X that it had provided Luna with the archives, adding the documents would be published in Russia in November.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian embassy in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. State Department for comment.
Why It Matters
John F. Kennedy was shot on November 22,1963 while traveling in an open-top motorcade in Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine, was arrested over the killing but was himself shot dead before facing trial by Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub operator.
The 1964 Warren Commission concluded Oswald had acted alone, though the killing has been subject to conspiracy theories and public interest is likely to be stoked by Luna’s X post.
What To Know
Luna, who is chairwoman of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, said in March the range of JFK theories was fueled because "the government was not transparent."
She also praised the executive order by President Donald Trump to declassify the assassination files of JFK, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
Luna's X post will renew interest in the historic killing. She had recently teased that she would receive Russia’s report into the JFK assassination and her post on Tuesday confirmed she had received a hard copy of the 350-page report.
"We have been given access to them now for the first time in history," she said, adding that Congress had attempted to obtain these files in the 1990s but was denied access.
A team of experts—including investigative journalist and CIA expert Jefferson Morley—will translate and review the documents which would be uploaded as soon as possible to ensure the American people had direct access to them, she said.
Archive documents linked to the assassination had been handed to Luna when she was received at the residence of Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Alexander Darchiev, said his embassy on X.
The statement also said that many files had been presented by the Soviet representative at Kennedy’s funeral, Anastas Mikoyan.
Quote:The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a long-running challenge to a federal rule allowing certain spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States, leaving intact a 2024 appellate decision that upheld the program’s legality.
Newsweek contacted immigration attorneys for comment via email outside of normal office hours on Wednesday.
Why It Matters
The Supreme Court’s decision to let stand a rule allowing certain spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States preserves a key source of economic and family stability for thousands of immigrant households and the employers who rely on them.
By declining to hear a challenge from a group representing displaced U.S. tech workers, the justices effectively affirmed the government’s authority to grant work authorization to H-4 visa holders—a policy central to retaining high-skilled talent in a tightening labor market.
The outcome provides relief for families navigating long green-card backlogs and offers rare continuity in a politically charged area of immigration law that affects both the U.S. workforce and the country’s global competitiveness.
What To Know
In an order issued Monday, the justices denied a petition by Save Jobs USA, a group representing American technology workers who argued that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) overstepped its authority when it extended work authorization to holders of H-4 visas—dependents of H-1B skilled workers.
The Court did not provide an explanation for its decision, consistent with its usual practice.
Nearly A Decade Of Legal Challenges Ends
The denial marks the end of nearly a decade of litigation that began after the Obama administration adopted the “Employment Authorization for Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses” rule in 2015.
The regulation permits spouses of H-1B workers who are pursuing permanent residency to obtain work authorization.
DHS estimated at the time that roughly 180,000 individuals would benefit in the first year and about 55,000 annually thereafter.
Save Jobs USA’s petition, filed in August 2024, asked the Court to determine whether DHS could “grant work authorization for classes of nonimmigrants for whom Congress has refused to grant work authorization.”
The group contended that the agency’s interpretation of immigration law “creates a separate immigration system that subverts the one Congress put in place.”
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals had previously rejected that argument, holding in Save Jobs USA v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security that federal law gave DHS authority to permit employment for nonimmigrants in limited circumstances.
The appeals court said that a related 2022 decision upholding a work-authorization program for foreign students “squarely forecloses” the challenge to the H-4 rule.
Quote:John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, was indicted on Thursday on charges of illegally storing and transmitting classified information.
Why It Matters
Bolton became a vocal critic of Trump after leaving the administration in 2019. The investigation into Bolton began before Trump's second term.
Other critics of the president have recently been indicted on federal charges. Prosecutors are accusing former FBI Director James Comey of lying to Congress and New York Attorney General Letitia James of committing bank fraud and making a false statement. Both deny the accusations.
What To Know
Bolton was indicted on 18 counts, eight counts of transmission of national defense information and 10 counts of retention of national defense information, according to the indictment obtained by PBS.
The case was filed by U.S. Maryland Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who had been a career prosecutor in the office before being elevated to the current job.
The indictment alleges that Bolton sent "diary-like entries" to two individuals, who are not named in the document but whose identities are known by the grand jury, containing information classified up to the top secret level. Prosecutors allege that this activity happened from on or about April 9, 2018, to on or about September 15, 2019.
The indictment alleges that Bolton sent these individuals information from his personal non-governmental email accounts, such as ones hosted by AOL and Google.
Prosecutors also suggest that classified information was exposed when operatives believed to be linked to the Iranian regime hacked Bolton’s email account in 2021. A Bolton representative told the FBI his emails had been hacked, but did not reveal that he had shared classified information through the account, the indictment alleges.
When was John Bolton's House and Office Raided by the FBI?
The FBI searched Bolton's Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office in August. During the search, agents seized multiple documents labeled “classified,” “confidential” and “secret” from the office, according to previously unsealed court filings obtained by the Associated Press.
Quote:Former special counsel Jack Smith has been formally referred to the Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility and two state bar panels for potential misconduct and disbarment, following revelations that his team secretly obtained phone metadata from nine Republican lawmakers during the Biden administration’s investigation into 2020 election interference, the New York Post first reported.
In a letter sent Friday to Attorney General Pam Bondi, led by Republican Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, GOP lawmakers accused Smith of violating constitutional protections by subpoenaing telecom companies for call logs, including time, duration, recipient, and location, without clear legal justification.
Newsweek reached out to Blackburn's office via contact form and Smith's attorney via email for comment on Friday afternoon. The Department of Justice declined to comment.
Why It Matters
The call for further investigation into Smith comes days after the former special counsel defended his investigations into President Donald Trump and denounced what he saw as growing politicization within and of the DOJ—something Trump complained about during his years out of office.
What To Know
The lawmakers allege that the data sweep targeted members of Congress solely for their support of Trump and breached the Speech or Debate Clause, raising concerns about the separation of powers and potential political retaliation.
The complaint also links Smith’s actions to the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” probe, which tracked dozens of conservative figures and groups, and calls for disciplinary review by legal authorities in Tennessee and New York, where Smith is licensed to practice.
“As part of Jack Smith’s weaponized witch hunt, the Biden DOJ issued subpoenas to several telecommunications companies in 2023 regarding our cell phone records, gaining access to the time, recipient, duration, and location of calls placed on our devices from January 4, 2021, to January 7, 2021," the group of senators, who were allegedly targeted by the probe, wrote.
The letter, seen by the New York Post, goes on to say that the public had yet to learn of any legal predicate for President Joe Biden's DOJ to issue such subpoenas. They also said that Smith's actions infringed on the constitutional rights of elected officials and trampled on the separation of powers, as they called on the same department he worked under to investigate him.
Friday's call to action comes after Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, released details on the phone record seizures earlier this month. He called on Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to hold those responsible accountable.
The Office of Special Counsel confirmed last month that it was investigating Smith following a referral from Senator Tom Cotton, who alleged that Smith had taken deliberate steps in his investigations of the president to influence the 2024 election.
Smith defended himself in an interview in London on October 8, saying that politics played no part in his work. He has denied any wrongdoing, insisting his team worked independently.
Quote:U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, an ally of President Donald Trump and former Fox News host, faced her latest legal setback after a jury found a woman not guilty of assaulting an FBI agent during an immigration raid.
In a statement provided to Newsweek, Pirro wrote, “The jury has spoken and we accept their decision.”
Why It Matters
Pirro's office sought to prosecute Sidney Lori Reid for allegedly assaulting an FBI agent during an immigration arrest of alleged gang members over the summer amid the Trump administration's heightened immigration enforcement. But the case proved to be challenging for prosecutors. Her office failed three times to charge Reid with felony assault; it's uncommon for prosecutors to fail to obtain a grand jury indictment. On Thursday, Pirro's office faced another setback when the jury found Reid not guilty on lesser charges.
What to Know
Prosecutors accused Reid of assaulting FBI agent Eugenia Bates in July while being detained, according to court documents. Reid was allegedly filming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who were conducting an arrest in Washington, D.C. Prosecutors charged her with misdemeanor simple assault after failing to obtain a felony indictment.
Pirro's office alleged that Reid began filming the arrest of two men, allegedly members of the 18th Street gang, on July 22, 2025. Officers allegedly instructed her to step back, but she allegedly placed herself between an agent and suspect.
ICE Officer Vincent Liang then allegedly pushed her against a wall and told her to stop when Bates got involved. Prosecutors said that Reid was “flailing her arms and kicking,” and that Bates’ hand was allegedly “injured from striking and scraping the cement wall causing lacerations” during the struggle, Pirro’s office said in a July press statement.
Quote:President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is imposing a $1,000 fee on most immigrants seeking temporary parole into the United States, citing concerns that the program was exploited under the Biden administration.
Parole grants temporary protection from deportation, allowing individuals to stay in the country for a limited period.
Why It Matters
The fee places a financial burden on migrants seeking entry through parole, effectively making approval contingent on payment. For many families and vulnerable individuals, the cost could be prohibitive, potentially delaying or blocking access. While the administration frames it as a measure to prevent misuse, the policy raises questions about the consequences for migrants.
What To Know
The fee applies to all individuals granted parole under INA Section 212(d)(5)(A), including initial parole, re-parole, parole in place, or parole from DHS custody, unless they qualify for one of 10 statutory exemptions, the agency said. The fee is charged when parole is granted, not when a request for parole is submitted, according to DHS.
DHS said the fee is intended to strengthen oversight of the immigration parole system and reduce potential misuse.
“Through the implementation of this new fee, President Trump and Secretary Noem are guaranteeing that foreign nationals, who wish to stay here, have skin in the game and do not exploit the system," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
Morgan Bailey, a partner at Mayer Brown and a former senior official at DHS, told Newsweek that “the announcement was not unexpected" after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law in July 2025, and it established a new $1,000 fee to be paid by any individual who is paroled into the United States.
"The new 'immigration parole fee' of $1,000 is in addition to any other applicable filing or biometric collection fee," Bailey said.
"Under the Trump Administration, DHS has highlighted operational burdens and vetting vulnerabilities associated with large-scale, categorical parole programs," she added.
“The Biden Administration abused America’s immigration system and turned parole into a de facto amnesty program, thereby allowing millions of unvetted illegal aliens into the U.S., no questions asked, to the detriment of all Americans,” McLaughlin said.
Quote:The U.S. State Department has released its November 2025 visa bulletin, revealing very little change for green card applicants hoping to take the next step toward becoming lawful permanent residents.
Why It Matters
The U.S. State Department’s Visa Bulletin is the central document guiding hopeful immigrants and their families through the green card process.
Changes to the bulletin determine when applicants can take critical steps in their pursuit of lawful permanent residency. For millions following the U.S. immigration system, the speed or stalling of visa cut-off dates can mean the difference between months or years of waiting.
The update provides guidance on when they may be eligible to adjust their immigration status, typically based on the priority date established when an employer or family member filed a sponsorship petition.
What To Know
The bulletin contains two charts: "Final Action Date" (FAD) or "Dates for Filing" (DOF). If an applicant's priority date is earlier than the DOF, they can file a Form I‑485 for adjustment of status. If it is earlier than the FAD, then a visa number is available, and a case could be approved.
While the dates in many categories remained stagnant, changes between October and November include:
FAD F2B (Unmarried Sons/Daughters of Permanent Residents) India moved by nine days from November 22, 2016, to December 1, 2016.
FAD F3 (Married Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) Mexico moved from April 15, 2001, to May 1, 2001.
DOF F1 (Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens) Mexico moved from October 8, 2006, to March 1, 2007.
DOF F2A (Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents) China, India, Mexico, Philippines moved by a month from September 22, 2025, to October 22, 2025
DOF F2B (Unmarried Sons/Daughters of Permanent Residents) China, India, moved from January 1, 2017, to March 8, 2017. Mexico moved from December 15, 2008, to May 15, 2009.
The FADs and DOFs for all employment-based categories remain static between the October and November updates.
Quote:During an appearance on Fox Business Network’s “Varney & Co.,” Whirlpool CEO Marc Bitzer discussed his company’s $300 million investment in Ohio and credited the Trump administration for making it possible.
“All we want is a level playing field,” Bitzer explained. “We’re not looking for subsidies or gifts. And in a level playing field, this factory, and all our factories, can compete very well, and that’s what the tariff policy does. And as such, we’re strong and supportive of tariff policy and actually very thankful.”
“So, is it because of the tariff policies that you’re seeing come to fruition that you’re able to make this significant investment and expand your factories here?” FBN’s Lydia Hu asked.
“Yes, absolutely,” the Whirlpool CEO replied. “I mean, basically, what the tariff policy does. It makes a business case, an economic business case, just much more attractive. Put it differently, this big investment, which we announced today, we would have either scaled down or made it later or hesitated, and now this is basically, you know, any investment is a bet for the future. So yes, our bet is these tariff policies stay: It creates a level playing field, and therefore these economic investments generate a profitable return.”
Quote:Former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy recounted a “chilling” meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in his new book Life, Law & Liberty: A Memoir.
Newsweek reached out to Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Kennedy, appointed to the nation’s highest court by former President Ronald Reagan, published the new memoir on his experience serving as a justice and as a leading public figure in American politics. The book touches on a meeting with Putin, who has for years been an adversary of the American government. Relations between the United States and Russia remain strained amid Moscow’s war against Ukraine, launched by Putin in 2022.
What To Know
An excerpt of Kennedy’s memoir detailing his meeting with Putin was published on Tuesday by SCOTUSblog.
In the excerpt, Kennedy wrote about a trip to Russia “some years back” for an international law conference. During that meeting, Putin requested a meeting with the justice in which the two discussed capital punishment.
Putin allegedly said during the meeting that there “would be no capital punishment in Russia,” and then leaned across the table to deliver a message to Kennedy.
“I have sat across a table from murderers, closer to them than I am to you. And I could have strangled them with my own hands,” Putin allegedly said.
Kennedy wrote that the “interpreter hesitated a bit, leaving me to wonder if he substituted ‘could have’ for ‘did.’” He described it as “chilling” and reinforcing his view of Putin as “fearless in imposing his own will, using the law only if convenient,” SCOTUSblog reported.
The excerpt marks a rare comment from a Supreme Court justice about foreign political leaders. Kennedy joined the court in February 1988 and would serve for three decades until 2018, when he retired. He was succeeded by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, appointed by President Donald Trump.
He was considered a major swing vote on the Court, at times willing to break from the conservative justices on issues like Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in every state.
Quote:Senior Ukrainian officials visiting the U.S. have met with major U.S. defense companies, including the manufacturer of the Tomahawk missile that Kyiv has repeatedly requested.
Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, Rustem Umerov—formerly Ukraine's defense minister, now the head of the country's national security and defense council—as well as Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishyna met with representatives from Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, said Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff.
Why It Matters
Raytheon's Tomahawk cruise missile has an estimated range of roughly 1,550 miles—and Ukraine wants it. While the missile wouldn't be a gamechanger in itself, particularly not in the small numbers the White House would likely send if it greenlights the transfer, Tomahawks would still add significantly to how well Kyiv could hit vital Russian assets far over the border.
What To Know
"Their tech is saving lives: F-16s and advanced air defense systems are shielding Ukrainian skies, while their offensive solutions strongly support our forces on the front line," Yermak said of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Lockheed Martin is the main manufacturer of the F-16 fighter jet, the fourth-generation Western aircraft Ukraine first received more than a year ago.
Raytheon touts the Tomahawk missile as able to get past an enemy's layered air defenses. Russia's rough equivalent is its Kalibr cruise missile, which it has frequently fired at Ukraine.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested in recent days he may be willing to give Tomahawks to Ukraine, in what appears to be a result of increasing frustration with the Kremlin and the glacial pace his administration is making in brokering a ceasefire or peace deal. Observers say Trump is likely using the threat of providing Tomahawks to Kyiv to leverage Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiations which have stalled, despite an in-person summit in Alaska in August.
Russia says it will damage relations with the U.S. if Trump greenlights the transfer, and that it would be an "escalation" of the conflict because Kyiv would need U.S. assistance to use the cruise missiles.
"I might say 'Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks,'" Trump said on Sunday, shortly after speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the second time in as many days. Zelensky said the two leaders had discussed "strengthening" Ukraine, including the country's long-range capabilities.
The Ukrainian leader is expected to join his country's delegation in Washington and meet with Trump to propose what Zelensky called a "series of steps" focusing on air defense and "long-range capabilities."
Quote:The mayor of a major Ukrainian city has been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship after the country's security agency said it had evidence he held a valid Russian passport.
Gennady Trukhanov has served as mayor of the southern port city of Odesa, which has been heavily bombarded by Moscow, since 2014. He denied the accusations and said he would appeal at the country's top court.
Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian presidential office for comment.
Why It Matters
Ukrainian officials cannot hold Russian citizenship and several high-profile individuals have lost their Ukrainian citizenship since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. Ukrainian media reported the Ukrainian presidential office had also revoked the citizenship of two other people on Tuesday, identified as former lawmaker Oleh Tsariov and Serhii Polunin, a professional dancer.
What To Know
Trukhanov is a Russian citizen and has a valid foreign passport for the country, Kyiv's SBU domestic security agency said in a statement on Tuesday.
Trukhanov received the passport in December 2015 and the document is valid for 10 years, the SBU said. Russia had annexed Crimea, the peninsula to the south of mainland Ukraine, from Kyiv the previous year. Moscow had also backed separatists in the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine, collectively known as the Donbas. Moscow currently controls most of the Donbas after more than three and a half years of full-scale war. Odesa, further south, is Ukraine's third largest city and has a long history of contact with Russia.
Trukhanov said in a statement he had never applied for Russian citizenship nor received a Russian passport and would take the decision to the country's supreme court and beyond, to the European Court of Human Rights.
"All speculations regarding my alleged Russian citizenship are due to the fact that citizens of the former Soviet Union automatically acquired citizenship of the Russian Federation under certain circumstances," Trukhanov said. "However, I did not have such circumstances!"
He has for years denied he has a Russian passport, including in the run-up to his election as Odesa mayor.
Quote:ROME (AP) – Italy´s top court has rejected the extradition to Germany of a Ukrainian man arrested on suspicion of setting off explosions that damaged Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany in 2022, his lawyer said on Thursday.
Italy´s Cassation Court on Wednesday annulled a previous decision by a Bologna appeals court, which had ordered the extradition to Germany of the 49-year-old suspect, Serhii Kuznietsov.
The Italian top court has now demanded another panel of the same appeals court to reassess the case, said Kuznietsov’s lawyer, Nicola Canestrini.
Canestrini said the motivations of the Cassation court´s decision have not been filed yet and are expected in the coming weeks.
“In the meantime, I will evaluate whether the conditions exist to request my client´s release, since the legal basis for detention has ceased to exist,” Canestrini added.
The explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which carried Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea until Russia cut off supplies at the end of August 2022. They also damaged the parallel Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which never entered service because Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
German prosecutors opened an investigation after the explosions and officials have pointed to an interest in clearing up what happened.
Kuznietsov was detained on a European arrest warrant Aug. 21 at a campground near the Adriatic coastal city of Rimini, where he was vacationing with his family.
During his first hearing confirming his detention, Kuznietsov denied any involvement in the explosions, saying he was in Ukraine where he was serving in the army as a captain at the time of the blasts.
German prosecutors allege that Kuznietsov organized and carried out the detonation of at least four bombs between 14 and 27 kilograms (around 31 to 62 pounds) at a depth of 70 to 80 meters (230 feet to 263 feet) in the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm on Sept. 26, 2022, according to the extradition papers.
Polish authorities last month arrested another Ukrainian citizen who is suspected of involvement in the undersea explosions. The Warsaw District Court is expected to rule on his extradition on Friday, but the decision can be appealed.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in early October that it was not “in the interest of Poland” to extradite the man.
Quote:A crowd of people gathering in St. Petersburg sang an anti-war song by a Russian musician deemed a “foreign agent” in a video that has gone viral.
The clips widely circulated on Telegram showed the group singing the song “Cooperative Swan Lake” by Noize MC, whose lyrics condemn the authorities, the population’s silence in the war in Ukraine and Kremlin propaganda justifying President Vladimir Putin’s aggression.
It was reported that the person leading the sing-along was arrested, and ultra-nationalist Russians have expressed anger at the scenes.
Why It Matters
Since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has faced a clampdown on freedoms, where public opposition to the war and the government is in effect banned.
Thus, gathering people to sing a song by a prominent anti-government musician is a significant expression of anger at the country’s authorities, carrying considerable risk.
What To Know
Footage shows a group of people in St. Petersburg singing the song by Noize MC, the stage name of Ivan Alekseev, 40, a Russian musician whose work condemns corruption and police abuse in Russia.
Critical of the Russian government and its actions in Ukraine, he has faced concert cancellations, censorship and surveillance and has been labeled a “foreign agent." He has since relocated to Lithuania, where he continues to support anti-war causes and has held benefit concerts for Ukrainians.
The nighttime footage in the center of St. Petersburg showed hundreds of people singing “Cooperative Swan Lake,” which was released in 2022 after the start of the war.
The lyrics take aim at Kremlin TV propaganda justifying the war, with lines like “I want to talk to you, but the TV is blaring, it’s pretending to be your head, its speaker is like your mouth.”
It continues, “I want to watch the ballet, let the swans dance,” in a nod to Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake, which was broadcast on loop following the deaths in 1982, 1984 and 1985 of Soviet leaders Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko.
In August 1991, Swan Lake was also performed during the fall of the Soviet Union. While the aim may have been to calm viewers, it is associated with political disturbance following each political death and instability.
Those gathered sang, “let my grandfather tremble in fear for his 'Ozero' (lake)" in a disparaging reference to Putin and his inner circle known in St. Petersburg as the “Ozero collective.”
“Where have you been these eight years, f****** monsters?” says another line in the song released eight years after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. “Get rid of Solovyov from the screen, let the swans dance,” the song ends.
Vladimir Solovyov is a prominent Kremlin propagandist and Putin ally on the Russia 1 channel. His surname also means "nightingale," adding a double meaning to the lyrics.
As of Wednesday, the clip had received at least 330,000 views and was met with criticism from pro-Kremlin Telegram channels.
“While our boys are shedding blood for their homeland, young people in the cultural capital are jumping up and down, chanting the lyrics of the foreign agent and traitor, Vanya Alekseev,” posted Vipuskayete Krakenaz.
Quote:The director of Russia's domestic FSB intelligence service has accused the U.K., a member of NATO, of direct involvement in attacks on Russia.
“Special units of the British Armed Forces (SAS) are directly involved in combat operations,” Alexander Bortnikov said on Thursday at a meeting of the CIS Council of Security Agencies and Special Services, state news agency RIA reported.
Bortnikov also said, originally in Russian, that "under the patronage of the British special services…acts of terrorism and sabotage are carried out on the territory of the Russian Federation."
He claimed that Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, which hit airfields and strategic bombers deep inside Russia, was conducted "under the direct supervision of British intelligence".
Newsweek has contacted the British Foreign Office for comment.
NATO-Russia Tensions Rise Amid War Talk
The Russian intelligence services regularly accuse Britain of involvement in underhanded and hostile covert acts against Russia and its interests.
The U.K. typically brushes off the claims as Russian propaganda and part of Moscow's hybrid war against Western allies, and does not engage with what it says are conspiracy theories intended to spread disinformation.
But the latest round of accusations comes at a time of a sharp escalation in tensions between Russia and NATO.
Both sides—armed with vast arsenals of nuclear weapons—have characterized themselves as in a form of war with each other, though there has been no formal declaration.
NATO allies accuse Russia of waging a hybrid war against them through provocations such as airspace violations, sabotage plots, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns.
Russia says that NATO's involvement in aiding Ukraine's defense against Moscow's invasion—which the alliance does through the supply of materiel, intelligence, and training, as well as diplomatic support—means they are de facto at war.
Quote:The Kremlin shrugged off U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that India had assured it would no longer buy Russian oil.
Reacting to Trump's remarks, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Moscow is "guided by the official statements" of India and China regarding oil purchases, state news agency Tass reported.
Trump had said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia," adding: "He's not buying his oil from Russia."
India's Ministry of External Affairs would not confirm or deny Trump's version of a conversation with Modi.
Why It Matters
Since the start of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, India has greatly increased its purchases of Russian oil, taking advantage of discounts offered by Moscow, eager to make up for lost market share due to sanctions.
Trump has said that these purchases have helped fund Moscow’s war machine and, in August, imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on India over Russian oil imports, on top of an existing 25 percent levy. This move had angered India, which pointed to China not getting punished despite its role as an even bigger importer of Russian energy.
Trump's latest comments and India's response will add to the anticipation over the outcome of trade talks with New Delhi over a trade deal.
What To Know
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded on Thursday to Trump's statement that the U.S. leader had been assured by Modi that New Delhi would stop buying Russian oil.
Trump had said in the White House that he was unhappy with India's purchases of Russian oil, that Modi had told him these exports would end and that he hoped China would "do the same thing."
Trump also said on Wednesday that it would take time for India to stop its purchases of Russian oil, but this process would be completed “soon” without specifying further, as he touted how Modi was a “friend of mine.”
However, Peskov said that regarding oil purchases, Moscow would be guided by the official statements from the governments of India and China.
The Kremlin spokesman also said that Trump has repeatedly reiterated his intention to persuade countries not to purchase Russian oil, but the positions of these countries needed to be taken into account, TASS reported.
The comment seems to dismiss Trump's remarks about what Modi had told him. India also responded on Thursday by stating that its import policies would safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer, according to The Indian Express.
Spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, said India and Washington were in talks about increasing energy procurement from the U.S. but would not confirm or deny Trump’s claim of a conversation with Modi.
Quote:Russia has reportedly decided to prohibit foreign ships from exercising the right of innocent passage—granted under an international treaty—in waters surrounding a disputed group of islands in the country's Far East that Japan claims as its territory.
The Sankei Shimbun reported that Tokyo has lodged a protest with Moscow through diplomatic channels. Newsweek has emailed Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
The territorial dispute between Russia and Japan centers on the four southernmost Kuril Islands, located between Japan's island of Hokkaido and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The islands, originally controlled by Japan as the Northern Territories, were seized by the Soviet Union in 1945 and have remained under Russian control since.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which established an international legal framework governing activities for the world's oceans, ships of all countries enjoy the right of innocent passage through territorial waters, which generally extend up to 13.8 miles from a coastline.
Innocent passage is defined as "continuous and expeditious" and not prejudicial to the coastal country's peace, good order or security. The UNCLOS states that a coastal country may temporarily suspend the innocent passage of foreign ships in designated areas of its territorial waters if such a suspension is essential for its security.
What To Know
Citing Japan's Foreign Ministry, the Sankei Shimbun reported that Russia's suspension of the right of innocent passage around the disputed islands has been in effect since Monday, applying to foreign naval and government vessels not registered in Russia.
In addition to the remote islands—Shikotan, Kunashiri, Habomai and Etorofu—Russia has banned the right of innocent passage in waters east of Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's four main islands. It remains unclear how long the suspension will last.
While Russia did not provide reasons for the suspension, the report said the Russian military has scheduled "firing exercises" north of Shikotan Island from October 10 to November 1, coinciding with a Japanese war game set to take place across the country.
Innocent passage can be temporarily suspended if it is essential to safeguard the coastal country's security, including during weapons exercises, according to the UNCLOS. However, the suspension takes effect only after it has been duly published.
This was not the first time Russia has announced war games around the southern Kuril Islands, having done so in April, June, July and August, the report said. Japan protested that Russia's latest moves were "incompatible" with Tokyo's position on the islands.
Quote:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday to make his case for the acquisition of long-range Tomahawk missiles for the Ukrainian military, which would mark a significant escalation in the conflict with Russia.
Zelensky's meeting comes after Trump held a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, in which the Russian leader raised objections to Ukraine getting the Tomahawks, Trump said.
Why It Matters
Zelensky is seeking Tomahawks so Ukrainian forces can strike targets deep inside Russia, such as energy infrastructure, military bases and weapons factories. With a range of an estimated 1,550 miles, Tomahawks would also put Moscow in range of Kyiv's forces and, Zelensky hopes, apply more pressure on Putin to make peace two-and-a-half years after Russia's invasion.
Russian officials, including former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, have warned that Ukraine’s acquisition of Tomahawks would "end badly for everyone" and destroy relations between Washington and Moscow.
What To Know
Trump, increasingly frustrated with a lack of progress in his effort to end Russia's war in Ukraine, said last week he had given Putin an ultimatum to either hold serious peace talks with Ukraine or the U.S. president would consider giving Kyiv the missiles.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday after his telephone call with Putin, Trump suggested that the U.S. would be reluctant to supply the missiles to Ukraine and run down its own stocks of the missiles.
"We need Tomahawks for the United States of America too. We have a lot of them but we need them. We can’t deplete for our country. They're very vital," Trump said.
Trump said he had even asked Putin if the U.S. could supply the missiles to Ukraine.
"I did actually say: ‘Would you mind if I gave a couple of thousand Tomahawks to your opposition?’ I did say that to him… He didn’t like the idea," Trump said, adding: "You have to be a little bit light-hearted sometimes."
Trump also announced on Thursday that he would hold a meeting with Putin in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, soon, although no date has been set.
Zelensky said on Friday he had met with representatives of the Raytheon defense company, which makes both the Patriot missile system and Tomahawks.
"I told them about the battlefield situation and Russia’s intensified attacks on our people and civilian infrastructure," Zelensky said in a post on X.
He said he also met representatives of Lockheed Martin, which makes the F-16 fighter jet, to discuss "opportunities to enhance Ukraine's protection from Russian aggression."
Quote:Russian President Vladimir Putin summoned the permanent members of the Russian Security Council late on Thursday night, immediately after his telephone call with President Donald Donald Trump.
Why It Matters
The surprise telephone call between Trump and Putin comes as the U.S. president is deciding whether to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, which would mark a significant escalation in the two-and-a-half year conflict with Russia.
Trump is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later on Friday. Zelensky is expected to argue his case for the acquisition of the missiles that will enable Ukrainian forces to strike targets deep inside Russia, such as energy infrastructure, military bases and weapons factories. Russia has warned against the transfer to Ukraine of Tomahawk missiles.
What To Know
"Yesterday evening, immediately following his telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin gathered the permanent members of the Security Council in the Kremlin and briefed them in detail on the content of the exchange of views with his American counterpart," Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov said, according to TASS, Russia's state news agency.
The call between Putin and Trump was their eighth telephone conversation this year and it lasted for nearly two-and-a-half hours, Tass reported.
The conversation was "substantive, extremely frank, and confidential," Tass cited Ushakov as saying.
Trump announced following Thursday's call with Putin that he would soon meet with the Russian leader in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss ways to end the war. The two also agreed that their senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, would meet next week at an unspecified location.
"Moscow and Washington will 'without delay' begin preparations for a new summit," Tass cited Ushakov as saying.
The meeting, which Trump said could happen "within two weeks or so," will be the first time Putin has been to a European Union country since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in February 2022.
"The conversation covered the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, Washington's possible supply of Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington, and the situation in the Gaza Strip," Tass reported, adding: "Following the conversation, the presidents agreed to remain in touch."
Putin is also expected to speak to Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, later on Friday to arrange details of the upcoming talks between himself and the U.S. president, Tass reported, citing Orban.
Quote:Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called his country an "island of peace" as he teased an upcoming summit there between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Trump announced on Thursday that he would hold a meeting with Putin in Budapest soon, although no date has yet been set. The announcement came ahead of Trump’s scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington D.C. on Friday.
Orban responded to the announcement on X, writing: "Preparations for the USA-Russia peace summit are underway. Hungary is the island of PEACE!"
He added: "The planned meeting between the American and Russian presidents is great news for the peace-loving people of the world. We are ready!"
Quote:NATO’s newest member Sweden is launching its first national food stockpile since the Cold War to build grain reserves amid rising tensions with Russia.
Sweden’s government has allocated 575 million kronor ($60 million) for emergency grain storage with the initial priority given to the north of the country, which civil defense minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said was strategically important for its military and defense.
The move follows warnings by nations situated on NATO’s eastern flank about the security threat posed by Russia, which is accused of sending drones into alliance airspace.
Why It Matters
The Swedish government statement did not mention Russia by name but since Stockholm joined NATO in 2024 it has been among the alliance’s eastern flank members which have warned about the threat posed by Moscow, amid its aggression in Ukraine.
What To Know
The Swedish government said it would set up emergency grain stocks in the north of the country paid for by money earmarked in next year’s budget.
A tender for the project has been launched in the northern counties of Norrbotten, Vasterbotten, Vasternorrland and Jamtland, which are dependent on grain transported from southern Sweden and risk being cut off in the event of a crisis or war.
Bohlin said that the Swedish Board of Agriculture would procure emergency stockpiling of grain in northern Sweden, which would be circulated so as not to disrupt market mechanisms and to avoid stocks perishing.
The Swedish government said up to 95 percent of the population could survive on grains for three months without any nutrient deficiencies in the plan which would provide people with 3,000 calories a day.
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has published a list of recommended foods that are high in fat and protein, and easy to store such as dried meat or fish, jam, chocolate, mashed potatoes, powdered milk and biscuits.
The policy comes as fears grow that Moscow is testing the West with drone incursions that have been reported in Poland, Germany, Denmark and Norway.Last month Estonia invoked NATO’s Article 4 after it said Russian aircraft entered its airspace.
Quote:A German woman who stole the top of an ancient Greek column more than half a century ago has returned it to Greece — ending a decades-long absence for the 2,400-year-old artifact taken from the birthplace of the Olympic Games.
The Ionic column capital, made of limestone and measuring about 9 inches high and 13 inches wide, was taken from the Leonidaion, a 4th-century BC guesthouse in Ancient Olympia.
Greek officials said the relic was handed back during a ceremony on Friday at the Ancient Olympia Conference Center, after the woman voluntarily surrendered it to the University of Münster in Germany, which arranged its repatriation.
The woman had snatched the artifact in the 1960s during a visit to the site and kept it for decades before deciding to return it. She said she was inspired by the university’s recent restitution of looted antiquities.
The Greek Culture Ministry praised her “sensitivity and courage” and said her act showed “it is never too late to do the right thing.”
The return marks the third major artifact the University of Münster has sent back to Greece in recent years.
In 2019, it repatriated the so-called Cup of Louis — linked to the Olympic champion of 1896 — and in 2024, it returned a marble male head from Roman-era Thessaloniki.
“This is a particularly moving moment,” said Culture Secretary General Georgios Didaskalos at the handover.
“This act proves that culture and history know no borders but require cooperation, responsibility, and mutual respect. Every such return is an act of restoring justice and at the same time a bridge of friendship between peoples.”
Quote:AFP — An Afghan man deemed psychologically ill faced a German court on Thursday over a deadly knife attack on a group of toddlers that his defence lawyer labelled the “deed of a madman”.
The stabbings nine months ago in a park in the southern city of Aschaffenburg killed a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man who tried to protect the children, and left three others wounded.
Prosecutors acknowledged that the 28-year-old who set upon the daycare group with a kitchen knife on January 22 was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.
The attack, which came just a month before German national elections, inflamed an already heated debate on migration.
The suspect, who was arrested near the scene of the stabbing, has been only partially named as Enamullah O., in line with usual practice by the German judiciary.
Facing the court in handcuffs and foot shackles, he appeared groggy and subdued, wearing an open white shirt with a dark jacket.
He mostly stared at the table and yawned frequently, which his lawyer said was due to medication he has been taking.
Prosecutors are seeking to have him permanently confined to a psychiatric facility. They previously said there was no indication the suspect acted out of extremist or terrorist motivation.
Five toddlers from a kindergarten class were in a public park, accompanied by two teachers, when the assailant attacked them with a kitchen knife.
He also injured a two-year-old Syrian girl, one of the teachers as well as a 72-year-old man who had also tried to protect the children.
– Fits of delusion –
Defence lawyer Juergen Vongries told the court that O. was experiencing fits of delusion and had only vague memories of voices he heard at the time of the crime.
His client had expressed regret, but could offer no explanation for why he attacked the children.
A few minutes before the attack, he had allegedly watched a YouTube video with the Turkish title “Motivating Combat Music”, prosecutor Juergen Buntschuh said while reading the indictment.
The two-year-old boy was stabbed five times, and the man slain by the attacker was stabbed four times, he said.
Buntschuh said the attacker’s delusions and severe mental impairment meant he was not able to fully recognise the horrific nature of his actions.
Not long after the attack, German media reported that the authorities had tried and failed in 2023 to deport the man to Bulgaria — the first EU country he had arrived in.
In August 2024, he allegedly threatened a fellow resident at an accommodation for asylum seekers in the nearby town of Alzenau with a butcher’s knife and caused her minor injuries.
The Aschaffenburg stabbings, which followed a string of other bloody attacks in Germany, provoked intense political reactions.
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the centre-right Christian Democrats who went on to become chancellor, promised a “fundamental” overhaul of asylum rules and strict border controls if elected.
About a week later, Merz, then the opposition leader, relied on support from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to/ach pass a non-binding resolution through parliament demanding stricter immigration and refugee policies.
Merz’s decision to rely on far-right support broke a longstanding taboo in post-World War II German politics, prompting fierce criticism and mass street protests.
Quote:France may be teetering on the verge of national snap elections, but the poll-topping sovereigntist leader Marine Le Pen is banned from even standing, a Paris court has confirmed, over a conviction her supporters say is a case of politically targeted lawfare.
The French Council of State, the body of top lawyers which provides legal advice to the government and supreme court, has rejected an appeal by National Rally leader Marine Le Pen to have her “ineligibility” order overturned, reports Le Figaro. The order that was imposed on the politician in March by a judge is considered unusual and controversial because unlike normal criminal punishments, it is being imposed immediately, despite the appeals process to have the conviction itself overturned not having been exhausted.
Supporters of Le Pen have called the move to block her from office a nakedly political move to get her off the ballot at any cost, at a time where her party leads the polls in France. Le Pen herself had said it is a bid by the judiciary to “steal” the next election.
Indeed, it is stated that many Members of the European Parliament break the particular rule Le Pen is accused of having contravened, yet almost none are ever punished for it, leading to a perception the law is only applied to shut down politicians who threaten the European Union itself.
Le Pen’s actual appeal against the conviction for what was said to be campaign financing fraud will take place early next year from January, meaning if the judgement is overturned then her eligibility to run for office will return in time for the next planned French Presidential election. However, crucially, France is undergoing a period of intense political instability, with governments collapsing within months, and as of this month even within hours of being founded.
The root of this instability is a deeply divided parliament with no single dominant party or faction, and no possibility for coalition building as the three major blocs come from totally exclusionary political positions. This has led for sustained and repeated calls for fresh national elections, and even for President Emmanuel Macron himself to step down and for the nation to choose a new leader.
This could be the key to returning to stability and avoided, as has been widely discussed, an end to the French Fifth Republic to make way for a whole new constitution and electoral system. Yet fresh elections while the leader of the country’s first-place-polling party, the National Rally, is banned from even running could very well intensify the crisis by further eroding the public’s trust in the quality of their democracy.
Quote:The French Prime Minister narrowly avoided having his government collapsed for a second time in two weeks in a Parliamentary vote on Thursday, prompting the left-wing opposition to say they’ll try and impeach Emmanuel Macron directly to bring him down.
Sébastien Lecornu, the now-two times French Prime Minister whose first government lasted just 12 hours last week faced two censure votes on Thursday morning — the French equivalent of a vote of no confidence which, if passed in the National Assembly, dissolves the government — by a narrow margin. Rebels needed 289 votes in the house of 577 and fell just short with 271 votes counted for dissolution in the first round.
The failure to bring down the government on this occasion is, by this point, notable for French politics which has become unmanageably fractured, unstable, and to the eyes of some now stumbling towards the need to re-write the constitution and declare a new Republic. Emmanuel Macron has now presided, as President, over nine consecutive cabinet governments under a multitude of Prime Ministers, a record since the 13-year-rule of François Mitterrand in the 1980s and 90s.
Yet even the dynamics of today’s votes clearly map onto the deep divisions in French politics which manifest in the composition of the Assembly, which leave it unable to build functional governing coalitions.
The largest party in French politics today is Marine Le Pen’s sovereigntist National Rally, which mixes right-wing ideas on border controls and national sovereignty and left-wing on government spending, welfare, and taxes. Le Pen is a leading voice against President Macrons’ centrist rule but no party of the left — who consider her the greater enemy — will cooperate on a National Rally initiative to bring down Macron or his government.
Speaking before the vote, Marine Le Pen said “This isn’t a political crisis, it’s a crisis of politicians, a crisis of tired old parties” created by their wrecking of political norms to keep her soverientrist party coming to power by any means.
Consequently, the motion considered most likely to have been able to succeed today was one brought by the rainbow leftist coalition La France Insoumise (France Unbowed, ‘LFI’). Yet it faltered because one of France’s constellation of small left-wing parties — who sometimes get along but quite often do not — was successfully bought off by the pro-Macron Lecornu government with promises to delay pension reform.
Quote:King Charles III and the Queen Consort will travel to the Vatican next week for a state visit, where the King and Pope Leo will pray together, the first time such a thing has happened in 500 years, if not longer.
Pope Leo XIV is to welcome King Charles III, the head of state of the United Kingdom and the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, to the Vatican on October 22nd and 23rd. While King Charles will not be the first British monarch to visit the Vatican — Queen Elizabeth II visited during her reign, for instance — the two men will pray together at the Sistine Chapel, reckoned by Buckingham Palace to be the first time this will have happened in some 500 years.
This claim dates back to King Henry VIII splitting from Rome in 1534, before there was even a United Kingdom, and Henry was the King of England only.
Yet King Henry VIII is not known to have ever visited Rome or met the then-Pope himself, so the date of the last time a ‘British’ King prayed alongside the Pope in Rome may have been hundreds of years before even that. King Canute, the Viking King of England, Denmark, and Norway certainly made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1027 — nearly exactly 1,000 years ago — and met Pope John XIX.
During the Sistine Chapel meeting planned for next week, priests from both the Catholic Church and Church of England will pray together — despite the Catholic Church not officially recognising Anglican priests as valid — in a show of Ecumenicalism that will also see a choir brought from Windsor Castle sing.
In another link to the pre-reformation relationship between Britain — then England — and Rome, King Charles will also be made a Royal brother of the confraternity of the Abbey at St Paul’s Outside the Walls, an ancient Church that was once closely linked to the English and even ancient pre-ancient monarchies which helped fund its upkeep. The King will receive a private seat at the Basilica with his coat of arms. As noted by Buckingham Palace:
In further celebration of this new bond, the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls has created a special seat for His Majesty, which will remain in the Basilica as a perpetual mark of mutual respect between Pope Leo and The King as Heads of State. The special chair is decorated with His Majesty’s Coat of Arms. The King will use this chair during the service, after which it will remain in the apse of the Basilica for future use by His Majesty and his heirs and successors.
The Times notes Saxon King Offa and Æthelwulf in the 8th and 9th centuries were supporters of St Paul’s, sending money for the protection of St Paul’s and St Peter’s tombs.
Quote:Tax raids on people they deem to be “wealthy” will be “part of the story” at the national budget next month, the UK’s Chancellor told the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The British government feels it needs to raise at least an extra £20 billion after it gave up on welfare reform over internal resistance from within the ruling Labour Party, and over poor economic forecasts eroding natural predicted growth of the tax take. Constrained by an election-time promise not to increase taxes on “working people” that sophistry might succeed in arguing they have managed to keep so far, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the focus will be on squeezing “wealthy people”.
The Times states she told the IMF this week that “I do think that those with the broadest shoulders should pay their fair share of tax” and that new taxes on wealth would be “part of the story”.
These would most likely be taxes on assets and consumption rather than income, as “Wealth is obviously different from income. So wealth is not about your annual salary”, she said. Reeves pointed to new taxes already levied last year that she says proves she can wok without simply “introducing a wealth tax”.
The problem for Britain as it approaches the November 26th budget is perceptions on what exactly counts as wealthy, who gets to decide, and how these definitions move with time and inflation. One of the measures Reeves cited from her 2024 budget was slapping a 20 per cent tax on private school education for children, playing to leftist prejudice that anyone who can afford the fees can also afford to shrug off a one-fifth price hike.
Unfortunately for Reeves’ projected tax take from this raid, and for many families impacted, not all users of privately-funded education are extremely wealthy and as is so often the case with government policy, the ‘squeezed middle’ of middle class professionals on survivable but not generous salaries were hit hardest. Indeed, once the policy was in effect the number of children being forced to leave the private school sector was considerably higher than the government had estimated.
Quote:ROME (AP) – A car belonging to one of Italy´s leading investigative journalists exploded outside his home overnight, prompting an investigation by Italy´s anti-Mafia authorities and condemnation Friday from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and others. No one was injured.
The explosion late Thursday targeting Sigfrido Ranucci, lead anchor of state-run RAI3’s Report investigative series, occurred on the eighth anniversary of the car bomb slaying of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The investigative program said the explosion was so powerful that it could have killed anyone passing by. Ranucci had just returned home at the time and his daughter had walked by a half-hour before, Report said in a statement. The blast destroyed the car, damaged another family car next to it, as well as the front gate of Ranucci’s home in Pomezia, south of Rome.
Police, firefighters and forensic crews reported to the scene and magistrates from the Rome district of the anti-Mafia police were investigating, Report said in a statement. Video shot by Ranucci, who has been under police protection since 2021 because of threats from his hard-hitting investigations, showed the mangled remains of the cars and gate.
Meloni expressed her solidarity with Ranucci and condemned what she called “the serious act of intimidation he has suffered.”
“Freedom and independence of information are essential values of our democracies, which we will continue to defend,” she said in a statement.
Italian journalist unions, politicians and others also expressed solidarity, with many noting that Ranucci had received other threats in the past that prompted the Interior Ministry to provide him a police escort.
Report is one of the few investigative programs on Italian television and regularly breaks news involving prominent Italian politicians, business leaders and public figures. Ranucci has been sued multiple times for defamation and just this week was absolved in the latest case he had faced.
“There have certainly been a series of incidents of intimidation, which I have always reported,” Ranucci said in comments provided by Report. “There is definitely a general climate of isolation and delegitimization toward me and the entire editorial staff of `Report´ from an editorial point of view.”
The blast occurred on the eighth anniversary of the Oct. 16, 2017 murder of Caruana Galizia, who wrote extensively about suspected corruption in political and business circles in Malta. Like Ranucci, she had faced dozens of libel suits intended to silence her reporting. Two men were sentenced to life in prison earlier this year after being convicted of complicity in the murder. Two other people pleaded guilty in 2022 to carrying out the murder and were sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Quote:Reform’s George Finch, the youngest council leader in Britain, was physically and verbally abused just minutes’ walk from his own Town Hall, an attack party leaders have blamed on the country’s left-wing government priming would-be assailants with lurid rhetoric.
The 19-year-old Nuneaton and Bedworth councillor who became the youngest leader of a county council in the country earlier this year was assaulted on a night out in an unprovoked attack, he said. Police confirmed they are investigating the incident.
George Finch said he and a lady in his company were “physically attacked” in Nuneaton town centre, and that after he was unexpectedly shoved the alleged assailant then unleashed a torrent of insults and tried to follow the two through the town until police were called.
The “man” — no other description was given — was said to have shouted “racist” and “fascist” at Finch.
The choice of words is conspicuous given it is the very language employed in recent coordinated attacks against the Farage-led party, its activists, and supporters by the British left in recent weeks. The intensity and frequency of the claims and their lurid nature invites violence against Reform, senior figures warned at the time, because such accusations may leave some easily influenced people to believe the intended are legitimate targets for political violence.
Party leader Nigel Farage responded to the alleged assault, reports The Daily Mail, to say the potential events he warned of in the wake of the rhetoric of the left were coming to pass. He said: “I’m deeply upset that our young council leader was assaulted. The words used against him echo the Prime Minister’s disgraceful attack on Reform during Labour conference week and wholly irresponsible comments from the leader of the Green Party.”
Finch, for his own part, was cited by the report as having called the alleged sudden, unprovoked attack a “massive shock” that was “completely out of the blue”.
He underlined the view that the rhetoric of left-wing political activists repeating claims of racism and fascism against Reform led to a member of the public believing them, and acting on them. He said: “‘It’s clear that the man who attacked us was wound up and sent into battle by the dangerous rhetoric of Labour and the Greens”.
He continued: “I’m extremely concerned about the state of political discourse in Britain. Reform UK activists at all levels are suffering intimidation and violence at the hands of Left-wing instigators.”
Quote:Free speech advocate peer Lord Young hailed a “huge victory” after the conviction of a man for burning a Koran outside the Turkish consulate was overturned by a superior court on Friday.
Criminal law does not exist to “avoid people being upset, even grievously upset” and freedom of expression is a right that includes the right to “views that offend, shock or disturb”, a British court ruled on Friday.
The forthright judgement from judge Mr Justice Bennathan at the Crown Court came as he overturned the conviction under the Public Order Act of Hamit Coskun in July for a protest staged in London outside the Turkish consulate where he set fire to a Qur’an.
The incident was less remarkable for the act of the burning, which has become a symbol of protest seen across Europe, but rather for the immediate violence visited upon Coskun. As he lit the book he was almost immediately set upon by two men.
The pair did not know each other, but were both so incensed by the sight of the burning book they moved quickly to attack. One man with a knife who shouted “I’m going to kill you… Burning the Koran? It’s my religion, you don’t burn the Koran” was later convicted but spared any jail time for slashing at Coskun.
A second man, a passing food delivery rider, kicked Coskun.
The Free Speech Union warned the conviction of Coskun created through precedent a defacto blasphemy law in Britain, a legal concept that had long ago been dispensed with by Parliament, and backed Coskun’s appeal.
The Union argued Coskun had been making a legal protest against political Islam under President Erdogan in Turkey and that the court had wrongly “conflated his political protest against Islam with hatred of Muslims, effectively reviving blasphemy law by the back door”.
Hailing the ruling today, the FSU said: “Had the verdict been allowed to stand, it would have sent a message to religious fundamentalists up and down the country that all they need to do to enforce their blasphemy codes is to violently attack the blasphemer, thereby making him or her guilty of having caused public disorder.”
Lord Young of Acton, freedom of speech advocate who founded the Free Speech Union which had launched a fundraising campign for Coskun’s appeal called today’s ruling a “huge victory”. He said “the Crown Court has sent the opposite message — that anti-religious protests, however offensive, must be tolerated.”
De facto Conservative leader Robert Jenrick had accompanied Coskun to court on Thursday for the first day of proceedings and promoted his cause. In his response to the ruling, he emphasised that while he found the burning of the Qur’an as a means to protest distasteful, nevertheless he absolutely supported the right to do it.
Jenrick said on Friday: “Hamit Coskun has been cleared. Good. I didn’t like what Mr Coskun did; burning a religious text was not pleasant. But it was also never criminal. So, this is an important victory for free speech.
“Parliament voted to abolish blasphemy laws 20 years ago. It was disgraceful that the authorities attempted to re-create them by the back door.”
Quote:Accusations of antisemitism followed the banning of Israeli football fans from attending an away game of a Tel Aviv team in Birmingham, England next month over concerns police would not be able to control protests against them.
Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv football club are banned from a forthcoming Europa League game at Aston Villa in Aston, Birmingham on November 6th because of security concerns, Aston Villa revealed in a statement. They said that West Midlands Police had said they have “public safety concerns” over their “ability to deal with any potential protests on the night”.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were subject to what some observers called a “Pogrom” when their fans attended a game in Amsterdam earlier this year, and their presence was protested by pro-Palestine activists at a stadium in Greece where they played in September.
Aston politician Ayoub Khan MP, who is one of the group of pro-Gaza platform politicians elected last year and who campaigned against allowing Israeli fans to come to Birmingham celebrated the news on Thursday night. In a statement he emoted: “I welcome the news that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will not be permitted to watch the match at Aston Villa! Well done to all those that signed our petition!”.
Both the decision to ban Israeli football fans from England’s second city and the jubilant response by the local Member of Parliament Khan came in for sharp criticism on Thursday night. Tory Jack Rankin MP was direct in his condemnation, calling Khan “an unintegrated, racist antisemite” for his work to block Israeli football fans.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the ban “shameful” and called on the UK government to act.
Reform UK’s Danny Kruger came forth with advice on how this might be achieved. Calling the decision “outrageous”, saying the Home Secretary had the legal option to sack the Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police if required. Party leader Nigel Farage said the decision “takes racial discrimination to a whole new level.”
The next article is very short because it's full of visual evidence of how wildlife takes advantage of abandoned facilities.
Quote:Saudi Arabia is negotiating a sweeping defense pact with the Trump administration that would bind Washington to treat any attack on the kingdom as a threat to U.S. security, according to a new report in The Financial Times.
Modeled on last month’s U.S.-Qatar agreement, the deal would deepen military and intelligence cooperation while carrying far-reaching implications for Middle East stability and America’s global strategic posture.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
The proposed pact reflects efforts by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, informally known as MBS, to secure long-term U.S. protection. As Saudi Arabia’s day-to-day ruler, MBS controls much of the kingdom’s political and military decision making, making a formal security agreement with the U.S. a key priority for Riyadh.
For Washington, the agreement would reinforce its influence in the Gulf amid growing Chinese and Russian involvement in the region through energy, investment, and security partnerships. The pact could also affect the trajectory of Arab-Israeli normalization efforts, including potential Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords.
What to Know
Saudi Arabia hopes to finalize the deal when MBS visits the White House next month. People familiar with the discussions described expectations for a “robust” agreement that expands intelligence sharing, joint defense planning, and counterterrorism operations.
A senior Trump administration official confirmed the talks to the FT, saying: “There are discussions about signing something when the crown prince comes, but the details are in flux.”
The White House and State Department have not issued an offical statement on the matter, though the State Department called U.S.-Saudi defense cooperation “a strong bedrock of our regional strategy.” It added that Washington “will continue to work with Saudi Arabia to resolve conflicts, promote regional integration and deny safe haven to terrorists.”
Quote:Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling a deepening partnership between Tehran and Moscow amid escalating global tensions. The message, the contents of which have not been officially disclosed, was delivered by Iran's top security chief Ali Larijani on Thursday.
At the same time, President Donald Trump announced on social media that he will meet with Putin in Budapest “within two weeks or so” after a lengthy phone call, marking another high-level engagement between Washington and Moscow.
Newsweek has reached out to the State Department as well as the Foreign Ministries of Russia and Iran for comment.
Why It Matters
The developments highlight significant diplomatic activity involving the United States Russia, and Iran. Tehran’s outreach to Moscow and Washington’s planned summit with Putin are unrelated, but both place the Russian president in a complex position between two major diplomatic efforts. In addition to the upcoming Budapest meeting, the U.S. president has reached out to Iran in separate efforts to explore peace initiatives. However, Iran remains skeptical of Trump’s intentions, citing past tensions, sanctions, and his previous policies toward Tehran as reasons for caution.
What To Know
Larijani’s visit to Moscow featured discussions on economic and foreign policy cooperation at both regional and international levels. The meetings underscore Tehran’s intention to strengthen its strategic alignment with Moscow amid ongoing global uncertainties.
Meanwhile, Russia has also conveyed messages from Israel to Iran aimed at easing tensions, highlighting Moscow’s role as a key intermediary in regional diplomatic dynamics. Speaking at the Central Asia-Russia summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 9, Putin noted Moscow’s ongoing “confidence-based contacts” with Israel and said the Israeli leadership wants to resolve issues peacefully.
This request follows Israeli strikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities in June, which sparked a 12-day conflict ending with a unilateral ceasefire after Iranian retaliation.
Quote:President Donald Trump on Thursday issued a new warning to Hamas amid accusations from Israel the organization has already reneged on its ceasefire obligations.
in a message posted to Truth Social on Thursday, Trump wrote that if Hamas "continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them."
Newsweek reached out to the White House by email on Thursday afternoon for additional comment and clarification.
Why It Matters
The past few days have already tested Trump's ceasefire agreement, which has ended warfare in Gaza.
Hamas allegedly did not return all of the hostages within the originally mandated timeframe, leading Trump on Wednesday to say he would authorize Israeli forces to return to the streets of Gaza if Hamas did not release all of the hostages, living and deceased.
Hamas is also required to disarm and cede control of the territory as one of the key points in the ceasefire deal.
What To Know
The newest threat follows reports of fresh violence in Gaza as Hamas cracks down on gangs in the territory. Trump earlier this week said that Hamas had taken out "a couple of gangs," which "didn't bother me much, to be honest."
In his message posted Thursday on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Hamas has clashed with armed groups and gangsters as the organization attempts to reassert control in the post-conflict Gaza Strip in areas from which Israeli forces have withdrawn. However, the show of force - welcomed by some Palestinians following months of lawlessness - could threaten the truce with Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the war will not end until Hamas has been dismantled - going a step beyond Trump's requirement for the group to merely disarm and cede control to an international supervised body.
Hamas has not fully accepted the terms, saying further negotiations must take place, even as Hamas officials say they are willing to hand power to other Palestinians.
Quote:The Kremlin confirmed on Thursday that strongman Vladimir Putin engaged his Syrian counterpart, jihadist President Ahmed al-Sharaa, on Russia’s interest in maintaining its two military bases in the country.
Sharaa made a historic first visit to Moscow this week, meeting Putin in person on Wednesday. The exchange was anticipated as a tense and difficult interaction given Putin’s longstanding support to the decades-old Assad family regime in the country, which Sharaa and his al-Qaeda offshoot, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), toppled in December. Former dictator Bashar Assad fled Damascus on December 7 and has taken refuge in Moscow, where rumors suggest he has taken an interest in video games. Putin provided both diplomatic and military support to Assad, meaning Russia’s bases were strongholds actively fighting against HTS and similar Sunni anti-Assad groups.
Following the end of the Assad regime, Sharaa abandoned his jihadist nom de guerre, “Abu Mohammed al-Jolani,” and stopped wearing jihadi fatigues, opting for Western-style suits. While still defending the establishment of an Islamist government, Sharaa has emphasized in his public statements a desire to attract foreign investment into the country, particularly from the West and Gulf neighbors such as Saudi Arabia.
Through Saudi Arabia, Sharaa secured multiple in-person meetings with American President Donald Trump, who has referred to the jihadi leader as “attractive” and promising, vowing to lift sanctions imposed on the Assad regime to allow Syria to do business with the world. Sharaa has emphasized that he hopes to see private American and other Western investment participate in post-war reconstruction in his country.
While Syrian state media indicated that this was also the primary topic of discussion between Sharaa and Putin, Kremlin top spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin discussed Russia’s military bases in the country. Peskov offered few details, according to the Russian news agency Tass, stating only, “that topic was on the agenda.”
Russia maintains two military bases in Syria, in the port city of Tartus and in western Latakia province. The bases played a significant role in helping Assad fight the over-decade-long civil war against HTS and similar groups that ended in December. Tass, the Russian news outlet, claimed that Putin has attempted to address concerns regarding the use of those bases against the new regime by offering them to help bring military aid into some of the most devastated areas in the country.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the Sharaa government’s news outlet, did not mention the military bases in its coverage of Sharaa’s visit. It instead quoted Sharaa celebrating the “long-standing historical relation” between Moscow and Damascus, glossing over that decades of that relationship involved support for Assad and his father, late former dictator Hafez al-Assad.
“Syria and Russia share a long-standing historical relation, along with bilateral ties and mutual interests in several fields, including Syria’s energy sector, which heavily relies on Russian expertise,” Sharaa reportedly told Putin.
Sharaa did state that his government would “respect all past agreements,” failing to exclude agreements allowing the military bases to operate in that promise.
Speaking to Tass, Russian experts described those military bases as a priority for the Putin regime.
“Moscow needs a foothold in the Mediterranean for logistics and power projection there and in Africa,” Nikolay Sukhov, senior researcher at the Center for Middle East Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations, was quoted as saying. “Damascus needs a new legal and financial framework for cooperation, not one associated with Assad’s legacy.”
Syria, in turn, needs foreign investment for reconstruction.
SANA reported that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak promised that investment support following the meeting between Putin and Sharaa.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:An active shooter in a dorm at Oklahoma State University Sunday morning left three people wounded during homecoming weekend.
The shooting took place in the early hours of the morning at a residential hall on the campus in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and at least one of the victims is a student, police said.
The victims were part of an off-campus party Saturday night that then moved into the dorms in the wee hours.
“At approximately 3:40 a.m., the OSU Police Department responded to Carreker East residential hall after shooting victims reported the incident,” the official OSU Police and Safety account wrote on X.
“There were multiple victims, one of which is known to be an OSU student. All are being treated at hospitals in Oklahoma City and Tulsa,” the statement continued, citing OSU Chief of Police Michael Beckner.
“Initial reports indicate a large, private party occurred at an off-campus location. After the gathering disbanded, some attendees returned to Carreker East where the shooting occurred,” the statement concluded.
No information has yet been provided about the suspect, motive or how many shots were fired.
The shooting took place during homecoming weekend, known as “America’s Greatest Homecoming.”
Tens of thousands were in town to watch the Oklahoma State Cowboys take on the Cincinnati Bearcats at the nearby T. Boone Pickens Stadium, just a stone’s throw from the scene of the shooting.
This year’s celebration was particularly poignant, marking the 10th anniversary of the 2015 homecoming parade attack.
That year, four people were killed and 47 were injured after Adacia Avery Chambers deliberately drove her car into a crowd watching the parade.
Quote:Democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran smiled, waved, and stayed silent when pressed about his relationship with the allegedly terror-tied Imam Siraj Wahhaj.
“Mr. Mamdani, anything to say about the imam? He said some nasty stuff, does it bug you?” a Post reporter asked the 34-year-old mayoral candidate Sunday.
“Anything?”
Mamdani, however, just smirked without a word as he climbed into the back of a waiting SUV.
Pressed later in the day, Mamdani again grinned and refused to comment on the Brooklyn imam – who also has a history of homophobic comments on top of his terror allegations.
Mamdani has been in hot water since the Friday rendezvous with Wahhaj, wom he spoke glowingly of in a post on X.
“Today at Masjid At-Taqwa, I had the pleasure of meeting with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community for nearly half a century,” the candidate wrote.
But critics were quick to raise an eyebrow over the meeting given Wahhaj’s questionable past.
He was considered by federal prosecutors to be an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing — which left six people dead — because several people involved in the terror attack had attended his mosque, the New York Times reported.
Quote:The far-left union representing professors at the City University of New York are illegally using a taxpayer-funded, government email system to promote socialist NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s campaign, The Post has learned.
At least two chapter leaders repping CUNY’s Professional Staff Congress recently fired off email blasts using CUNY email addresses to solicit faculty and other staff at Manhattan Community College and Kingsborough Community College to volunteer helping Mamdani’s campaign.
“The general election is on November 4th. If you are interested in becoming involved in the election, weekly Central Labor Council phonebanks for Mamdani are hosted in person at the PSC, Wednesdays 6-8pm,” wrote Kathleen Offenholley, a mathematics professor and union chapter chair at Manhattan Community College in a Sept. 3 email blast to campus faculty.
The email also included links on how sign up to assist making phone calls for Mamdani’s campaign and help the PSC’s push to get the silver-spoon socialist pol elected mayor.
“Thousands of CUNY students have (yet!) to register,” the email adds. “We strongly encourage you to share these links with students.”
“Our ranked-choice strategy allowed the PSC to be one of the earliest unions to support Zohran Mamdani for Mayor and helped to defeat Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary,” says PSC President James Davis in a statement also attached in the email blast.
“Most NYC unions have now endorsed Mamdani, and it is now even more important that PSC members work to get him elected in November.”
Under city and state law and CUNY rules, it is illegal for government employees to use such government resources – including email accounts – for political campaign purposes. Violators could face misdemeanor charges and fines of up to $10,000 per offense.
Quote:A notoriously violent two-block stretch of Brooklyn is fighting crime — by not calling uniformed cops, The Post has learned.
A sliver of Brownsville in the NYPD’s 73rd Precinct was transformed into a “police free zone” last week as part of an city-funded experiment called the Brownsville Safety Alliance that initially was only twice a year but now runs four times annually, organizers said.
And it’s an initiative that’s received praise from anti-cop, mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, an official with the group that runs it told The Post.
“He believes in what we do,” said Dushoun Almond, program director of Brownsville in Violence Out, adding that the socialist Queens assemblyman even stopped by when a zone was in operation last April.
The community can still call cops for serious crimes such as stabbings or shootings, but members of his community group replace them for low-level offenses from noon to 6 p.m. on Mother Gaston Boulevard between Sutter and Pitkin avenues from Oct. 7 through Oct. 11, people involved with the program said.
“Nothing has changed about our operations or deployment there,” an NYPD spokesperson said.
A police source told The Post the neighborhood’s program “has the potential to go sideways quickly.”
“This is the way that this new guy [Mamdani] wants us to go. [The brass] are trying to appeal to him. It’s insane,” the source added.
The Brownsville Safety Alliance — which was first started in 2020 under former mayor and avowed Marxist Bill de Blasio — includes about 20 members of a community group who walk the two blocks and handle low-level calls that come into 911 during the hours its in operation, police sources said.
A plainclothes “BSA sergeant” — a member of the NYPD — is assigned to shadow the community members in case more serious issues arise. Police officers are also stationed on the edges of the two blocks, the sources said.
Quote:Beyond Meat’s stock collapsed to near $1 a share on Tuesday after the embattled plant-based meat maker finalized a debt exchange deal that handed bondholders hundreds of millions of new shares — effectively wiping out most existing investors.
Shares plunged almost 50% on Monday to close around $1.10 and hovered between $1.03 and $1.10 in Tuesday trading, down more than 76% this year and deep in penny stock territory.
In the summer of 2019, the stock neared $240 a share — its peak price. Since then, the stock has lost more than 99% of its value.
The free fall followed an announcement that nearly all of Beyond Meat’s creditors had agreed to swap existing notes for new debt due in 2030, a move that will sharply dilute current shareholders.
The California-based company, once valued at more than $14 billion after a blockbuster 2019 IPO, said 97% of bondholders accepted the exchange offer.
Beyond Meat will issue roughly $208.7 million in new 7% convertible notes due 2030 and as many as 316 million new shares, replacing its 0% notes due 2027.
The company had just 76.6 million shares outstanding before the deal, meaning existing investors face a dilution of more than 300%. If all bondholders convert their notes, they will own about 88% of Beyond Meat’s equity, according to filings.
The early settlement is scheduled to close Oct. 15 after the company surpassed the minimum participation threshold of 85%, Reuters reported.
While the exchange gives Beyond Meat more time to pay down roughly $1.3 billion in debt, it triggered a massive sell-off as traders reacted to the dilution and persistent losses.
Quote:The Trump administration has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the deployment of the National Guard in Chicago to protect federal personnel and federal property amid protests over immigration enforcement in the area.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer, Trump’s top Supreme Court lawyer, urged the justices to step in immediately after a judge ruled last week that National Guard troops sent to Illinois by President Donald Trump to combat crime can remain in the state but can’t patrol or deploy to protect federal property. A federal appeals court had refused to put the judge’s order on hold.
U.S. District Judge April Perry said she found no convincing evidence that a “danger of rebellion” exists in Illinois amid Trump’s immigration enforcement push.
Sauer wrote in the emergency filing that the judge’s ruling “intrudes on the president’s authority and needlessly puts federal personnel and property at risk.”
The Trump administration argues in its filing that the case represents a “disturbing and recurring pattern” in which federal officers enforcing immigration law are met with “prolonged, coordinated, violent resistance that threatens their lives and safety and systematically interferes with their ability to enforce federal law.”
“Federal agents are forced to desperately scramble to protect themselves and federal property, allocating resources away from their law enforcement mission to conduct protective operations instead,” the filing states.
“Receiving tepid support from local forces, they are often left to fend for themselves in the face of violent, hostile mobs. Confronted with intolerable risks of harm to federal agents and coordinated, violent opposition to the enforcement of federal law, the president lawfully determines that he is unable to enforce the laws of the United States with the regular forces and calls up the National Guard to defend federal personnel, property and functions in the face of ongoing violence,” it says.
The Supreme Court has asked for the opposition’s response to the Trump administration’s emergency filing by 5 p.m. on Monday. The court is then expected to offer that the administration file a reply.
The plea to the nation’s top court comes as 11 protesters were arrested Friday outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, a west Chicago suburb that has become a frequent flashpoint for demonstrations against federal agents in recent weeks.
The filing also further escalates Trump’s standoff with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who have staunchly opposed deploying troops. They have called any deployment unconstitutional and insisted the city is not facing the kind of crime crisis the White House claims.
Quote:The US Secret Service is investigating what could be a sniper’s nest or a hunting stand near President Trump’s Air Force One landing area at Palm Beach International Airport, according to sources.
The suspicious stand, found Thursday, is in a tree and within the line of sight of the section of the airport where Trump exits the presidential jet, and was described to The Post by law enforcement sources as an odd collection of pipes.
There was no ammunition or explosives found, but it raised the service’s alarm.
Authorities do not know yet whether it is a hunting stand or merely junk in a tree — or has a more nefarious purpose, sources said.
The area could be used by hunters who go after invasive green iguanas, the sources added.
“Prior to the president’s return to West Palm Beach, USSS discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News, which first reported the story.
“No individuals were located at the scene,” Patel said. “The FBI has since taken the investigatory lead, flying in resources to collect all evidence from the scene and deploying our cell phone analytics capabilities.”
Trump survived a sniper attack during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, and escaped harm when the Secret Service arrested 59-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh after he fled an apparent sniper spot at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course on Sept. 15.
Quote:A deranged upstate man was arrested in New York City Saturday afternoon after allegedly claiming he had firebombs that he planned to use at a “No Kings” protest to attack federal agents – a bust that comes as some of the anti-Trump rallies around the US spiraled out of control.
David Cox, 54, was hit with terrorism charges after bragging to a stranger at a Kwik Fil gas station in Owego – about 198 miles from the Big Apple – Friday night that he had weapons in his trunk and planned to “fight ICE agents” at a Manhattan rally, police and sources said.
The innocent bystander then reported the threat to cops after Cox left the gas station.
The NYPD tracked down the Newark Valley lunatic after his car was flagged by a license plate reader — nabbing him around 2:25 p.m. Saturday as roughly 100,000 people demonstrated in Midtown.
Police said no firebombs or weapons were found in his vehicle.
He was charged with making a terroristic threat, false report of terrorism and making a threat of mass harm, police said.
Tens of thousands of “No Kings” protesters flooded Manhattan and cities nationwide hurling profanities and waving vulgar signs on Saturday rallying against President Trump and his policies.
Demonstrators – who called for the president to resign – also slammed US Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents, comparing the federal agency to the KKK.
While no arrests were made in Manhattan, protests in other parts of the country descended into chaos late Saturday – with federal authorities forced to fire tear gas at a rowdy crowd that turned violent in Portland, according to Fox News.
Quote:The agency that maintains America’s nuclear weapons stockpile is reportedly preparing to furlough about 80% of its workforce — highlighting the widening impact of the government shutdown as it enters its third week.
Roughly 1,400 employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) — a branch of the Department of Energy — will be sent home starting Monday, with only about 375 designated as essential staff expected to remain on the job, according to a notice obtained by Politico.
The furloughs come as the agency’s funding has dried up due to a budget impasse that has closed much of the federal government for 17 days — now the third-longest shutdown in US history.
“The Democrat shutdown is now jeopardizing our national security,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital on Friday afternoon.
“By refusing to pass the clean, bipartisan funding extension, the Democrats are causing funds to run out for critical programs, resulting in furloughs of personnel at the National Nuclear Security Administration who manage our nuclear stockpile.”
Rogers added that the furloughs are “reckless and could be completely avoided if the Democrats simply voted to reopen the government and stopped holding the American people hostage.”
Leading Democrats, however, reject the claim that they are to blame for the ongoing shutdown.
“Every day that Republicans refuse to negotiate to end this shutdown, the worse it gets for Americans — and the clearer it becomes who’s fighting for them,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told Fox Digital earlier in October of the shutdown.
“Each day our case to fix healthcare and end this shutdown gets better and better, stronger and stronger because families are opening their letters showing how high their premiums will climb if Republicans get their way.”
The NNSA oversees the safety and reliability of the nation’s nuclear warheads, manages the Navy’s nuclear propulsion systems and leads efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear materials to hostile states or terrorist groups.
While it does not directly operate deployed weapons — that role belongs to the Pentagon — its scientific and technical work underpins America’s nuclear deterrent.
Quote:A noticeably frail Joe Biden was seen in public Saturday for the first time since news broke that he is undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer — attending evening Mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine, the Roman Catholic church he has frequented for decades.
The 82-year-old former president was photographed leaving the hour-long service, walking slowly and holding onto a woman for support.
A large scar above his right eye — the result of recent skin cancer surgery — was still visible as he greeted parishioners outside the church following the 50-minute Mass.
Biden, dressed in a dark suit, chatted quietly with several attendees for about 10 minutes before departing without his wife, Jill Biden, who did not accompany him to the service.
It marked his first public outing since it was disclosed last week that he had begun a five-week course of radiation and hormone therapy for Stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.
Representatives for the former president said the regimen is expected to last about five weeks.
Doctors have described his cancer as high-grade, with a Gleason score of nine, though hormone-sensitive — allowing for management through medication and radiation. The highest score on the Gleason scale is 10.
“High-grade” means the cancer cells differ greatly from normal cells, so they behave more aggressively and have a higher chance of spreading beyond the prostate.
Biden has been taking hormone pills and receiving care, according to reports.
Quote:A South Carolina man on death row is scheduled to be executed next month for killing a man, burning his eyes with cigarettes and taunting police by painting “catch me if u can” on a wall with the victim’s blood more than 20 years ago.
Stephen Bryant, 44, will be put to death Nov. 14 after the state Supreme Court issued the death warrant Friday, rejecting a request from Bryant’s lawyers for a delay because they work with the federal court system and the US government is shut down.
Bryant is scheduled for execution for one killing, but prosecutors said he also fatally shot two other men he was giving rides to as they were urinating on the side of the road in Sumter County in October 2004.
He will have until Oct. 31 to choose if he wants to die by lethal injection, firing squad or the electric chair.
Since the state resumed executions last year following an involuntary 13-year pause due to trouble obtaining lethal injection drugs, four inmates have selected lethal injection and two have died by firing squad.
Bryant confessed to killing Willard “TJ” Tietjen after stopping by his home in rural Sumter County and saying he had car trouble.
After Tietjen was shot several times, candles were lit around his body.
The corner of a potholder was dipped in Tietjen’s blood and “victem 4 in 2 weeks. catch me if u can” was written on a wall, according to officials.
Tietjen’s daughter, Kimberly Dees, called him several times and grew worried when he did not answer. She testified that a strange voice answered on her sixth call to her father.
She demanded that the person at the other end of the line allow her to speak to her father.
“And he said, ‘You can’t, I killed him.’ And I said, ‘This isn’t funny, who are you?’ He said, ‘I’m the prowler. And I said, ‘Excuse me, who are you?’ He said, ‘I’m the prowler,’” Dees told a judge who determined Bryant’s sentence.
Quote:A “highly sophisticated” Colombian crime ring with likely cartel ties drilled through concrete and made off with more than $1 million in jewelry last month — but pushed its luck too far in attempting a similar brazen break-in Thursday, police said.
The crew of four bandits, including an alarm specialist and demolition expert, first targeted a jewelry store in Sacramento County during a wild burglary on Sept. 13, according to the county’s sheriff’s office.
“The methods used in that burglary are something that is straight out of the movies,” Sgt. Amar Gandhi told ABC 10. ”Very methodical, extremely planned out, very sophisticated as far as their methods, techniques, tools and expertise.”
The highly organized thieves traveled around parts of the Sacramento and the Bay Area in an RV to allegedly scout out potential jewelry stores while disabling alarms and gaining access to the shops, according to cops, who were surveilling the crew.
But the group of Colombian nationals was caught in the act while trying to commit another heist at Lodi Pawn and Fine Jewelry Thursday, according to police — who swooped in as the burglary was unfolding.
Just before the police bust, the group broke into the store by cutting a hole in a brick wall, shutting off power and disabling the building’s alarm system, cops said.
Thanks to the quick action of the cops no jewelry was taken from the store and all four were arrested.
Sandro Torres-Morales, 49, Orlando Goyeneche-Sanchez, 41, Miguel Osorio-Castaneda, 49, and Melany Pascagoula-Correa, 25, were taken into custody.
The crew is believed to be tied to an international crime ring that has stolen millions of dollars of jewelry, Gandhi said.
“These guys are really sophisticated in what they do. They had a female who had registered cars under her name and would serve as kind of an office manager,” said Gandhi.
Quote:President Trump accused Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro of being an “illegal drug leader” and announced that his administration is cutting off all subsidies to the Latin American country.
Trump further trashed his Colombian counterpart as a “very unpopular leader” and warned Petro to close up alleged drug fields, or else “the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”
“President Gustavo Petro, of Columbia, is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Columbia,” Trump raged on Truth Social.
“It has become the biggest business in Columbia, by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it despite large scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long term rip off of America.”
The US sent over $207 million worth of foreign aid to Colombia this year, according to foreignassistance.gov.
Trump’s announcement comes a day after Petro accused the US of “murder” over a Sept. 15 attack that the US president described at the time as killing “confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela” who were in international waters at the time.
“US government officials have committed a murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters,” Petro wrote on X Saturday, per a translation. “The Colombian boat was adrift and had its distress signal up due to an engine failure.”
“We await explanations from the US government.”
Colombia’s president claimed that the boat was used for fishing and not the transportation of drugs. Petro has been in power since 2022 and is a member of the left-wing Humane Colombia party.
A CNN report last week had similarly claimed that one of Trump’s recent strikes in the Caribbean had killed Colombian nationals, citing Pentagon officials.
Trump has been carrying out a series of military strikes against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, oftentimes targeted at Venezuela, Colombia’s neighbor.
In August, his team doubled the bounty for information leading to the capture of Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, to $50 million, accusing him of fueling the illicit drug industry.
Quote:President Trump dropped an F-bomb Friday as he explained why Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro appears willing to give the US a stake in the South American nation’s oil and mineral wealth.
“He’s offered everything. You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f–k around with the United States,” Trump said of Maduro, during a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Maduro regime reportedly offered to provide US companies preferential contracts and access to all existing and future oil and gold projects in Venezuela as part of a deal discussed with Trump administration officials, according to the New York Times.
Maduro also pledged to stop selling Venezuelan oil to China and slash energy and mining contracts Venezuela had entered into with Chinese, Iranian and Russian companies, the outlet reported.
The deal fell apart after Trump reportedly ordered special envoy Richard Grenell to end all diplomatic outreach to Venezuela last week, as the US military continues to carry out strikes against drug boats in the Caribbean Sea.
The president has since revealed that he has authorized the CIA to start engaging in clandestine operations within Venezuela as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crackdown on drug cartels, which are suspected of operating under Maduro’s direction.
“We are certainly looking at land now because we’ve got the sea under control,” Trump told reporters Wednesday.
“A lot of Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea. So you get to see that, but we’re going to stop them by land also.”
Quote:An elite Army unit capable of inserting some of the American military’s most deadly special operations forces into a fight has been deployed to the Caribbean as President Trump exerts an increasing show of force in Venezuela.
The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the vaunted “Night Stalkers,” operates attack helicopters like the Army’s MH-60 Black Hawks and small transport helicopters into the most perilous situations.
Video surfaced earlier this month showing Army Black Hawks and smaller ‘Little Birds” undergoing training in Trinidad, located about 500 miles east of the capital city of Caracas, giving the first hint of the rotary-wing power being readied.
The “Night Stalkers” are able to deposit highly trained fighters, including Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, or Delta Force personnel, into battle zones.
Training with such aircraft indicated practice for potential missions battling drug cartels — or even the regime itself — said defense expert Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Colonel now with the Center for Strategic International Studies in DC.
No other element of the armed forces uses the “little bird” helicopters that have been spotted off the Venezuelan coast.
“They have excellent surveillance equipment to watch for potential drug smugglers coming out of Venezuela and the attack capabilities to destroy those vessels. They could also seize vessels, although they have not done that yet as far as is known,” Cancian told the Post.
Then there are the most extreme measures the Night Stalkers have trained for.
“The 160th could take special operations forces into Venezuela to strike cartel or regime targets. I don’t expect that because of the risk of casualties or capture but it’s possible,” he noted.
The special operations aviation force had flown within 90 miles of the Venezuelan coast, a Washington Post analysis found.
The move appears designed to get the regime’s attention.
In yet another potent show of force, the US military flew powerful B-52 bombers off the coast of Venezuela on Thursday.
Trump posted dramatic video of one of the American strikes to Truth Social Saturday and wrote about the destruction of an alleged submarine drug vessel that the military struck off the coast of Venezuela.
Quote:The Kremlin has been conning young men into fighting in Ukraine by luring them with cushy army jobs like drivers, cooks or even psychologists — then shipping them straight to the frontlines, The Post has learned.
Russia shifted its military recruitment campaign this year to promote “non-combat” roles, often used as bait, according to an analysis conducted by London think tank OpenMinds.
“We saw this huge uptick in driver or non-combat posts compared to previous years,” OpenMinds CEO, Sviatoslav Hnizdovskyi, told The Post.
“It looks like the financial reward itself is just not enough at this stage of the war,” he said referring to the massive $40,000 signing bonuses doled out last year to enlist Russians to fight in strongman Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Army recruitment ads on Russian social media jumped more than 40% in the first half of 2025 — and by April, ads seeking drivers outnumbered those for all combat roles combined, the analysis found.
That month, there were as many as 2,400 posts on Russian social media platform VK seeking drivers.
Local state media even reported in July drivers were the most in-demand profession in the war zone.
“It’s not possible they need that many drivers,” blasted Hnizdovskyi.
Buzzwords like “not storm units,” “quiet service,” “easy service” and “no frontline” began flooding the ads.
“In practice, in Russia, it’s commanders that decide where soldiers are sent regardless of what was advertised before … it’s basically deception on many levels,” said Hnizdovskyi.
Multiple reports in Russian news and social media over the past several months, including an investigation by independent outlet Verstka, confirmed the scheme.
Quote:Russian military forces launched a blistering aerial barrage on Ukraine overnight night killing one and leaving thousands in the dark — hours after President Trump called for peace between the warring combatants.
Forces from Moscow largely targeted Ukrainian forces and infrastructure on the front lines and fired roughly 268 guided aerial bombs with each carrying a payload of 3,307 pounds, CNN reported citing the Ukrainian military.
One unidentified man was killed in the village of Zelenyi Hair, according to Ukrainian officials.
Nearly all districts in the city of Chuhuiv, located in the Kharkiv region, were cut off from the electrical grid and left completely in the dark, EuroNews reported.
One Russian strike hit an energy facility in the Koriukivka district and knocked out power to 17,000 people, according to the report.
The wave of attacks on Ukraine have been escalating, with Moscow launching an average of 180 drones every night through the month of September, CNN reported.
“Moscow has developed fresh ways of using drones to find and kill Ukrainian soldiers and to destroy Ukrainian assets, turning what was once an area of weakness into an area of strength,” long-time Russia analyst Dara Massicot wrote in the most recent issue of Foreign Affairs.
“It has built better missiles and created more rugged and capable armored systems. It is giving junior commanders more freedom to plan.”
Russia is continuing to make their slow advancement on the front lines despite President Trump urging a “combat freeze” in an effort to push forward truce talks.
At a high-profile meeting in Washington, Trump denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s requests for Tomahawk missiles to fight off the Russians and urged both sides to pursue a course of peace.
Quote:Ukraine’s orchestrated attacks on Russian oil infrastructure seem to be having an effect.
Moscow’s fossil fuel exports plummeted in the month of September, dipping to their lowest point since the start of its nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine.
The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air claims its figures indicate Russia exported an average of $637 million of fuel a day last month — a 4% slip from August, and a 26% drop from oil exports recorded in September 2024.
Eighteen Russian oil facilities have been targeted in recent months, with drones taking out a key oil terminal in Crimea, halting crude oil production.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this month he plans to continue the drone bombardment of Russia’s crude oil refineries, depots and terminals, calling such attacks “the most effective sanctions — the ones that work the fastest.”
Russian oil infrastructure continues to fuel Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s war machine.
The oil hub at the port of Primorsk was also set ablaze by Kyiv drones on Sept. 12. The next evening, they also struck the Kirishi refinery — one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, located in the northwestern Leningrad region — sparking a massive blaze.
And as recently as Oct. 15, a drone struck an industrial zone in Ufa, disabling the Ufaorgsintez oil refinery.
China was the largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels in August, spending $6.4 billion, with India buying up $4.2 billion worth of barrels, according to reports.
President Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian exports in August, after accusing the nation of sustaining Russia’s war through energy trade.
NATO member Turkey imported $2.79 billion worth of Russian fossil fuels during August, with Hungary and Slovakia importing $421 million and $222 million in oil and liquefied natural gas, respectively.
Trump had asked NATO members to stop from purchasing Russian oil last month during his UN address.
Quote:Russia’s largest gas processing plant was forced to shut down — at least partially — after a Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire and caused major damage on Sunday, officials said.
The plan stopped taking in natural gas from Kazakhstan following the overnight attack at the Orenburg processing plant, the largest facility of its kind on the planet, Kazakhstan’s energy ministry said.
The damage and processing freeze is yet another blow to Moscow — as Kyiv continues to bombard energy facilities in the hopes of crippling Russia’s ability to wage war.
The overnight drone strike hit a workshop at the Orenburg plant, run by state-owned gas giant Gazprom, located near the border with Kazakhstan, regional Gov. Yevgeny Solntsev said.
The major fuel plant has an annual processing capacity of about 45 billion cubic meters, with the facility handling gas output from both the Orenburg oil and gas field and Kazakhstan’s Karachaganak field.
It’s unclear whether the entire plant went offline, or just the portion that processes fuel from Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan’s energy ministry said it had been notified of the emergency and damage to the plant, but said Gazprom did not provide any details on the extent of the damage or when the facility would be up and running again.
The strike on the gas plant was part of a large Ukrainian drone assault, with Russia’s Ministry of Defense reporting that at least 45 UAVs were shot down overnight, including one in Orenburg.
Ukraine’s latest assault on Russia’s energy sector has caused Moscow’s fossil fuel exports to plummet to their lowest point since the start of the war in Ukraine nearly four years ago.
Russia exported an average of $637 million of fuel a day last month — a 4% slip from August, and a 26% drop from oil exports recorded in September 2024, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
At least 18 Russian oil facilities have been targeted since the summer, with drones taking out a key oil terminal in Crimea, halting crude oil production, and causing headaches for Russian consumers.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Kremlin tyrant Vladimir Putin “is in a weak position” and fearful that the US will finally send Ukraine some Tomahawk missiles that can cut deep into Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday.
Zelensky had met with President Trump on Friday — a day after Trump held a call with Putin — and pushed to buy the much-sought-after long-range missiles, although he left the White House meeting empty-handed.
“For today, it’s good again that he didn’t say no,” Zelensky told NBC’s “Meet the Press,” referring to Trump.
“The Tomahawks, it’s very sensitive for Russians,” Zelensky said. “I think that Putin [is] afraid that [the] United States will deliver us Tomahawks. And I think that he’s really afraid that we will use [them].”
Tomahawk missiles would enable Ukraine to hit critical Russian military, logistical and energy targets deep inside its own turf, potentially undermining its war machine significantly.
The US has more than a thousand Tomahawks available, though some experts believe Washington would only spare 20 to 50 of them for Ukraine, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Selling the Ukrainians Tomahawks could mark a dramatic escalation in the war.
In September, during his visit to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump publicly ripped Russia as a “paper tiger” and mused that Ukraine could “win all of Ukraine back in its original form” and perhaps go even further.
Putin had vexed Trump when the two had a summit in Alaska in August aimed at winding down the war, with the Russian dictator only later continuing to ramp up his offense in Ukraine.
Then after Trump’s call with Putin on Thursday, the president appeared to warm up to Russia’s perspective that it has the upper hand on the battlefield and revealed plans to met with the Kremlin strongman in Budapest.
But Zelensky said Sunday, “We are not losing this war, and Putin is not winning.
“And really, his army now [is] in a weak position. I think so, because they really from the beginning of this war, they could occupy 1% of our land, but they spent 1,300,000 people, and I think this is high price, yes, for such land.
Quote:Prince Andrew just gave up his royal title, the Duke of York, after King Charles and the rest of the royal family finally ran out of patience with the scandal-tarred noble.
But don’t expect the disgraced duke to be out on the street polishing his résumé. For non-blue bloods, he faces mostly humiliation by losing out on his fancy title, not exactly hardship.
The Post breaks down exactly what the news means:
Why is Prince Andrew giving up his dukedom?
Buckingham Palace confirmed Friday that Andrew, 65, has agreed to stop using his titles and honors, including “Duke of York” and the “His Royal Highness” styling, after a “discussion with The King.”
The move came after a brutal week of headlines. There was the newly surfaced 2011 email showed Andrew telling Jeffrey Epstein, “We’re in this together,” contradicting years of denials about their friendship.
Most recently, British papers revealed he’d met with a top Chinese official later tied to a UK spy case.
That was the final straw for King Charles, who reportedly decided his younger brother had become “poisonous” to the monarchy.
What does this mean for Andrew’s future?
Andrew’s “decision” — read: royal nudge — is more symbolic than practical. He wasn’t formally stripped of anything, which would require an act of Parliament, but he has agreed to stop using his titles publicly.
He keeps “Prince,” since that’s part of his birthright, but he loses “Duke of York,” “His Royal Highness,” and his honorary posts, including his membership in the Order of the Garter.
His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will no longer be “Duchess of York” — she’ll simply be Sarah Ferguson again — while his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, remain princesses.
So yes, he’s still royal, but when the family steps out for church or a coronation, he’s no longer invited to walk alongside them.
Andrew still lives rent-free at Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion on the Windsor estate that he shares with his ex-wife. His lease runs until 2078, and even the King can’t evict him without a major legal fight — one the Palace already lost.
He’s also still wealthy, still attending private family events, and still — technically — “Prince Andrew.”
In other words, he lost the title, not the lifestyle.
What has the family of Andrew’s late accuser, Virginia Giuffre, said?
The fallout isn’t confined to palace optics. The family of the late Virginia Giuffre — who accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17 and was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent victims — called the prince’s move “vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere.”
In a statement, they said: “This is not just a victory for her, but for every single survivor of the horrific crimes perpetrated by Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
Quote:A Jewish film festival set to begin next month in Sweden, has been postponed indefinitely, after several local cinemas refused to screen the films with claims of safety and security concerns.
Sofia Nerbrand, one of the organizers of the Jewish International Film Festival in Malmö, confirmed the news on X, noting “no cinema dares to rent out its premises” to host screenings.
Folkets Hus, “which had previously said yes” to the festival’s organizers, “has withdrawn due to security reasons,” Nerbrand shared Thursday.
“It is outrageous if Sweden cannot protect cinema-goers who are interested in Jewish film. … We can’t have it like this.”
The festival, founded last year, would have marked 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden.
But Nerbrand, and other cultural ambassadors in the country, have not given up.
“We MUST arrange the Jewish film festival in Malmö,” she wrote on X.
“It must be possible to find a venue. Many engaged people have reached out during the day with everything from cheers to concrete suggestions. That still gives hope.
“At the same time, more people must realize that violent anti-semites are a serious societal problem, because they spread fear, silence, and appeasement,” she continued.
“It’s not just about Jews, but about Sweden.”
The festival was booked to run from Nov. 29 through Dec. 2.
Quote:Video shows one of the suspected Louvre robbers brazenly cutting through a glass case using a mini chainsaw before making off with the loot during Sunday’s heist at the Paris art gallery, French media has reported.
The short clip shows the thief, wearing a yellow reflective jacket over a black hoodie, casually cutting through the protective case, French outlet BFMTV reported.
The video does not show the robber leaving the gallery.
A total of nine precious items from France’s Crown Jewels were taken during Sunday’s daring raid, with one of them, a crown that once belonged to Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie, being later recovered, French magistrate Laure Beccuau told Le Parisien.
“We have CCTV footage from the museum itself,” she said, adding that the suspected thieves were highly “prepared” and “organized.”
Among the priceless jewels stolen is a large bodice bow that belonged to the Empress Eugenie, made up of 2,634 diamonds, which was bought by the museum in 2008 for $10.5 million.
Before being bought at auction, the item was in private hands in the US.
So far, no details have been given about the identities of the robbers, who allegedly drove an aerial work platform up to the side of the world-famous art gallery before using miniature chainsaws to access the building through the window.
Quote:Hamas defended the gruesome public executions it carried out against Palestinians earlier this week as the terrorist group says it has no plans to lay down its arms — throwing a massive wrench into the already tense peace negotiations with Israel.
Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal told Reuters that “exceptional measures” had to be taken when it carried out public killings in Gaza on Monday, which drew widespread criticism for their extreme violence. He claimed that those executed were criminals guilty of murder.
Nazzal also refused to commit to Hamas disarming itself, which Israel has demanded as part of a peace deal. Hamas’ arms could prove to be a major obstacle as both sides, with the help of the US, work to create lasting peace days after the first phase of the cease-fire was agreed on.
In response to Nazzal’s comments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office slammed Hamas for failing to live up to its end of the deal as Israel remains committed to fulfilling the terms.
“Hamas is supposed to release all hostages in stage 1. It has not. Hamas knows where the bodies of our hostages are. Hamas are to be disarmed under this agreement. No ifs, no buts. They have not. Hamas need to adhere to the 20-point plan. They are running out of time,” said a statement from the office.
Nazzal, speaking from Doha, said Hamas is prepared to accept a five-year cease-fire to rebuild the Gaza Strip, including guarantees for the future if it is offered “horizons and hope” for statehood.
Quote:Pro-Palestinian groups are accused of funding a “pay for slay” program which donated $300 million to the families of terrorists in a new lawsuit, The Post has learned.
Terrorists convicted of atrocities and assassins are profiting from the scheme’s blood money, according to the legal filing in Manhattan federal court.
The action has been brought by Americans who have lost family members in terrorist attacks and is against the Palestinian Liberation Organization, an international group, and the Palestinian Authority, located on the West Bank and headed by Mahmoud Abbas.
The lawsuit claims last year the PA Martyrs’ Fund gave out the staggering sum, which effectively equates to a “lucrative bounty” on the heads of foreign nationals, including Americans, “by paying millions in salaries or compensation,” annually to imprisoned terrorists and their families, according to the legal papers.
“By establishing financial incentives for imprisoned terrorists and the families of dead terrorists, the PA and PLO have created a terrorism turnstile—rewarding terrorists who are either imprisoned or killed, thereby creating the space and monetary incentives for new would-be terrorists to take their place,” the court papers say.
The lawsuit cites the example of Abdullah Barghouti, a bomb-building member of Hamas whose explosives killed 67 people — among them Israeli, Americas, Dutch and French citizens — at various locations in Israel in 2002 and 2011.
Barghouti is currently serving 67 life sentences in an Israeli prison, but his family has received nearly $400,000 in payouts, the lawsuit claims.
Among the plaintiffs are members of the Gez family, who are dual-American and Israeli citizens. They lost their mother, Tzeela Gez, and her infant, Ravid Gez, to a Palestinian terrorist in May 2025.
Mother of three Tzeela, 30, was shot and killed while she was on her way to a hospital with her husband to give birth to her son near their home in the West Bank.
Her husband, Hananel Gez, was wounded but survived the shooting. Doctors performed an emergency cesarean section and delivered the baby, but were unable to save the mother’s life. The baby died 15 days later, according to the court papers.
Quote:TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel says the remains of another hostage that Hamas handed over the day before have been identified as Eliyahu Margalit, as the Palestinian militant group looks for more bodies under the rubble in the Gaza Strip and urges more aid to be allowed into the embattled enclave.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said Saturday Margalit’s body was identified after testing by the National Center for Forensic Medicine and his family has been notified. The 76-year-old was abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, from the horse stables where he worked in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Margalit is the 10th returned hostage body since the ceasefire went into effect over a week ago. Hamas handed over an 11th body this week, but it wasn’t that of a hostage. The effort to find the remains followed a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would green-light Israel to resume the war if Hamas doesn’t live up to its end of the deal and return all hostages’ bodies, totaling 28.
In a statement Saturday, the hostage forum, which supports the families of those abducted, said Margalit’s return brings a measure of solace to his family, but that they won’t rest until the remaining 18 hostages come home. The forum says it will continue holding weekly rallies until all remains are returned.
The handover of hostages’ remains, called for under the ceasefire agreement, has been among the key sticking points — along with aid deliveries, the opening of border crossings into Gaza and hopes for reconstruction — in a process backed by much of the international community to help end two years of devastating war in Gaza.
Hamas has said it is committed to the terms of the ceasefire deal, including the handover of bodies. However, the retrieval of bodies is hampered by the scope of the devastation and the presence of dangerous, unexploded ordnance. The group has also told mediators that some bodies are in areas controlled by Israeli troops.
Margalit’s body was found after two bulldozers plowed up pits in the earth in the city of Khan Younis.
Quote:Vice President JD Vance is headed to Israel on Monday to help push forward the second phase of the historic Gaza peace deal.
Vance plans to visit the Holy Land alongside Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff to discuss the progress of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan to effectively end the war in Gaza, which concludes its first phase with Hamas returning the bodies of the 28 dead Israeli hostages, Times of Israel reported.
The terror group has returned the bodies of just 10 slain hostages so far, after having released the 20 remaining living captives Monday, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Hamas handed over the remains of slain hostage Eliyahu Margalit, 76, Israel announced on Saturday — marking the 10th dead captive returned to the Jewish state since the Israeli Defense Forces withdrew from roughly half of the Gaza Strip.
Despite signing on to the peace agreement, Hamas has put the deal on edge with a series of public executions and the apparent refusal to disarm.
Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal told Reuters of the terror group’s refusal to commit to disarmament, which Israel has demanded as part of any truce. Hamas’ arms could prove to be a major obstacle as both sides, with the help of the US, work to create lasting peace.
Trump’s Sept. 29 peace plan called for the Palestinian group to immediately return all hostages before committing to disarmament and ceding governance of Gaza to a committee overseen by an international transitional body.
“Well, they’re going to disarm because they said they were going to disarm, and if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them,” Trump told reporters at a White House meeting this week.
Quote:Hamas’ military leaders returned, what they said are, the remains of two more Israeli hostages to Red Cross personnel in Gaza on Saturday night.
The bodies were taken into custody at around 11 p.m. local time, but neither the terror group nor the Israelis identified which of the 18 remaining slain hostages were returned, according to The Times of Israel.
The hand-off marks the 11th and 12th dead hostages returned to the Jewish state since the landmark Gaza peace treaty — which led to the return of the 20 living hostages — was reached on Oct. 3.
On Friday night, Hamas returned the body of Eliyahu Margalit, 76, who was captured while tending to his horses on Oct. 7, 2023.
The initiation of the second phase in the peace deal between the warring countries is contingent upon the full return of all Israeli hostages.
President Trump announced Wednesday that he would greenlight Israel to continue their offensive if all remains of hostages were not returned by the terror group.
Quote:The State Department warned Saturday of “credible reports” that Hamas might violate its cease-fire with Israel by launching an “imminent” attack on Palestinian civilians in Gaza – warning that any such violence on innocent civilians would trigger a rapid response.
“The United States has informed the guarantor nations of the Gaza peace agreement of credible reports indicating an imminent ceasefire violation by Hamas against the people of Gaza,” the State Department posted on social media late Saturday.
“This planned attack against Palestinian civilians would constitute a direct and grave violation of the ceasefire agreement and undermine the significant progress achieved through mediation efforts. The guarantors demand Hamas uphold its obligations under the ceasefire terms.”
No details were provided about the nature of the potential attack or what the violation would be.
“Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire,” officials continued.
The State Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Despite signing President Trump’s 20-point peace plan last week to effectively end the war in Gaza, the terror group has put the deal on edge with a series of public executions and a refusal to disarm.
Disturbing footage emerged on social media this week showing Hamas gunmen slaughtering Palestinians who were blindfolded and forced to their knees before being shot from behind.
Hamas reportedly claimed the targeted Palestinians were “criminals and collaborators with Israel.”
Trump warned this week on Truth Social that “if Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.”
Following the breakthrough cease-fire that has temporarily halted two years of conflict, Hamas has worked quickly to reassert control of the war-torn Gaza Strip.
The terrorists have targeted so-called “clans,” or family-centered armed groups that got stronger during the conflict sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on the Jewish state.
Under the US-brokered deal, the terror group is expected to give up its arms — but has since signaled it has no intention of doing so.
Since the agreement was reached, Hamas has returned all 20 living Israeli hostages and reportedly returned the bodies of 10 of those who were killed in Gaza.
Trump warned Wednesday that if the remains of other slain hostage were not returned as promised, he would greenlight Israeli to continue fighting in the coastal enclave.
“Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word,” the president told CNN.
“If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they’d do that.”
Quote:Israel carried out “significant and extensive” waves of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Sunday, in response to what it said was Hamas’ “blatant violation of the ceasefire.”
More than 20 Israeli airstrikes were reported in Khan Younis in the south of the territory, according to reports.
“Our planes have begun a significant and extensive wave of attacks on dozens of targets throughout the Gaza Strip,” Israeli journalist Hallel Bitton Rosen wrote on X.
It comes after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused Hamas of firing on it in the southern city of Rafah.
“Terrorists fired an anti-tank missile and gunfire toward IDF troops,” the IDF said, adding that the attack was “a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
A Hamas spokesperson said it was “unaware of any events or clashes taking place in the Rafah area, as these are red zones under the control of the occupation.”
Hamas fighters reportedly attacked a group affiliated with Abu Shabab, one of the rival militias jostling for power in the Gaza Strip, a local source told BBC News.
Hamas has accused Israel of funding and arming rival gangs, which it says have looted aid trucks to try and undermine the Islamist group’s authority in the territory.
Militants came under surprise tank fire, leading to a shootout before Israeli warplanes bombed the site, the source claimed.
US officials are reportedly working on restoring calm to Gaza in response to the clashes.
“We knew this was brewing. And the longer these guys are allowed to attack each other, the more they’re going to attack each other,” a senior Trump administration official told Axios.
Quote:Iran announced its nuclear program was free from restrictions of the 2015 non-proliferation pact with world powers that was signed by President Obama — after the deal expired on Saturday.
The decade-old Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which sought limitations on Tehran’s nuclear initiatives in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions, came to an end with the Iranian regime celebrating a possible new nuclear era.
In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry called for their nuclear program, moving forward, to be “treated in the same manner as that of any non-nuclear-weapon” state.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its unwavering commitment to diplomacy while resolutely upholding the legitimate rights and lawful interests of the Iranian nation in all fields, including the inalienable right to the peaceful utilization of nuclear energy,” the statement concluded.
Talks with European powers to revive the agreement continually failed over the years and likely were put to an end after the 12-day war in June with Israel that saw Tehran sustain devastating strikes to its nuclear facilities.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, found in June that Iran was in violation of the agreement — which Iran contested — that resulted in the reimposition of economic sanctions on Tehran, known as “snapback sanctions,” that had been lifted under the 2015 deal.
Iran denounced the US, UK, Germany and France for “undue pressures” exerted on the Islamic Republic and maintained that it never sought to weaponize their nuclear capabilities, the statement claimed.
Its Foreign Ministry also called out the US and European parties to the now expired non-proliferation pact for not abiding by the rules of the agreement.
Quote:Afghanistan and Pakistan, embroiled in fighting that has killed dozens of people and injured hundreds, pledged on Sunday to respect a cease-fire.
The truce, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, came into effect immediately and is intended to pause hostilities.
Violence has escalated between the neighbors since earlier this month, with each country saying they were responding to aggression from the other. Afghanistan denies harboring militants who carry out attacks in border areas.
Pakistan is grappling with militancy that has surged since 2021, when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan and returned to power.
The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, gave a positive response to the outcome of the talks that took place in the Qatari capital, Doha, a day earlier.
He said both countries had signed a bilateral agreement.
“It has been decided that neither country will undertake any hostile actions against the other, nor will they support groups carrying out attacks against Pakistan. Both sides will refrain from targeting each other’s security forces, civilians, or critical infrastructure.”
A mechanism would be established in the future, “under the mediation of intermediary countries,” to review bilateral claims and ensure the effective implementation of this agreement.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif posted confirmation of the deal on X.
Quote:US Senator Ted Cruz is spearheading a contentious effort to designate Nigeria as a violator of religious freedom, making unfounded claims of "Christian mass murder" – assertions the West African nation has vehemently rejected as false.
A Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr Cruz is pushing for Nigeria to be labelled a "country of particular concern" due to alleged "severe violations" of religious freedom.
This designation, which currently applies to nations such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, could lead to US sanctions.
A bill introduced by the senator last month is awaiting action in the Senate, though its ultimate approval is not guaranteed.
Mr Cruz's assertions have been amplified by some US celebrities and commentators, often without substantiating evidence, with certain figures going as far as alleging a "Christian genocide."
His office has not responded to questions, including those concerning his motivation for these allegations.
Here's what to know.
Both Christians and Muslims are killed
Nigeria’s 220-million-strong population is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough.
Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes.
While Christians are among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria's Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.
Both Muslim and Christian communities, and groups, have at various times alleged “genocide” during religiously motivated attacks against both sides.
Quote:A military coup has unfolded in Madagascar, according to an Associated Press report that also indicates the country's parliament voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina, who recently fled the nation.
Madagascar is a large island off the coast of the mainland African continent.
Right after parliament voted to impeach Rajoelina, who fled the country fearing for his safety, the leader of Madagascar’s elite CAPSAT military unit said the armed forces would form a council made up of officers from the military and police, or gendarmerie, and would appoint a prime minister to "quickly" form a civilian government.
"We are taking power," asserted Col. Michael Randrianirina, according to the outlet.
He said the constitution and High Constitutional Court’s powers had been suspended, and that a referendum would be held in two years, though he didn’t go into detail.
The president's office issued a statement decrying the military figure's announcement as an "illegal declaration" and "a serious breach of the rule of law," insisting that "the Republic of Madagascar cannot be taken hostage by force. The State remains standing," according to the AP.
Rajoelina released a decree attempting to dissolve the country's lower house of parliament in an apparent bid to avert impeachment, the AP reported, noting that lawmakers ignored the move.
CAPSAT is the military entity that revolted against the nation's government in 2009 and assisted Rajoelina in obtaining power, according to the outlet.
Quote:Analysts claim the withdrawal of U.S. and European troops from countries in Africa’s Sahel, and their replacement by Russian mercenaries, has led to a spike in jihadist-driven terrorism.
The Sahel is a belt of countries running roughly west to east across the continent just below the Sahara Desert. A total of 3,885 deaths — about 51% of all terrorism-related fatalities globally in 2024 — occurred in the Sahel, according to the Global Terrorism Index.
In at least three Sahel states — Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso — military juntas that came to power in coups, notably Niger and Mali, have expelled Western military forces. The U.S. was asked, after 11 years in the country, to halt anti-terror drone operations from two bases in Niger last year. In Mali, French forces were ejected in 2022 after battling Islamist terror groups for nine years.
Governments have turned to the Kremlin’s private mercenary army, the Africa Corps — formerly known as the Wagner Group — for protection. But the Russians are reportedly more interested in extracting minerals than helping stop the spread of jihadism.
Ordinary people often bear the brunt of jihadist attacks in the Sahel. Last month, Islamist gunmen on motorbikes reportedly killed 22 people in an attack on Tillaberi village in western Niger. Fifteen of the dead were families attending a naming ceremony for a child, reports said. In northern Mali in January, Russian mercenaries allegedly joined government forces in executing 10 civilians, including a 2-year-old boy.
In the Sahel, "groups affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda are continuing their territorial and strategic advance," the Observer Research Foundation reported in August, "taking advantage of governance gaps and weak security forces to push into littoral West African states such as Benin and Togo."
"The situation in the Sahel, particularly in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, has rapidly deteriorated since the U.S. and French have withdrawn from the countries following the coups," Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies,(FDD) told Fox News Digital.
Roggio, also editor of the FDD’s Long War Journal, added, "The reality is that the situation was bad before the U.S. and French left the region, but the drawdown of U.S. and French forces has exacerbated the jihadist advances."
"Both al Qaeda’s branch in the region, JNIM, (al Qaeda-linked Jama’a Nusrat Al-Islam wa al-Muslimin) and the Islamic State have made gains and control significant enclaves in the countries … The juntas in these three countries wanted the West out, and have turned to Russia to provide security via Wagner, which is now ironically called the Africa Corps."
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that if the Democrats don't approve funding, there are dangers to the future of Social Security and Medicare.
Trump said at a press conference that when he asked Democrats for feedback on the funding bills, one said, "It means death."
"There's nothing about death," Trump said. "Theirs is death because they're going to lose Medicaid, they're going to lose Social Security, they're going to lose Medicare, all of those things are going to be gone because the whole country would be bankrupt, and you're not going to have any kind of medical insurance."
Why It Matters
A point of contention leading to the government shutdown is the Democrats' refusal to accept a funding bill that would cut health care provisions, which many Republicans argue fund medical care for illegal aliens.
Social Security and Medicare represent vital support for tens of millions of Americans, especially retirees, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. As of late 2024, Social Security provided monthly benefits to about 53 million Americans—nearly 16 percent of the U.S. population. Medicare and Medicaid similarly underpin health insurance availability for seniors, low-income people, and many vulnerable groups.
Any potential reduction or administrative change to these programs has far-reaching implications for millions who rely on them for basic income or health care needs.
Federal funding gaps have become more frequent in the last 30 years, according to the Congressional Research Service, which added that the issues are often triggered by fights over budget policy and partisan spending demands.
Donald Trump Issues Warning on Social Security, Medicare: What We Know
Trump warned at the press conference that if an agreement is not reached with the Democrats, programs like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare will be in danger. There are currently no changes to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid as the government shutdown, which just reached its third week, continues.
The president added of Democrats, "We will not be extorted on this crazy part of this. They've never done this before. Nobody has. You always vote for an extension."
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Newsweek in a statement on Tuesday, “Democrats chose to shut down the government because they want to give free health care to illegal aliens. They can choose to reopen the government at any point by supporting the bipartisan CR they voted for just six months ago. The Trump Administration is working day and night to mitigate the pain Democrats are causing.”
Can You Work and Collect Social Security?
Americans can work and collect Social Security retirement benefits at the same time.
However, if an individual has not reached their full retirement age, their benefits may be temporarily reduced if they earn more than the annual earnings limit established by the Social Security Administration.
In 2025, these limits and corresponding reductions will reflect cost-of-living adjustments, as set by the SSA.
Benefit reductions apply only before reaching full retirement age, after which there are no earnings limits.
Quote:Michael Wolff, author of four books on President Donald Trump, filed a lawsuit against First Lady Melania Trump in New York State court.
The filing came after Wolff received a letter from Melania Trump's legal team demanding he retract certain statements linking her to Jeffrey Epstein or face a lawsuit for over $1 billion in damages.
Among the contested statements was an allegation that Epstein had claimed Melania Trump first met or was intimate with Donald Trump on Epstein’s private jet, and suggestions about her involvement in the Trump administration’s management of Epstein-related controversies.
Wolff has requested that both Melania and Donald Trump testify under oath regarding their relationships and interactions with Epstein.
Why It Matters
Best-selling author Michael Wolff’s lawsuit against First Lady Melania Trump highlights the ongoing battle between high-profile individuals and the press over freedom of expression and defamation law.
The dispute also raises questions about the use of so-called Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) to intimidate journalists reporting on topics of significant public concern, in this case, alleged links between public figures and Jeffrey Epstein.
Legal experts and media watchdogs argued that such lawsuits have broad implications for First Amendment protections and the ability of journalists to report on controversial or politically sensitive subjects without fear of crippling legal reprisal.
What To Know
Wolff is the author of four books on President Trump as well as a co-host for the Daily Beast's podcast "Inside Trump's Head."
The author filed a lawsuit against First Lady Melania Trump in New York State court after receiving a letter from her legal team demanding he retract certain statements linking her to Jeffrey Epstein or face a lawsuit for “over $1 billion in damages," the Associated Press (AP) reported.
The First Lady’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, described his statements as “false, defamatory, and lewd,” and demanded retractions for claims made in podcasts and online articles, according to Wolff's court filings.
Among the contested statements was an allegation that Epstein had claimed Melania Trump first met or was intimate with Donald Trump on Epstein’s private jet, and suggestions about her involvement in the Trump administration’s management of Epstein-related controversies.
Wolff, in his lawsuit, asserted that the threatened suit was a "SLAPP," aiming to chill his freedom of speech and deter reporting on the Epstein topic.
The author is seeking a declaratory judgment protecting his reporting as speech on matters of public concern, as well as an order blocking Melania Trump’s threats and allowing deposition under oath of both Melania and President Donald Trump regarding their alleged links with Epstein.
The legal battle also encompassed broader claims by Wolff that Melania Trump undertook a campaign to block publication of his forthcoming book, The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump (Redux), by pressuring publishers and media outlets and issuing public statements challenging his credibility and motives. Wolff alleged this campaign led to lost book deals and significant financial damages.
The controversy began following Wolff’s remarks on The Daily Beast’s podcast and subsequent online articles. The Daily Beast, following complaints from the First Lady’s attorneys, retracted an article and removed podcast excerpts referencing Melania Trump and Epstein.
Melania Trump’s attorneys called Wolff’s claims “BS,” strongly denying any connections or involvement as alleged, and accused Wolff of fabricating stories and intimidating sources. They argued that his reporting lacks any substantial basis in fact or law.
Well, there was an old article telling us how one of the news outlets that promoted Wolff's story simply retracted its article on Trump and his wife.
Quote:The US military bombed two more suspected drug smuggling vessels — this time in the Eastern Pacific — killing five “narco-terrorists” on board, War Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed Wednesday.
The deadly assaults, which took place Tuesday and Wednesday, are the eighth and ninth strikes targeting suspected drug boats, but the first ones to be carried out outside the Caribbean Sea, marking an expansion in the Trump administration’s efforts to snuff out international narcotics traffickers.
“Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and conducting narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific,” Hegseth wrote on X.
“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route, and carrying narcotics,” the Pentagon chief added. “There were two narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike, which was conducted in international waters.”
“Both terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike.”
Aerial footage of the strike shows the boat racing along the water moments before it’s stopped dead in its tracks by a large blast, engulfing it in flames.
The subsequent strike similarly targeted a “known” boat being operated by a “Designated Terrorist Organization” and killed “three male narco-terrorists,” Hegseth wrote in a separate post.
“These strikes will continue, day after day,” Hegseth warned. “These are not simply drug runners—these are narco-terrorists bringing death and destruction to our cities.”
Footage of Wednesday’s strike, shared by Hegseth, showed bundles of what appeared to be drugs floating in the water after the blast that sank the boat.
It appeared that another missile was then used to destroy the drug bundles.
The war secretary did not reveal the origin point of either boat.
Colombia and Peru, among the world’s top producers of cocaine, have coastlines on the Eastern Pacific.
Quote:The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have announced new temporary measures to help businesses and lenders that are required to report car loan interest payments transition to the new reporting requirements under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB).
These measures include interest deductions, penalty relief, and simplified reporting options, giving those affected greater flexibility in how they comply with the new IRS reporting rules during the transitional year.
Why It Matters
The transition relief for reporting car loan interest marks a significant change in tax policy under the OBBB, signed into law by Trump on July 4. The policy allows U.S. taxpayers to deduct interest paid on qualified new car loans—a move that affects millions of car buyers and the financial institutions that serve them. With over 80 percent of new U.S. vehicle sales financed through loans, the new transitional relief could impact tax filings, vehicle affordability, and lender operations nationwide, especially as the auto market remains central to U.S. consumer spending and borrowing.
What To Know
Under Notice 2025-57, the Treasury and IRS are granting temporary relief for entities required to report car loan interest payments. The measure allows qualifying taxpayers to deduct interest on loans for vehicles assembled in the United States, provided the loans were initiated after December 31, 2024, and before January 1, 2029.
Key provisions:
Lenders must file returns and issue borrower statements showing total interest received on qualified passenger vehicle loans.
Qualified vehicles include cars, SUVs, minivans, pickup trucks, vans, and motorcycles under 14,000 pounds gross weight, assembled in the U.S.
For 2025, lenders may meet requirements by providing interest information through online portals, statements, or similar accessible formats. If they do so, the IRS will not impose penalties for failing to file traditional information returns.
The rule applies only to lenders receiving at least $600 per year in interest from an individual borrower.
Quote:A Missouri sheriff has said a dead man previously charged with killing a woman has been linked to a second victim.
“We’re dealing with what’s possibly a serial killer. During his day he’s doing his deed to society and helping people and saving people but there was a dark side to Chris Revak,” Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase told KY3.
Revak, who worked as an EMT, died by suicide in jail in 2009. He had been arrested and charged with the killing of Rene Williams.
Degase announced on Facebook on Tuesday that Revak had been identified as the killer of Deidre Harm, who was 19 years after her death in Wisconsin.
Why It Matters
Degase said the announcement would provide closure for the Harm family after 19 years.
“There is something to be said for persistence in this line of work. Thank you to the Wood County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin Rapids PD for having the tenacity to solve this case,” the sheriff wrote on Facebook.
What To Know
Degase said that while he was working on the Williams case, he “did not believe that this was the first time Chris Revak had committed a murder.”
When Degase began searching online for women who had been abducted from bars, he found an article about Harm’s abduction with a composite drawing of the last person she was seen with.
“There was no doubt in my mind that it was Chris Revak,” the sheriff said.
Degase said he contacted the Wood County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin Rapids Police Department to provide them with suspect information.
Records placed Revak in Wisconsin Rapids at the time of Harm’s abduction, Degase said.
Wisconsin Rapids police received a complaint about a missing woman on June 11, 2006. Harm’s friend told officials that Harm had been at the Finish Line Bar the prior evening and had not been seen since, Wood County District Attorney Jonathan E. Barnett wrote in a letter to Wood County Sheriff Shawn Becker.
The friend said it was unusual because Harm left her child with a babysitter and did not inform the babysitter of any changes in her plans. The friend also told the police that Harm’s father had not heard from her.
Harm’s remains were found later that year.
Revak’s wife at the time told officials that they had traveled to Wisconsin on several occasions. The woman confirmed that one of their trips lined up with Harm’s disappearance, Barnett said.
Barnett added that he believed the probable cause would be strong enough to take the case to trial if they had the ability to do so.
“I consider this case closed, though sadly, without the chance to try this case publicly,” the Wood County district attorney wrote.
Quote:Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is warning seniors that they could have a “worse” Medicare experience next year.
"Sometimes these policies change without you knowing it, and you will have a worse experience next year, so even if you're happy, just take a quick look," Oz said in an interview with Rhode Island news station WJAR. "Insurance companies change, you change, the opportunities that are out there are quite great."
Why It Matters
Roughly half of American seniors are enrolled in traditional Medicare, while the other half rely on privatized Medicare or Medicare Advantage plans.
These plans can often offer added benefits like prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage, but the changes in providers and premium costs can vary from year to year.
What To Know
Oz told WJAR that seniors should potentially expect the price of Medicare Part B to rise, while the price of Part D, which covers drugs, should actually decrease.
"Medicare Part B might be going up, but Medicare Part D, which is the benefit where you go to the drugstore, that's actually going down a little bit, and the Medicare Advantage prices, in general, are dropping so there's some up, there's some down," Oz said.
"In general, we fought hard for you to try to keep the prices stable. I think we've achieved that goal, but you will not be getting the most benefit from this if you don't pick the right plan.”
Oz also urged seniors relying on Medicare to carefully review what changes are made to their plan from year to year.
The best advice for Medicare open enrollment is to review your plan every renewal season, said Drew Powers, the founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group.
“Do not just blindly auto-renew your current policy, as provisions and coverages change year to year,” Powers told Newsweek. “This is the type of coverage that should be inspected in deep detail every fall.”
Still, Medicare costs could even out depending on which parts recipients are accessing based on their needs, according to Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin.
“The primary concern, obviously, is with inflationary pressures weighing heavily on seniors already, further rising costs in health care will strain their finances further. With health care services being essential, this could cause further personal budget cuts that could affect other industries,” Beene told Newsweek.
Quote:President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his record on behalf of American cattle ranchers as he faced criticism from beef producers and agricultural-state Republicans over his proposal to purchase beef from Argentina.
“The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% tariff on Brazil,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If it weren’t for me, they would be doing just as they’ve done for the past 20 years — terrible!”
The White House has been considering a plan to buy Argentine beef to help lower costs for U.S. consumers.
Trump said “it would be nice if they would understand that,” but acknowledged that ranchers still need to bring beef prices down.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America and several other agricultural groups — typically among Trump’s strongest allies — have criticized the president’s proposal, warning it could harm American ranchers and feedlot operators.
Agricultural economists also note that Argentine beef makes up only about 2% of U.S. beef imports, meaning even a sharp increase would have little effect on consumer prices.
Later in the White House, Trump said he is committed to lowering beef prices and plans to meet with ranchers to discuss their concerns, arguing that his trade policies have “saved” the cattle industry.
“The only cost that’s really up is beef,” Trump said, touting his tariff strategy and predicting “$2 gasoline.”
Quote:Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned that his efforts to eliminate property taxes in his state are threatened by competing tax-cutting proposals that could end up on the ballot.
To be successful, a proposal needs to reach a 60 percent voter threshold.
"Placing more than one property tax measure on the ballot represents an attempt to kill anything on property taxes," the Republican governor said in a post on X overnight Wednesday. "It’s a political game, not a serious attempt to get it done for the people."
Florida lawmakers, urged by DeSantis, have pushed forward eight pieces of legislation trying to offer property tax relief to homeowners, who have seen their bills rise sharply during the last five years. Seven of these are expected to appear on the 2026 general election ballot.
“What has been lost in this debate has been the fact that the ultimate decision on what should happen with property taxes belongs not with elected officials but with the people of Florida,” the state’s House Speaker Daniel Perez said in a memo issued last week, when the bills were announced.
“If we have faith in the voters to elect us, we should not be afraid to let them be a part of the conversation about the taxes they pay.”
DeSantis, who has repeatedly said he would back an effort to completely abolish property taxes in the state, now seems unhappy about this multipronged approach. The governor shared a post on X written by Florida former congressional candidate Maria Peiro, a conservative Republican, which called the bills unacceptable “half-measures.”
“Currently, there are 7 ballot measures related to lowering or abolishing ‘some property taxes’ for ‘some property owners’ that have been filed as joint resolutions in the Florida legislature,” Peiro wrote.
“We need to make it clear to our legislators that we do not accept these half measures and that we do not want all of these measures on the ballot. It is confusing and it will be very difficult to reach the 60% needed to place it on the constitution,” she added.
Quote:A Republican congressman has called for an investigation into the citizenship status of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
Florida Representative Randy Fine wrote on X that "we have clearly suffered from massive naturalization fraud," claiming that some immigrants "swore an oath to America but clearly came to destroy it."
He added that it was "time to go back and review every naturalization of the past 30 years, starting with Mamdani, Omar, and Hasan — and where fraud is found, denaturalize and deport." Fine was referring to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and journalist Mehdi Hasan.
Fine’s comments came in response to a post on X by Hasan, who wrote: "One in three of the slaves who built this country were Muslims. They were here long before the Walsh family arrived. You'd know that if you’d studied history — but I know MAGA has an issue with studying. Oh, and I am guessing you don’t count slaves as people, or Americans."
Quote:The FBI posted new surveillance video on X showing previously unseen footage of the suspect who planted pipe bombs near the Democratic and Republican National Committee offices on Jan. 5, 2021, as officials renewed a $500,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
“The FBI is still offering a $500,000 reward for information that helps identify the person who placed pipe bombs at the offices of the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee on January 5, 2021,” the FBI wrote on X.
“As part of our ongoing investigation, we’re releasing an updated video of the subject, which includes previously unreleased footage, higher quality video, and longer clips of the subject’s movements.”
The new footage traces the suspect’s movements on the night before the Capitol riot, showing the individual carrying a backpack and planting bombs outside both party headquarters between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. before disappearing from view in Washington, DC.
In the video, the FBI said the suspect is about 5 feet 7 inches tall and was seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, black gloves and distinctive Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes with a yellow logo while carrying the explosive devices in a backpack and covering their face with a mask.
The FBI said the suspect was seen walking through Capitol Hill neighborhoods between 7:34 p.m. and 8:18 p.m., first appearing near 1st Street and North Carolina Avenue SE before stopping briefly on South Capitol Street to set down a backpack believed to contain one of the bombs.
The individual later sat on a bench outside the DNC headquarters, where video shows the first explosive device being placed around 7:54 p.m.
The suspect then continued toward the RNC headquarters, where the second device was planted at 8:16 p.m., before vanishing from view moments later.
In January, the FBI renewed its focus on the unsolved case by releasing new video footage of the suspect, and in May, Deputy Director Dan Bongino told “Fox & Friends” he was “pretty confident” the agency was closing in on suspects.
Investigators say they have followed hundreds of leads, reviewed thousands of video files and conducted more than 1,000 interviews.
Bongino emphasized the importance of public involvement and said social media is a vital tool for generating new case leads.
Quote:Several European countries are working with Ukraine to create a 12-point plan to end the war with Russia, Reuters reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.
President Donald Trump would then chair a peace board to see the proposal's implementation.
Newsweek has reached out to the Trump administration and the European Union by email for comment.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration and Ukraine have been working to reach a resolution in the Russia-Ukraine war for months. Now, joint efforts by Europe and Ukraine towards a 12-point peace proposal could mark a significant step forward in achieving those goals.
Trump, who said recently that he believes Ukraine could win the war in a significant reversal for the president, will still be closely involved with negotiations under the 12-point plan as chair of the proposed peace board.
What To Know
The plan includes security guarantees for Ukraine, alongside war-recovery funds and a clear pathway to joining the European Union.
It also calls for both sides to accept a halt to hostilities along present battle lines. Once Russia had agreed to the ceasefire, which Ukraine had already agreed to, a prisoner exchange would take place. Moscow would also see the return of all deported children to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian sanctions would also be gradually lifted, including around $300 billion in frozen central bank reserves, once Moscow agreed to contribute toward Ukraine's post-war reconstruction—a requirement that is likely to be a significant sticking point for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Further negotiations would then continue over the governance of contested regions. The proposal appears to be similar to those put forward by Europe previously.
The details of the 12-point peace proposal have yet to be formally confirmed by the European Union or other parties.
A senior diplomat told Reuters that the plans to include Trump as chair of the peace board was "an effort by the national security advisers to keep the United States on board."
Meanwhile, Trump on Friday urged Ukraine and Russia to “stop where they are” and bring an end to their war, following a lengthy White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
No further diplomatic meetings are expected between Trump and Putin, the White House said, despite rising speculation following calls involving senior U.S. and Russian officials.
On Monday, Trump said he believed Ukraine “could still win” its war with Russia, but he sounded less confident than he had just a few weeks earlier when he announced he thought the country could regain its annexed territory.
Quote:Moscow appears to have rejected President Trump’s latest call to freeze the current front lines in Ukraine, reiterating that “Russia’s stance doesn’t change.”
Addressing Trump’s proposal over the weekend that the war in Ukraine end immediately and each side keep the land they hold, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov scoffed at the prospect of allowing Kyiv to keep parts of the Donbas region.
“This topic was repeatedly raised in various forms during contacts between Russia and the US. The Russian side answered every time, this answer is well known: The consistency of Russia’s position doesn’t change,” Peskov told the local media.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Ukraine must surrender the entire Donbas region for any kind of cease-fire deal to go through.
The Russian military currently controls the vast majority of the Donbas, including all of the Luhansk Oblast and about 75% of the Donetsk Oblast, according to open source maps and independent analysts.
Moscow, however, has struggled to claim Donetsk’s so-called “fortress belt,” which has expelled Russia’s invasion forces for more than three years.
Ukraine has repeatedly said that surrendering the region is a non-starter, fearing that Russia would build up another invasion force and have an easier time conquering the country with the Donetsk fortress belt gone.
Putin made it clear to Trump during a phone call — which was held prior to the president’s meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky — that Russia wanted Ukraine to surrender Donetsk, the Washington Post reported.
The call with Putin was followed by a three-hour sit-down with Zelensky, where Trump proposed to end the fighting and have the front lines stop “where they are.”
“So what I say is they should stop right now at the battle lines. Go home, stop killing people and be done,” Trump told reporters on Sunday.
The president denied reports that the meeting with Zelensky descended into a “shouting match” and that he urged the wartime leader to give up the entire Donbas region — or be “destroyed” by Russia.
Despite rejecting Trump’s proposal, Peskov said the Kremlin was still prepared to welcome a meeting between Trump and Putin to discuss a cease-fire deal.
Quote:The U.K. is prepared to deploy British troops to Ukraine to secure a future peace deal in the country, British Defense Secretary John Healey has said, ahead of a planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Peace is possible," Healey said during a speech in central London on Monday. "If President Trump can broker a peace, then we will be ready to help secure that peace for the long term."
Why It Matters
Trump said last week, after a two-hour phone conversation with Putin, he would meet the Russian president in Budapest "to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ war to an end." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not invited, but has said he is willing to attend while criticizing host country Hungary—whose leader Viktor Orbán is close to Putin and to Trump—for its opposition to support for Kyiv.
The location is likely to be sensitive for Kyiv, the Hungarian capital closely associated with the Budapest Memorandum, or the agreement Ukraine signed with the U.S., U.K. and Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Kyiv agreed to give up nuclear weapons in exchange for security "assurances" that Ukraine's independence and borders would be protected. Russia violated the memorandum in 2014 and 2022.
The Alaska summit between Trump and Putin in August failed to yield concrete progress toward the peace deal Trump had pledged to secure for Ukraine. Although the Republican has become more overtly frustrated with Russia, he has held off slapping Moscow with punishing sanctions, which Ukraine has pushed for.
European nations, led by the U.K. and France, have for months toyed with what a peacekeeping or stabilizing force of some kind would look like, and what guarantees the U.S. would need to provide to make it viable.
What To Know
Healey said the likely cost of deploying U.K. forces as part of what has been termed a "coalition of the willing" in Ukraine would be "well over" £100 million, or roughly $134 million.
The U.K. has already earmarked millions in funding and checked the "readiness levels" of British troops to make sure a "multinational force Ukraine," could be ready to head for the country quickly, the defense secretary said. Roughly 200 military planners from 30 nations have been involved in the preparations, Healey said.
Progress on a European-led force for deployment in Ukraine post-ceasefire is "great news," said Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee and a member of Zelensky's party. But a ceasefire deal under which the force would be needed still feels a remote prospect, Merezhko told Newsweek.
European countries have watched on as Trump placed himself squarely between Russia and Ukraine, concern swirling over whether a U.S.-brokered deal will have Ukraine's, and Europe's, interests at heart. Merezhko said he hoped Trump would honor in a meeting with Putin the principle that Ukraine needs to be involved in deciding its own fate, and that European leaders also have a stake in a deal that could reshape European security.
Trump on Sunday suggested Ukraine and Russia should freeze their bitter conflict along the current front lines, which would cede vast swathes of Ukrainian territory to Russia—which Kyiv has long refused to entertain. Under Ukrainian law, territorial changes can only be approved by a nationwide vote.
Trump had last month swiveled in his long-held position on Ukraine, suggesting Kyiv could regain all of the territory Moscow currently controls with NATO assistance. Russia has seized about a fifth of Ukrainian territory in the country's south and east. Trump then poured fresh doubt on this assessment on Monday, telling reporters: "They could still win it. I don’t think they will, but they could still win it."
Zelensky came out of a meeting at the White House on Friday without the long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles the Trump administration had suggested could be on the table, but described having had a "pointed conversation." British newspaper the Financial Times reported Trump had pressed Zelensky to accept Russia's terms for a deal, citing people familiar with the matter who described the White House meeting as a "shouting match."
Trump reportedly urged Zelensky to cede all of the Donbas to Russia, even though Moscow does not exert control over the entire region. The Donbas, Ukraine's industrial heartland, is made up of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, where much of the fiercest fighting has taken place. Russia on Monday said its position was unchanged.
Merezhko said he "would like to see more consistency" from Trump in his messaging, and suggested the president may only follow through with a summit with Putin if he is sure it will mark a step forward, unlike in Alaska.
Russia has kept up its intensive aerial bombardment of Ukraine despite White House criticism of its strikes across the country. Ukrainian authorities said early on Tuesday Russia had attacked overnight with two ballistic missiles, four anti-aircraft guided missiles, and close to 100 drones.
Russia homed in on critical infrastructure in Cherkasy, in central Ukraine, the region's governor Ihor Taburets said in a post to messaging app Telegram. Vyacheslav Chaus, the governor of Chernihiv, a region north of Kyiv, said the area had been "subjected to a massive attack by strike drones" that had damaged the power supply to northern parts of the region and its main city.
Zelensky said on Monday he was working with the U.S. to make sure Ukraine receives the U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems it needs to intercept Russian missile attacks.
"This is not an easy task, but it is one of the security guarantees for Ukraine—and it will work in the long term," the Ukrainian leader said. He had said over the weekend Kyiv was prepping a deal to buy 25 Patriot systems.
Quote:The Trump administration announced new sanctions on Russia as U.S.-led efforts to end the war in Ukraine falter and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleads for additional military aid.
“We are going to announce either after the close this afternoon or first thing tomorrow morning a substantial pickup in Russia sanctions,” Bessent told reporters at the White House.
The sanctions came as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visited Washington for talks and met with President Donald Trump.
Bessent spoke shortly after a new wave of Russian missile and drone strikes hit Ukraine overnight, killing at least six people, including a woman and her two daughters. The attacks, which targeted at least eight cities and a village near Kyiv, set homes ablaze and injured 29 others, among them five children, Ukrainian officials said.
Trump Admin's New Sanctions on Russia: What To Know
The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday announced sweeping new sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector, designating state-linked oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil for their roles in funding Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine. The sanctions, issued under Executive Order 14024, block U.S. persons from conducting business with the companies or any subsidiaries they control and warn foreign financial institutions that helping Russia’s military-industrial base could trigger secondary sanctions. Bessent said the action aims to cut off revenue fueling the Kremlin’s aggression and called on Russia to “immediately agree to a cease-fire.”
“Hopefully he’ll become reasonable,” Trump said of Putin during remarks in the White House on Wednesday alongside Rutte. “And hopefully Zelensky will be reasonable, too. You know, it takes two to tango, as they say.”
Trump also said Wednesday he plans to discuss the war in Ukraine with Chinese President Xi Jinping during an upcoming meeting in South Korea, suggesting Beijing could help pressure Moscow to end its invasion.
“I think he could have a big influence on Putin,” Trump said of Xi.
China has not confirmed that the meeting will take place, but any talks would likely cover a range of issues beyond Russia’s war in Ukraine, including trade, regional security and North Korea.
Trump's new sanctions mark one of Washington’s most significant steps yet against Russia’s oil industry, a key source of government income. By restricting access to Western financial systems and technology, U.S. officials hope to weaken Russia’s capacity to sustain its invasion and pressure President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war. Treasury officials said additional measures could follow if Moscow fails to change course.
The sanctions also follows the announcement that Trump and Putin will not be meeting in Hungary in the coming weeks.
Regional leader Mykola Kalashnyk said the deadly strike near Kyiv destroyed a house where a mother and her 6-month-old and 12-year-old daughters were staying. Kyiv appeared to be the main target, according to Ukraine’s air force, which said Russia launched 405 drones and 28 missiles in the assault.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Russian drones struck a kindergarten while children were inside, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. One person was killed and six were injured, though no children were physically harmed.
Zelensky said many of the children were left in shock and that the attacks targeted 10 regions, including Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy and Sumy.
The latest escalation comes as Western allies struggle to maintain unity on Ukraine policy amid war fatigue and shifting global priorities. Bessent said the new sanctions are part of Washington’s continued effort to pressure Moscow while supporting Kyiv’s defense.
Quote:The European Union (EU) has approved its 19th sanctions package against Russia, including on its lucrative gas sector for the first time and its "shadow fleet," to heap pressure on Moscow to end its war on Ukraine.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian government by email seeking comment.
Why It Matters
The approval of the EU sanctions comes a day after the administration of President Donald Trump imposed fresh bans on Russia's two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, also seeking to crank up the pressure on Moscow to make peace in Ukraine.
What To Know
The new sanctions came shortly after Trump postponed a proposed summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, intended to bring peace in Ukraine closer, when it became clear the Kremlin would not agree to a ceasefire.
The sanctions introduce the first-ever EU ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas, forbid all transactions with the energy companies Rosneft and Gazprom Neft and blacklist an additional 117 vessels from Russia's so-called shadow fleet, which Moscow uses to circumvent the price cap on Moscow's seaborne oil, the media outlet Euronews reported.
"We’re keeping the pressure high on the aggressor," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a post on X.
"For the first time we are hitting Russia’s gas sector—the heart of its war economy. We will not relent until the people of Ukraine have a just and lasting peace."
The sanctions include a range of financial measures, including some targeting foreign entities accused of enabling Russia to circumvent restrictions, including 12 in China and Hong Kong, Euronews reported.
"It [sanctions] targets Russian banks, crypto exchanges, entities in India and China, among others," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on X.
The embargoes include a mechanism that can allow EU members to curb the movement of Russian diplomats across the passport-free Schengen Area.
"The EU is curbing Russian diplomats' movements to counter the attempts of destabilization. It is increasingly harder for Putin to fund this war," Kallas said.
Members of Russian missions in the EU, including administrative and technical staff and family members, will now have to notify authorities in their host country of their intention to travel to or transit through another member state.
Quote:Russia's wartime economy continues to face turmoil as a slump in growth amplified by sky-high interest rates and falling oil revenues takes its toll, according to an analysis.
The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies said after two years of relatively good growth fueled by President Vladimir Putin’s high military spending amid his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s GDP will only grow by 1.2 percent this year.
This is down from 4.3 percent last year and marks a 0.8 percent downward revision from the summer.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Finance Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
Despite Western-led sanctions aimed at punishing Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, Russia’s economy has faced turbulence but has been resilient, helped in part by record military spending.
Predictions of dwindling growth could pose a political problem for the Kremlin, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb said this week that economic threats, amplified by sanctions, should be used to bring Moscow to the negotiating table.
What To Know
In its autumn forecast for Central and Eastern Europe, the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies said that a technical recession, defined by two consecutive quarters of negative growth, was only narrowly avoided in Russia this year.
It said Russia's GDP growth for 2025 is forecast at 1.2 percent, down from 4.3 percent in 2024, with industrial production growing by 0.8 percent this year, almost entirely due to arms production.
Vasily Astrov, a Russia expert at the Institute, said that the main reason for the slump in growth is the Russian Central Bank’s (CBR) overly restrictive monetary policy. Its key interest rate is at 17 percent, but between October 2024 and June 2025, it was set at 21 percent to curb inflation, prompting criticism from business leaders that this rate stifled investment.
The official inflation rate has fallen to 4 percent, but Astrov said interest rates are still very high, even if further interest rate cuts are on the cards.
He told Newsweek that even if the key rate were cut aggressively by up to five percentage points in the coming months, it could help. However, the chances of this happening were unlikely, given the CRB's priority of avoiding a rebound of inflation rather than stagnation.
Russia is also facing lower revenue from oil exports due to lower prices, and its economy is operating at full capacity in many areas, according to the analysis. Astrov said that new growth would require investment in greater productivity, but this is stagnating.
Investment in new machinery and equipment, which is normally the biggest driver of modernization and productivity gains, had stabilized at the relatively low prewar level of 2021, he added.
Russia will this year record its largest budget deficit since the COVID-19 pandemic and will be able to borrow only domestically, the analysis said. But with high interest rates, the government must save and increase revenue, which has already led to a rise in taxes on private income and corporate profits.
In 2026, value-added tax (VAT) will also rise, with the annual revenue threshold for VAT tax breaks for small businesses being cut to 10 million rubles ($123,000) from 60 million rubles next year, pending parliamentary approval.
Declining government spending and tax increases will also slow growth, added Astrov.
Quote:A top Kremlin official said President Donald Trump has launched an "act of war" against Russia with fresh sanctions on its largest oil companies and the cancellation of a proposed summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"If any of the many commentators still harbored illusions — here you go. The U.S. is our enemy, and their talkative 'peacemaker' has now fully taken the road to war with Russia," said Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman to Putin on the Kremlin's Security Council and himself a former president, in a post on Telegram.
Trump has positioned himself as a "peacemaker," determined to add the war in Ukraine to his list of conflicts that now have ceasefire or peace deals. But in a surprise move on Wednesday, the White House announced sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies — Rosneft and Lukoil — in a bid to pressure Moscow to the negotiating table.
Ukraine has also targeted Russia's powerful oil industry in a bid to cut the Kremlin off from vital income streams propping up its war effort. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom sanctioned the two major oil companies last week, saying Rosneft alone produced nearly half of all Russia's oil.
Medvedev is well-known for his blunt social media statements, including those directed at Trump. "Yes, he doesn't always actively fight on the side of Banderite Kyiv yet, but this is now his conflict, not senile Biden's!" Medvedev said. The term "Banderite" refers to controversial World War Two-era anti-Soviet Ukrainian nationalist, Stepan Bandera.
"Of course they'll say he couldn't do otherwise, that he was pressured in Congress, etc.," Medvedev added. "That doesn't change the main point: the decisions made are an act of war against Russia. And now Trump has fully sided with mad Europe."
Trump has repeatedly said Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he had sat in the Oval Office in February 2022. He has also branded the conflict as President Joe Biden's war.
And yet, Putin keep provoking the Western world...
Quote:Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, launched a nuclear exercise on Wednesday during which ICBMs capable of striking the United States and cruise missiles were launched, the Kremlin announced.
The drill came a day after an expected meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin to discuss ending Russia's war with Ukraine was abruptly called off.
The exercises involved Russia's full nuclear triad—land-based, sea-based, and airborne assets, according to the statement reported by Russia's state RIA news agency on Telegram.
During the exercise, a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome and Tu-95MS strategic bombers conducted air-launched cruise missile strikes, the Kremlin said.
A strategic submarine cruiser launched a ballistic missile from the Barents Sea.
"The exercise tested the level of preparedness of the military command and the practical skills of the operational personnel in organizing the control of subordinate forces," the Kremlin statement said.
"All exercise tasks were completed."
White House Announces Trump-Putin Summit Is Off
The tests come amid high tensions between Russia and the West. NATO began military exercises last week.
Trump is trying to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, that has devastated large parts of the country. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
However, on Tuesday, an expected summit between Trump and Putin to be held in Budapest, Hungary, was called off.
The White House said there were no plans for Trump to meet with Putin "in the immediate future."
Russia Rejects Trump 'Battle Lines'
The White House statement came after Russia reiterated its peace terms, including Ukraine giving up the entire Donbas region, Reuters reported, citing three unnamed sources.
That was a rejection of Trump's statement on Sunday that the current front lines should form the basis of a peace settlement to end the war.
Quote:President Trump on Wednesday appeared to rule out providing Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles, arguing that the long-range weapons are too complex for Kyiv to deploy without substantial US training.
“The problem with the Tomahawk is – a lot of people don’t know – It’ll take a minimum of six months, usually a year, to learn how to use,” Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
“The only way a Tomahawk is going to be shot is if we shot it,” the president added.
“And we’re not going to do that.”
Trump added there is a “tremendous learning curve” when it comes to using the “highly complex” weapons, and he signaled that he wouldn’t want the US military to train other nations on how to effectively fire the “very accurate” missiles.
“It takes a year of intense training to learn how to use it, and we know how to use it, and we’re not going to be teaching other people.”
With a range of more than 1,500 miles, Tomahawk missiles would enable Ukraine to hit critical military, logistical and energy targets deep inside Russia, severely limiting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ability to continue the 32-month-long war.
The US has more than 1,000 Tomahawks available, though some experts believe Washington wouldn’t sell more than 50 to Ukraine, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly lobbied Trump for access to the missiles, but returned to Kyiv empty-handed after a White House meeting Oct. 17.
Trump’s interest in providing Ukraine with Tomahawks faded rapidly after a call with Putin the day before his meeting with Zelensky.
Earlier this week, Zelensky argued that US-provided Tomahawks should be viewed as a “major investment in diplomacy,” arguing that Putin’s willingness to end the war fizzled out after it became clear that Trump would not be offering the weapon to Ukraine in the immediate future.
Quote:Ukraine has unveiled a new generation of maritime drones that it has trialed in the Black Sea, hoping it can threaten Russia’s war machine.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) presented its latest “Sea Baby” maritime unmanned platforms—which it said could travel more than 900 miles, operate anywhere in the Black Sea, carry heavier weapons and use artificial intelligence for precision strikes. Newsweek has contacted the SBU for further comment.
Why It Matters
Despite being dwarfed by Russia’s navy, Ukraine has delivered significant blows during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion to Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet, which has been pushed away from its main base in Crimea.
The Sea Baby platform unveiled on Tuesday was used in Ukraine’s headline-grabbing strikes on the Crimean Bridge in June, and Kyiv will hope its additional capabilities can further tilt the balance of power in the Black Sea region.
What To Know
The SBU announced the latest model of the Sea Baby unmanned vessel, whose range has been expanded to 900 miles. It can carry over 4,400 pounds of payload and has features such as a multiple-rocket launcher and stabilized machine-gun turret.
A demonstration on Wednesday showed off the capabilities of the new weapons with different armaments on display, including a 10-round Grad multiple-rocket launcher and a gyrostabilized machine-gun mount with automatic tracking.
Ukraine has already used the unmanned naval drones to hit Russian vessels and infrastructure in the Black Sea.
Ukrainian drone strikes have hit Russian frigates and missile carriers forcing the Russian navy to relocate its main base from Sevastopol in Crimea to Novorossiysk on Russia’s Black Sea coast.
The SBU said sea drones have also helped its attacks against the Crimean Bridge, which is a symbol of Moscow’s occupation of the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014.
Quote:Russian strikes left four dead and hundreds of thousands without power and water in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region on Tuesday as the winter months loom.
Chernihiv and the northern part of the province lost all electricity supply after Russian strikes obliterated power facilities in the morning, the nation’s energy ministry said.
The attack also targeted the neighboring Sumy region, where local authorities said nine people were injured.
About 20 Russian kamikaze drones then attacked Novhorod-Siverskyi, killing four civilians and wounding at least seven more, according to officials.
It is unclear what the drones were targeting, but the town 20 miles from the Russian border suffered significant damage during the daytime assault.
Chernihiv residents used street cisterns to fill up water containers and took comfort from “invincibility points” — tents outfitted with stoves and generators for heat and electricity.
“It’s hard,” nursery assistant Nina Dymyrets, 45, said as she sat in a tent with her two grandsons.
“One child didn’t go to nursery because there was no power, another didn’t go to school because there was no power and no lessons either.”
The Chernihiv region along the Russian border has suffered regular disruptions to its power supply amid a brutal campaign of strikes.
Emergency crews were initially unable to repair damaged power facilities due to a lingering threat of Russian drone attacks, according to the energy ministry.
The ministry has accused Russia of circling drones above the damaged facilities to “deliberately prolong the humanitarian crisis” and delay repairs.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later wrote on Telegram that repairs were underway.
“Russia’s tactics are to murder people and terrorize them with the cold,” he said.
By the afternoon, power supply was restored to some Chernihiv homes.
“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin pretends to be ready for diplomacy and peace negotiations, while in reality, this night Russia launched a brutal missile and drone attack,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
“Energy infrastructure was under heavy strikes once again. Many communities have been left without power amid cold autumn temperatures, some have been left without water,” he wrote.
Quote:Russia launched a wide drone and missile attack across Ukraine on Wednesday, killing at least six people, Ukrainian officials said, a day after President Donald Trump put his planned meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on hold, saying he didn’t want it to be a “waste of time.”
Ukraine’s energy minister said a “massive combined overnight attack” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was still underway early Wednesday — the latest in Russia’s effort to cripple the country’s energy system before winter.
At least 18 people were injured in the attack, said Kyiv administration head Tymur Tkachenko.
The attack caused emergency power blackouts across the country, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said. Repairs were underway where possible and electricity would be restored “as soon as possible,” it said.
“Another night that proves Russia does not feel enough pressure for prolonging the war,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement.
He said the strike caused damages in the cities of Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia, as well as Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, and the wider regions of Kyiv, Cherkasy, and Sumy.
Pressuring Russia
Zelensky urged the European Union, the United States and the Group of Seven industrialized nations, or G7, to take steps to sanction Russia.
“It is very important that the world does not remain silent now and that there is a united response to Russia’s treacherous strikes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Army General Staff said the country’s forces struck a chemical plant in Russia’s Bryansk region late on Tuesday night using air-to-surface Storm Shadow missiles.
The plant is an important part of the Russian military and industrial complex producing gun powder, explosives, missile fuel and ammunition.
Relentless attacks
In the Kyiv region, rescuers discovered the bodies of three people — including two children — after a strike set a private house ablaze in the village of Pohreby, regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said. According to him, the victims were a woman and her two daughters — an infant of 6 months and a 12-year-old girl.
“Their bodies were found at the site of the fire,” the governor said. “This is a tragedy for the entire community, for the Kyiv region, and for the country.”
Quote:Russia blasted a Ukrainian daycare and kindergarten with killer drones early Wednesday, setting the facility ablaze as gut-wrenching photos showing terrified toddlers crying as they clung to first responders.
The tots — aged three to five — were shepherded into the basement shelter by staff ahead of the strike, saving their lives. There, they huddled together in trembling silence until rescue workers arrived, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
Rescuers and police evacuated nearly 50 children, officials said.
The frightened children — many born during Russia’s nearly four-year-old war — desperately clutched the shoulders of firemen rescuing them from the flames.
“According to the kindergarten staff, no children remained in the building,” Terekhov said in a local broadcast. “Rescuers are now working on the second floor, which has completely collapsed.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the kids were suffering from “acute stress reactions” following the strike.
“There is no justification for a drone strike on a kindergarten, nor can there ever be. Clearly, Russia is growing more brazen,” Zelensky said in a post to X.
“These strikes are Russia’s spit in the face to everyone who insists on a peaceful resolution. Thugs and terrorists can only be put in their place by force.”
Mothers and fathers rushed to the scene following the strike and wept tears of relief as they collected their youngsters from rescuers.
“There is and cannot be any justification for a drone strike on a kindergarten. It is obvious that Russia is becoming more impudent,” Victor Mykyta, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office told The Post.
Quote:US tourists described the terrifying moment they narrowly came face-to-face with the brazen Louvre Museum robbers who escaped the world-famous Paris museum with irreplaceable treasures in broad daylight.
Curt Dale Clark, Artistic Director of the Maine State Music Theatre, said he and 28 others from the theatre group had only seen “five or six really fantastic pieces of art” on Sunday when they were about to “enter the room next door to the room where the robbery happened.”
Clark recalled that Louvre security guards suddenly began acting “horrible and rude” toward them, but didn’t understand what was happening since no one in the group spoke French.
Moments later, the presence of heavily armed officers made it clear something serious was unfolding.
“When we started seeing SWAT teams and military people, I was like, I think there’s something more going on here,” Clark told WMTW. “And so, we all turned and hightailed it.”
Unaware of the robbery, Clark said the group was worried there had been a terrorist attack.
The theatre group was then rushed down the stairs and into the lobby of the Louvre as more armed SWAT officers poured into the historic landmark.
He said the experience left the group shaken, but he was thankful no one was harmed.
“We did find everybody. We did get out of there, but it was almost instant action by the French police and the French military,” Clark recalled.
The masterminds behind the daring heist have not yet been identified.
More than 100 investigators are working to capture the four suspects who stole artefacts valued at roughly $102.1 million (88 million euros), Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau told a French radio station Tuesday.
The four crafty criminals, posing as construction workers, used a construction lift to reach a second-floor window, cut through the glass with an angle grinder, and then entered the Galerie d’Apollon — stealing thousands of diamonds and other priceless jewels before fleeing on scooters.
Indiana couple Jacob and Holly Barker were inside the famed Galerie d’Apollon when the thieves entered the museum for their heist and heard the crew cut through the glass.
“It was terrifying. I mean, it’s just like the movies. So we knew at that point we needed to take action,” Jacob Barker told TODAY. “We didn’t know if there was one chainsaw-wielding robber behind that window, or if there were 100 mass terrorists, but we knew that we didn’t want to stick around to stick around to find out.”
Like Clark, the Barkers were ushered into the lobby until the tourists were allowed to leave.
“In the back of my head, I’m thinking it also could be a mass shooting situation or a terrorist attack. But again, there was this controlled chaos where no one was giving us any instruction,” Barker told the outlet.
Quote:The Louvre reopened on Wednesday to long lines beneath its landmark Paris glass pyramid, just three days after one of the highest-profile museum thefts of the century stunned the world with its audacity and scale.
The thieves slipped in and out, making off with eight pieces from France’s Crown Jewels at the world’s most-visited museum — a cultural wound that some compared to the burning of Notre-Dame Cathedral in 2019.
The Sunday raid — steps from the Mona Lisa and valued at over $100 million — has put embattled President Emmanuel Macron and Louvre chief Laurence des Cars under fresh scrutiny.
It comes just months after the museum’s workers went on strike, warning of chronic understaffing and underresourced protections, with too few eyes on too many rooms.
Crowds bunched at the barriers as they were being removed on Wednesday, a coda to frantic forensic work and staff briefings that had taken place. Inside, the scene of the crime — the Apollo Gallery housing the Crown Diamonds — stayed sealed, a folding screen obscuring the doorway at the gallery’s rotunda entrance.
Disbelief among visitors
Three days on, the jewels remain missing and the thieves are still at large — and reactions are divided.
“For a place like the Louvre, it’s unfathomable,” said Amanda Lee, 36, an art teacher from Chicago. “I heard it took under four minutes. How is that possible here, with no police in sight?”
Others were unperturbed.
“We told the kids it’s a history lesson. The Apollo Room is shut, but we saw the masterpieces,” said Claire Martin, 41, a French lawyer from Versailles visiting with her two children during a school holiday.
“We came for the art,” she said. “The police can deal with the thieves.”
France acknowledges failings
Authorities say the thieves spent less than four minutes inside the Louvre on Sunday morning: a freight lift was wheeled to the Seine-facing façade, a window was forced open, and two vitrines were smashed.
Then came the getaway on motorbikes through central Paris. Alarms had gone off, drawing agents to the gallery and forcing the intruders to bolt.
“We have failed,” Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said, noting that the ability to plant a freight lift undetected on a public way projects “a very negative image of France.”
As it reopened, the Louvre declined questions from The Associated Press to detail any reinforced protocols. It said no uniformed police were posted in the corridors. With school holidays swelling demand, the day was fully booked and access was limited.
Quote:MADRID — Spanish police have busted a criminal group dedicated to stealing your seat. Literally.
Spain’s National Police said Wednesday that they had arrested seven people suspected of stealing more than 1,100 chairs from outdoor seating areas at restaurants and bars in Madrid and another nearby municipality in just two months.
The group of six men and a woman worked at night to pilfer the chairs from 18 different establishments in Madrid and Talavera de la Reina, a smaller city to the southwest of the capital, in August and September. The estimated impact of the stolen property was around 60,000 euros ($69,000), according to police.
The suspects, who face charges of theft and belonging to a criminal organization, resold the chairs in Spain but also in Morocco and Romania, police said.
In Spain, many restaurants and bars leave tables and chairs, which are usually made of metal or hard plastic, outdoors during the night. The chairs will normally be kept in stacks and chained down.
Quote:Berlin has offered to front the paychecks of US military employees stationed in Germany as Washington’s government shutdown drags on, according to the German Ministry of Finance.
The German government stepped in to “initiate an unscheduled expenditure to ensure that October salaries are paid on time” to civilian workers on US bases in the country, a ministry spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse.
Senate Democrats have blocked 11 separate attempts to reopen the government this month alone.
“It’s sad that German officials care more about American troops than Democrats in Congress, who shut down the government to push free healthcare for illegal immigrants, complained about paying military servicemembers and view struggling families as ‘leverage,’” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told The Post.
“President Trump has prioritized funding military pay, but Chuck Schumer and Democrats should reopen the government today so that no one has to consider any alternative solutions to support our military servicemembers.”
There are roughly 11,000 civilian Pentagon staff based in Germany who support roughly 35,000 US troops in the country, according to latest totals.
The temporary financial lifeline would cover local US civilian employees working on American bases in Germany, including those at the sprawling Ramstein Air Base and in Stuttgart, where the Department of War’s European Command is headquartered.
While the Pentagon did not confirm the arrangement was accepted, a DOW official told The Post that “we value the important contributions of our local national employees around the world.”
“Arrangements for pay to local national employees vary country-to-country based on specific agreements the US has with each host nation,” a DOW official said.
If agreed to, Germany anticipates that the US would reimburse Berlin for the payments once the shutdown lifts.
Military and political analysts weighed in on the news, criticizing lawmakers for continuing the shutdown — now the second-longest in history — while military employees and other federal workers are left without paychecks.
Quote:A Spanish mayor’s ex-husband was mysteriously found dead in a dumpster when horrified sanitation workers emptied it into a garbage truck — and saw his legs sticking out just before it was crushed.
Businessman Vicente Dominguez, 45, was spotted among the trash being dumped into the truck in Castellon on Sunday, local outlet Castellon al Dia reported.
Workers who saw his legs poking out then managed to quickly stop the truck’s compression system from crushing the body.
Dominguez — who was once married to the adjacent town’s mayor, Maria Tormo — was likely already dead when his body was dumped into the truck, authorities said.
His cause of death still hasn’t been confirmed but Dominguez’s body was covered in “bumps and bruises” consistent with a beating, according to law enforcement sources.
The mayor’s ex, who had a rap sheet, reportedly suffered from alcohol-related problems and had fallen on hard times.
Authorities are probing whether his death is tied to possible drug traffickers settling scores, the outlet said.
Cops are reviewing nearby surveillance footage and are awaiting autopsy results.
Quote:A Russian court freed a French cyclist on Thursday after finding him guilty of illegally crossing the Russian border, state news agency RIA reported.
Sofiane Sehili, a French citizen who describes himself as an “ultra-endurance racer and adventure cyclist,” was freed by the court in Russia’s Far East and exempted from paying a 50,000 fine, RIA reported.
French newspaper Le Monde reported in September that Sehili had been arrested after twice attempting to cross the Russian border from China while trying to break the world record for the fastest cycle crossing of the Eurasian landmass, from Lisbon to Vladivostok.
Quote:Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has directly mocked U.S. President Donald Trump's claims that Washington had "obliterated" Iran’s nuclear industry.
Posting on his official X account Monday, Khamenei wrote: “The U.S. President boasts that they've bombed and eliminated Iran’s nuclear industry. Very well, in your dreams!” The statement underscores his defiance in the face of U.S. military actions and political pressure.
Newsweek has reached out to the State Department and Iran's Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
Khamenei’s post comes amid heightened tensions following U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and the recent 12-day war with Israel. Coupled with the collapse of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or Iran nuclear deal, and the failure of recent diplomatic talks to revive it, the post signals that Tehran is resisting pressure from Washington, including ongoing sanctions aimed at crippling its economy and nuclear ambitions.
His online mockery highlights that, despite military threats, regional conflict, and economic pressure, Iran is unwilling to concede to U.S. claims or diplomacy dictated from Washington, underlining persistent risks for regional stability.
What To Know
In a series of posts, both in Farsi and in English, Khamenei began by ridiculing Trump’s claims, repeating his earlier “in your dreams!” jab before expanding on Iran’s defiance.
He followed by asserting Iran’s independence in nuclear matters: “Our nuclear industry has nothing to do with America,” Khamenei said. “You may believe you have destroyed Iran’s nuclear industry—very well, keep imagining that. But who are you to decide what a country can or cannot do in its nuclear field? What does it have to do with America?”
Khamenei warned Iran would not hesitate to act militarily if threatened again. “These missiles were not bought or borrowed—they are the creations of Iranian youth. If necessary, we will use them again.” He accused Washington of hypocrisy, calling it “the embodiment of terrorism” and saying sanctions and pressure proved U.S. hostility toward the Iranian people: “You are the enemy of this nation, not its friend.”
Khamenei also mocked Trump’s recent visit to Israel, saying his speech there was meant to lift morale among “disappointed Zionists.”
Quote:Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha touched down in Israel for urgent, high-level talks Tuesday — as the US tries to shore up the shaky Gaza cease-fire deal.
The veep and second lady arrived at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport ahead of his sit-down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials.
Vance didn’t make any official remarks on his arrival.
After being greeted by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and other officials, Vance met with White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The vice president, who is expected to stay in the region until Thursday, is also slated to meet with the families of hostages whose bodies still haven’t been released during his visit.
The high-level talks come as Washington tries to stabilize the first phase of the cease-fire deal — and push Israel and Hamas towards the harder concessions asked of each side.
Both sides have accused each other of repeatedly violating the cease-fire since it was formally agreed upon on Oct. 10. but have insisted they are committed to the deal.
President Trump, for his part, has made it clear that the 20-point plan he brokered has to succeed.
A senior Israeli official said the purpose of Vance’s trip was to advance the Gaza talks to the second phase of the cease-fire.
Under the terms of the cease-fire, Israel is still waiting for Hamas to turn over the remains of 15 hostages. Thirteen have been turned over since the cease-fire began.
Israel, meanwhile, handed back another 15 Palestinian bodies on Tuesday, officials said.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:President Donald Trump has denied that he plans to name the new White House ballroom after himself, saying that such reports are "fake news."
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle previously said in an email to Newsweek that “any announcement made on the name of the ballroom will come directly from President Trump himself, and not through anonymous and unnamed sources."
Why It Matters
This week saw the demolition of the East Wing of the White House, which used to house the first lady’s offices, to make way for a new 90,000 square foot state ballroom that is planned to hold up to 650 seated people.
The move caused controversy with some lawmakers, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, accusing the president of pursuing a “vanity project,” while Trump insisted the East Wing was “ready to be replaced.”
Trump said a new hosting venue at the White House had been wanted “for at least 150 years,” adding the East Wing had been “very, very much changed from what it was originally.”
Initially, the new White House ball room was estimated to cost $200 million, though this has since been increased to over $300 million. According to Trump, the money is coming from private donors.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, meanwhile, has urged the Trump administration to pause the demolition until a planning commission review is completed, expressing concern that the ballroom "will overwhelm the White House itself." The White House is 55,000 square feet.
What To Know
On Friday, ABC News reported that officials involved in the planning of the ballroom project had started to refer to it as "The President Donald J. Trump Ballroom."
However, speaking to reporters before boarding Marine One on Friday night, Trump said he had considered naming the new structure the Presidential Ballroom "or something like that," but added that "we haven't really thought about a name yet."
He previously told ABC News on Thursday that he wouldn't "get into it now" when asked about a name for the new ballroom.
Trump also revealed that the budget could expand again as he said the White House has around $350 million now for the project. He also previously teased that if he were to receive a payment from the Department of Justice , which would be in penalty for investigations into any potential links between his 2016 campaign and the Russian government, he would donate some or all of the money to the ballroom project.
The East Wing was first built in 1902 and expanded in 1942, and the demolition has proven highly contentious, with some Americans, including historians and lawmakers, criticizing its destruction without consultation of the public.
The White House posted archival photos of previous White House renovations, with the caption: "Hi, haters."
Quote:President Donald Trump in a message posted to Truth Social on Saturday afternoon pledged to increase tariffs on Canada by 10 percent following a dispute over an anti-tariff ad using Ronald Reagan.
“Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” Trump wrote.
Newsweek reached out to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office, and the White House by email on Saturday evening outside of normal business hours for comment.
Why It Matters
The U.S. and Canada were set for trade talks after months of Trump aggressively implementing tariffs against a number of trading partners. The U.S. imposed a 35 percent tariff on some of the most critical exports between the countries.
But the president abruptly canceled the talks after the Ontario government started running an ad that featured Reagan, a Republican, criticizing tariffs and warning of the dangers they pose in his April 1987 radio address urging Congress not to pursue protectionism in dealing with Japan.
Trump denounced the ad as fraudulent, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute issued a statement criticizing the ad as misrepresenting Reagan’s presidential address through “selective audio and video.” The foundation also said that it would review legal options, as Ontario did not seek nor receive permission to use and edit the remarks.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Friday that he had ordered a pause in the ad campaign, which he had intended to run during the first two games of the World Series, which are taking place in Canada as the Toronto Blue Jays host the Los Angeles Dodgers.
What To Know
Trump’s decision to increase the tariff marks an escalation of tensions between the U.S. and Canada even after Carney did not dispute the president’s complaint against the ad.
When asked about Trump’s decision to suspend negotiations over the ad, Carney told reporters that Canada is “ready to pick up on those discussions when the Americans are ready.”
Quote:Former Vice President Kamala Harris has said she may run for the presidency again in 2028, saying that she is "not done."
"I am not done. I have lived my entire career as a life of service and it's in my bones," she told the BBC during an interview on Sunday.
Harris said that her grandnieces would see a female president in the White House "in their lifetime, for sure," adding that it could "possibly" be her.
She said that she had not yet made a final decision on whether to run for the White House but stressed she still sees a political future for herself.
Harris also labeled President Donald Trump a "tyrant," saying that "he said he would weaponize the Department of Justice, and he has done exactly that."
Why It Matters
The battle to become the 2028 presidential candidate will likely set the new direction for the Democratic Party, which has struggled with some of its lowest net favorability figures since it lost the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and the White House to Trump in last year's election.
Polls have shown mixed results regarding Harris' potential 2028 presidential run prospects.
The latest Noble Predictive Insights poll, conducted between October 2 and 6, showed that Harris is leading the Democratic field with support from 33 percent of Democrats, and 27 percent of independents.
But a Politico-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey, conducted between July 31 and August 11, put California Governor Gavin Newsom ahead with 25 percent support among Democrats and independents, compared to Harris' 19 percent.
Analysis on Friday by pollster Lakshya Jain showed that Harris has one of the highest unfavorability ratings among senior Democrats, with 54 percent saying they have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of her.
But Harris said she is not fazed by the polls. "If I listened to polls, I would have not run for my first office, or my second office - and I certainly wouldn't be sitting here," she told the BBC.
It comes after Harris did not rule out running again in 2028 during an on-stage interview with journalist Kara Swisher earlier this month.
When asked whether she would run again, Harris responded: "Maybe. Maybe not." She also described herself as "the most qualified candidate ever to run for president."
"Some people have actually said I was the most qualified candidate ever to run for president," she recently said, prompting applause. She added that she was "just speaking fact."
But in her new memoir 107 Days, Harris indicated she had no immediate plans to pursue another major political office. "I’ll no longer sit in DC in the grandeur of the ceremonial office. I will be with the people, in towns and communities where I can listen to their ideas on how we rebuild trust, empathy, and a government worthy of the ideals of this country," she wrote.
The former vice president already passed up an opportunity to run for California governor, despite polls showing she had a strong chance of success.
Quote:Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who has been at the center of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, could be deported to Liberia by the end of the month, according to the government's court filing on Friday.
Newsweek has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Abrego Garcia’s lawyer for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Garcia’s immigration story has been in the spotlight since March when the Trump administration sent him to the high-security CECOT prison in El Salvador in what was deemed an administrative error. He was returned to the United States in June after a months-long court fight and now faces human smuggling charges, which he denies, stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee.
Since a court order prevents Abrego Garcia’s return to El Salvador, the administration has been looking for a third country to accept him, with Eswatini, Uganda, and Ghana previously floated.
The Trump administration reported in September that “2 million illegal aliens have been removed or self-deported in just 250 days.” President Donald Trump has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. Some of the deportees have been sent back to their country of origin, while others have gone to third countries that have entered an agreement with the U.S.
What To Know
Abrego Garcia’s immigration saga has extended for months as the administration admitted it first mistakenly deported him to El Salvador. Previously, the DHS told Abrego Garcia it planned to send him to Uganda, which he objected to, saying he feared being persecuted or tortured. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis blocked his deportation to Uganda in late-August.
The Justice Department said in a court filing that Abrego Garcia could be deported to Liberia as soon as October 31. In a Friday filing, Abrego Garcia’s lawyers wrote, “Liberia does not constitute a viable removal destination,” noting that he “expressed fear of removal to that country and requested a reasonable fear interview.”
The government wrote in their filing that “Although Petitioner has identified more than twenty countries that he purports to fear would persecute or torture him if he were removed there, Liberia is not on that list.” The government called Liberia "a thriving democracy and one of the United States' closest partners on the African continent." English is the official language of the country, which has a population of fewer than 6 million.
Abrego Garcia came to the U.S. illegally as a teenager, and is married to a U.S. citizen, residing in Maryland. He has said he is willing to be deported to Costa Rica, which has indicated it would accept him, but the administration has not pursued that option publicly.
The Trump administration maintains that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, which Trump designated a terrorist organization in January. He and his family have consistently denied this allegation.
The government attorneys wrote that they have “received diplomatic assurances regarding the treatment of third country individuals removed to Liberia from the United States and are making the final necessary arrangements for Petitioner’s removal,” adding that Abrego Garcia's removal to the country could occur as soon as October 31.
Quote:Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Thursday that Russian military aircraft violated Lithuania’s airspace, calling the incursion a blatant breach of the country’s sovereignty and international law.
Nausėda said Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry will summon representatives from the Russian Embassy in Vilnius to formally protest the violation. In a video posted to X, Nausėda said, "We have to react to this."
“This is a blatant breach of international law and the territorial integrity of Lithuania,” Nausėda wrote. “Once again, it confirms the importance of strengthening European air defense readiness.”
Why It Matters
The Baltic nations have grown increasingly concerned over Russia’s actions amid its ongoing war in Ukraine. A series of recent drone incidents and airspace violations by Russian warplanes has fueled fears that President Vladimir Putin may be testing NATO’s defensive response.
Some European leaders have accused Moscow of engaging in hybrid warfare, though the Kremlin has denied any such activities.
What To Know
The Lithuanian armed forces said the Russian aircraft may have been carrying out refueling exercises when they briefly entered NATO airspace. Around 6 p.m. local time, a Russian Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refueling tanker crossed roughly 765 yards (700 meters) into Lithuania from the Kaliningrad region, remaining for only 18 seconds before turning back.
NATO responded by scrambling Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets already stationed in the area.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė also condemned the violation, describing it as another act of Russian intimidation.
“This incident once again shows that Russia is behaving like a terrorist state, disregarding international law and the security of neighboring countries,” Ruginienė wrote on Facebook, adding that Lithuania remains secure through its NATO alliance.
Quote:New initiatives to bolster drone defenses for European countries forming NATO's eastern spine won't be "rock solid," Germany's defense minister has said.
Building a so-called "drone wall" is a "very ambitious project," Boris Pistorius told The Times of London, in comments published on Thursday.
Why It Matters
More than three and a half years of full-scale war in Ukraine has transformed drone designs, as well as how they can be used —and the counter-drone tactics needed to try to block them. Russian-made Gerbera drones, the domestically-produced versions of the Iranian-designed Shahed UAVs that have long plagued Ukraine's air defenses, made up at least a significant chunk of the drones that violated Polish airspace.
A major concern is that a NATO adversary like Russia could overwhelm NATO defenses by launching swarms of cheap drones. One of the biggest challenges is working out how to intercept inexpensive drones without using interceptor missiles which are designed for smashing into incoming missiles, can cost millions of dollars each and are in scarce supply.
An estimated 20 drones crossed over into Poland in mid-September, sparking a mad scramble to intercept the uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), including by scrambling fighter jets armed with missiles, and spurred on efforts to shore up drone defenses along the alliance's eastern flank. Russia denied deliberately targeting the NATO member.
What To Know
The European commissioner for defense and space, Andrius Kubilius, has repeated calls to "urgently" construct a "drone wall" after the incursions into Poland.
The type of air defenses NATO would use to intercept a large-scale drone attack is different from how the alliance would take out incoming ballistic or cruise missiles. The idea of a "drone wall" is essentially about layered defenses, from interceptor drones to cannons and missiles, plus electronic warfare and attempts to jam or spoof incoming drones. NATO countries are also quickly trying to build up air defenses against missiles.
Pistorius said, "A rock-solid drone wall that can never be penetrated is not realistic for the time being." It could, however, slash at the number of drones European countries would have to contend with in a potential attack, he added.
The German defense minister is "completely correct," said U.K.-based drone expert Steve Wright. "The best we can hope for is to stop most of the incoming drones," Wright told Newsweek.
The German defense minister has previously expressed skepticism of a perception that a "drone wall" could be a silver-bullet solution to the rapidly evolving drone race.
A litany of drone incidents have hit NATO members in recent weeks, shutting down major airports and appearing around sensitive military sites. Russia's true role in drone incursions away from the eastern flank is murky, although NATO officials have said Moscow may be probing the alliance. Moscow has typically denied involvement.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said earlier this month that the European Union (EU) and NATO were "working hand in hand closely together" on drone defenses, and insisted there was "no overlap" in efforts to shore up counter-drone capabilities. Many members of NATO are also part of the EU, an economic bloc rather than a defensive alliance.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, has pushed its Ukraine-inspired "drone wall" hard. "We need a system that is affordable and fit for purpose," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this month.
"We don't want to do anything the other is better at doing," Rutte said, referring to the EU and NATO. The alliance launched an initiative it has dubbed Eastern Sentry shortly after the drone incursions into Poland with countries like the U.K. and Germany contributing extra fighter jets to patrol Polish skies. NATO already had an established air policing mission in the country.
After the Russian drones crossed over into Poland, Warsaw triggered Article 4 of NATO's treaty. This article says that members will "consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened."
Estonia, pressed up against Russian soil, also invoked Article 4 in September after it said three Russian MiG-31 jets breached its airspace for 12 minutes. Moscow said the aircraft traveled "in strict accordance with international airspace rules, without violating the borders of other states."
Quote:Russia may be using the wreck of the MS Estonia–a Baltic Sea ferry that sank in 1994–as a training ground and strategic base for covert underwater surveillance operations targeting NATO forces, independent European investigators have said in a new report.
The MS Estonia, which claimed 852 lives when it sank en route from Tallinn to Stockholm, is officially designated as a protected gravesite because many of the bodies were never recovered and is off-limits to divers.
But now, German broadcasters WDR, NDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung have reported uncovered growing suspicions that Russia has quietly violated this prohibition, turning the site into a platform for espionage and military exercises near critical NATO waterways.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry, via email, for comment.
Why It Matters
The allegations highlight escalating tensions between Russia and NATO, particularly in the strategically vital Baltic region.
If substantiated, Russia's use of a maritime disaster site for clandestine military purposes represents both a security threat and a sensitive violation of an international agreement aimed at honoring the victims.
What To Know
According to a joint investigation by German broadcasters, several NATO member states have received intelligence that in recent years, Russian military units have conducted deep-water operations at the Estonia site.
Moscow has reportedly positioned equipment at or near the wreck, including high-precision navigation devices and sensors capable of guiding submersible drones and recording the acoustic 'signatures' of NATO warships and submarines circulating in the Baltic Sea.
These technologies enable Russia to monitor naval activity discreetly and potentially prepare for disruption of critical sea routes, including energy and communication cables.
The Russian Main Directorate for Deep-Sea Research (GUGI), a top-secret unit within the Russian defense ministry, is identified as overseeing such operations.
GUGI operates a fleet of special-purpose vessels and underwater drones, including the special purpose intelligence collection ship Yantar, which NATO navies regularly track near sensitive undersea infrastructure in the North and Baltic Seas.
Finland’s Border Guard told German media it would not comment on specific surveillance operations for operational reasons. Estonia’s Foreign Ministry also said they are closely monitoring events in the Baltic in cooperation with allies.
Quote:The U.S. Alaskan Command said the United States recently deployed bombers over waters of Alaska's outlying islands near Russia, demonstrating its deterrence against maritime threats to the homeland.
Newsweek has emailed the Russia's defense and foreign ministries for comment.
Why It Matters
Despite its ongoing war in Ukraine that began in February 2022, the Russian military continues to operate in the country's Far East facing the Pacific, including deploying warships for a joint mission with its Chinese counterpart in 2023 near the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska.
Serving as a key strategic location for homeland defense, Alaska, across the Bering Strait from the Russian Far East, has regularly hosted drills and training exercises to ensure U.S. forces are ready to deter and defeat any adversary in this frontline region.
The latest U.S. military deployment near Russia also comes amid increasing tensions between the two powers, as Washington recently announced new sanctions against Moscow to pressure it to negotiate a ceasefire with Ukraine to end the three-year war.
What To Know
On Thursday, the U.S. Alaskan Command said that it conducted a maritime operation on October 16 in the Bering Sea along the Aleutian island chain with the U.S. Coast Guard national security cutter USCGC Kimball and two U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers.
During the operation, the Kimball and the U.S. Navy provided target information to the bombers, enabling "standoff target acquisition and simulated weapons employment." However, it remains unclear whether the targets were simulated enemy naval vessels.
The B-1B bomber has the largest payload of conventional weapons in the Air Force inventory and can carry up to 75,000 pounds of bombs and missiles, including the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), which has a standoff range of more than 230 miles.
A standoff strike refers to an attack—launched from aircraft, ships, submarines or land—against a target from a distance and outside the range of an enemy's defenses.
Lieutenant General Robert Davis, commander of the Alaskan Command, said Alaska is critical terrain for homeland defense operations and power projection into the Indo-Pacific and Arctic regions, where the U.S. faces challenges from Russia and China.
"Operating in the Bering Sea ensures our forces remain ready to deter and defend against evolving threats, while demonstrating our commitment to safeguarding the northern approaches to the United States," the commander said in a press release.
Last month, the Alaskan Command and the Canadian Armed Forces conducted joint operations in the Bering Sea to address emerging threats in the region, demonstrating their maritime strike capabilities using U.S. F-35 stealth jets and a Canadian warship.
Quote:Russia is reinforcing its presence at a base in the Arctic Circle, including nuclear weapons pointed towards the United States, according to Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik.
Newsweek contacted the U.S. and Danish ministries of defense, along with the Russian foreign ministry, for comment via email on Saturday outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Relations between Moscow and the West nosedived in February 2022 when Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to conduct a full invasion of Ukraine, sparking the biggest war in Europe since World War II.
This week saw President Trump announce he didn’t want a “wasted meeting” with Putin in Budapest after the Russian leader rejected American and European demands for an immediate ceasefire. Trump also introduced a new sanctions package targeting Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil.
What To Know
Sandvik discussed Russia’s military situation in an interview with British newspaper The Daily Telegraph that was published on Friday.
Referring to a region of Russia inside the Arctic Circle, near Finland, Sandvik said: “Russia is building up on the Kola Peninsula…where one of the largest arsenals of nuclear warheads in the world is located. They [the nuclear weapons] are not only pointed towards Norway, but towards the UK and over the pole towards Canada and the US.”
He continued: “We are the eyes and ears of NATO in this area, and we see that they’re testing new weapons, for example hypersonic missiles, and they are testing nuclear-driven torpedoes and nuclear warheads.”
Russia bases nuclear weapons on the Kola Peninsula along with its Northern Fleet which was established in 1733.
Sandvik argued that in the event of war with NATO Russia would likely target the Bear Gap, which separates the island of Svalbard from mainland Norway, along with the GIUK Gap between the UK, Iceland and Greenland.
He said: “Putin needs to establish what is called the Bastion defence. He needs to control the Bear Gap to make sure that he can use his submarines and the Northern Fleet. And he wants to deny [NATO] allies access to the GIUK Gap.”
At least seven people were killed on Wednesday by a mass drone attack across Ukraine which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said hit “ordinary cities” along with energy infrastructure.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:President Trump warned New Jersey voters early Monday that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill would turn the Garden State into a hotbed of crime, skyrocketing energy prices “and HEARTACHE!”
He tore into Sherrill and Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Abigail Spanberger, in an early morning Truth Social post — urging voters to swing to the right.
“Why would anyone vote for New Jersey and Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates, Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, when they want transgender for everybody, men playing in women’s sports, High Crime, and the most expensive Energy prices almost anywhere in the World?” the president asked.
“VOTE REPUBLICAN for massive Energy Cost reductions, large scale Tax Cuts, and basic Common Sense!
“Under President Trump, ME, Gasoline will come down to approximately $2 a Gallon, very soon! With the Democrats, you’ll be paying $4, $5, and $6 a Gallon, and your Electric and other Energy costs will, likewise, SOAR.”
He hammered home that those in Garden State and elsewhere would have a “great and very affordable life” if Republican candidates wiped the floor come election time.
“All you’ll get from voting Democrat is unrelentingly High Crime, Energy prices through the roof, men playing in women’s sports, and HEARTACHE!” Trump added.
It comes after the commander in chief, who has repeatedly gone after Sherrill during her election campaign, blasted her as a “corrupt radical left Democrat” when in-person early voting got underway in New Jersey.
Quote:TOKYO — President Trump said Monday that he won’t run as Vice President JD Vance’s running mate to circumvent the Constitution’s two-term limit on the presidency, but said he is still interested in running again — musing about a potential 2028 face-off against New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Trump, 79, made the remarks when a reporter asked about his former chief strategist Steve Bannon’s claim that a secret plan might negate the 22nd Amendment’s term limit.
“I would love to do it. I have my best numbers ever, it’s very terrible, I have my best numbers,” Trump said on Air Force One en route to Tokyo for meetings with Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Trump, whose approval rating is 45.1%, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, has repeatedly flirted with a final candidacy in what is widely seen as a way to avoid lame-duck status and troll Democrats, including with “Trump 2028” campaign hats.
Bannon claimed in an interview with the Economist, however, that “he’s going to get a third term… at the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is. But there’s a plan.”
Trump definitively ruled out the most widely discussed option of running as Vance’s running mate and then having Vance resign to get around the 22nd Amendment’s rule that a person can only be “elected” president twice.
“I think the people wouldn’t like that. It’s too cute. It wouldn’t be right,” he told reporters on Air Force One.
Trump said that he could also see Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio forming the Republican ticket in the next election, saying the pair would be “unstoppable.”
But he continued to leave the door open for himself.
“All I can tell you is that we have a great group of people, which they don’t. They have [Texas Rep.] Jasmine Crockett, a low IQ person. They have AOC who is low IQ. You give her an IQ test, have her pass the exams that I decided to take when I was at Walter Reed,” he added.
Quote:An anarchist with a lengthy rap sheet has been arrested for allegedly putting a $45,000 hit out on US Attorney General Pam Bondi on TikTok, according to the feds.
Tyler Maxon Avalos, 29, was nabbed on Oct. 16 after a tipster alerted the FBI to the alleged murder-for-hire plot the suspect had blasted out on social media earlier this month.
The chilling post included a photo of Bondi with a “sniper-scope red dot” on her forehead with the caption: “WANTED: Pam Bondi / REWARD: 45,000 ‘ DEAD OR ALIVE / (PREFERABLY DEAD),” court documents charge.
Underneath the photo, Avalos allegedly added: “Cough cough. When they don’t serve us, then what?”
The feds allege Avalos, who has a prior history of convictions, has anarchist ties and noted that his TikTok username was “Wacko” — an apparent anarchy symbol.
His profile also brandished a link to “An Anarchist FAQ book,” according to court filings.
Avalos has a lengthy criminal history, including prior raps for stalking and domestic assault, records show.
He was convicted in July 2022 of stalking in Minnesota, as well as domestic battery in Florida in 2016.
In the wake of his alleged threats against Bondi, Avalos was charged with interstate transmission of a threat to injure another person.
Quote:A controversial British political commentator who celebrated the horrific Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas was detained in the US just after starting a speaking tour.
Sami Hamdi, who told a mosque to “celebrate the victory” days after the 2023 attack left 1,200 Israelis dead, was taken into custody at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday while heading on a speaking tour for the Council for American-Islamic Relations [CAIR], the organization said.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that his “visa was revoked and he is in ICE custody pending removal.”
“Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country. It’s common sense,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin posted on X.
There had already been a widespread push for the Trump administration to kick out Hamdi — who claims to be a journalist — over his past celebration of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that led to years of devastating war.
Days after the attack, he reportedly told a crowd at a mosque in London to “celebrate the victory.”
“We are pitying a people who brought a huge victory since 1948,” he said. “Don’t pity them, they don’t want your pity. Celebrate the victory,” he said.
“How many of you felt it in your hearts when you got the news that it happened? How many of you felt the euphoria? Allahu Akbari!”
Hamdi also claimed Israel’s accusations of sexual violence committed by Hamas were false, according to The Telegraph.
Far-right influencer Laura Loomer took credit for Hamdi’s arrest.
“I demanded that federal authorities inside the Trump administration treat Hamdi as the major national security threat that he is and I reported Sami Hamdi to federal immigration authorities over his documented support for Islamic terrorism,” she tweeted.
CAIR, however, called for Hamdi’s release and accused the Trump administration of detaining him over his criticism of the Israeli government.
Quote:WASHINGTON — The largest union of federal workers publicly implored lawmakers Monday to approve a temporary funding bill to end the ongoing government shutdown, ramping up pressure on Democrats to abandon their healthcare demands.
“Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight,” American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President Everett Kelley declared in a statement.
“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship.”
For more than a month, Republicans have insisted on funding the government at current levels through Nov. 21 to allow time to negotiate longer-term spending.
However, Senate Democrats have blocked the so-called “clean” short-term spending bill a dozen times, instead demanding that Republicans make expensive concessions on healthcare policy in exchange for reopening the government.
Only three Democrat or Democrat-aligned senators have backed the House-passed stopgap measure: John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and independent Angus King of Maine. Republicans need five more Democrats to flip and get the legislation past the 60-vote legislative filibuster.
AFGE represents more than 800,000 federal workers, many of whom have gone without pay since the shutdown began Oct. 1.
“These are patriotic Americans – parents, caregivers, and veterans – forced to work without pay while struggling to cover rent, groceries, gas and medicine because of political disagreements in Washington. That is unacceptable,” Kelley stressed.
“Unfortunately, shutdowns have become a recurring tactic in Washington. But there is no ‘winning’ a government shutdown.”
At least 1.4 million government workers missed their full paycheck last week. According to federal law, public sector employees will receive back pay when the shutdown concludes. However, Kelley warned that many of his members are not prepared to go extended periods without compensation.
Quote:A Walt Disney World Resort hotel guest died from multiple traumatic injuries after taking his own life at a popular hotel, authorities in Florida revealed.
Matthew Cohn, 28, was found dead at the Contemporary Resort on Thursday, becoming the third death at Disney World and the second at the same hotel this month.
“At this time, we can confirm that the manner of death was ruled suicide; cause of death: multiple traumatic injuries,” a spokesperson for the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office told The Post.
A major law enforcement presence was seen near Bay Lake Tower last week, as police taped off an area around the pool.
Shocked guests claimed they were told by cast members not to look out from their balconies as staff tried to shield the response teams.
Hotel employees were posted at several windows to shield guests from looking out of the tower at the scene, one guest said, as reported by WDWNT.
Scaffolding, towel carts, and other hotel items were used to block the scene from view, while a white tent was erected in the area, Inside the Magic reported.
Dozens of police vehicles, a fire truck, and an ambulance were reportedly on-site, while staff members closed off select entrances to Bay Lake Tower, WDWNT reported.
“We woke up to a VERY large law enforcement [presence] outside our balcony this morning at Disney’s Bay Lake Tower. We were told it was a ‘medical emergency.’ Prayers to the family & those involved!” one guest wrote, sharing video of the scene on TikTok.
A second hotel guest said she saw the victim being given CPR, as others chimed in the comments.
“Unsure if he fell or jumped. They knocked on our door as well and told us not to look out the window and that there was a medical emergency. Have not heard or confirmed anything as we left to go to the parks shortly after. Sad situation all around for everyone involved,” wrote the guest, who said she was staying at the hotel with her mom and her children.
The death comes just days after Disney super fan Summer Equitz, 31, took her life at the Contemporary Resort.
New York City mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani is seen beaming with members of communist Cuba’s delegation to the United Nations during a trip to Albany last year.
Mamdani, a Queens state assemblyman and now the leading mayoral hopeful, is pictured with other Democratic Socialist lawmakers who want to aid the communist dictatorship by advocating to end the US blockade against Cuba.
The effort is par for the course among lefty politicians. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio honeymooned in Cuba and visited communist Nicaragua.
Mamdani’s rival, independent candidate and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo is no slouch when it comes to schmoozing with the communist-led nation, either. He headed a trade mission to Cuba in 2015 after then-President Barack Obama eased US sanctions against it, though the embargo remained in effect.
US Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, whose mother fled oppressive Cuba, was not amused by Mamdani joining arms with communists.
“It’s no surprise Zohran was thrilled to welcome a delegation representing Cuba’s communist regime to New York since he’s made Karl Marx’s communist playbook part of his campaign,” claimed Malliotakis, a Republican who represents Staten Island and southern Brooklyn.
“From abolishing private property ownership to seizing the means of production to government-run supermarkets, Zohran’s proposed policies have destroyed lives, businesses and nations — just ask my mother whose family’s small business and home were confiscated by the regime” in Cuba, the GOPer said.
Mamdani recently opined on his views of Cuba during and after an interview with Latino journalists Jorge Ramos and his daughter, Paola Ramos.
Quote:A University of Washington professor unleashed on the college’s strict diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) requirements for new hires and a teacher performance rubric that includes a scorecard measuring DEI strategy used to assess potential professor performance.
Stuart Reges, a non-tenured teaching professor at UW’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, said he wouldn’t have been hired under the strict DEI pledge requirements, despite his academic achievements at the university.
“You have to say that you have deep knowledge of the DEIs in order to get a high rating on all of this,” Reges told Fox News Digital. “Funny thing is, I’m convinced I would not be hired if I applied today. There’s just no way, even though I’ve won the Distinguished Teaching Award here at the university.”
The University of Washington’s listing for an associate professor of school psychology role includes a mandatory “diversity statement” for all applicants, signifying a pledge to the university’s “commitment to racial equity.”
“A one-page diversity statement describing your identity, positionality, experience and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and alignment to the APA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Framework,” the job posting reads. “In addition, describe your philosophy of teaching and learning, including how your work will further the College of Education’s commitment to racial equity and social justice.”
Seattle Red radio host Jason Rantz also blasted the university’s hiring policy, saying in his recent op-ed that “this application process makes it easier to discriminate against conservatives, which is precisely why you won’t hear the far-left faculty speak out.”
“The university isn’t looking for diverse thought; it’s enforcing a monoculture of approved political opinions,” Rantz added.
In addition to the mandatory application diversity statement, the professor explained that a grading rubric to assess a potential professor’s performance includes a section labeled “Diversity,” ranking applicants on a scale of poor to excellent.
A “Poor” rating describes the professor displaying “little evidence of potential to contribute to the UW Diversity Blueprint.”
Quote:Three Harvard University students are speaking out about their experiences as members of the political right on what they feel is a campus that is “hostile” to their ideas.
The students, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described feelings of unbelonging and experiences that undermined the idea that the school community is tolerant of all political ideologies.
“A good example of this, would be something like, the university is very strict on not co-sponsoring events with outside groups when it comes to the Republican Club, let’s say, trying to put on events,” one student said. “But the Democrats very often get away with doing that. No questions asked.”
The student also described what they believe to be “selective enforcement” of campus rules when it comes to right-wing events on campus.
“There have been other things, like, the Republican Club puts on a big event, and they send a bunch of administrators to really strictly enforce, you know, fire code rules, making sure that the audience is sitting properly in their seats, whereas Democrats can host events and the whole place can be jam-packed and there’s no concern whatsoever,” the student said.
Inside the classroom, the student described a culture of silence by those who might disagree with a left-leaning professor, for fear of academic and social reprisal.
“I think most students get the sense that the prudent thing to do is just sort of toe the line, both for sort of academic reasons and social,” the student said. “I mean, the grading, particularly in the social sciences, is sort of subjectively left up to graduate students, usually, who are on the teaching staff of the course. So usually what students just end up doing is sort of parroting whatever the professor says for the sake of the grade.”
The student also described a feeling of social “ostracization” that stems from “outing yourself in a class.” The student later added that “liberal orthodoxy” is “baked into the institution.”
As evidence for the latter claim, the student pointed to a panel held on Oct. 9 by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics called “Across the Divide: Organizing to Build Bridges in Partisan Times,” which he called a “lampoonish” example of institutional bias.
He noted that the three speakers on the panel about bridging the partisan divide were all Democrats: former Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III; Derrick Johnson, the president of the notably left-wing NAACP; and former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
Another student described social repercussions they faced from other students after mentioning that he was considering joining a right-leaning organization on campus.
Quote:A mass shooting-obsessed trans teen has admitted to plotting a Valentine’s Day massacre at her Indiana high school.
Trinity Shockley, 18, is set to plead guilty to felony conspiracy to commit murder in return for spending a maximum of 12.5 years in prison and five years of probation, according to the Morgan County Prosecutor’s office.
Shockley, who authorities said identifies as male and uses the name Jamie, was arrested in February Monday after police received a tip that she had access to an AR-15, had purchased a bulletproof vest, and was obsessed with mass shooters.
When officers searched her home, they found a twisted shrine to Parkland Florida mass shooter Nikolas Cruz, and other gunmen.
They also found evidence that she was planning a shooting at her own school, and was planning to stage it to coincide with the anniversary of the Parkland shooting.
Shockley is also barred from researching school shooters for life, with all her electronic devices to be monitored by software that will hold her accountable.
And she will be barred from ever owning a gun.
She must also pay for mental health counseling.
She is expected to make her plea in court on Nov. 24.
Quote:Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., revealed on Sunday that he would start giving a possible 2028 run "serious thought" after the 2026 midterms, during an interview with CBS.
"Is it fair to say, after the 2026 midterms, you’re going to give it serious thought?" CBS correspondent Robert Costa asked Newsom.
The California governor responded, "Yeah, I'd be lying otherwise."
"I’d just be lying. And I can’t do that," he added.
Costa followed up and noted the governor has always said he would need a compelling reason to run for president.
"Are you moving closer to figuring out your own why and your own decision?" Costa asked.
Newsom responded by quoting Friedrich Nietzsche, "If you have a compelling why, you can endure any how."
"I think the biggest challenge for anyone who runs for any office is people see right through you if you don’t have that why. You’re doing it for the wrong reasons. And so, look, faith will determine that," Newsom added.
The liberal governor also spoke about his redistricting efforts in California and about what he said was a masculinity crisis in the country, and how he's using his podcast to highlight it.
"We also have a crisis with masculinity and men. Men are struggling. And multi-ethic, I mean, suicide rates are off the chart, dropout rates, suspension rates, loneliness, despair, deaths of despair. It’s a serious crisis what’s going on in this country. Democrats haven’t focused on that issue. And I’m very proud of the work, substantive work we’re doing in this, but I’ve also been using the podcast to highlight that," he said.
Quote:New York Black Lives Matter founder Hawk Newsome ranted about “black faces of systemic oppression” as he turned himself in Monday to face charges for allegedly assaulting a black local leader during a dust-up at a political rally in Harlem last week.
The activist is accused of punching Manhattan Democratic District Leader William Allen, 66, and hurling a bullhorn at him when the protest descended into chaos at about 10:45 a.m. on Friday, according to police and sources.
The entire saga unfolded when Newsome and a host of activists swarmed the Harlem office of Councilman Yusef Salaam — one of the exonerated Central Park Five — to object to non-profit leader Tiffany Fulton having $10,000 in her community funding pulled.
The scuffle broke out after Salaam’s mother, Sharonne – on hand for a separate press conference — went over to confront Newsome, who was shouting her son’s name into the bullhorn during the rally, Allen said in an interview Monday afternoon.
Allen, who was there for the other press conference on solitary confinement, described himself as an “innocent bystander” – telling The Post he walked over at the same time to chat with Fulton, but ended up facing the ire of Newsome.
Video footage circulating online shows Newsome get in Allen’s face and accuse him of bringing an “old lady over here” in reference to the councilman’s mother.
“My problem is with you ‘cause I can’t get in her face like that,” he yelled as he appeared to let the bullhorn go, according to the footage.
“You put an old lady in front of me,” he also screamed even though Allen claimed Sharonne walked over on her own.
“He basically assaulted me,” said Allen. “He hit me in the chest, I backed up and as I’m backing up he raised his arm and threw the bullhorn at my head. Thank God it missed me.”
MSNBC’s lefty hosts and guests have been forced to disclose that the cable network’s parent company Comcast donated to President Trump’s planned White House ballroom — in the same breath they’ve been lambasting the plans, according to statements compiled by the Status newsletter.
“Here’s the issue,” MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle said on her show “The 11th Hour” last week.
“Donors are paying for it. Corporations are paying for it — Comcast, our Comcast — is one of those that are underwriting it. Shouldn’t that be more concerning to the American people? Because there ain’t no company out there writing a check just for goodwill.”
Comcast is one of several Fortune 500 companies that have donated toward construction of the new $300 million ballroom as Trump ordered the White House East Wing demolished.
While Comcast CEO Brian Roberts has been criticized by Trump, the Philadelphia-based telecom giant is reportedly interested in buying Warner Bros. Discovery amid bidding talks that stand to reshape America’s media landscape. The Trump administration has been smiling on rival bidder Paramount Skydance, instead, The Post reported last week.
Frequent MSNBC guest David Frum told network host Nicolle Wallace last week: “Everyone who is giving the money, the quarter of a billion dollars to pay for this thing — with all due respect to Comcast, thank you for the hospitality — is doing so in expectation of something in return.
“They’re not doing it for the love of ballroom dancing,” the Trump-hating Atlantic writer said on “Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace.”
An MSNBC spokesperson declined to comment.
The comments came as Comcast is spinning off its cable channels into Versant. MSNBC is separating from its sister group NBC News and being rebranded as MS NOW starting next month.
Earlier this month, NBC News reporters and editorial staffers stopped appearing on MSNBC broadcasts as the cable channel began operating as an independent entity — the first time in its 30-year existence.
Trump’s $300 million plan to demolish the White House East Wing and replace it with a ballroom has sparked backlash from historians, preservationists and Democrats.
Critics argue the move destroys a key piece of national heritage and violates preservation laws.
The White House has defended the project as a modernization effort.
Meanwhile, Trump has called Roberts a “disgrace to the integrity of broadcasting,” labeling him a “lowlife” and “dopey” while referring to Comcast as “Concast.”
Weird. Normally, that sort of statements would get you fired in no time.
Quote:President Trump issued a chilling warning to Vladimir Putin Monday after the Russian tyrant boasted about testing his country’s new “invincible” nuclear missile.
“They know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shore,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday as he prepared to travel to Japan.
He was speaking after Putin on Sunday hailed an 8,700-mile, 15-hour test flight for Russia’s “unique” nuclear-powered missile, dubbed a “flying Chernobyl,” which the country says could strike targets in the US.
The Burevestnik missile is a “unique product, unlike anything else in the world,” Putin — dressed in military fatigues — claimed on Sunday in remarks reported by Russian state media.
“We need to identify potential uses and begin preparing the infrastructure for deploying this weapon in our armed forces,” he added.
President Trump was not impressed by Russia’s saber-rattling.”We test missiles all the time, but you know, we do have a submarine, a nuclear submarine. We don’t need to go 8,000 miles,” he said.
“They’re not playing games with us. We’re not playing games with them either,” President Trump continued, before repeating his demand that Putin end the war in Ukraine.
“I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying. By the way, he ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its, soon, fourth year. That’s what he ought to do instead of testing missiles,” Trump said.
He was speaking after a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart collapsed.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has upped his calls for the US to supply his country with long-range missiles to force Putin to make peace.
Zelensky praised President Trump’s latest sanctions on Russia, saying they “will make a difference,” but warned that more pressure was needed to bring an end to the conflict raging since February 2022.
“President Trump is concerned about escalation. But I think that if there are no negotiations, there will be an escalation anyway. I think that if Putin doesn’t stop, we need something to stop him. Sanctions is one such weapon, but we also need long-range missiles,” President Zelensky told Axios Sunday.
Quote:Ukrainians gathered at a Kyiv church on Monday to mourn and honor two journalists who were killed by a Russian drone while reporting near the eastern frontlines.
War correspondent Olena Hubanova, who worked under the pseudonym Alyona Gramova, and cameraman Yevhen Karmazin were killed Thursday when a Russian Lancet drone slammed into their car in Kramatorsk, about 12 miles from the front line.
The duo are the latest journalists killed in the Ukraine war, with priest Viktor Zhyvchyk hailing them for their work during the side-by-side funeral service at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery.
“Defending the truth is one of the highest forms of love for one’s neighbor,” Zhyvchyk said. “In their effort to show the truth to the world, these journalists gave their lives.”
FreeDom, the state-funded station where Hubanova worked, said she was constantly working in the most dangerous areas in Donetsk, where the fighting remains the most intense as Russia continues its onslaught to try and conquer the oblast after nearly four years of war.
Despite the danger, the channel said the local correspondent was committed to “telling the world the truth about how Russian forces are destroying her native Donetsk region.”
Olha Mykhaliuk, a colleague who worked with Hubanova and Karmazin, was among those who attended the funeral with blue and yellow flowers, Ukraine’s colors.
“Attacks on journalists have become more frequent. The enemy sees it as a kind of victory,” Mykhaliuk said.
Donetsk region Gov. Vadym Filashkin, who confirmed the journalists’ death on Thursday, said they had been well-known in the oblast for their coverage of the carnage that has taken place for more than three years.
“Since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, they covered events in the Donetsk region, telling the truth about enemy crimes, evacuations of civilians and the stories of our defenders,” Filashkin said in a statement.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Vladimir Putin is feeling the sting of President Trump’s new oil sanctions — so much so that he dispatched one of his top henchmen on a desperate charm offensive across the US.
Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin-linked financier who once served as Moscow’s backchannel to Washington, spent the weekend trying to schmooze top Trump officials and going on a media blitz.
But the move failed spectacularly, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent bluntly blasting Dmitriev as a “Russian propagandist,” and NATO Amb. Matt Whitaker flatly rejected his overtures — saying the administration’s energy crackdown would continue.
On one of the country’s biggest Sunday morning news shows, Bessent mocked Dmitriev’s latest assertion that the sanctions would have “absolutely no effect on Russia’s economy” and “will only lead to gasoline costing more at American gas stations.”
“I think Russia is going to feel the pain immediately … And Margaret, are you really going to publish what a Russian propagandist says?” Bessent said on “Face the Nation” with Margaret Brennan, chiding the host for bringing up Dimitriev’s claims.
“I mean, what else is he going to say? That, ‘oh, it’s going to be terrible, and it’s going to bring Putin to the table’?
“The Russian economy is a wartime economy. Growth is virtually zero. Inflation, I believe, is over 20% and everything we do is going to bring Putin to the table. It’s oil that funds the Russian war machine, and I think we can make a substantial dent in his profits.”
The markets support Bessent’s assessment, with Lukoil and Rosneft, the two oil companies losing $11.5 billion in combined market value since Trump levied the sanctions, according to the Moscow Times.
The trend continued on Monday, with Rosneft shares falling roughly 5.6% to 368.4 rubles — the lowest since March 2023, according to the report. Lukoil similarly dropped 6.5%, following a whopping 12.2% plunge last week.
Whitaker, meanwhile, said Putin’s decision to send Dmitriev for the whirlwind weekend visit further proved that “President Trump holds all the cards” on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing.
EUROPE
If Dilgear has a teal fur, why can't these dogs have their own color?
Quote:Wild images show several dogs near the Chernobyl nuclear powerplant turning blue, baffling workers taking care of them.
The alarming-looking dogs — descendants of pets abandoned after the nuclear disaster there nearly 40 years ago — have been found wandering around the Chernobyl exclusion zone this month, according to Dogs of Chernobyl, an affiliate of the non-profit Clean Futures Fund that cares for the dogs there.
“We are on the ground now catching dogs for sterilization, and we came across three dogs that were completely blue,” the organization said in an Instagram post with more than 330,000 views.
“We are not sure exactly what is going on.”
Locals said that the dogs’ fur was normal just a week earlier.
“We do not know the reason, and we are attempting to catch them so we can find out what is happening,” the spokesperson added.
“Most likely, they’re getting into some sort of chemical.”
While they are blue, they appear to be “very active and healthy,” the organization said.
Each year, Dogs of Chernobyl, which started in 2017, provides medical care and food for the estimated 700 dogs residing in the 18-square-mile exclusion zone.
The dogs are the descendants of the pets who were abandoned when people were forced to evacuate after a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded in 1986, in one of the worst nuclear disasters in history.
Quote:A Norwegian Cruise ship went off-course to rescue more than 60 migrants from a sailboat along the coast of Greece last week, according to officials and passengers.
The cruise line’s Norwegian Epic vessel went out of its way to respond to a “mandatory” search and rescue operation in coordination with Greek authorities Oct. 22 and brought “63 individuals to safety,” the company told USA Today.
Once on board, the crew provided “a medical evaluation, food and other items for their comfort,” according to Norwegian.
“Following a mandatory directive from the Rescue Coordination Centre, the ship proceeded to Kalamata, Greece where the rescued individuals were turned over to the Greek authorities,” the cruise line said in a statement.
The cruise company did not share information about who was rescued, but fellow passengers posted on social media that they were migrants who had packed onto a 30-foot sailboat.
The 11-day cruise left Civitavechia, Italy, on Oct. 21, with stops around the Mediterranean in Greece, Malta, Italy and France, according to CruiseMapper.
Once the migrants were handed over to Greek authorities, the ship, which can host up to 4,000 guests, resumed its scheduled itinerary.
“We appreciate our guests’ patience and understanding during this unexpected interruption to their journey,” Norwegian said.
Quote:Multiple suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris last weekend, French officials said Sunday.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that investigators made the arrests on Saturday evening, including one man who was taken into custody as he was about to leave the country from Charles de Gaulle airport.
Beccuau did not confirm the number of arrests, though French media BFM TV and Le Parisien newspaper earlier reported that two suspects had been arrested and taken into custody. She did not say whether the jewels had been recovered.
Thieves took less than eight minutes to steal jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102 million) — a high-profile heist that sparked a national reckoning and stunned the world
The crew of thieves used a basket lift to scale the Louvre’s façade, forced open a window, smashed display cases and fled, according to French officials. The Louvre's director Laurence des Cars acknowledged there was a "terrible failure" in the museum's security.
Beccuau said investigators from a special police unit in charge of armed robberies, serious burglaries and art thefts made the arrests. She said the premature leak of information could hinder the work of over 100 investigators "mobilized to recover the stolen jewels and apprehend all of the perpetrators."
Beccuau said further details will be unveiled after the suspects’ custody period ends.
French Interior minister Laurent Nunez praised the investigators for their tireless work, adding that they always had his "full confidence."
The thieves slipped away with a total of eight objects, including a sapphire diadem, necklace and single earring from a set linked to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. They also stole an emerald necklace and earrings tied to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife, and a reliquary brooch. Empress Eugénie’s diamond diadem and her large corsage-bow brooch — an imperial ensemble of rare craftsmanship — were also part of the loot.
Eugénie’s emerald-set imperial crown with more than 1,300 diamonds was later found outside the museum, damaged but recoverable.
Quote:Hamas is now digging through the rubble in Israel-controlled sections of Gaza in search of the bodies of the 13 remaining hostages — as only hours remain to come up with results before President Trump’s deadline.
The terror group is working in tandem with Egyptian excavation teams across the Gaza Strip to try and locate the slain hostages, which include Israeli-Americans Omer Neutra, 21, and Itay Chen, 19.
The rush to find the bodies comes after Hamas failed to hand over any hostages in six days, endangering the US-brokered cease-fire deal and leading Trump to impose a 48-hour deadline on Saturday over the lack of results.
“Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other Countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president suggested that the terrorists may be stalling in order to negotiate the terms of the peace deal, which calls on Hamas to give up their arms and cede its power over the Gaza Strip.
“Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not. Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that only applies if they comply with their obligations,” he wrote.
“Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely,” he added.
Although Trump had previously given Hamas time to locate the bodies of the slain hostages, Israel has complained over the slow release, with the families of the victims refuting claims that the terror group is having difficulty finding the dead.
“Hamas knows exactly where every one of the deceased hostages is held,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement calling for a pause on the cease-fire deal.
“The families urge the Government of Israel, the United States administration, and the mediators not to advance to the next phase of the agreement until Hamas fulfills all of its obligations and returns every hostage to Israel,” the group added.
Quote:Two US Navy aircraft from the USS Nimitz — a Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet — crashed during separate “routine operations” over the South China Sea on Sunday, with all five crew members rescued and in stable condition as the Navy investigates both incidents.
The US Pacific Fleet — the Navy’s largest operational command — said in a post on X that around 2:54 p.m. local time, an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 crashed in the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
Search-and-rescue teams from Carrier Strike Group 11, operating alongside the Nimitz, quickly launched recovery efforts and safely pulled all three helicopter crew members from the water.
Officials said the personnel were returned to the carrier for medical evaluation and were later confirmed to be in stable condition.
Roughly 30 minutes after the helicopter incident, an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the Nimitz, assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22, also went down in the South China Sea during flight operations.
Search-and-rescue teams again responded swiftly, recovering the jet’s two crew members, who had successfully ejected before the aircraft hit the water. Both aviators were transported back to the Nimitz and are reported to be in stable condition.
The US Pacific Fleet said in a statement that all five service members involved in the crashes are safe and accounted for.
The causes of both incidents remain under investigation.
The Navy has not released additional details about weather conditions, possible mechanical issues, or the nature of the training missions being conducted at the time of the crashes.
The USS Nimitz, the Navy’s oldest active aircraft carrier, is deployed in the Indo-Pacific region as part of Carrier Strike Group 11, which routinely conducts freedom-of-navigation and maritime security operations in the South China Sea—waters that have become increasingly contested amid rising tensions between the US and China.
Quote:Top Chinese and US economic officials on Sunday hashed out the framework of a trade deal for US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to decide on later this week that would pause steeper American tariffs and Chinese rare earths export controls, US officials said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur had eliminated the threat of Trump’s 100% tariffs on Chinese imports starting Nov. 1.
Bessent also said he expects China to delay implementation of its rare earth minerals and magnets licensing regime by a year while the policy is reconsidered.
Chinese officials were more circumspect about the talks and offered no details about the outcome of the meetings.
Trump and Xi are due to meet on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, to sign off on the terms. While the White House has officially announced the highly anticipated Trump-Xi talks, China has yet to confirm that the two leaders will meet.
“I think we have a very successful framework for the leaders to discuss on Thursday,” Bessent told reporters after he and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and top trade negotiator Li Chenggang for their fifth round of in-person discussions since May.
Bessent said he anticipates that a tariff truce with China will be extended beyond its November 10 expiration date, and that China will revive substantial purchases of US soybeans after buying none in September, while favoring soybeans from Brazil and Argentina.
US soybean farmers “will feel very good about what’s going on both for this season and the coming seasons for several years” once the deal’s terms are announced, Bessent told the ABC program “This Week.”
Quote:President Trump hailed his Argentinian counterpart, Javier Milei, as a “big victor” Monday after Milei’s party defied opinion polls to make big gains in the South American country’s legislative elections.
“Wow! That was a big win! In Argentina, I want to congratulate the victor. He was a BIG victor, he had a lot of help from us!” the president exulted to reporters on Air Force One en route to Japan from Malaysia. “It was unexpected!”
With partial results reported, Milei’s La Libertad Avanza had increased its seats in the Chamber of Deputies to at least 64 from 37 and gained at least six seats in the Argentine Senate.
“BIG WIN in Argentina for Javier Milei, a wonderful Trump Endorsed Candidate! He’s making us all look good,” Trump added on Truth Social. “Congratulations Javier!”
The Trump administration had bet big on Milei’s hardcore libertarian leadership in Argentina, offering Buenos Aires a $20 billion currency swap earlier this month — with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggesting the amount could grow to $40 billion by leaning on private sector assistance.
That lifeline was intended to stem a panic in which investors had been spooked by the poor performance of Milei’s party in the Sept. 7 Buenos Aires provincial election and polls showing the president’s popularity slipping amid protests at his austerity measures and frustration over several corruption scandals.
Investors fretted that another poor result on Sunday could doom Milei’s aggressive economic agenda, leading to a selloff of Argentinian assets, including the Peso.
Quote:Two alleged “narco-banners” that surfaced online this month, which warned Americans to stay out of Mexico’s Los Cabos region, have sparked concern about cartel intimidation tactics, even as local officials insist the signs never existed.
The purported messages, signed by a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known as La Chapiza, threatened violence against U.S. citizens living in or visiting the popular tourist destination. Photos of the banners circulated widely across social media, though authorities in Baja California Sur say investigators found no trace of them.
Wyoming County, Pennsylvania District Attorney Joe Peters, who served in the White House’s drug czar office during the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, told Fox News Digital that whether or not the Cabo banners were physically verified, the tactic itself is consistent with decades of cartel “narco-terrorism.”
“When you’re dealing with a cartel that’s that serious and sophisticated and right at our back door, we have to take it seriously,” Peters said. “It’s a shot over the bow to both governments. They rule by threat and intimidation – the same way the mafia did.”
Public “narco -anners,” or narcomantas, have long been used by Mexican cartels as propaganda tools, with the large signs draped across bridges or hung in public plazas to issue threats, claim territory or taunt rivals.
Peters said reports of such banners should be taken seriously given the proximity to America’s borders.
“When you’re dealing with a cartel that serious and that close to our border, we have to take it seriously. Add to that the number of Americans traveling to Latin America for business or pleasure — it’s a ready stock of potential victims for extortion,” he said.
Peters, who served in senior roles in the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush, said the current threats echo the global cartel tactics he saw firsthand.
In the 1980s and ’90s, Colombia’s cocaine cartels controlled entire regions through intimidation, corruption and fear tactics that are nearly identical to what’s now unfolding in parts of Mexico.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Millions of Americans were set to go hungry this weekend after Senate Democrats blocked a government funding bill 13 times in six weeks — keeping vital food programs offline ahead of the New York City mayoral election and gubernatorial votes in New Jersey and Virginia.
“They’re setting everything up for next week. They know they’ve got to get out,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) predicted to Politico Friday of the Democratic strategy. “If they do it before Tuesday, then their base may not show up because it looks like they caved … That’s why they’re setting everything up to open next week. We’ll be open next Wednesday, or Wednesday night, or Thursday.”
The real-world pain coming to nearly 42 million poor Americans enrolled in the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the result of Democrats refusing to drop their demands to extend ObamaCare subsidies due to expire at the end of this year.
“Democrats have instigated a disgusting dereliction of duty unlike anything I have seen in all my years doing this work,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a Capitol Hill press conference alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
Rollins added that she was “embarrassed” for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who has been the shutdown’s driving force.
“He is going out of his way to please the likes of [NYC mayoral candidate] Zohran Mamdani, a man who is polarizing America with his socialist rhetoric and anti-American principles,” she said.
“The very essence of government responsibility is to the citizens who live and work here, to protect their interests first — unless you are a Democrat in the United States Senate.”
The standoff was deepened Friday by a pair of court rulings from federal judges appointed by Democratic former President Barack Obama.
In Rhode Island, US District Judge John McConnell ordered the Trump administration to redirect $6 billion in unallocated emergency funds toward SNAP, despite the White House insisting those funds can only be touched in the event of catastrophes such as hurricanes.
In Boston, US District Judge Indira Talwani similarly ruled that the administration could not let SNAP benefits run out once the calendar flip to November.
The Justice Department was expected to appeal, but had not done so by close of business Friday.
Democrats breathed a sigh of relief in response to the rulings, with one congressional source telling The Post: “The court order puts more heat on the GOP to negotiate.”
Moments later, President Trump said he had “instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.
“It is already delayed enough due to the Democrats keeping the Government closed through the monthly payment date and, even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out,” Trump added on Truth Social.
“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay. The Democrats should quit this charade where they hurt people for their own political reasons, and immediately REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.”
Quote:Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., apologized Thursday on behalf of Senate Democrats who have not voted to end the government shutdown.
In an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju, Fetterman lamented that federal workers still are not getting paid and that many Americans may not be able to feed their children because Supplenental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are set to expire due to the shutdown. He apologized for the situation on behalf of his party.
“And like I said, to all of the viewers, I’m apologizing that we can’t even get our s— together and just open up our government,” Fetterman said.
The shutdown is now in its fourth week, with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate still unable to agree on spending legislation to begin the new fiscal year.
The ongoing impasse is now threatening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. If the shutdown continues, about 42 million Americans could lose access to the benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Speaking to Raju, Fetterman said that he will see the impact of the SNAP loss firsthand back home in Pennsylvania.
“I’m saying that I’ll witness it firsthand,” he said. “My wife, Giselle, she develops the Free Store in our community. It distributes food three times a week and her lines have already got longer. And now, I will encounter people that have no SNAP benefits starting on Saturday, and I don’t have an explanation for them.”
Fetterman offered an apology on behalf of his colleagues.
“All I could say is I’m sorry. It’s an absolute failure — what occurred here for the last month — and now things are really going to land. And imagine being a parent with a couple kids and how you’re going to fill the refrigerator and pack their lunches and get on with their lives when the things that they’ve depended on now is gone because we can’t even agree to just open things up.”
Fetterman also criticized his own party for failing to reach a deal with Republicans.
“If a Democrat — you know, we’re not allowed to just open this up, I mean, then our party has bigger problems than I thought we might have already. It’s like, that’s not controversial. Pay everybody,” he said, “And you have our workers here borrowed over a third of a billion dollars to pay their own bills.”
Quote:President Trump called on Republicans Thursday to invoke the so-called “nuclear option” and change Senate rules to allow legislation to end the 30-day-long government shutdown to pass with a simple majority vote.
“It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” the president wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post.
Trump explained that during his whirlwind Asia trip “the one question that kept coming up, however, was how did the Democrats SHUT DOWN the United States of America, and why did the powerful Republicans allow them to do it?”
The president said he pondered the question on his long flight back from South Korea.
“The fact is, in flying back, I thought a great deal about that question, WHY?” Trump wrote.
“Majority Leader John Thune, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, are doing a GREAT job, but the Democrats are Crazed Lunatics that have lost all sense of WISDOM and REALITY,” he argued. “It is a sick form of the now ‘legendary’ Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) that only comes from losing too much.”
Trump insisted that Democrat demands to reopen the government “will hurt American citizens, and Republicans will not let it happen.”
The 60-vote threshold needed for legislation to clear the upper chamber has prevented Republicans from advancing a short-term continuing resolution to fund the federal government at pre-shutdown levels.
All but three Senate Democrats have voted down the Trump-backed proposal more than a dozen times since federal funding lapsed on Oct. 1.
Republicans need five more votes to push the bill forward.
“Just a short while ago, the Democrats, while in power, fought for three years to do this, but were unable to pull it off because of Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona,” Trump wrote, referring to a previous effort to undo the legislative filibuster. “Never have the Democrats fought so hard to do something because they knew the tremendous strength that terminating the Filibuster would give them.”
Quote:A pair of federal judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration must use emergency funding to restore at least some SNAP food benefits — one day before the US Department of Agriculture had warned money for the program would run out due to the ongoing government shutdown.
The judges in Boston and Providence, RI, both said that the USDA could decide whether to fund the entitlement commonly known as food stamps in full or in part for the month of November — but a full cutoff was unlawful.
The SNAP program serves approximately 42 million Americans and costs about $8 billion per month nationally.
Leaders of 25 Democratic-run states and the District of Columbia sued the USDA in Boston federal court Tuesday after the executive agency warned that the “well has run dry” for SNAP benefits.
Senate Democrats, led by House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), have voted to reject the funding bill 13 times in hopes of forcing concessions from Republicans that would extend pandemic-era Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire Dec. 31.
The Trump administration argued that a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it set aside for emergencies could not be used even if it wanted to. The states — along with a coalition of cities and nonprofits who brought the Rhode Island case — argued not only that the money could be used, but that it had to be used under the Food and Nutrition Act, which requires that “assistance under this program shall be furnished to all eligible households.”
“There is a contingency fund at USDA, but that contingency fund, by the way, doesn’t even cover, I think half of the $9.2 billion that would be required for November SNAP,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters on Capitol Hill alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
“It is only allowed to flow if the underlying program is funded. If Hurricane Melissa or one of the hurricanes hits, that’s the contingency fund that we would use to send more money into the vulnerable communities that are harmed by a specific event, like a hurricane — but it is a contingency fund that can only flow if the underlying appropriation is approved.”
However, a since-deleted Lapse in Funding Plan from the USDA made public Sept. 30 highlighted how “multi-year contingency funds” would be used to deal with the shortfall in federal monies to state SNAP agencies.
The administration argued in subsequent letters to the agencies that the $6 billion pot of funding wouldn’t be able to be used for regular monthly benefits — and that the contingency spending was designated for emergencies.
“At core, Defendants’ conclusion that USDA is statutorily prohibited from funding SNAP because Congress has not enacted new appropriations for the current fiscal year is erroneous,” Boston US District Judge Indira Talwani wrote in her 15-page order.
“To the contrary, Defendants are statutorily mandated to use the previously appropriated SNAP contingency reserve when necessary and also have discretion to use other previously appropriated funds as detailed below,” added the judge, who gave the USDA until Monday to report whether it could “authorize only reduced SNAP benefits” using money set aside to respond to natural disasters “or to authorize full SNAP benefits” using the emergency money and “additional available funds.”
Regardless of what the administration decided, Talwani wrote that there shouldn’t be “an outright suspension of the program while some funds are available.”
In Rhode Island, US District Judge John J. McConnell ruled from the bench that the SNAP program must be funded with the emergency monies and asked for a progress report from the feds by Monday.
Quote:The countdown to this weekend looks dismal to Kelli Austin.
Rather than looking forward to spending quality time with her children, the single mom of three is staring down the barrel of starvation.
“I don’t know how I’m going to feed my kids tomorrow,” Austin, 38, an addiction recovery coach from Augusta, Maine, told The Post through tears.
She’s just one of the 42 million Americans being stripped of their grocery budget benefits — financial support provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The loss of her $300 monthly stipend means Austin, who has three teens aged between 13 and 17 — who are often teased for receiving free breakfast and lunch at school — won’t be able to put food on the table during weekends and school vacations.
And she has even greater fears for what will become of the holiday season for her family.
While the other parents will be busy piling their shopping carts with turkeys and treats, Austin worries that this will be the first time in nearly two decades that her family will go hungry.
“I’ll have to look them in the eyes and say, ‘Sorry, I couldn’t do better,’” she said.
Austin comes from “generational poverty.”
It’s a family curse she’s fought to break since working in drug rehabilitation centers over the past few years, hoping to pave a smoother path for her kids.
However, the gig doesn’t pay much, and what she earns from her job just barely covers the cost of rent for her subsidized housing, as well as other household bills.
“I’ve been a SNAP recipient for many years; those benefits feed my family,” explained Austin, who is also taking college classes in addition to working her job. “Without them, we have nothing.”
Hers is the troubling fate of low-income families, as well as the disabled and the elderly, nationwide.
Quote:A rep for Big Apple bodega owners is pleading with needy New Yorkers to keep their cool and avoid looting neighborhood stores after SNAP benefits possibly expire due to the federal shutdown.
Fernando Mateo, who said this week he’s starting his own new bodega group, said storeowners will have to defend themselves if their stores are looted — and hungry locals could be in harm’s way.
“Let’s face it, when people go hungry and they don’t have money and they have to feed their kids, they’re going to do whatever they have to do to achieve that,” Mateo said Thursday.
“We are just afraid that if they come in and loot, and one of the bodega owners or workers intervene, they could be shot, they could get stabbed, they could get killed,” he said. “And that’s what we want to prevent.”
Mateo’s plea came as he announced he was founding a new “Bodega Alliance” — after resigning from the United Bodegas of America in a huff due to a rift over its endorsement of Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday.
Mateo said he felt “betrayed” when United Bodegas of America President Radhames Rodriguez publicly backed the lefty mayoral front-runner, who has vowed to launch a city-owned grocery store in each of the five boroughs, if elected.
He said his new group will work closely with the NYPD to keep the peace if SNAP food stamps dry up on Saturday.
Mateo instead urged needy residents to simply ask for handouts, and not to resort to theft.
“If you live in a community and you know your local bodega, aske them for food, ask them for supplies, and I’m sure the bodega owner will oblige,” he said. “He will come through and he will help.”
Quote:As the fifth week of the government shutdown comes to a close, a shortage of air traffic controllers has led one major airport to cancel all landings.
Thousands of flights have been delayed due to staffing shortages amid the government shutdown — and Orlando International Airport came close to canceling all landings.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Thursday evening that there would be “no certified controllers for a period of time,” which would “prevent landings” at the popular travel hub, the closest major airport to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
The order was later reversed when enough staff were found, but flights in and out of MCO continue to face major delays — with average delays of about 2 hours and 40 minutes, with some flights delayed for nearly 12 hours and several canceled, according to the New York Times.
Other major airports, including Dallas/Fort Worth and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, have experienced major delays as well.
Sky News reported that flight tracking website FlightAware said nearly 6,000 flights were delayed and 1,100 canceled nationwide on Thursday. This impacted 20% of flights at United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, more than 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay — and the amount calling in sick has increased. Some are even working second jobs to make enough to live.
During a government shutdown, federal workers such as military personnel, secret service agents, NASA, air traffic controllers and National Parks staff are required to work without pay.
Many air traffic controllers have been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown began — and the FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted levels.
Two controllers who spoke to The Post earlier this month said the situation that is becoming more dangerous by the day.
“The financial anxiety doesn’t just hurt morale; it directly affects safety,” one controller in South Carolina declared. “When someone responsible for thousands of lives a day is worrying about whether they can pay rent or feed their kids, focus suffers. Sometimes that small moment where your mind is elsewhere can have serious impacts.”
A second controller, working in California, warned: “The shutdown is affecting every single person traveling in the United States at this time. More stress equals more risk; that’s just basic common sense.”
Quote:John F. Kennedy Airport was forced to ground all planes Friday as the metro area’s two other major airports were also snarled by high winds, as the ongoing government shutdown has reduced air traffic control center staffing.
LaGuardia and Newark airports were also ordered to ground all planes due to the gusty weather, according to the FAA.
“Travelers should expect widespread ripple delays and check with their airline for the latest flight status,” the city’s Emergency Management Office said.
Flights to JFK are being held at their departure airports, with a ground stop in effect until 7:30 p.m. due to the combination of wind and staffing issues, resulting in 36 planes being held per hour.
Ground delays at the Queens airport are averaging one hour due to the winds.
Ground delays are running at an average of two hours at LaGuardia, though some planes are delayed as much as five hours.
Newark is suffering delays of up to an hour and 40 minutes.
All three airports were registering gusts of 45 miles per hour, according to Fox Weather.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory through midnight.
Officials warned that the inclement weather could cause further delays and that passengers should check with their airlines to see how they are affected.
The intense winds are compounding the staffing shortages that have been plaguing airports and their traffic control stations amid the 31-day-long government shutdown.
Quote:President Trump will sit down with CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell Sunday for his first interview with the network since suing and later settling with its parent company over a 2024 “60 Minutes” segment featuring then–Vice President Kamala Harris.
The interview, which airs Sunday on “60 Minutes,” was filmed Friday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to the news site Semafor — and comes just weeks after Bari Weiss took the helm of the network.
Earlier this month, Semafor was first to report that Trump was in talks on a possible interview with “60 Minutes,” the long-running television newsmagazine.
According to CBS, O’Donnell’s conversation with the president spanned a wide range of topics, including his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US relations with Venezuela and Israel, the ongoing government shutdown and the administration’s new immigration and National Guard policies.
The network posted a preview story on its websites showing O’Donnell sitting across from Trump at his estate on Friday.
The high-profile sitdown comes just months after Paramount paid Trump $16 million to settle his lawsuit alleging the Harris interview was deceptively edited to benefit his opponent during the 2024 campaign.
Though the settlement included no apology or admission of wrongdoing, it paved the way for a truce between the White House and CBS News.
Earlier this year, CBS News pledged to publish the full transcripts of future presidential interviews and air unedited versions of major political sitdowns on programs like “Face the Nation” and “60 Minutes.”
For Trump, the interview offers an opportunity to re-engage with a major broadcast network he has long derided as part of the “fake news media.”
His relationship with CBS appears to be warming under the network’s new ownership.
During a recent conversation aboard Air Force One, Trump praised Paramount CEO David Ellison and his father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, calling them “great people” who “understand fairness.”
The interview will air during a period of turbulence and upheaval at the Tiffany Network’s news division.
The decision to feature Trump on “60 Minutes” is just the latest indication that CBS News is eager to turn the page under the leadership of Weiss, who became editor-in-chief in October following Paramount’s acquisition by Skydance Media.
Quote:President Trump on Friday unveiled the latest in his series of White House makeovers — a gleaming, all-marble renovation of the historic Lincoln Bathroom — and, in true Trump fashion, he did it with fanfare and plenty of polish.
Posting photos on his Truth Social platform, Trump bragged that he had replaced what he called the “inappropriate” 1940s-era art deco green tile design with “black and white polished Statuary marble,” accented with gold fixtures.
“I renovated the Lincoln Bathroom in the White House,” the president wrote, sharing before-and-after images of the small but storied space near the Lincoln Bedroom.
“It was renovated in the 1940s in an art deco green tile style, which was totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era.”
He wrote in another post that he used “highly polished, statuary marble.
“I did it in black and white polished Statuary marble,” Trump wrote.
“This was very appropriate for the time of Abraham Lincoln and, in fact, could be the marble that was originally there!” Trump quipped in a follow-up post on Truth Social.
The glossy makeover — complete with gilded mirrors and ornate trim — fits neatly into Trump’s long-standing taste for glitz, grandeur and marble.
It also comes amid controversy over his larger move demolishing the East Wing of the White House to build a sprawling 90,000-square-foot, $300 million ballroom.
The project, which Trump says will be paid for entirely by private donors, has drawn widespread criticism.
A new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that 56% of Americans oppose the project tearing down the East Wing, including 45% who “strongly” oppose it.
Just 28% support the construction of the ballroom, which Trump has described as “the most beautiful, most luxurious event space in Washington.”
Critics have blasted the ballroom construction as a vanity project that disrespects White House history, while supporters say Trump is restoring elegance to a building that has seen decades of wear and modernization.
Earlier this month, Trump slammed President Harry Truman’s postwar redesign of the Lincoln Bedroom and adjoining bathroom, calling the mid-century makeover “a style that is not good.
Quote:The US is prepared to launch strikes on Venezuelan military bases as President Trump ramps up the pressure on the country’s narcoterrorist dictator, Nicolas Maduro, and the administration works to cut off the regime’s drug and criminal operations, The Post has learned.
The operation would aim to dismantle Maduro’s Cartel de los Soles command structure and target military installations that protect the Maduro regime’s drug trafficking activities, a source familiar with plans told The Post.
However, Trump on Friday told reporters on Air Force One that he had yet to make a decision on whether to pull the trigger.
US officials have accused Cartel de los Soles of trafficking roughly 500 tons of cocaine to the US and Europe annually, working alongside gangs like Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and other criminal syndicates.
Trump first deployed warships to the waters around Venezuela in August, starting with seven warships carrying 4,500 troops. That number has since grown to roughly 10,000 — and the addition of an aircraft carrier currently in route to the region.
“The president is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when the deployments were first announced.
Those troops have since killed more than 60 accused narcoterrorists in a series of 14 strikes on at least 14 drug boats, as of Friday.
While prior strikes in the region targeted the drug traffickers themselves, the potential attacks on land would be intended to take out the cartel’s hierarchy, according to the Miami Herald, which first reported the story.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has long criticized the Maduro regime, denied the Florida newspaper’s report that Trump had already made a decision on the strikes.
“Your ‘sources’ claiming to have ‘knowledge of the situation’ tricked you into writing a fake story,” he wrote in a post on X, referencing the Miami Herald.
It comes after the Pentagon has at least twice deployed B-52 bombers to fly near the coast of Venezuela over the past two weeks on “show of force” missions.
While such strikes could come at any time — and Trump has previously said land strikes are authorized — it would be unlikely for the US to carry out such an operation while few key officials are in Washington.
Quote:Los Angeles firefighters were ordered to stop putting out a small brush fire that would eventually turn into the horrific Palisades blaze that killed a dozen people and destroyed thousands of homes, according to a report.
A battalion chief told the crew to roll up their hoses and ditch the smoldering area Jan. 2, even as the firefighters complained that the rocks and ground were still hot to the touch, shocking text messages viewed by the Los Angeles Times showed.
“And the rest is history,” wrote a firefighter, who initially warned the boss that leaving the smoldering site would be a “bad idea,” in a text exchange with colleagues.
Earlier this month, interim LAFD Chief Ronnie Villanueva said in a statement that the Palisades fire was “not a rekindle or due to failed suppression but the reactivation of an undetectable holdover fire under extraordinary wind conditions.”
But the texts between three firefighters and an unnamed third party indicate that the job may have wrapped up prematurely.
The Palisades inferno, which raged for 24 days, grew out of the much smaller Lachman fire, which was deliberately set on New Year’s Day.
In their text messages, the firefighters complained that their superiors had failed to make sure that the mop-up was finished Jan. 2, the LA Times reported.
One firefighter said crews were upset at the directions to pack up and leave but that the group knew they could not defy the battalion chief’s orders.
That firefighter also wrote that he and his colleagues knew immediately that the Jan. 7 fire was a rekindling of the Jan. 1 blaze.
Federal authorities say strong winds stoked the still-burning embers on that morning until they grew into the Palisades inferno, which burned an estimated 23,448 acres.
The LAFD did not respond to The Post’s request for comment on the report, but Villanueva previously told the LA Times that firefighters remained in the Lachman burn area for more than 36 hours and “cold-trailed” it, meaning they used their hands to feel for heat, dug out hot spots and chopped a line around the perimeter of the fire to ensure it was contained.
“As far as we were concerned, the fire was extinguished,” Villanueva said. “Unbeknownst to us, it was still in the rooting system.”
Investigators with the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ruled that the Palisades fire smoldered for several days underground “within the root structure of dense vegetation” until heavy winds caused it to surface.
This month, former Pacific Palisades resident Jonathan Rinderknecht was charged with setting the Palisades fire. Officials say he lit the initial Lachman blaze.
The LAFD’s response, or lack thereof, is the subject of a Senate probe led by Republican committee members.
Quote:Federal investigators prevented a real-life Halloween horror by busting at least five terror plotters inspired by ISIS in Michigan early Friday, sources familiar with the operation told The Post.
“This morning the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X.
“Thanks to the men and women of FBI and law enforcement everywhere standing guard 24/7 and crushing our mission to defend the homeland.”
Authorities raided three homes in the Detroit suburbs of Dearborn and Inkster and recovered weapons including legally owned guns, the sources said.
Those arrested were described as home-grown radicals, but authorities were investigating possible foreign contacts of the suspects.
FBI and Michigan State Police vehicles were spotted in a neighborhood near Fordson High School in Dearborn. Investigators walked in and out of a house, with one official collecting paper bags and other items from an evidence truck.
The alleged plotters spoke of launching a “pumpkin day” assault while they were under round-the-clock FBI surveillance and trained at a local shooting range, the sources said.
A juvenile was among those arrested, two people familiar with the investigation told The Post, with one source specifying that suspect is 16 years old.
There was internal dissent within the group about whether they should go ahead with an attack on Halloween, with some believing they needed more time to prepare, the sources said.
It’s unclear how well-developed any attack plans were, with one source saying targets did not appear to have been picked out.
Those arrested were described as home-grown radicals, but authorities were investigating possible foreign contacts of the suspects.
Members of the group also were overheard speaking about visiting New York City’s Rockefeller Center and watching the sunrise at the Statue of Liberty — but sources said that trip was planned as a tourist excursion and there is no known threat to the Big Apple.
Law enforcement sources specified to The Post there is no threat to Friday night’s Village Halloween Parade and added that the NYPD assisted in surveilling the suspects, without providing specifics.
Quote:A Chinese national earning his Ph.D at a prestigious California University allegedly confessed to the sickening crimes of drugging, tying up and sexually assaulting three women before taking horrifying photos of them in “sexually explicit” positions, prosecutors said.
Sizhe Wang, 30, was a doctoral student studying electrical engineering at the University of Southern California when he drugged his victims by slipping powder in their food and drinks between 2021 and 2024, according to a prosecutor’s motion cited by the L.A. Times.
Wang tied the unconscious women up with leather straps and continued to drug them with syringes and tubing in their anuses before raping or sexually assaulting them, the motion states.
During the nightmarish attacks, he posed his nude victims in sexual positions and took Polaroids and digital images of them, according to the motion.
Weng allegedly described the three assaults “at length and in detail” to Los Angeles Police Department detectives after his arrest on Aug. 28, according to the Sept. 2 motion by L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Catherine Mariano.
Weng’s first victim was a childhood friend, known as Jane Doe 1, who took a trip to San Diego with him in December 2021, according to the motion.
When his friend wasn’t looking, he put crushed benzodiazepine pills in her drink at a bar, the motion states.
He then he used a syringe and tubing to inject her anally with the sedative midazolam, tied her up with leather straps and vaginally and anally raped her, the motion said.
In photos he took, she “appeared unconscious with a plastic dental device in her mouth exposing her gums and teeth,” the motion states.
Other photos showed her “placed in different positions highlighting her vaginal and anal areas while her legs remained bound with leather straps.”
His next victim, known as Jane Doe 2, was a friend who flew from China to study in the U.S, who he also drugged, raped and posed, according to the motion.
His third, known as Jane Doe 3, was a classmate in Weng’s doctoral program whom he considered a close friend, according to the motion.
Quote:Two planes collided on the tarmac at LaGuardia Friday as the airport grappled with intense delays brought on by weather and staffing shortages, The Post has learned.
A United Airlines plane returning from Orlando was turning into its arrival gate when it clipped the tail of another United jet on the taxiway, a spokesperson for the airline said.
The clipped plane, which was waiting to be taxied for its journey to Houston, was stationary at the time.
“We all felt a bump during taxi to the runway but didn’t know it was another plane until the captain said it was,” a passenger, who declined to share their name, said.
A video obtained by The Post showed numerous emergency vehicles at the scene.
Both planes returned to the gate, and all passengers were deplaned.
There were no injuries reported among the two planes’ 328 passengers and 15 crew members.
Maintenance crews are evaluating the clipped plane for any malfunctions following the collision.
At the time of the collision, the Houston-bound plane was already running on a 90-minute delay, a delay that continued to grow through the night.
LaGuardia had grounded planes several hours earlier over intense winds, which had reached 45 mph.
Ground delays were running at an average of two hours and 15 minutes at LaGuardia, though some planes were delayed as much as five hours.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory through midnight.
Port Authority referred all queries about the incident to United Airlines.
Quote:Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) threw a temper tantrum at the Charleston International Airport Thursday, loudly cursing and berating police officers simply trying to escort her to the gate, according to an incident report.
The two Charleston County Aviation Authority Police Department officers who bore the brunt of Mace’s fury had been waiting for the congresswoman’s “white BMW” to arrive at the airport curb so they could whisk her to her gate, but never saw the vehicle arrive, the report obtained by The Post explains.
The officers were notified that the 47-year-old Republican had arrived just 15 minutes after they were expecting the congresswoman and Republican candidate for governor of South Carolina at the curb.
Less than a minute later, the officers encountered a “very irate” Mace waiting for them at the airport’s TSA Known Crewmember entrance, the report notes.
“It appeared she was either dictating a message into her phone or talking to someone about the situation.”
The two officers tasked with making sure Mace safely got to her gate went into more detail in separate statements.
“She immediately began loudly cursing and making derogatory comments to us and about the department,” one officer wrote. “She repeatedly stated we were ‘f–king incompetent’ and ‘this is no way to treat a f–king US representative.’”
“The entire walk to gate B-8 she was cursing and complaining.”
Mace continued “her tirade” at the gate as the officers waited for her to board her flight.
The officer noted: “Any other person in the airport acting and talking the way she did, our department would have been dispatched and we would have addressed the behavior.”
Mace’s behavior apparently left an American Airlines gate agent “in disbelief,” and a TSA supervisor told the officers that Mace “talked to several TSA Agents the same way.”
After reviewing security footage from the curb, the officer determined that Mace was dropped off at the airport in a different color BMW.
Quote:WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is investigating whether leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement defrauded donors who contributed tens of millions of dollars during racial justice protests in 2020, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
In recent weeks, federal law enforcement officials have issued subpoenas and served at least one search warrant as part of an investigation into the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. and other Black-led organizations that helped spark a national reckoning on systemic racism, said the people, who were not authorized to discuss an ongoing criminal probe by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.
It was not clear if the investigation would result in criminal charges, but its mere existence invites fresh scrutiny to a movement that in recent years has faced criticism about its public accounting of donations it has received. The recent burst of investigative activity is also unfolding at a time when civil rights organizations have raised concerns about the potential for the Trump administration to target a variety of progressive and left-leaning groups that have been critical of him, including those affiliated with BLM, the transgender rights movement and anti-ICE protesters.
Spokespeople for the Justice Department declined to comment on Thursday.
One of the people said the investigation had been initiated during the Biden administration but is getting renewed attention during the Trump administration. A second person confirmed that allegations were examined in the Biden administration.
The foundation said it took in over $90 million in donations following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, a Black man whose last breaths under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer sparked protests across the U.S. and around the world.
Critics of the nonprofit foundation, and of the BLM movement broadly, accused organizers of not being transparent about how it was spending the donations. That criticism grew louder after BLM foundation leaders in 2022 confirmed they used donations to purchase a $6 million Los Angeles-area property that includes a home with six bedrooms and bathrooms.
The leaders previously denied wrongdoing and publicly released tax documents. No prior investigations into the nonprofit’s finances have yielded proof of impropriety.
Leaders of the foundation have received subpoenas. In a statement emailed to the AP on Thursday, the foundation said it “is not a target of any federal criminal investigation.”
“We remain committed to full transparency, accountability, and the responsible stewardship of resources dedicated to building a better future for Black communities,” the foundation said in the statement.
Several localized BLM chapters, which are not affiliates of the foundation, have previously been at odds with the nonprofit over its plans for donations. Those chapters operate and fundraise independently of the foundation.
The Black Lives Matter movement first emerged in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida. But it was the 2014 death of Michael Brown at the hands of police in Ferguson, Missouri, that made the slogan “Black lives matter” a rallying cry for progressives and a favorite target of derision for conservatives.
Quote:Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams launched a “pre-emptive strike” against Zohran Mamdani Friday as he unveiled plans to boost the NYPD’s staffing to its highest level in 20 years – putting pressure on the anti-cop socialist in the mayoral race’s last days.
Adams seemed to be pushing the front-runner for City Hall into a corner with his splashy budget proposal – first reported by The Post – that would swell the police department to 40,000 uniformed officers by 2029.
But Mamdani wouldn’t budge, doubling down on his intention to keep the NYPD’s headcount at its current depleted level of 34,000.
“It’s not a question of headcount. It’s a question of safety,” he insisted when asked about Adams’ plan, which would need the approval of future administrations.
“Eric Adams cannot actually hire enough officers that he actually has the money to do so,” he said during a campaign event practicing tai chi with seniors on the Lower East Side.
Hizzoner’s announcement came just days ahead of the closely watched Nov. 4 election in which Mamdani, the socialist Democratic nominee, is widely expected to defeat the ex-governor, running as an independent, and GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa.
The NYPD’s future has been a major issue in the contest, with Cuomo and Sliwa both arguing that Mamdani’s policies would handcuff the nation’s largest police force, rolling back its recent successes in bringing down crime.
The Queens assemblyman ran on a “defund the police” platform in 2020, calling for cuts to the NYPD and firing off posts on social media using the hashtag.
All three candidates agree, however, that the NYPD is having a crisis in recruiting and retaining cops.
The NYPD’s ranks have been stuck below 34,000 cops for the entirety of Adams’ first and only term, despite the department being budgeted for 35,000 officers.
Adams’ lame duck proposal, cribbing Cuomo’s own campaign promise to add 5,000 more officers, would essentially throw more money into the NYPD in hopes the recruits will follow.
He called to funnel $17.8 million into the department in the upcoming fiscal year, before increasing the investment to $315.8 million by 2029.
The funding would support the phased-in hiring of 5,000 more officers by July 2028, City Hall officials said.
“Now, New York City will be on a path to reach 40,000 police officers in the next three years — the highest number of police officers in 20 years,” Adams said in a statement.
The NYPD hasn’t had that high a headcount since 2000.
“Eric Adams invested in his legacy as a law-and-order mayor and launched a pre-emptive strike against a Mayor Mamdani defunding the police,” said Ken Frydman, a Democratic political operative and longtime police union advisor.
But the plan still would require approval next summer by a progressive Democrat-led City Council that’s unlikely to give Adams a parting gift, or antagonize likely incoming mayor Mamdani.
“You think the City Council will support more police?” said former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, who has advised NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch not to accept staying on under a Mamdani mayoralty.
Quote:One of the men accused of killing a congressional intern in Washington, DC, allegedly killed a teen girl just days later, according to police.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, was interning for Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan. in Washington, DC, when he was shot on June 30, officials said.
He died in a hospital the next day.
The Metropolitan Police Department said the shooting happened on the 1200 block of 7th Street NW. On July 4, authorities said 17-year-old Zoey Kelley was killed in a fatal shooting.
After being named as a suspect in the murder of Tarpinian-Jachym, the Metropolitan Police Department announced on Friday that Naqwan Lucas was also charged in the murder of Kelley.
He was indicted on charges of premeditated first degree murder while armed.
Police responded to a “call for trouble” inside a Washington, DC, home and found Kelley unconscious after suffering a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting.
Lucas has not yet been arrested and is still on the run.
Jailen Lucas and Kelvin Thomas Jr. were both arrested in connection with the killing of Tarpinian-Jachym, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced in early September.
Lucas and Thomas have violent records in family court, Pirro said, noting that they are juveniles.
During a news conference in September, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said she’s confident Lucas will be arrested.
“These two arrests, and a third one pending – I’m confident we’ll get the third one – give Eric’s loved ones some sense of peace as they continue to grieve a tremendous loss. Eric came to our city with a bright future ahead of him interning in a role where he served the public on Capitol Hill. He deserved an opportunity to return home safely to his family but was senselessly taken from his loved ones,” Smith said.
Police said a woman and 16-year-old boy were shot but survived the July 1 shooting that left Tarpinian-Jachym dead.
In an earlier interview with Fox News Digital, Tamara Jachym, Tarpinian-Jachym’s mother, said that police need to arrest the individuals responsible because “they will do it again.”
“I think Eric felt safe. It was early at night. He was in a decent area and this happened. And it’s a shame. And you know, Eric was the 85th victim and now we have an 86,” she added, referring to the number of homicides in Washington, DC, at the time.
Quote:Disgraced royal and Jeffrey Epstein pal Prince Andrew will no longer be a prince and will have to move out of his Royal Lodge home, Buckingham Palace announced Thursday.
The late Queen’s son will have his title stripped and now be known as “Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,” the Palace said in a statement provided to BBC News.
Andrew will also be forced to vacate his taxpayer-subsidized royal home of more than 20 years.
The decision was made by King Charles and was supported by heir Prince William, the Prince of Wales, according to sources.
It comes amid renewed pressure on the royals in recent months, following fresh allegations that Andrew maintained ties with convicted pedophile Epstein years after he claimed to have severed communication.
While the statement doesn’t name Epstein or go into the allegations against Andrew, it did allude to his sex scandals.
“Their majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse,” the Palace statement reads.
A previous statement issued by Andrew several weeks ago, where he announced he was giving up his Duke of York title and honors, made no mention of victims or survivors.
Andrew will move into a property on the Sandringham Estate, privately funded by King Charles, according to the Palace.
“Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation,” the statement reads.
“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” it continues.
Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s ex-wife and the mother of his two children, will also move out of Royal Lodge, where she had been living despite the couple being divorced since 1996.
Ferguson had also come under scrutiny for her alleged close ties to Epstein, and was forced to step down from a children’s charity of which she was the patron earlier this year.
Andrew did not object to the King’s decision, and the British government also supports the move, BBC News reported.
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice will retain their titles, the outlet added.
Another article mentioned that his new home will be a property on the Sandringham Estate, privately funded by King Charles himself.
Quote:Disgraced Prince Andrew allegedly once had 40 prostitutes brought to his five-star hotel during a taxpayer-funded trip to Thailand, his biographer has claimed.
Andrew, who was officially stripped of his titles on Thursday and evicted from his royal residence in a humiliating fall from grace, engaged with the bevy of women over a four-day stretch, royal historian and author Andrew Lownie alleged.
“There was a famous trip to Thailand — for the birthday celebrations of the King. Andrew is representing his country and insists on staying in a five-star hotel rather than the embassy, which he always did,” Lownie told the Daily Mail’s “Deep Dive: The Fall of the House of York” podcast.
“Andrew had 40 prostitutes brought in the space of four days. This was all enabled by diplomats and others.”
Lownie said multiple sources, including a member of the Thai royal family, had backed up the allegation.
“Andrew had 40 prostitutes brought in the space of four days. This was all enabled by diplomats and others.”
Lownie said multiple sources, including a member of the Thai royal family, had backed up the allegation.
The jaunt was allegedly one of many trips Andrew exploited on the taxpayer’s dime when he was serving as a Trade Envoy for the UK in the early 2000s.
“In 2001, Andrew is 41, he’s having his midlife crisis, and he basically starts chasing lots and lots of women,” Lownie said.
“He uses the excuse of his role as Trade Envoy, paid for by the taxpayer, to go off on these trips,” he continued.
“He always puts in two weeks of ‘private time.’ So, we pay for his holiday and then he goes off and does things.”
Lownie went on to argue there was a “conspiracy of silence” engulfing the since-shunned royal – as he called on the British government’s National Archives to release its files on Andrew’s time as the Trade Envoy.
“Andrew was sending a list of people he wanted to meet for his own personal business interests,” he alleged.
“All the files from his time as Trade Envoy between 2001 and 2011 remain closed. They should be in the National Archive,” the historian continued. “They remain closed, and that is part of the conspiracy of silence around Andrew that we need to break.”
Lownie’s remarks were recorded just before Buckingham Palace announced its bombshell move to formally shun Andrew by removing his titles and evicting him from his residence of two decades amid the fallout over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
The royals have faced increasing pressure in recent months after it was revealed Andrew had maintained ties with the sex offender years after he claimed to have severed communication with the late pedophile.
Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, is set to move into her own place after the disgraced royal was stripped of his titles and ordered to leave his longtime Royal Lodge residence earlier this week.
“She is going to be moving out and into a separate home,” an insider close to the former Duchess of York told People Friday.
“Contrary to reports, she has never asked for a property or any provision for herself,” the source shared. “She will continue to forge an independent life.”
Another insider told the outlet that Andrew’s ex is “going to move forward independently,” and a palace source added that Ferguson will not be relocating to Sandringham alongside the former Duke of York.
The Post has reached out to Ferguson’s rep for comment.
Andrew, 65, and Ferguson, 66, tied the knot in 1986, although they separated just six years later.
The two remained close after their 1996 divorce, and Ferguson joined the former prince at Royal Lodge five years after he moved into the 30-room mansion in 2003.
But the pair found themselves forced to find new living arrangements on Thursday when Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles, 76, had started the process to remove all of Andrew’s royal titles and ordered him to vacate Royal Lodge.
The decision was reportedly made due to Andrew’s close association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the ongoing controversy surrounding his ties to the scandal.
Andrew himself announced that he would no longer use the Duke of York title shortly before the release of accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s posthumous memoir this month.
Giuffre, who died by suicide at the age of 41 in April, had long alleged that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell trafficked her to Andrew when she was only 17.
Quote:Five more people have been arrested in the investigation into the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, but the treasures remain missing, the Paris prosecutor announced Thursday.
The five were detained late Wednesday night in Paris and the Paris region, Prosecutor Laure Beccuau told RTL radio.
She did not release their identities or other details.
One is suspected of being part of the four-person team that robbed the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery in broad daylight Oct. 19, the prosecutor said.
Two other members of the team were arrested Sunday and given preliminary charges Wednesday of criminal conspiracy and theft committed by an organized gang.
Both partially admitted their involvement, according to the prosecutor.
“Searches last night and overnight did not allow us to find the goods,” Beccuau said.
It took thieves less than eight minutes to steal the jewels valued at $102 million on Oct. 19, shocking the world.
The robbers forced open a window, cut into cases with power tools and fled with eight pieces of the French crown jewels.
Quote:Scientists recently unearthed the remains of multiple academic halls at Oxford University — revealing new insights into the lives of students in the Middle Ages.
Archaeologists have been excavating the grounds of Hertford College, a constituent college of Oxford University, since 2024, as part of construction work for a new library.
The finds were showcased during an open day at the college in September.
During the excavation, archaeologists uncovered the remains of the back parts of three medieval halls: Hart Hall, Black Hall, and Catte Hall.
The halls all predated the 1874 refounding of Hertford College. Since Hart Hall was created in the 1280s, the excavation yielded medieval finds. Officials said the discoveries spanned the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066 up to the 19th century.
Ancient book clasps — used to keep manuscript tomes shut — were uncovered at the site, along with styli, the medieval equivalents of pens and pencils.
Rubbish pits also contained various food waste, including animal bones and oyster shells.
Interestingly, researchers determined that the fish remains were imported from London’s River Thames, some 50 miles away.
Excavators also found remnants of medieval trade, including coins, trade tokens, and even personal effects like combs and clothing buckles.
Clay pipes and drinking vessels were also found, along with unusual wooden bowling balls, used for early forms of lawn games.
But the star find was a perfectly preserved reading stone.
The artifact, believed to be made of either rock crystal or glass, was used to help scholars magnify the words of medieval manuscripts.
Ben Ford, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology, called the reading stone “an exceptional find.”
He said it’s “not only because it is so intact but because, unlike many archaeological finds, you can still use it for the purpose for which it was made.”
“It seems very fitting that the construction of the new library has revealed such interesting evidence of historic book-making activities.”
As a country rich with history, the United Kingdom has yielded many significant historical finds in 2025.
In Scotland, archaeologists found evidence of a prehistoric village at a future golf course earlier this year.
In the Cotswolds — just west of Oxford – archaeologists recently uncovered an “extensive” Roman settlement, thanks to a metal detectorist who found cavalry swords in the same location.
Quote:Pakistan’s defense minister on Wednesday threatened to “obliterate” the Taliban, which controls neighboring Afghanistan, after negotiations toward lasting peace between the two sides failed.
Peace talks wrapped up in Istanbul, Turkey, without a “workable solution,” according to Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, which comes after deadly clashes this month.
Dozens were killed along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the worst violence in the area since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.
Negotiations ended with a disagreement over terror groups allegedly using Afghanistan as a base to attack security forces along Pakistan’s border.
“Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding,” Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on X.
The two countries agreed to a cease-fire brokered in Doha, Qatar, on October 19, but they could not find common ground in a second round of talks mediated by Turkey and Qatar in Istanbul, according to Reuters.
Both countries blamed the other for the talks falling apart.
“The Afghan side kept deviating from the core issue … on which the dialogue process was initiated,” Pakistan’s information minister said on Wednesday, accusing the Taliban of engaging in deflection, ruses and playing a “blame game.”
“The dialogue thus failed to bring about any workable solution,” he said.
A Pakistani security source told Reuters that the Taliban had been unwilling to agree to reining in the Pakistani Taliban, a separate terror group that Pakistan says operates without consequences from inside Afghanistan.
An Afghan source familiar with the talks told the outlet that negotiations ended after “tense exchanges” on the matter, noting that Afghanistan claimed it had no control over the Pakistani Taliban.
The Pakistani Taliban launched attacks against the Pakistani military in recent weeks.
The clashes began earlier this month after Pakistani air strikes targeted the head of the Pakistani Taliban in Kabul and other locations.
Quote:Police allegedly decapitated a teen gangster and hung his head from a tree as a warning after a bloody gang crackdown in Brazil ahead of next month’s flagship COP30 Climate Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
More than 100 alleged gangbangers were hunted and killed in Brazil’s deadliest-ever police operation, which began Tuesday in two of Rio’s favelas and targeted drug traffickers.
Police said it followed a yearlong investigation into the dangerous Red Command gang, which originated in Rio’s prison system and has expanded its power in recent years.
The violent raids have sparked intense gun battles, with gangs deploying drones against cops in retaliation. At least four cops have also been killed in the unprecedented violence.
The body of a 19-year-old alleged gangbanger was found missing a head on Tuesday after the police stormed the Penha district of Rio, according to Brazilian media.
The teen’s mom said they hung her son’s head “from a tree like a trophy.”
“They slit my son’s throat, cut his neck, and hung the head from a tree like a trophy,” Raquel Tomas told local media.
“They executed my son without giving him a chance to defend himself. He was murdered.
“Everyone deserves a second chance. During an operation, police should do their job, arrest suspects, but not execute them,” the grieving mom added.
Some of the bodies allegedly bore signs of possible torture, such as “burn marks,” and many of the dead had been tied up, lawyer Albino Pereira Neto, who is representing three of the grieving families, told Brazilian media.
Several bodies of alleged gang members were also displayed in the streets, wearing just their underwear.
Hundreds of police with helicopters, armored vehicles and drones entered the two sprawling favelas that house the Red Command, Rio’s oldest drug trafficking group, exchanging heavy gunfire.
Gangbangers allegedly responded to the violence by dropping bombs and launching drones on the police after blocking the exits from the slum using buses as barricades.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
By Josh Christenson(NY Post) Wrote:WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released additional FBI files Wednesday revealing that hundreds more Republican groups and persons were targeted in a “fishing expedition” brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
In a press conference alongside other GOP senators, Grassley announced that he was making public the 197 subpoenas issued by Smith as part of the Arctic Frost probe, which became “the vehicle by which FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus.”
“I’ve obtained through legally protected whistleblower disclosures,” Grassley said. “197 subpoenas were issued by Jack Smith and his team. These subpoenas were issued to 34 individuals and 163 businesses, including financial institutions.
“The subpoena requested records and communications related to over 430 individual and organizations — all of them appear to be aimed at Republicans,” the Iowa Republican added, noting requests sent to the late conservative icon Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA and the Republican Attorneys General Association.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), one of the nine Republicans whose phone metadata was sought, said “Arctic Frost is Joe Biden’s Watergate.”
“Merrick Garland was a fundamentally corrupt attorney general. Jack Smith was a fundamentally corrupt prosecutor. This was a political enemies list from the beginning,” he told reporters, brandishing the court order that demanded AT&T hand over his cell records to the feds.
The order was signed by US District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg and barred the cell carrier from letting Cruz know about the request “for at least one year,” he said.
. . .
“If a judge signs an order reaching a factual conclusion for which there is zero evidence whatsoever, that judge is abusing his power. I am right now calling on the House of Representatives to impeach Judge Boasberg.”
Boasberg issued a scathing order against the Trump administration earlier this year to halt deportation flights of alleged MS-13, Tren de Aragua and other gang members from the US to a Salvadoran mega-prison.
. . .
Several White House insiders — including Stephen Miller, Dan Scavino, Jared Kushner and Lara Trump — were also targeted, along with Republican donors.
“Contrary to what Smith has said publicly, this was a fishing expedition,” Grassley declared. “If this had happened to Democrats, they’d be as rightly outraged as we are outraged.”
. . .
“I am looking forward to bringing Jack Smith before us,” added Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who recently referred the former prosecutor to the DOJ office dealing with professional misconduct and pushed two state bars to consider disciplining him.
By Peter Aitken(Newsweek) Wrote:Nicki Minaj has praised President Donald Trump for speaking out about extremism against Christians in Nigeria.
“No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion,” the rapper, 42, wrote in a post on X. “We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other.”
Nigeria has said it is committed to tackling violent extremism but has rejected any suggestion that a genocide against Christians is taking place in the West African nation.
Why It Matters
Nigeria is a major power in Africa, representing the most populated nation and fourth-highest Gross Domestic Products (GDP) on the continent. The country has a population of 240 million and is evenly split between Christians and Muslims.
However, the nation has long faced suggestions by some U.S. evangelical Christian groups and politicians that a deliberate campaign of extermination is taking place against Nigeria’s Christian population. Trump in his first administration placed Nigeria on the U.S. religious freedom watchlist, but President Joe Biden lifted that designation during his administration.
On Friday, Trump announced his intent to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom violations, which would allow the U.S. to institute punitive measures and sanctions on the country, such as restricting non-humanitarian aid.
A worsening relationship between the U.S. and Nigeria could have implications for the U.S. position more generally in Africa, where China’s diplomatic weight has been growing.
What To Know
Trump posted on Truth Social that he had requested the House Appropriations Committee and other congressmen to look into the “existential threat” Christians face in Nigeria, saying he would make Nigeria a “country of particular concern.”
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries,” Trump wrote. “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”
In her response on Saturday, Minaj reposted the president’s message and expressed a “deep sense of gratitude” for his comments.
. . .
The post drew a response from U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, who thanked Minaj for using her platform to "speak out in defense of the Christians being persecuted in Nigeria."
. . .
What People Are Saying
Nigerian Senator Shehu Sani wrote on X: "I understand that Nigeria is among the 12 countries designated as one of particular Concern. The designation of Nigeria is founded on outright falsehoods and wholesale misinformation. Terrorists and bandits in Nigeria kill and kidnap their victims irrespective of their religious beliefs.
"The records are self evident in the last 15 years. Looking at the Muslim/Christian ratio in Nigeria, it’s technically impossible for one faith to persecute another. Nigeria is a Lion and Tiger situation and not a Lion and a Zebra configuration."
. . .
Representative John James of Michigan, a Republican, wrote on X on Friday: "Thank you, President Trump, for standing up for persecuted Christians in Nigeria and around the world. Thousands of believers are being murdered for their faith. America must not turn a blind eye. We stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and I’m grateful for a President willing to speak out and take action."
. . .
What Happens Next
The House Appropriations Committee will look into the events in Nigeria to determine if further actions should be taken, and the president will announce what measures the U.S. will take following his designation of "concern" regarding Nigeria.
I will add that Trump previously placed Nigeria on a list of countries of particular concern, with the Biden administration removing such status in 2021.
Up is down, left is right and sideways is straight ahead. - Cord "Circle of Iron", 1978 (written by Bruce Lee and James Coburn... really...)
Quote:The White House on Saturday unveiled details of a “historic” trade agreement between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping — a sweeping deal at easing tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
The agreement, which was described by the administration as a “massive victory,” was finalized this week during a bilateral meeting in Busan, South Korea.
It includes US tariff reductions and a series of Chinese commitments on fentanyl, rare earth exports and agricultural trade, according to a White House news release.
The agreement “safeguards US economic strength and national security while putting American workers, farmers, and families first,” according to the White House.
Under the deal, China will curb the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals into the US, pause new export controls on rare earth elements and magnets, reopen its markets to US soybeans and other agricultural goods and lift retaliatory measures against major US companies, according to the announcement.
China specifically agreed to:
Suspend new export controls on rare earths announced on Oct. 9.
Issue general licenses for exports of rare earths, gallium, germanium, antimony and graphite.
Take “significant measures” to curb the flow of fentanyl to America.
Suspend all retaliatory tariffs imposed since March, including on US farm products such as soybeans, pork, corn and dairy.
Remove non-tariff countermeasures targeting US industries.
Purchase 12 million metric tons of US soybeans by year’s end and 25 million tons annually through 2028.
Resume imports of US sorghum and hardwood logs.
Resume trade from Nexperia’s chip facilities in China.
Lift sanctions taken in retaliation for the US investigation into China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors.
End investigations of US semiconductor companies.
Extend its market-based tariff exclusion process for US imports through Dec. 31, 2026.
In return, the US agreed to:
Cut tariffs on Chinese imports — originally imposed to curb fentanyl flows — by 10 percentage points starting Nov. 10, while keeping higher reciprocal tariffs suspended until Nov. 10, 2026.
Extend certain Section 301 tariff exclusions through Nov. 10, 2026.
Delay enforcement of a new export rule targeting affiliates of blacklisted Chinese firms until Nov. 10, 2026.
Suspend new trade actions linked to investigations of China’s shipbuilding and logistics sectors until late 2026, while continuing coordination with South Korea and Japan to strengthen US shipbuilding.
The White House hailed the agreement as the latest in a string of “historic wins for the American people” during Trump’s Asia trip.
Quote:The US military has carried out another lethal strike on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Saturday.
Hegseth in a social media posting said the vessel was operated by a US-designated terrorist organization but did not name which group was targeted. He said three people were killed in the strike.
It’s at least the 15th such strike carried out by the US military in the Caribbean or eastern Pacific since early September.
“This vessel—like EVERY OTHER—was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics,” Hegseth said in a posting on X.
The US military has now killed at least 64 people in the strikes.
Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. He has asserted the US 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 terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
US lawmakers have been repeatedly rebuffed by the White House in their demand that the administration release more information about the legal justification for the strikes as well as greater details about which cartels have been targeted and the individuals killed.
Hegseth in his Saturday posting announcing the latest strike said “narco-terrorists are bringing drugs to our shores to poison Americans at home” and the Defense Department “will treat them EXACTLY how we treated Al-Qaeda.”
Senate Democrats renewed their request for more information about the strikes in a letter on Friday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Hegseth.
“We also request that you provide all legal opinions related to these strikes and a list of the groups or other entities the President has deemed targetable,” the senators wrote.
Among those signing the letter were Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as well as Sens. Jack Reed, Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Warner, Chris Coons, Patty Murray and Brian Schatz.
The letter says that thus far the administration “has selectively shared what has at times been contradictory information” with some members, “while excluding others.”
Earlier Friday, the Republican chairman and ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee released a pair of letters sent to Hegseth written in late September and early October requesting the department’s legal rationale for the strikes and the list of drug cartels that the Trump administration has designated as terrorist organizations in its justification for the use of military force.
Quote:President Donald Trump threatened Nigeria in social media post Saturday night that he would go into the African nation “guns-a-blazing” with military force if they don’t stop Islamic extremists from killing Christians.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians the U.S.A will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, “guns-a-blazing,” to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” the president wrote in a post to Truth Social Saturday evening.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”
The boldfaced threat was issued one day after the US State Department placed the west African nation on the “Countries of Particular Concern” list, which is a designation for countries which fail to secure religious freedom for citizens.
More than 7,000 Christians have been massacred in Nigeria in the first 220 days of 2025, according to human right NGO Intersociety.
Since 2009, when Boko Haram Islamists launched an insurgency in Nigeria, more than 125,000 Christians have been slaughtered and 19,000 churches have been destroyed, that report stated.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and biggest oil producer, vowed to fight for religious freedom following their inclusion on the “Countries of Particular Concern” list.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion,” the Nigerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday. “Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength.”
“Nigeria is a God-fearing country where we respect faith, tolerance, diversity and inclusion, in concurrence with the rules-based international order,” the ministry added.
In September, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz introduced a bill called “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025” that would protect Christians and other religious minorities being persecuted in Nigeria.
That legislation would impose targeted sanctions against Nigerian officials who facilitate violence against Christians and other minority groups and impose targeted sanctions against officials who enforce sharia or blasphemy laws.
Quote:Former CIA Director John Brennan snapped at a man who confronted him for signing the infamous letter in 2020 that claimed the bombshell Hunter Biden email scandal exposed by The Post had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”
Brennan, 70, grew visibly incensed and angrily got in the face of the man who pressed about the letter, poking him on the chest repeatedly before backing off.
“You misrepresented that,” Brennan shouted at conservative national security consultant Thomas Speciale during the tense clash.
“We never said it was disinformation; we said it was Russian influence operations, which is what they do. There’s a big difference,” he added.
After Speciale pushed back, the ex-CIA boss waved his hand in frustration and vented, “I’m not going to waste my time with you.”
Speciale, who claimed the confrontation took place last Thursday, posted video of the fiery moment Saturday alongside text of the infamous “spies who lie” letter that Brennan signed.
Shortly after The Post’s bombshell October 2020 exposé of emails on Hunter’s “laptop from hell” — which illustrated how he leveraged his father’s vice presidency in his dealings with Ukrainian businessmen — 51 current and former intelligence officials signed a letter pushing back.
The 51 individuals, who clearly had no direct knowledge of the situation, leveraged their intelligence credentials to make the public skeptical of The Post’s reporting, weeks before the 2020 election.
Politico amplified the story with the headline, “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say.”
Several signatories have since distanced themselves from that headline.
“There are a number of factors that make us suspicious of Russian involvement. Such an operation would be consistent with Russian objectives, as outlined publicly and recently by the Intelligence Community, to create political chaos in the United States and to deepen political divisions here,” they wrote in the public letter.
After publishing the report, The Post was blocked by Twitter, which prevented users from sharing the story and even briefly blocked The Post from tweeting.
The story had been a massive development as it shed light on how Hunter used his father in business dealings and raised questions about former President Joe Biden’s attempts to pressure Ukrainian officials into firing Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.
Shokin had publicly speculated that Biden pushed for his ouster because he was investigating Ukrainian natural gas giant Burisma, a firm that had Hunter on its board.
Biden denied that and claimed that he wanted Shokin gone because he wasn’t being aggressive enough on corruption cases.
Notably, the feds used material from Hunter’s laptop when prosecuting Hunter on charges of illegally purchasing a firearm while addicted to illicit drugs.
Brennan has long been in the GOP crosshairs. Last month, he was referred to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution by the House Judiciary Committee for allegedly peddling “numerous willfully and intentionally false statements” to Congress.
Quote:Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced a citywide curfew for anyone under the age of 18 beginning Saturday night in response to weeks of ongoing violence and unrest.
The move comes just a few months after President Trump mobilized thousands of National Guard troops who were deployed to the nation’s capital to combat what he described as a “crisis” of crime.
Bowser’s order which runs through Nov. 5 allows police to set up so-called “special zones”, or high risk areas where law enforcement can enforce curfews as early as 6 p.m.
Four of the zones will go into effect on Saturday. They include Banneker Recreation Center, Union Station, Navy Yard and the U Street Corridor.
The limited curfew goes into effect Saturday at 11 p.m. local time and ends at 6 a.m.
Any minor or juvenile who violates the curfew will face a fine of up to $300 or up to 10 days in jail, according to authorities.
DC police have also been authorized by the mayor to set up temporary curfew zones in areas where more than eight minors congregate, posing a potentially heightened threat to public safety.
The curfew was announced following a violent clash involving scores of teens on Halloween night at the Navy Yard, where at least 10 people, including one 18-year-old and four minors, were booked on charges including public marijuana use, affray and failure to obey.
One police officer was treated for injuries at the scene, according to officials.
Several social media users posted video and images showing massive unrest in the district on Halloween night.
Quote:House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries smacked down the notion that socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani is the future of the Democratic Party, but gave a jumbled rationale for why.
“No, I think the future of the Democratic Party is going to fall, as far as we’re concerned, relative to the House Democratic Caucus and members who are doing great work all across the country,” Jeffries (D-NY) told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Jeffries had begrudgingly endorsed Mamdani late last month, after dragging his feet since June on whom he would back in New York City’s mayoral race.
The Brooklyn Democrat commended Mamdani for being “relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis” while acknowledging “there will be areas of agreement and areas of principled disagreement.”
Other bigwig Democrats have refrained from endorsing Mamdani, such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and former President Barack Obama — who reportedly praised him in a recent phone call.
Several New York Democratic Reps, such as Tom Suozzi, Dan Goldman, and Laura Gillen, have also not given Mamdani their official stamp of approval.
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) endorsed Mamdani, but he has so far refrained from returning the favor ahead of her 2026 re-election bid.
Republicans have already begun taking Democrats to task over Mamdani, tying them to his far-left agenda.
But Jeffries downplayed concerns that a Mamdani victory could pose a significant liability for his party.
“No, the lightning rod in terms of what’s going to impact the ability of either side to win control of the House or hold control of the House in 2026 is going to be the failure of Republicans to actually deliver on the promises that they have made and to actively make life worse for everyday Americans,” he said..
Mamdani is the clear front-runner heading into the Tuesday election, with a lead in every credible poll and a 14.5-percentage point edge in the latest RealClearPolitics polling aggregate.
The self-described democratic socialist has previously trashed Jeffries.
Quote:The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop advisory on Sunday, as disruptions intensified across major U.S. airports amid a government shutdown now in its 33rd day.
The FAA cited staffing shortages as the direct cause of the disruptions, noting a medium probability that delays would extend beyond initial timeframes.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation told Newsweek on Friday," As Secretary Duffy has said, there have been increased staffing shortages across the system. When that happens, the FAA slows traffic into some airports to ensure safe operations."
Why It Matters
The government shutdown has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers (ATC) and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to work without pay, sparking staffing shortages at multiple airports, including the major hubs of Orlando, Florida; Dallas/Fort Worth; and Washington, D.C.
Ground stops are among the most severe traffic management tools available, implemented only when system capacity is fundamentally compromised. The FAA's official documentation of 832 total minutes of delays across multiple facilities, combined with a medium probability of extension, signals that aviation officials anticipate disruptions may worsen rather than improve.
The ripple effects extend beyond individual passengers to encompass the broader economy, affecting tourism, business travel, and industries dependent on air freight and passenger mobility.
What To Know
Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey experienced delays ranging from two to three hours, with the FAA documenting maximum individual flight delays of 75 minutes and an average delay of 38 minutes across affected facilities.
Hours later, the FAA expanded traffic management restrictions to Los Angeles International Airport, implementing a Ground Delay Program affecting LAX and surrounding Southern California airspace. The program documented maximum delays of 121 minutes and average delays of 61 minutes, with the FAA noting that delays could extend an additional 30 minutes beyond initial estimates.
Dozens of additional flights faced delays and cancellations at major hubs including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Chicago O'Hare, George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, and airports in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, and Miami, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.
New York City's Emergency Management office issued a public alert warning travelers to expect schedule changes, gate holds, and potential missed connections, urging passengers to check flight status before heading to airports and prepare for longer waits.
The crisis stems from unprecedented staffing shortages compounded by the shutdown, operating within a system already managing a critical pre-shutdown shortage of approximately 3,000 controllers.
Controllers face an untenable situation: reporting to work without compensation or making difficult decisions regarding their families' financial needs. The FAA's traffic management protocol requires slowdowns and ground stops when staffing falls below operational minimums—a measure designed to prioritize safety but one that directly causes passenger delays.
The disruptions affect multiple departure facilities beyond Newark itself, including facilities serving the broader Northeast and Canadian airspace, demonstrating how regional shortages create cascading effects across the national air traffic system.
Quote:Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which impacts roughly 42 million Americans, could resume as soon as Wednesday.
His comments come days after two federal judges ruled that the administration must use contingency funds to make SNAP payments.
Newsweek has reached out to the Treasury Department for comment via email on Sunday.
Why It Matters
The federal government has been shut down since October 1, and Republicans and Democrats have been in a stalemate, trading blame back-and-forth over who is responsible for the shutdown and seeking to garner support for resolutions to reopen the government. The GOP holds a majority in the House and Senate but requires Democratic support to reach a deal.
The shutdown has resulted in many federal employees working without pay or furloughed. Several crucial benefits and services have also been paused, with SNAP at the center of policy debates.
SNAP is issued monthly to nearly 42 million Americans, with nearly 75 percent of SNAP households at or below the poverty level. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said that these benefits will not be paid until the shutdown ends, which has raised concerns among many constituents and led a coalition of Democratic-led states to sue the government over its failure to use contingency funds for the matter.
On Friday, two federal judges ruled the administration must continue to pay the benefit with emergency funds. The delay in payouts is expected to leave millions of people without sufficient funds for their groceries.
What To Know
On Sunday, Bessent told CNN’s Jake Tapper on State of the Union that “there’s a process that has to be followed” in order to determine how to allocate the funds for the in limbo SNAP benefits, noting that the administration has "to figure out what the process is."
Both judges separately ruled that the administration must at least partially pay SNAP recipients this month amid the ongoing government shutdown.
A federal judge in Rhode Island, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled on Friday that the administration must use some emergency funding to bankroll the SNAP benefits payout.
He said on Friday, “There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now because of the shutdown.”
Similarly, another judge, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, also ruled on Friday that the USDA must continue SNAP payments during the shutdown, calling the suspension “unlawful.” She directed the government to advise her by Monday on whether the USDA will fully or partially fund the program.
USDA has argued that it lacks the legal authority and sufficient funds to provide full SNAP benefits for November amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. The agency also contended in court that even if contingency funds were available, they would not cover the full payments and implementing reduced benefits nationwide would be administratively challenging. According to administration lawyers, $5.25 billion is currently available in the program’s contingency fund, though ensuring full payments for November could require at least $8.5 billion.
The treasury secretary told Tapper, “President Trump wants to make sure that people get their food benefits.” Benefits are already late, and the process of loading up cards can take weeks in some states, pushing the timeline back even further for when the cash might arrive for some people.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Friday: “Our Government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do.” He added that the administration and its legal team are exploring how to “legally fund SNAP as soon as possible.”
Tapper followed up on Sunday, asking Bessent, “So it could be done by Wednesday?” to which Bessent said that it “could be. And five Democratic senators could cross the aisle and open the government by Wednesday,” he added, echoing the administration's stance on the government shutdown.
Local food banks and community volunteers have been mobilizing for days, stocking shelves and launching neighborhood food pantries in preparation and support of those who are not going to receive SNAP benefits in a timely manner. Some states have declared a state of emergency, such as New York with Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul directing more than $100 million for emergency food supplies.
Quote:A coalition of nonprofits and private industry groups will band together to boost funding for New York City’s food banks and pantries as 1.8 million residents of the five boroughs see their SNAP benefits run dry due to the ongoing government shutdown, the city announced.
Mayor Eric Adams’ office said that his administration will partner with the New York Community Trust, Partnership for New York City and United Way of New York as well as with local businesses and philanthropic groups to provide emergency fundings for food distribution centers in the five boroughs.
“When New Yorkers support one another in times of need, we become a better city,” Adams said.
“That’s why today, along with the New York Community Trust, the United Way, and the Partnership for New York City, we’re launching a slate of public-private initiatives to support SNAP recipients in our city who rely on these much-needed benefits to put food on their tables.”
The US Department of Agriculture planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting Sunday because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the shutdown.
The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs about $8 billion per month nationally.
Two federal judges on Friday ruled that the Trump administration must continue to pay for SNAP using emergency reserve funds during the government shutdown.
President Trump has blamed congressional Democrats for the shutdown, suggesting that the government would comply with the rulings but also that it needed more clarity first.
“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Friday.
The judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island gave the administration leeway on whether to fund the program partially or in full for November.
That also brings uncertainty about how things will unfold and will delay payments for many beneficiaries whose cards would normally be recharged early in the month.
Quote:Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman tore into his own party for “moving against our core values” in shutting down the government and faulted Democrats for the “deeply distressing” lapse in food stamp funding.
“For me, fundamentally, it’s deeply, deeply distressing to know that 42 million Americans are going to lose their SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits,” Fetterman vented to CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
“That’s one of the big reasons why I refuse to shut our government down,” the hoodie-wearing senator added. “I feel like the Democrats really need to own the shutdown. I mean, we’re shutting it down.”
The Keystone State Democrat has been one of three Democratic-caucusing senators who voted against blocking the “clean” stopgap measure to reopen the government, alongside Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Angus King (I-Maine).
Fetterman has also been one of the loudest Democratic critics of the government shutdown, at one point going so far as to call on the GOP to use the “nuclear option,” and eliminate the 60-vote threshold needed to break a filibuster.
Democrats have been leveraging the government shutdown fight in an attempt to extract concessions from Republicans on Medicaid and the enhanced Obamacare subsidies.
On Saturday, funding for SNAP ran out, though a court has ordered the Department of Agriculture to tap into a contingency fund to keep the critical program afloat for a few more weeks.
President Trump announced Friday that he’s asked his legal team to get clarification about what he can do under the law, citing two conflicting court rulings.
The Pennsylvania Democrat previously explained that he will witness the impact of the shutdown fight firsthand because his wife runs a free store that provides food to the needy.
“This is an absolute fail,” Fetterman went on. “It’s embarrassing, honestly, if we can’t even kind of get — keep the lights on like this, and now reminding everybody federal workers have had to borrow more than a third of a billion dollars just to pay their own bills.
“Now people can’t count on their SNAP benefits, and now also WIC [Women, Infants & Children] and Head Start. These are the kinds of people why I’m a Democrat, fighting for people just like that,” he lamented. “It seems like we’re moving against our core values to keep our government shut down.”
Fetterman acknowledged that he agrees with the Democrats’ goal of extending the enhanced Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
Quote:California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed Sunday that he “never had” any doubt about former President Joe Biden’s mental capacity to run the country — except after that one little infamous California fundraiser.
At the June 2024 fundraiser in Los Angeles, the then-prez didn’t recognize megawatt celeb, co-host and longtime pal George Clooney — leaving the actor “shaken to the core,’’ a book co-authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper has said.
Newsom, asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” whether he ever had concerns about Biden’s decline in the Oval Office, insisted, I never had that.
“The one exception, as it relates to the interaction I had with him, that gave me pause, one, was the fundraiser in Southern California,” the gov then added. “And all of us were a little taken aback. But we also were mindful that [Biden] had been in Europe twice in about a week.”
Fewer than two weeks after the fundraiser, Biden engaged in a televised debate with Donald Trump — a disastrous showing that paved the way for the Dem to drop out of the race less than a month later.
Newsom on Sunday at times appeared to ignore what nearly the entire nation — including many of Biden’s closest allies — saw at the time.
The term-limited California governor instead stubbornly ticked off Biden’s top achievements, such as the CHIPS and Science Act and the COVID-19 pandemic recovery, as examples of the former president’s abilities in office.
“I just talked to the president a few hours ago. I’ve been privileged to have a relationship with the president,” Newsom said.
Still, Newsom — who recently declared that Biden “was one of the most successful presidents in the last century” and insisted, “I will defend that to my grave” — admitted that “with grace and humility,” he privately raised the alarms about the 46th president’s debate debacle.
Asked why he didn’t go public with those concerns, Newsom replied, “For me, it wasn’t my job to go out there.
“My job was to let [Biden], give him the space,” he said. “I just have a different approach.”
Newsom also dodged a question about whether he believed Biden was fit for another four years in the White House before he dropped out.
“I think my focus was, frankly, situational,” he said, sidestepping the question. “It was making sure Donald Trump didn’t get back into office, to experience everything that we’re experiencing today. And there was no interaction I had that suggested otherwise.”
During his wide-ranging interview, the Golden State Democrat also addressed his recent admission that he’s considering a run for president in 2028.
Quote:Clocks will "fall back" on November 2 at 2 a.m. local time, marking the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) for 2025.
But 19 states have already passed legislation to make DST permanent—they're just waiting for Congress to give them the green light.
The push for year-round DST hit a roadblock on October 28 when Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, opposed efforts to fast-track a federal bill that would eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes.
This means Americans will continue setting their clocks forward in March and back in November for the foreseeable future.
Why It Matters
In April, President Donald Trump urged Congress to pass what he called a "very popular" bill that would make DST permanent.
"The House and Senate should push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day. Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!! DJT," he posted on Truth Social.
State legislatures have considered over 750 bills and resolutions in recent years to establish year-round DST, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The debate affects daily routines, sleep patterns, and public health for millions of Americans, with studies linking time changes to increased risks of heart attacks, strokes, and traffic accidents.
Amber Batteiger, veterinary nurse, PR ad communications manager at Embrace Pet Insurance, previously told Newsweek that even pets are impacted by the time change because dogs are extremely reliant on routine, a sudden shift or change can throw off their internal rhythm.
If Congress eventually passes enabling legislation, nearly 40 percent of U.S. states would immediately switch to permanent DST. However, federal law currently permits states to adopt permanent standard time but prohibits them from implementing permanent DST independently.
What To Know
Since 2015, virtually every state has considered multiple time zone bills, but none of significance passed until 2018, when Florida became the first state to enact legislation to permanently observe DST, the NCSL reports.
The 19 states that have passed laws to adopt year-round DST, pending federal authorization, are:
Texas
Oklahoma
Colorado
Alabama
Georgia
Minnesota
Mississippi
Montana
Idaho (Pacific time zone only)
Louisiana
South Carolina
Utah
Wyoming
Delaware
Maine
Oregon (Pacific time zone only)
Tennessee
Washington
Florida
California voters approved Proposition 7 in 2018, requiring a two-thirds legislative vote to enact changes, but no action has followed.
Seven states and territories already observe standard time year-round:
Hawaii
Arizona (except the Navajo Nation)
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
According to a 2020 Congressional Research Service report, the U.S. experimented with year-round DST twice: during World War II from 1942 to 1945, and during the 1973 energy crisis from January 1974 to April 1975.
Quote:Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified comments that were made last week by President Donald Trump on Truth Social about renewed nuclear testing during an appearance on Fox News' The Sunday Briefing.
Wright told Fox News' Peter Doocy that people wouldn't see explosions or anything similar to previous nuclear tests carried out in the United States, saying, “I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call non-critical explosions.”
Wright elaborated that such tests involve “all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry and they set up the nuclear explosion,” but do not include actual atomic detonations.
Newsweek reached out to the White House regarding testing nuclear testing Sunday.
The Pentagon referred Newsweek to a statement provided last week by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth saying, “America will ensure that we have the strongest, most capable nuclear arsenal so that we maintain PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”
Why It Matters
U.S. nuclear weapons policy has global ramifications, impacting diplomatic relations and international security.
The U.S. last conducted a nuclear weapons test in 1992 at the Nevada National Security Site underground. In 1996, the country signed onto the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which "bans all nuclear test explosions, whether for military or civilian purposes." However, the Senate rejected its ratification in 1999.
With rivals like Russia, China and Iran accelerating their nuclear programs, the Trump administration’s public signals have drawn close scrutiny from lawmakers, the public, and America’s allies and adversaries.
The clarification from Wright provides new insights on the administration's approach to nuclear deterrence and the ongoing debate about how best to maintain the safety and reliability of the U.S. arsenal while avoiding breaches of international bans on nuclear detonations.
What To Know
On Truth Social last week, Trump wrote that the U.S. "has more nuclear weapons than any other country," saying it was "accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons" during his first term.
The president added: "Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years. Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
On Wednesday, reporters aboard Air Force One asked Trump about his post, seeking details about what it would look like for the U.S. resuming such tests.
“We’re going to do some testing,” the president said. “Other countries do it. If they’re going to do it, we’re going to.” He declined to provide further details.
During his appearance on The Sunday Briefing, Wright was asked by Doocy if residents near the U.S. military’s nuclear testing site in Nevada “should expect to see a mushroom cloud at some point.”
Wright responded: “No, no worries about that.”
The Federation of American Scientists estimates that the U.S. has a nuclear stockpile of about 3,700 warheads, with about 1,700 deployed, while the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) puts the total U.S. inventory at 5,177, with Russia at 5,459. SIPRI notes that "Russia and the USA together possess around 90 percent of all nuclear weapons." The U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a nuclear arms race during the Cold War.
Quote:Anti-Israel protests on college campuses over the last two years were “encouraged” by Iran — and involved mostly outside agitators and not students, the chancellor of Syracuse University said.
Speaking at a panel in Washington, D.C. with fellow chancellors from Vanderbilt and Washington University in St. Louis this week, Syracuse’s Kent Syverud said the at-times violent campus demonstrations in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack may have been orchestrated by the Islamic regime.
“When things happened that I really believe were encouraged from Iran,” said Syverud, noting that the protests at Syracuse University were mostly made up of outside agitators, and “did not have the involvement of very many, if any, of our own students.”
He said meting out punishments to students or other individuals involved in violence or destruction of property was made more difficult by the widespread use of facial coverings to obscure their identities.
“People were using masks to avoid accountability for what they were saying and doing,” he said.
Though he didn’t name Iran specifically, Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said he believed the protests like those that took place at the Nashville campus followed a “playbook,” and were the result of “organized networks” that could have put out a call to action.
“[Students] were looking at [and] were using the playbook that they had seen at Columbia and other places, and it was the same messaging. It’s more than social contagion,” he said.
“I think there are organized networks as well. And for sure we saw that.”
Andrew Martin, chancellor of Washington University, agreed, and said he personally witnessed protests that were chiefly made up of people with no affiliation to the school.
“Many of the things that happened on our campus, including an attempted encampment, we didn’t allow it to take place and ultimately had folks arrested to shut it down on a Saturday evening,” Martin said.
“Three quarters of those individuals had nothing to do with the university.”
The same scenario played out at Barnard College — Columbia University’s sister school — in March when a violent mob of hundreds stormed the Morningside Heights campus’ Milstein Library. Cops arrested nine participants, none of whom were students of the elite women’s college.
Quote:An Ivy League student accused of making up an entire life story to gain admission was expelled earlier this semester, prompting fresh concerns over academic fraud and gaps in university vetting that experts say could also expose elite institutions to foreign influence and espionage risks.
At Yale University in Connecticut, administrators recently kicked out an undergrad student identified as “Katherina Lynn” after she allegedly lied about her background, according to the Yale Daily News, a student-run paper.
She reportedly comes from California’s Bay Area but adopted a “Western name” to distance herself from her Chinese-American roots, the online magazine Air Mail reported, and allegedly concocted a fake origin story, reinventing herself as a daughter of rural North Dakota.
“She knew that… when it comes to diversity, it’s not just about race,” said Adam Nguyen, founder of Ivy Link and a former Columbia admissions advisor. “Diversity for colleges has a much broader definition. It also includes socioeconomic diversity… and geographic diversity. So she made herself into basically a White applicant with a very Caucasian-sounding name from a little town in North Dakota.”
Next, she spent years plotting to fool Ivy League admissions teams and forging paperwork until she wound up as a Yale freshman. It was a suspicious roommate who uncovered the scheme, according to the report — by looking at her luggage tags and finding another name and address.
“As with any institution, whether it’s elite universities like Columbia, Harvard, Yale or workplaces, any employer, you’ll see that if someone has the intent and the talent to do it, they can get through the screening process, whether it’s faking your transcript, faking employment record, faking even testimonials from former employers or teachers, etc.,” Nguyen said. “So you’re seeing that here, this particular individual went through great lengths, right, and knew how to do all the right things. That said, the college admissions process is essentially trust but verify. Right now, they use different things like software, they do spot checking, but at the end of the day, it’s not 100% foolproof.”
While there’s no evidence she has ties to a foreign government, the scandal raises questions about keeping schools safe from bad actors.
The State Department has been warning of Chinese influence on American and Canadian university campuses going back to at least 2020, when officials said Chinese government-linked groups were using academic partnerships and exchange programs to collect sensitive research and influence U.S. students and faculty.
And the Heritage Foundation lists the infiltration of the Chinese Communist Party into American education as a threat at “all levels” of academia, from kindergarten classrooms up to elite universities.
Nguyen said graduate programs could pose the highest risk, because students often gain access to sensitive research and laboratory systems.
The recent exposure of an Iowa superintendent as an illegal immigrant with a criminal record and allegedly falsified academic background is yet another example of lax vetting in education.
Ian Roberts, who had been superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was making $270,000 a year. And the district announced a lawsuit this month against the consulting firm that helped hire him.
Quote:The Pentagon has approved sending long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine — giving President Trump the final say on whether to arm Kyiv with them, according to a new report.
The Pentagon gave the White House the green light on Saturday after an assessment found that transferring the missiles would not impact US stockpiles, US and European officials told CNN.
Trump had previously said he would be hesitant to give “away things that we need to protect our country,” but the Pentagon’s assessment appears to clear away that hurdle for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pleaded with Trump to provide Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles, which could really hit Vladimir Putin where it hurts.
With a range of more than 1,500 miles, Tomahawk missiles would enable Ukraine to hit critical military, logistical and energy targets deep inside Russia, severely limiting Russia’s ability to continue his invasion, which is approaching its fourth year.
The missiles were at the forefront of Trump’s meeting with Zelensky last month, with the president expressing his worries on providing the weapons at the cost of America’s defenses.
The US has more than 1,000 Tomahawks available, though some experts believe Washington wouldn’t sell more than 50 to Ukraine, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Pentagon had previously halted its shipment of missiles and ammunition to Ukraine in the summer over concerns that America’s own stockpile was being depleted.
Trump’s decision not to deploy Tomahawks last month also came just a day after he spoke with Putin over the phone, with Moscow repeatedly warning the US not to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles over the border.
Neither the Pentagon nor the White House immediately responded to The Post’s request for comment.
Quote:The locations of more than 330 abducted Ukrainian children have been identified by the country’s Foreign Intelligence Service, President Volodymyr Zelensky assured his countrymen.
At least 35,000 Ukrainian children are believed to be missing since Russia launched its invasion – kidnapped by Moscow’s troops and forced into indoctrination programs — a move that has strongman Vladimir Putin facing war crimes.
“We are providing our partners with lists of children who must be returned,” Zelensky said on X Friday. “This is a sensitive issue, with a great deal of quiet diplomatic work underway.”
Ukraine is finalizing the first such list, which will contain the names and addresses of 339 children — and the names of the Russian individuals or institutions believed to have taken them “and tried to erase their identities,” Zelensky added.
“I’ve asked our intelligence to provide data that is indisputable for the Russians,” Zelensky told reporters during a press briefing this week, according to the Kyiv Post.
“It’s crucial that those responsible face the consequences,” he added, hoping sanctions are slapped on the Kremlin.
Zelensky said the list will be ready within a week or two and shared with leaders assisting in returning the children to Ukraine.
A pair of US lawmakers, earlier this week, said they were working on holding Senate hearings on the issue. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) told The Hill they’re looking to bring Russia’s ambassador to the US, Alexander Darchiev, to testify.
“This is a real atrocity, and the American government should help to establish the record,” said Schatz.
Shocking images from Russian state television have shown young Ukrainian boys and girls assembling and firing assault rifles, all while the Russian flag and a portrait of Putin loomed in the background.
Russia even launched a twisted adoption catalog where kidnapped Ukrainian kids were sorted by age, eye and color, and number of siblings, according to the Save Ukraine charitable organization.
Quote:Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country’s military successfully tested a massive nuclear-torpedo dubbed the Poseidon capable of leveling coastal cities with 1,600-foot high radioactive tsunamis.
The despot, while enjoying tea with wounded Russian soldiers at a hospital in Moscow Wednesday, said the underwater bomb was launched from a submarine the day before and was a “huge success.”
“For the first time, we managed not only to launch it with a launch engine from a carrier submarine, but also to launch the nuclear power unit on which this device passed a certain amount of time,” Putin said.
“There is nothing like this.”
“This is a huge success,” Putin said, adding that the destructive power of the Poseidon surpasses the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, ominously known as the Satan II, which can carry 15 nuclear warheads.
“The Poseidon’s power significantly exceeds the power of even our most promising Sarmat intercontinental range missile,” Putin said.
While not much is publicly known about the Poseidon, reports estimate that the weapon is capable of carrying a 2 megaton warhead — or more than 150 times the power of the bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
They are designed to trigger radioactive tsunamis up to 1,600-feet high from hundreds of miles away, according to Russia state media.
The foreboding Poseidon test comes just days after Putin ordered another nuclear drill and on Sunday confirmed Russia had successfully tested its “invincible” nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, which experts have dubbed a “tiny flying Chernobyl.”
Putin announced the Poseidon and Burevestnik projects in 2018 in response to the US withdrawal in 2001 from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and NATO’s expansion.
Russia may have previously tried and failed at an attempt to test the Poseidon in 2022 during the first year of the Ukraine war.
The apparently botched exercise took place in the Arctic Sea and involved Russia’s behemoth Belgorod nuclear submarine, a senior US official told CNN at the time.
Quote:Russia fired one of its largest drone and missile assaults against Ukraine overnight, killing three people, including a 7-year-old girl, and cutting power to thousands as winter approaches, officials said.
About 705 drones and missiles flew over the border late Wednesday into early Thursday, wreaking havoc across Ukraine and killing two men in Zaporizhzhia and a little girl in Ladyzhyn who died in the hospital due to her severe injuries, according to Kyiv.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko slammed the attack as yet another assault on civilian areas, including energy stations, with the damage forcing nationwide power restrictions.
“Its goal is to plunge Ukraine into darkness,” Svyrydenko said of the latest attack. “…To stop the terror, we need more air defense systems, tougher sanctions, and maximum pressure on the aggressor.”
Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched 653 drones and 52 missiles during the assault, with 82 avoiding the military’s interception efforts and hitting 20 different locations in the country.
At least 17 people were injured in the Zaporizhzhia region, including six children, with four hurt in Vinnystia, the region where the 7-year-old was killed.
The projectiles also hit energy facilities in central, western, and southeastern Ukraine, causing Kyiv to announce nationwide limits on electricity to retail and industrial consumers.
“This attack is a bad blow in our efforts to keep power flowing this winter,” said Maxim Timchenko, the CEO of DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company whose thermal power stations were targeted in the assault.
“Based on the intensity of attacks for the past two months, it is clear Russia is aiming for the complete destruction of Ukraine’s energy system,” Timchenko added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was working to restore and maintain necessary services across the impacted areas, as he called on the West to levy harsher sanctions against Russia.
“Russia continues its terrorist war against life itself, and it’s crucial that every such vile attack on civilians boomerangs back on Russia with concrete consequences – sanctions and real pressure,” Zelensky said.
“We count on America, Europe, and the G7 countries not to ignore this. Moscow’s intent to destroy everything. New steps are needed to increase pressure – on Russia’s oil and gas industry, its financial system, and through secondary sanctions on those who bankroll this war,” he added.
Quote:Ukraine struck a major pipeline near Moscow that fuels the Russian army, with its military intelligence boasting it’s done more damage to Russia’s oil industry than international pressures.
“Our strikes have had more impact than sanctions,” said Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, on Telegram Saturday.
“It’s just a mathematical truth. We caused much greater damage to the Russian Federation through direct action than any economic levers of influence that had been introduced on them until now.”
Forces struck the Koltsevoy pipeline ovenight into Saturday, which supplies the Moscow’s troops with a combined 60 million barrels of gas, diesel and jet fuel from refineries across Russia — spanning 250 miles.
The strikes destroyed all three fuel lines, Ukraine’s military intelligence said, describing it as a “serious blow” to Russia’s war machine.
They’re part of Ukraine’s intensifying efforts to directly target Russia’s warfare infrastructure.
Ukraine has made close to 160 successful strikes against oil facilities across Russia this year, according to its Security Service.
“Oil extraction and refining make up around 90% of Russia’s defense budget,” Security Service chief Vasyl Maliuk said at a press briefing in Kyiv Friday, according to the Kyiv Independent. “These are the dirty petro-rubles funding the war against us.”
“These are legitimate military targets.”
Maliuk said Russia’s domestic fuel shortage is nearing 20%. It’s prompted Moscow to ban exports of refined oil products until the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry claimed Saturday that it defeated Ukrainian special forces that were rushed to the frontline city of Pokrovsk — a key focal point in the coveted Donetsk region.
Quote:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s top adviser praised President Trump for courting China to “help” end the Russia-Ukraine war — as some experts and European officials urged caution in taking Beijing at its word.
Andriy Yermak, the head of the presidential office in Ukraine, told The Post he supported Trump’s efforts to bring in Chinese President Xi Jinping to lean on Moscow.
“First of all, it’s great that this meeting has happened,” Yermak said. “… Maybe with this, starting this dialog, we will see China give Russia a strong push to end the war.”
“Volodya, enough. Everybody is tired of you,” he added, using the diminutive of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s first name.
Trump huddled with Xi for the first time during his second term in South Korea as the world’s two largest powers discussed potential joint efforts to stop the conflict that has dragged on for more than three years.
“The sides are, you know, locked in fighting, and sometimes you have to let them fight, I guess — crazy,” Trump said of the cooperation. “But [Xi’s] going to help us, and we’re going to work together on Ukraine.”
The president said the Ukraine-related discussion focused largely on finding a path to peace — not on his sanctions on Russian oil or Beijing’s energy ties to Moscow. He did not disclose further details of how the US and China could team up to end the war
Trump this month levied sanctions on Russia’s top two state-owned oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil. Still, Beijing remains the largest purchaser of Russian energy.
One of the most helpful ways China could end the war, one European official said, would be to stop purchasing Russian oil — which Trump has called the main source of funding for Russia’s “war machine.”
However, Trump said he and Xi’s conversation had little to do with his sanctions on Russian energy.
“He’s been buying oil from Russia for a long time. It takes care of a big part of China,” Trump said. “And, you know, I can say India has been very good on that front. But we didn’t really discuss the oil. We discussed working together to see if we could get that war finished.”
The president also emphasized that the conversation with Xi stayed narrowly focused on Ukraine, saying that even Beijing’s claims over Taiwan — which Xi considers his top priority — never entered the discussion.
“For the most part, we discussed something — we’re going to work together to try and get the war with Russia and Ukraine solved,” Trump said. “Taiwan never came up, not discussed.”
China has long been partners with Russia, and Xi’s influence on Putin has been discussed as a potential point of leverage worth tapping into, even dating back to the Biden administration. However, any motivations for Beijing wanting the conflict to end have been unclear.
Some insiders expressed skepticism over whether China would follow through on its apparent pledge to help Trump stop the war, given Beijing and Moscow’s alignment.
“China has a stake in Russia ‘winning’ the war,” one European official told The Post. “They benefit from Putin continuing on.”
China has publicly remained neutral in the war, but privately supplied Russia with dual-use items that can be deployed for military purposes in its war on Ukraine — as well as military intelligence on Ukrainian targets for Moscow to strike with missiles, Kyiv has said.
Quote:Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy claimed Washington and Moscow were close to a “diplomatic solution” to the war in Ukraine, estimating that the conflict would end within a year.
Speaking before an investment conference in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, Kirill Dmitriev suggested that Russia’s invasion was nearing its end despite the recent decision to postpone a second summit between Putin and President Trump.
“We are sure that we are on the road to peace and as peacemakers we need to make it happen,” Dmitriev said, adding that he believes the war would end within one year.
The war in Ukraine has dragged on for more than three years, with Moscow repeatedly refusing to make any compromises as Putin seeks to conquer the regions that have fended off his invasion force so far.
While little headway has been made in trying to secure a diplomatic end to the war, Russia has focused some of its efforts on dissuading the US and the West from supporting Ukraine.
Dmitriev was notably in the US over the weekend as part of a public relations campaign aimed at schmoozing top Trump officials.
George Barros, of the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, told The Post that Dmitriev’s visit was part of a coordinated move from the Kremlin to convince the US it should be a close ally with Russia — all while Putin attempted to scare the West with boasts of Moscow’s “flying Chernobyl” missile.
Dmitriev reiterated his pitch for US-Russian unity during his appearance in Saudi Arabia, touting the two nations as ones who should help secure world peace rather than sow division.
“People are right now focused on the regional conflict that exists around Russia, but we do not want it to escalate into a bigger conflict,” the Kremlin official said. “And for that we have to do better than we have been doing, not worse.”
Quote:WASHINGTON — The Republican chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee bashed the Pentagon’s Wednesday decision to remove hundreds of US troops from Romania — which shares a border with Ukraine — arguing the move clashes with the White House’s pressure campaign on Russia.
“This decision … sends the wrong signal to Russia at the very moment President Trump is applying pressure to force Vladimir Putin to come to the table to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said in a joint statement.
“The President has it exactly right: now is the time for America to demonstrate our resolve against Russian aggression. Unfortunately, the Pentagon’s decision appears uncoordinated and directly at odds with the President’s strategy,” they added.
The troop pullout would not be the first time the Pentagon has taken unilateral action that contradicts Trump’s strategy for ending the war in Ukraine. US defense officials have previously tried to halt weapons shipments to Ukraine — only to be reversed once the president caught wind of the moves.
The Republican rebuke came after the Department of War announced it would not replace the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division when the unit rotates to their Kentucky home base as scheduled.
While the Pentagon did not say how many troops would be affected, the Romanian Defense Ministry stated that Bucharest expects between 700 and 800 US forces to leave the country, with between 900 and 1,000 remaining.
The Pentagon denied that the move would “change the security environment in Europe,” arguing the pullback was appropriate because NATO allies could now do the job of US troops, thanks to “President Trump’s call [for them] to take primary responsibility for the conventional defense of Europe.”
“This is not an American withdrawal from Europe or a signal of lessened commitment to NATO and Article 5,” US Army Europe and Africa Command (USAREUR-AF) said in a statement. “Rather this is a positive sign of increased European capability and responsibility.”
While Rogers and Wicker acknowledged that “thanks to President Trump’s leadership, our European allies have agreed to shoulder historic levels of the burden of collective defense,” they said that drawing down the US presence too soon could cause the president’s progress to backslide.
Quote:A survivor of the UK train mass stabbing has described how she begged for her life, and the madman attacker told her “the devil’s not going to win.”
Dayna Arnold was in the same train car as the attacker when he began slashing at “anyone he could find,” during horrific scenes on board a London-bound train in the east of England just after 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
“I was going with the crowd but then I got knocked into some seats. I looked back and saw the knifeman running so I slid down to the floor,” Arnold, 48, told the Sun.
She added: “He came at me with the knife and I begged, ‘Please don’t.’ Then something shifted in his face and he just carried on. I feel very fortunate to still be alive.”
Arnold, who was on board the train with friend Andy Gray, 37, recalled the attacker’s sinister words as he spared her life amid the mass slashing that left 11 people wounded, two of whom are still fighting for their lives.
“Then a minute or so later he came back through, looked at me again and said ‘the devil’s not going to win,’ and continued on,” she said.
“I was waiting because I could still hear him in the carriage. I heard the doors open and ran off the train. I saw him take off running and then minutes later police rushed past me and I saw him get tasered,” Arnold said.
One 32-year-old British man is in custody for attempted murder following the attack, which saw armed cops scrambled to the small market town of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
A second man was detained, but later released without charge.
Arnold described the suspect as “quite tall with dark colored skin,” and wearing dark clothing and a hat over shoulder-length braided hair.
Her friend, Grey, used his belt as a makeshift tourniquet to stop a young man bleeding out following the attack.
“A young lad there was only 19 or 20 and had been cut and stabbed really badly. He had a gash on his arm and had several puncture wounds under his arm,” Grey told the Sun.
“He somehow got past me and was panicking walking through saying ‘please somebody help me, I’ve been stabbed,'” he said.
Quote:A Mexican mayor who called for “brute force” against the country’s violent drug cartels was gunned down in public Saturday night during “Day of the Dead” celebrations in his hometown.
Carlos Manzo, 40, the firebrand mayor of Uruapan in Mexico’s Michoacan province, was shot dead by two gunmen in front of shocked supporters in the city’s central square, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the vile assassination of the mayor of Uruapan, Carlos Manzo,” Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X. “I express my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, as well as to the people of Uruapan, for this irreparable loss.”
Security consultant David Saucedo described the brazen assassination as a “kamikaze attack.”
Manzo gained fame as head of the city of 300,000 when he stood up to the bloody cartels that have terrorized Mexico for decades — and acknowledged the risk he was taking.
“I don’t want to be just another murdered mayor,” he said in a haunting statement last month. “But it is important not to let fear control us.”
His assassination sparked outrage in Mexico City as well as in Washington, DC.
“On this All Souls’ Day, my thoughts are with the family and friends of Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico, who was assassinated at a public Day of the Dead celebration last night,” US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, a former ambassador to Mexico, wrote on X.
“The US stands ready to deepen security cooperation with Mexico to wipe out organized crime on both sides of the border,” he said. “Here’s Carlos holding his young son at the celebration just moments before the attack. May his soul rest in peace and may his memory inspire prompt and effective action.”
Manzo came up in Mexican politics with Sheinbaum’s Morena Party before declaring himself independent, and was critical of former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s “hugs not bullets” approach to the vicious narcotraffickers in ravaging the Central American nation.
Quote:Venezuela claimed it captured a “mercenary group” linked to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Sunday, and accused them of aiming to spark a military conflict with the South American country.
“A false flag attack is underway in waters bordering Trinidad and Tobago or from Trinidadian or Venezuelan territory to generate a full military confrontation with our country,” Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said in a statement.
Rodriguez claimed the mercenary group was captured “with direct information of the American intelligence agency, CIA.”
The Venezuelan official did not provide any evidence to substantiate her wild claims, including the number of people captured, where they were from, what was found on them and what they were allegedly plotting.
Rodriguez likened the purported plot to the 1898 explosion of the USS Maine off the coast of Cuba and the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident near Vietnam – the precipitating causes of the Spanish-American and Vietnam wars, respectively.
The White House did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The accusation from Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro’s regime comes as the Trump administration has ramped up military operations aimed at countering drug cartels linked to the socialist South American strongman.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth deployed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean Sea last week, where it will join several other high-powered Navy ships already conducting operations in international waters.
Joint military exercises between the US and Trinidad and Tobago are currently underway.
President Trump confirmed reports earlier this month that he authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela.
The president also hinted at targeting drug cartels over land last week.
Quote:Police allegedly decapitated a teen gangster and hung his head from a tree as a warning after a bloody gang crackdown in Brazil ahead of next month’s flagship COP30 Climate Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
More than 100 alleged gangbangers were hunted and killed in Brazil’s deadliest-ever police operation, which began Tuesday in two of Rio’s favelas and targeted drug traffickers.
Police said it followed a yearlong investigation into the dangerous Red Command gang, which originated in Rio’s prison system and has expanded its power in recent years.
The violent raids have sparked intense gun battles, with gangs deploying drones against cops in retaliation. At least four cops have also been killed in the unprecedented violence.
The body of a 19-year-old alleged gangbanger was found missing a head on Tuesday after the police stormed the Penha district of Rio, according to Brazilian media.
The teen’s mom said they hung her son’s head “from a tree like a trophy.”
“They slit my son’s throat, cut his neck, and hung the head from a tree like a trophy,” Raquel Tomas told local media.
“They executed my son without giving him a chance to defend himself. He was murdered.
“Everyone deserves a second chance. During an operation, police should do their job, arrest suspects, but not execute them,” the grieving mom added.
Some of the bodies allegedly bore signs of possible torture, such as “burn marks,” and many of the dead had been tied up, lawyer Albino Pereira Neto, who is representing three of the grieving families, told Brazilian media.
Several bodies of alleged gang members were also displayed in the streets, wearing just their underwear.
Hundreds of police with helicopters, armored vehicles and drones entered the two sprawling favelas that house the Red Command, Rio’s oldest drug trafficking group, exchanging heavy gunfire.
Gangbangers allegedly responded to the violence by dropping bombs and launching drones on the police after blocking the exits from the slum using buses as barricades.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
News of the World
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Weird. Normally, that sort of statements would get you fired in no time. 
Dilgear has a teal fur, why can't these dogs have their own color? 
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