Senate passes bill to end the shutdown, sending it to the House; Ghislaine Maxwell plans to ask Trump for a commutation
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Maxwell, the co-conspirator of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, plans to ask President Donald Trump for a commutation of her 20-year sentence, a whistleblower said.
What to know today
- SENATE SHUTDOWN VOTE: The Senate tonight passed a bipartisan bill that would end the government shutdown. The measure, which garnered support from 8 Democrats and has the backing of President Donald Trump, now heads to to the House.
- MAXWELL SEEKS COMMUTATION: Ghislaine Maxwell, the co-conspirator of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is seeking a commutation of her 20-year prison sentence from Trump, a whistleblower has told House Democrats.
- U.S.-SYRIA BILATERAL: Trump met today with Ahmad al-Sharaa, the first Syrian president to visit the White House. The former jihadist was expected to commit to joining the U.S.-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State militant group, two U.S. officials said before the meeting.
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House vote to reopen the government could take place as early as Wednesday afternoon
House lawmakers were notified tonight that votes on the Senate-passed legislation to reopen the government could start as soon as 4 p.m. on Wednesday, according to a whip notice.
The notice indicates that multiple vote series are likely. The House Rules Committee will need to approve a rule that the full House must adopt before debate and a vote on the legislation itself.
The House last held votes on Sept. 19.
Senate passes bill to reopen the government as 8 Democrats join with Republicans to send it to the House
The Senate passed legislation tonight to reopen the government and end the record-long shutdown after eight Democrats broke with their party and joined Republicans to break the logjam.
The vote was 60-40, with every Republican except Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voting in favor of the measure.
The measure now goes to the House, which could vote as early as Wednesday to pass the package and send it to Trump, who said today that he supports the bipartisan deal.
Senate passage came after a long vote series to reject several amendments and package the components of a deal into one.
Syria to resume embassy operations in Washington, senior administration official says
Syria's embassy in Washington, D.C., is reopening.
“The United States will allow Syria to resume operations at its Embassy in Washington to further counterterrorism, security, and economic coordination,” a senior administration official said after Trump met today with Syria's president at the White House.
The official added that Syria will become the 90th member of the D-ISIS Coalition, partnering with the U.S. to eliminate ISIS remnants and halt foreign fighter flows.
Prosecutors in James Comey case ordered to provide grand jury transcripts
There was a brief hearing this afternoon in James Comey's criminal case to discuss the court’s earlier order for prosecutors to provide a complete transcript of the grand jury proceedings against the former FBI director at the request of the defense. The government had appealed the order.
Comey’s lawyers said they need to review the proceedings to determine if interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan violated any grand jury regulations or used previously obtained information that may have violated attorney client privilege.
Some of what is under discussion derives from four search warrants that were obtained in 2019 and 2020 that were used to investigate Comey and his longtime friend and attorney, Columbia law professor Daniel Richman, for leaks to the media. The investigation was called “Arctic Haze.”
Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick ordered the government to “submit to the Court forthwith, for in camera review, all materials relating to the September 25, 2025 grand jury proceedings, including complete audio recordings and transcripts reflecting (i) all testimony presented to the grand jury and (ii) any statements made by any prosecutor, law enforcement officer, or witness to the grand jury, or in the presence of the grand jury,” so Fitzpatrick is going to review the material before the defense gets to see it.
Comey is charged with making false statements to Congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding in connection with his testimony at a 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
John Fetterman says it's 'entirely possible' ACA subsidies won't be extended
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who has consistently voted with Republicans during the shutdown on a government funding bill rejected by his party, said today that it is "entirely possible" that Affordable Care Act subsidies, which drove the shutdown, may not be extended following a bipartisan Senate deal.
"Absolutely, it’s entirely possible," Fetterman said during a "Meet the Press NOW" interview.
“It’s run its course, and now enough people finally realize that we’re gonna put country over the party at this point,” Fetterman said of the shutdown, which began on Oct. 1.
The Pennsylvania Democrat also talked about disagreeing with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who has faced backlash from some Democrats for the party's disunity in opposing a bill devoid of Affordable Care Act funds despite voting against the measure.
"I disagree with his vote, but I’m not gonna criticize him and I’m not gonna attack him," Fetterman said.
Schumer said on the Senate floor this morning that he couldn't support the Republican bill "because it fails to do anything of substance to fix America’s health care crisis."
Democrats rebel after 8 senators cut a deal to end the shutdown without ACA funds
Many Democrats are fuming after a breakaway group of eight senators teamed up with Republicans to strike a deal to reopen the government without extending health care subsidies, backing off on the demand that led to the shutdown.
The agreement, which cleared a key procedural hurdle late yesterday by a vote of 60-40, sparked heavy criticism from congressional candidates, progressive activists and Democratic lawmakers. That includes some members with higher ambitions, who said it shows party leaders are not up to the task of marshaling effective opposition to Trump.
“This is a defining moment for the party. We need new faces with bold new ideas,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who is considering a presidential run, told NBC News. “The American people are tired of a failed status quo.”
Even though Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the deal and voted against it, some liberal groups and Democratic candidates running against the establishment pointed the finger at him for failing to keep his caucus unified in opposition to a deal that did not include Affordable Care Act funds. If the subsidies expire on schedule at the end of 2025, more than 20 million Americans could face health insurance premium hikes.
Trump responds to criticism from Marjorie Taylor Greene: ‘She’s lost her way
Trump today said that MAGA-aligned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., had “lost her way” with her criticism of the administration’s focus on foreign policy.
“I don’t know what happened to Marjorie. She’s a nice woman, but I don’t know what happened. She’s lost her way, I think,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“But I have to view the presidency as a worldwide situation, not locally. I mean, we could have a world that’s on fire, where wars come to our shores very easily, if you had a bad president,” he added.
Asked about Trump’s comments, Greene said in a statement: “I haven’t lost my way. I’m 100% America first and only!”
Senate locks in votes to pass government funding package tonight
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., just locked in the vote series that will end with final passage of the bipartisan deal to reopen the government.
Once the Senate passes the bill it will then go to the House for approval. The House is not currently in session.
Trump, who said he supports the agreement, would then need to sign the measure into law to end the shutdown.
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to extend pause on fully funding SNAP benefits this month
The Trump administration today filed a supplemental briefing at the Supreme Court in support of an extension of the pause imposed last week by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in a major case regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.
The administration wants to extend the pause beyond Tuesday night, to block full federal funding of SNAP benefits for 42 million people.
“The government unequivocally agrees that any lapse in SNAP funding is tragic,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote in the filing. “But it is a tragedy of Congress’s creation, by shutting the government down, allowing appropriations to lapse, and creating a Hobson’s choice for the Executive Branch on how to triage which crucial programs get limited available residual funds."
"Congress appears to be on the brink of breaking the deadlock, though that outcome is unsure," Sauer added. "The district court’s unlawful orders risk upsetting that compromise and throwing into doubt how innumerable critical federal programs will be.”
The nonprofits in this case have until 8 a.m. Tuesday to respond to the administration's arguments.
Trump suggests D.C. midair collision in January was caused by faulty air traffic control system
Trump suggested today that the midair collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial aircraft over the Potomac River in January was caused by shortcomings in the air traffic control system under his predecessor.
“They had hundreds of companies working on it, and they were spending billions of dollars. And when they turned it on it didn’t work. It didn’t even work a little bit," Trump claimed. "That’s why you had a helicopter crashing into an airplane.”
The president's remarks contrast with his comments during a news conference shortly after the crash when he implied that DEI programs caused the crash that left 67 people dead.
The National Transportation Safety Board is not expected to publish its final report on the collision until next year, but it has already listed numerous factors that may have contributed to the disaster.
Trump's remarks today came in response to a question about what the state of air travel will look like once the government reopens, with the president insisting it will be better than it was under the Biden administration.Travelers across the country are facing long flight delays and cancellations because there aren't enough air traffic controllers. The FAA is mandating that 6% of all air travel be reduced by tomorrow and 10% by Friday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said it will take time for air traffic controllers to return after the shutdown ends.
Trump says he backs bipartisan Senate deal to reopen the government
Trump said this afternoon that he supports the tentative bipartisan deal that's being hashed out on in the Senate to reopen the government.
Asked if he backs the proposal, Trump said: "They want to change the deal a little bit but I would say so. Based on everything I’m hearing they haven’t changed anything. And we have support from enough Democrats, and we’re going to be opening up our country."
"It’s too bad it was closed, but we’ll be opening up our country very quickly," he added.
The Senate has advanced a deal to end the shutdown. It would provide three full-year spending bills for some agencies and a short-term resolution to maintain status quo spending through Jan. 30 for the remainder of the government.
Erika Kirk gives remarks at Sergio Gor's swearing-in as U.S. ambassador to India
Erika Kirk attended the swearing-in inside the Oval Office this afternoon for Sergio Gor as the U.S. ambassador to India.
Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk who was shot and killed in September, said that her husband had great admiration for Gor.
"It's hard not to get emotional, because I know that he would have been the first phone call when he found out that you were going to be taking this position," Kirk said to Gor.
She added, "The way that I was able to witness the two of you work together for years and to champion and support the president was absolutely humbling to witness, and I am so proud of you, and Charlie is going to be with you every single day in spirit."
Kirk succeeded her husband, leading Turning Point USA as its CEO.
President Donald Trump greets Erika Kirk in the Oval Office today. Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images
How air travel chaos is affecting flights nationwide
Local NBC News stations report on how the air travel chaos is being felt in their regions across the country as travelers continue to face fallout from the effects of the government shutdown.
Sen. Rand Paul is holding up the Senate vote on a bill to reopen government over hemp loophole
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is objecting to a quick Senate vote on a bill to reopen the government because of a hemp provision in one of the full-year spending bills being considered with the short-term funding measure, three people familiar with conversations said.
Speeding up the timeline for consideration of the legislation requires the agreement of all 100 senators.
Paul has consistently voted against funding the government. The provision he is now objecting to would close a loophole created by the 2018 farm bill that has allowed unregulated THC products to be sold around the country, regardless of state cannabis laws.
Paul has long pushed to keep the loophole and privately threatened GOP leadership that he wouldn’t give his “consent” for legislation unless they preserve it, according to two of the sources said.
Jeffries vows to continue fight over health care costs when the House receives the bill to reopen government from the Senate
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.,said House Democrats will “continue to wage this fight” over health care costs when the Senate sends the amended short-term government spending bill back to the House, adding that the eight Democratic senators who voted with Republicans last night to take up the measure owe their constituents an explanation.
“I’m not going to explain what a handful of Senate Democrats have decided to do, that’s their explanation to offer to the American people,” Jeffries told reporters. “What we’re going to continue to do as House Democrats, partnered with our allies throughout America, is to wage the fight.”
Jeffries also referred to House Republicans who in recent weeks have said, like Democrats have, that Affordable Care Act tax credits need to be extended, saying “now is their chance.”
Jeffries stood by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after some House Democrats called for new leadership following yesterday’s vote. When asked if he thinks Schumer is effective and should keep his job, Jeffries said “yes and yes.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders endorses Minnesota Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan for Senate
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is endorsing Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan for retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith's seat.
Flanagan, who serves as lieutenant governor under Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, wrote in a post on X, "@BernieSanders has fought for working families since Day One. He’s built a movement that is taking on special interests and fighting for an economy that works for everyone. I’m honored to have earned his endorsement of my campaign for US Senate."
The independent senator reposted Flanagan's message on Instagram.
Sanders said in a statement provided to The New York Times that Flanagan has “the guts to stand up for working people against the billionaires and the corporate interests.”
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., is the other candidate running in the Democratic Senate primary in Minnesota next year.
Sanders' endorsement of Flanagan came as he has expressed opposition to a deal to end the government shutdown that a group of Senate Democrats decided to advance last night.
In a post on X yesterday, Craig slammed the agreement as well because it doesn't guarantee any extensions to expiring Obamacare subsidies and said she plans to vote against it.
Supreme Court skeptical of Rastafarian man’s religious rights claim
The Supreme Court appeared unlikely this morning to allow a devout Rastafarian to bring a damages claim against Louisiana prison officials who cut his dreadlocks in violation of his religious rights.
Based on the morning argument, a majority of the justices did not appear to think Congress specifically allowed for state officials to be sued under a federal law called the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, or RLUIPA.
The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, is often solicitous toward religious claims, although the bulk of recent cases have involved cases brought by conservative Christians.
Johnson tells lawmakers the House could vote on a bill to reopen government on Wednesday
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., laid out a potential timetable for the House schedule this week, including a vote on a government funding bill, during a conference call with House Republicans this morning, four sources on the call said.
Johnson said he’s hoping to vote as soon as Wednesday on the Senate’s deal to re-open the government, although that will depend on how quickly the Senate is able to move, the sources said. Although the vote timing is fluid, members were encouraged on the call to start getting back to Washington as soon as possible given the air travel delays.
The speaker also vowed that before the House votes, he will swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., who won a special election on Sept. 23. Following her swearing-in, the House will then vote on a rule for the Senate deal, followed by final passage, and then the House will leave town again, Johnson told members on the call.
While the vote is expected to be tight, and leadership is still in the process of doing a whip check, Johnson expressed confidence that they would be able to pass the Senate’s government funding package, the sources said.
Christine Pelosi to run for California state Senate instead of her mother's House seat
Christine Pelosi, the daughter of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced today that she is running for a state Senate seat, ending speculation that she might run for her mother's seat in the House.
"I'm running to represent you, San Francisco, in Sacramento," she said in her announcement video. "Fighting for consumer rights, women's rights, gun violence survivors, immigrants and our most vulnerable communities against the threat we face."
Nancy Pelosi announced last week that she would not seek re-election. Her daughter is a Democratic strategist and attorney and is running for the seat currently held by state Sen. Scott Wiener, who is seeking Pelosi's congressional seat.
N.Y. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani selects key aide and de Blasio alum for 2 top posts
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani named his appointments for key administration roles this morning, tapping campaign manager Elle Bisgaard-Church as chief of staff and public service veteran Dean Fuleihan for deputy mayor.
Fuleihan, who has decades of experience in New York politics, is a more conventional choice for a top post. He was director of New York City's Office of Management and Budget under Mayor Bill de Blasio and served as de Blasio's first deputy mayor from 2018 to 2021.
"I will turn to Dean for council, not only for his wealth of managerial experience, but also because of the similarity between our visions for this city," Mamdani said.
Bisgaard-Church managed Mamdani's primary and general election campaigns. She also worked as his chief of staff during his time as a state representative in Albany, N.Y.
"Few have played a more central role in this movement, or in every victory we achieved together in the assembly than Elle," Mamdani said. "Together, alongside Dean, she will be responsible for ensuring that our commitment to excellence remains inviolable."
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman will not run for re-election
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., announced she will not run for re-election in 2026 after her sixth term concludes.
Watson Coleman, 80, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2014 making her the first African American woman from New Jersey to do so, her office noted in a news release. Before being elected to Congress, she served as majority leader of the New Jersey General Assembly.
In a statement, Watson Coleman said she made the decision after much reflection and conversations with her family.
"I have always stood on the frontlines in the fight for principled progressive policies and my work has centered on the belief that there must be a floor below which we should never allow any child, family, or person to fall," she said, adding that her legislative record on issues such as criminal justice, health care, poverty and the economy reflected those priorities.
"I hope we will see, in this district and districts across the nation, representatives who, in the words of my dear former colleague and friend, Congressman John Lewis, stand ready to, 'Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America,'” she said.
Trump criticizes air traffic controllers who took time off during the shutdown
In a post to Truth Social, Trump slammed air traffic controllers who took time off during the shutdown and also recommended bonuses for those who stayed on the job.
"For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the 'Democrat Shutdown Hoax,' I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country," Trump said in a post.
"For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU," he added.
Trump said those who took days off "will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record," and encouraged those who might want to leave their jobs, saying, "please do not hesitate to do so, with NO payment or severance of any kind."
The Federal Aviation Administration had a shortage of air traffic controllers before the shutdown, which has caused flight delays and cancellations across the nation.
Johnson urges House members to travel to D.C. for a shutdown vote
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., this morning urged House members to begin traveling back to D.C. to vote on legislation to reopen the government.
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Johnson said he would issue an official 36-hour notice before votes in the House.
“There’ll be long days and long nights here for the foreseeable future to make up for all this lost time that was imposed upon us,” Johnson said of the work to be done when the House returns.
The House could have stayed in session during the shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S. history, but he chose to designate every week since Sept. 19 a district work period.
Senators reached a bipartisan agreement yesterday to advance a bill that would end the shutdown, NBC has reported.
6 killed in U.S. strikes on 2 more alleged drug boats in eastern Pacific
U.S. forces struck two more boats allegedly operated by drug cartels in the eastern Pacific yesterday, killing six people, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement.
The latest in a string of similar operations against what the U.S. government calls “designated terrorist organizations,” the two strikes were carried out in international waters and three men were aboard each vessel, Hegseth said.
“These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route in the Eastern Pacific,” Hegseth said on X.
China suspends port fees on U.S. ships as tensions ease
China announced today that it has dropped countermeasures on U.S.-linked vessels for a year as trade tensions ease between Washington and Beijing.
Effective at 12:01 a.m. ET today, the Chinese Transport Ministry suspended its port fees and investigations related to American ships following the U.S. move to pause investigations into China’s maritime industry.
The suspension was part of a consensus reached by U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators in Kuala Lumpur last month, the ministry said.
Beijing also dropped sanctions targeting five U.S. subsidiaries of the South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean.
Trump's attorneys demand BBC issue a retraction, threaten to sue
Trump's attorneys sent a letter to the British Broadcasting Corp. over the weekend demanding a retraction and threatening to seek $1 billion in damages from the broadcaster.
The move comes amid a growing controversy over edits to the president’s infamous Jan. 6 ellipse speech in a documentary that aired on the BBC. Two top BBC executives have already resigned.
The White House referred NBC News' request for comment to an outside legal team.
“The BBC defamed President Trump by intentionally and deceitfully editing its documentary in order to try and interfere in the Presidential Election,” a spokesman for the president’s outside legal team told NBC News. “President Trump will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in lies, deception, and fake news.”
A BBC spokesperson told NBC News, “We will review the letter and respond directly in due course.”
Critics have framed the BBC's edits of Trump's Jan. 6 speech as misleading and criticized the decision to cut a portion of the president's speech when he told supporters to protest peacefully.
BBC Director General Tim Davie and news CEO Deborah Turness left the company.
Turness said in a letter to staff members that she was stepping down because "leaders need to be fully accountable."
"While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong," Turness said.
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff meet with Netanyahu to push Gaza ceasefire forward
Israel returned the remains of 15 Palestinians to Gaza today in the latest step forward for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, as a top White House envoy met with Israeli leaders to discuss the next stages of the fragile agreement.
Israel returned the bodies after Palestinian militants released the remains of a hostage yesterday. With the latest exchange, only four bodies of hostages remained in Gaza.
As the first stage of the agreement reached its waning days, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, according to a photo released by the premier’s office.
Supreme Court to weigh imposing new limits on mail-in ballots in a major election case
Taking up a contentious election issue with nationwide implications, the Supreme Court this morning agreed to consider whether federal law bars states from counting mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day.
The case pits Republican-led Mississippi, defending its election law that allows for mail-in ballots received after Election Day to be counted, against the Republican National Committee and the state’s own Republican Party. The Libertarian Party of Mississippi also joined the challenge in opposing the law.
If the RNC’s argument were applied nationwide, it would upend election law in many states, which count ballots that come in after an election as long as they were postmarked on time. Many of those laws were designed to ensure that overseas military members who submit ballots from afar have their votes counted.
Supreme Court rejects long-shot effort to overturn same-sex marriage ruling
The Supreme Court this morning turned away a long-shot attempt to overturn the landmark 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
Without comment, the justices rejected an appeal brought by Kim Davis, a former county clerk in Kentucky who was sued in 2015 for refusing to issue marriage licenses because of her opposition to same-sex marriage based on her religious beliefs.
Her latest appeal in the case, brought a decade later, had attracted considerable attention amid fears that the court could overturn the 2015 same-sex marriage decision, Obergefell v. Hodges, in the aftermath of the 2022 ruling that overturned the landmark abortion rights decision, Roe v. Wade.
Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell plans to seek commutation from Trump, whistleblower says
Ghislaine Maxwell, the co-conspirator of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is in the process of seeking a commutation of her 20-year prison sentence from President Donald Trump, a whistleblower has told House Democrats.
The whistleblower came forward with the information to Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and alleges Maxwell is getting preferential treatment in prison.
Trump becomes first president to attend regular-season NFL game since 1978
Trump became the first sitting president to attend a regular-season NFL game since Jimmy Carter in 1978, appearing yesterday at the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders matchup.
In the third quarter, Trump appeared on the Fox broadcast, answering questions about his time as a football player at New York Military Academy, opining on quarterbacks and more.
Supreme Court weighs Rastafarian man’s religious rights claim over shorn dreadlocks
The Supreme Court will hear arguments today on whether a devout Rastafarian can bring a damages claim against Louisiana prison officials who cut his dreadlocks in violation of his religious rights.
The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, is often solicitous toward religious claims, although the bulk of recent cases have involved cases brought by conservative Christians.
Prior to the 2020 incident at the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center, Damon Landor had not cut his hair for almost 20 years, following a practice known as “the Nazarite vow.”
Democrats seek investigation into agency messages blaming Democrats for the shutdown
A group of Senate Democrats is pushing for an investigation into the Trump administration’s use of federal agency websites and emails to post partisan messages blaming Democrats for the government shutdown.
In a letter obtained by NBC News, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and other Democrats are asking the Government Accountability Office to open a probe into whether the political messages violated federal appropriations laws.
The lawmakers point specifically to a rule that prohibits the executive branch from using funds for “purely partisan” purposes. They are asking for more information from the GAO to see if several agencies violated laws that pertain to ethics and partisan political activity.
From jailed jihadist to the Oval Office: Syria’s president caps unlikely rise with Trump meeting
The Oval Office is a long way from Abu Ghraib.
When he’s greeted by Trump today, Ahmad al-Sharaa will have completed his journey from jihadist leader to head of state receiving a warm White House welcome.
Since toppling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, Syria‘s interim leader has spent the past year transforming his global image while tackling deep divisions at home.
Now, al-Sharaa, who has thrown off his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, will make history as the first Syrian president to visit the White House.
Trump administration cannot withhold $4 billion in SNAP benefits, appeals court rules
A federal appeals court late yesterday allowed a judge’s order to stand that directs the Trump administration to fully fund this month’s food aid benefits for 42 million low-income Americans during the ongoing government shutdown.
The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to halt Thursday’s decision by a Rhode Island judge requiring the U.S. Agriculture Department to spend $4 billion set aside for other purposes to ensure Americans receive full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits.
Trump pardons Rudy Giuliani and others involved in bid to overturn 2020 election, pardon attorney says
Trump has pardoned Rudy Giuliani and scores of others accused of involvement in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, the president's pardon attorney said late last night.
Ed Martin posted a proclamation on X, which says Giuliani and scores of others will be pardoned for alleged activities linked to the 2020 election. Martin was replying to his own X message from May in which he said “No MAGA left behind.”
Trump has yet to comment publicly. NBC News has asked the White House for comment.
Senators advance tentative deal to end the government shutdown
Senators struck an agreement Sunday, projecting confidence that it will be sufficient to end the lengthy U.S. government shutdown, three sources with direct knowledge of the details told NBC News.
The agreement, reached by a group of Democrats who teamed up with Republicans, cleared the first hurdle on a vote of 60-40 to advance in a late-night Senate vote. If it’s approved, it would then need to pass the House and gain Trump’s signature to become law and reopen the government.
Even if it has enough support to clear those hurdles, the process is expected to take days.
