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Trump and China’s Xi meet face-to-face to try to solve trade tensions

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Trump and China’s Xi meet face-to-face to try to solve trade tensions

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President Donald Trump‘s administration is restricting the number of refugees admitted annually to the United States to 7,500 and they will mostly be white South Africans, a dramatic drop announced Thursday that effectively suspends America’s traditional role as a haven for those fleeing war and persecution.

No reason was given for the numbers, which are a significant decrease from last year’s ceiling of 125,000 people, set under the Biden administration.

The notice published on the Federal Register said only that the admission of the 7,500 refugees during 2026 fiscal year was “justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.”

The Associated Press previously reported that the administration was considering admitting as few as 7,500 refugees and mostly white South Africans.

News from Trump’s trip to Asia:

  • Trump announces plans to lower tariffs on China: The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that the U.S. would lower tariffs implemented earlier this year as punishment on China for its selling of chemicals used to make fentanyl from 20% to 10%. That brings the total combined tariff rate on China down from 57% to 47%.
  • Nuclear weapons testing: Trump appeared to suggest the U.S. will resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in three decades, saying it would be on an “equal basis” with Russia and China. Trump offered few details but made the announcement on social media minutes before he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
  • 25 million metric tons of soybeans: China has agreed to purchase the substantial sum of soybeans from the U.S. annually as part of an agreement reached by its leaders, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday.

Israel will resume military strikes on targets within Israeli-occupied zone of Palestinian territory, official says

The guarantors of the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal have told Hamas that Israel will resume — and they will not object to — military strikes on targets within the Israeli-occupied zone of the Palestinian territory after a deadline for militants to leave the area expired Thursday.

A senior U.S. official said that in messages passed to Hamas by Egypt and Qatar on Wednesday the group was told its remaining fighters in the yellow zone had 24 hours to leave or face Israeli strikes. After the deadline passed, the official said, “Israel will enforce the ceasefire and engage Hamas targets behind the yellow line.”

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic conversations.

National Guard ‘quick reaction forces’ to be trained in civil unrest

National Guard soldiers patrol at Union Station, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

National Guard soldiers patrol at Union Station, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Military leaders have ordered the National Guard in every state to develop a “quick reaction force” of troops trained to deal with civil disturbances and riots that can be ready to deploy with just hours’ notice.

It’s the latest indication of longer-term Trump administration plans to more readily send soldiers into U.S. streets.

A set of memos circulated this month direct Guard units in all 50 states and the U.S. territories to train a contingent of soldiers in a specialized course that includes the proper use of batons, body shields, stun guns and pepper spray.

The memos, reported earlier by The Guardian, give various numbers for each state’s force — often 500 each — that total more than 23,000 troops in all.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Washington, DC, will cover benefits for SNAP and WIC recipients

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said she has authorized local funds to be used to make sure that residents enrolled in SNAP and WIC receive their November benefits despite the federal shutdown and federal aid suspension.

According to the D.C. government, about 85,000 District households receive SNAP each month, and 8,300 households receive WIC benefits, which allows them to purchase items such as baby formula.

“We were hopeful it wouldn’t come to this — and we still need the federal government to reopen as soon as possible — but for right now, we’re moving forward to ensure we take care of DC residents in November,” Bowser said in a statement.

Ranking Senate Democrats investigate the financing of Trump’s White House ballroom

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said they are launching an investigation into the donors and money flowing to the renovation and construction project.

“The public has a right to know exactly who is funding the destruction of a protected historic structure, how much they are contributing, and what, if anything, they have been promised in return,” the senators said in a statement.

They are the top Democrats on the three committees with jurisdiction over the White House and its construction projects.

Trump’s recent trade deal involves rare earth minerals. What are they and why does China dominate the global supply?

U.S. President Donald Trump has been making headlines this week as he spends time in Asia signing trade deals with different nations in many areas, including rare earth minerals. So what are they? (AP Video by Mike Householder)

▶ Read more about rare earths here

East Wing demolition blocked from view at White House Halloween event

Construction is pictured before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to greet families during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Construction is pictured before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to greet families during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The construction for Trump’s planned ballroom was mostly hidden behind a white wall as attendees gathered on the South Lawn for the event. Above the wall, large construction machinery could be seen in the area.

Top Democrats slam Trump administration over new refugee limits

Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said in a joint statement with other Democratic lawmakers that the Trump administration is defying federal laws.

“This bizarre presidential determination is not only morally indefensible, it is illegal and invalid,” they said.

The Trump administration is “skipping over the tens of thousands of refugees who have been waiting in line for years,” and “prioritizing a single privileged racial group—white South African Afrikaners,” they said.

The administration has not yet consulted with Congress about its plan, as is required by law. They said the process that exists to ensure such decisions reflect “the rule of law, not the racial preferences or political whims of any one president.”

Attorneys are frustrated Border Patrol official is no longer required daily in court

Attorneys representing the coalition of protesters and journalists suing federal authorities over allegations of excessive use of force expressed frustration Thursday over senior Border Patrol official Greg Bovino no longer being required to appear in court daily.

“Defendant Bovino himself has stated publicly that the reporting requirement the government now challenges poses no obstacle to his work,” the attorneys said in a Thursday court filing. “Indeed, he said after the district court’s order that he ‘looks forward’ to reporting to Judge Ellis.”

An appeals court intervened Wednesday and suddenly blocked an order that required Bovino to give unprecedented daily briefings to a judge about immigration sweeps in Chicago. The suspension came just hours before his first meeting with the judge.

Trump and first lady hand out candy at White House Halloween celebration

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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in a Halloween at the White House event on the South Lawn, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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President Donald Trump, center left, and first lady Melania Trump, center right, greet families during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, fourth from right, and his wife Katie Miller, seated center, attend a Halloween event before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to greet families during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to participate in a Halloween at the White House event on the South Lawn, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, center, and Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, third right, attend a Halloween event before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to greet families on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The president and his wife opted against costumes, but Trump, in his regular suit, wore a red hat that said “USA” while the first lady wore a beige coat.

The young children of White House staffers — accompanied by their parents — were among the first in line of costumed trick-or-treaters to get candy from the Trumps.

Hegseth orders the military to send lawyers temporarily to the Justice Department

“I am directing you to collectively identify 48 attorneys and 4 paralegals from within your Military Department who may be suitable for detail” to the Justice Department to act as special assistant U.S. attorneys, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a memo this week and reviewed by The Associated Press.

It’s the latest effort to send military and civilian attorneys working for the Pentagon to the Justice Department, this time to staff offices based along the U.S. southern border or where federal immigration enforcement operations are taking place.

The memo says the Justice Department asked for 20 lawyers to help support its offices in Memphis, where the National Guard has been deployed by Trump; 12 for West Texas — specifically for the cities of El Paso, Del Rio and Midland — and three lawyers and two paralegals for Las Cruces, New Mexico.

▶ Read more about Hegseth’s order

JUST IN: Hegseth orders military to send dozens of lawyers to help Justice Department in Memphis, near Mexico border, AP learns

App that helps shoppers find grocery deals sees unprecedented demand amid SNAP suspension

On Monday, Flashfood saw twice as many people downloading its app as usual; by Wednesday, downloads were eight times higher. Flashfood said Thursday that its app has 1.5 million downloads.

The Toronto-based app partners with 2,000 North American grocery stores to offer discounts on food that is nearing its expiration date. The company works with Kroger, Meijer, Piggly Wiggly and Giant Eagle, among other chains.

Flashfood says it has rerouted more than 145 million pounds (65.8 million kilograms) of food from landfills and saved shoppers more than $370 million since it was founded a decade ago.

See the White House’s decorations ahead of the Trumps’ Halloween event

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The White House is decorated for Halloween before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in Halloween at the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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The White House is decorated for Halloween before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in Halloween at the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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The White House is decorated for Halloween before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in Halloween at the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Justice Department is investigating the Black Lives Matter movement, AP sources say

The Justice Department is investigating whether leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement defrauded donors who contributed millions of dollars during racial justice protests in 2020.

That’s according to multiple people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

In recent weeks, federal law enforcement officials have issued subpoenas and warrants as part of an investigation into the Black-led organizations that helped spark a national reckoning on systemic racism.

The investigation invites fresh scrutiny to a foundation whose leaders in recent years have faced criticism about their public accounting of donations.

The recent burst of investigative activity is also unfolding at a time when civil rights groups have raised concerns about the Trump administration targeting left-leaning groups.

▶ Read more about the investigation

JUST IN: Justice Department investigating whether leaders in the Black Lives Matters movement defrauded donors, sources tell AP

Food banks and their communities react over looming SNAP funding lapse

People continue to line up at food banks across the nation despite looming concerns over federal funding for SNAP. The program supports about 40 million people with food assistance. (AP video: Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos and Tassanee Vejpongsa)

Duffy warns of Thanksgiving travel woes if the shutdown doesn’t end soon

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks alongside Vice President JD Vance about the impact of the government shutdown on the aviation industry, outside of the West Wing of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks alongside Vice President JD Vance about the impact of the government shutdown on the aviation industry, outside of the West Wing of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“Our traffic will be snarled. It will be a disaster in aviation,” Duffy told reporters outside the White House after a closed-door meeting with aviation industry leaders and Vice President JD Vance.

That’s because air traffic controllers will have missed at least two full paychecks by Thanksgiving, Duffy said, which could lead to more of them calling out sick.

US orders non-essential diplomats, embassy families to leave Mali due to unrest

The State Department has ordered non-essential U.S. diplomats and their families to leave Mali due to terrorism threats and a severe fuel crisis stemming from a jihadi group’s blockade of fuel tankers entering the landlocked West African nation.

Just two days after repeating a warning from American citizens to leave Mali, the department on Thursday said it had moved to so-called “ordered departure” status for non-essential embassy personnel and families from the capital of Bamako. “Ordered departure” requires those covered to leave, although they do so at government expense.

The al-Qaida-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin group, or JNIM, announced in September that it was imposing a blockade on tanker trucks entering Mali as part of its fight against the country’s military authorities. The group’s fighters have set more than 100 trucks on fire, paralyzing the country’s fuel supply.

California senators urge Justice Department to withdraw election monitors

FILE - Voters wait in line to cast there ballot at a polling place at Rowan College in Mt Laurel, N.J., Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILE – Voters wait in line to cast there ballot at a polling place at Rowan College in Mt Laurel, N.J., Oct. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

California’s Democratic senators are demanding the U.S. Justice Department immediately cancel plans to send federal election observers to the state for its statewide election next week.

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff wrote that the plan is based on “blatantly partisan motivations” and is “clearly linked” to President Donald Trump’s most recent attack on the legitimacy of California’s elections.

“Watch how totally dishonest the California Prop Vote is!” Trump wrote last weekend on Truth Social, referring to Proposition 50, the lone issue on the state’s special election ballot Tuesday.

The senators told Bondi that Trump’s statement “is a stain on this deployment and any actions that the department might attempt to take based on it.”

They said the department should — at a minimum — provide greater transparency and coordinate with state and local election administrators “to prevent any activities that may lead to voter intimidation or interference with elections.”

Atlanta will stop water cutoffs and evictions to ease shutdown impacts

FILE - Mayor Andre Dickens gives the final State of the City address of his first term at Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)

FILE – Mayor Andre Dickens gives the final State of the City address of his first term at Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Thursday that because of the SNAP benefit cutoff, the city will stop cutting off water service to people who don’t pay their bills and that city-owned or funded housing will stop evicting people or charging them late fees.

Both measures will last through Jan. 31.

Dickens said the effort is intended to help people who are losing SNAP benefits or federal workers going without pay, but said eligibility would be “pretty open” to anyone requesting help.

The announcement came as the Atlanta Community Food Bank said it would spend $5 million in reserves to bolster food supplies.

Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, has declined to consider state aid for SNAP recipients, although the state has more than $14 billion in reserve cash. Dickens, a Democrat likely to be reelected on Tuesday, said “this might be a good time” to use some of that surplus.

Another lawsuit challenges suspension of SNAP benefits for tens of millions of Americans

A coalition of cities together with community, business and union organizations filed a lawsuit Thursday that aims to ensure food benefits for tens of millions of low-income Americans don’t get halted this weekend by the Trump administration.

The lawsuit comes as a federal judge in Boston heard a motion on a similar lawsuit over SNAP, saying she expected to make a ruling later Thursday. The program could be suspended as early as Saturday due to the government shutdown.

Volunteer Joel Hernandez helps load a vehicle during a food distribution targeting federal employee households affected by the federal shutdown as well as SNAP recipients, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Volunteer Joel Hernandez helps load a vehicle during a food distribution targeting federal employee households affected by the federal shutdown as well as SNAP recipients, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

“Denying millions of Americans access to basic food security is unlawful and unconscionable, and it threatens to push local nonprofit food banks, food pantries, and other organizations beyond the breaking point,” Diane Yentel, president and CEO, National Council of Nonprofits.

The SNAP program, which costs about $8 billion per month, serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net.

Refugee organizations denounce drastic cuts made in the slashed refugee admittance cap

Refugee advocacy groups are sharing strong reactions to the Trump administration’s new limit on entries from last year’s ceiling of 125,000 set under Democratic President Joe Biden to 7,500, who will most ly be white South Africans.

“By privileging Afrikaners while continuing to ban thousands of refugees who have already been vetted and approved, the administration is once again politicizing a humanitarian program,” Sharif Aly, president of IRAP, said in a statement.

“Concentrating the vast majority of admissions on one group undermines the program’s purpose as well as its credibility,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President & CEO of Global Refuge.

Human Rights First condemned the decision as a “new low point” in U.S. foreign policy.

“This decision will further destabilize front-line states that host over two-thirds of the world’s nearly 43 million refugees, undermining U.S. national security in tandem,” said Uzra Zeya, president of Human Rights First.

Democratic senators say Trump’s ballroom is ‘likely a misuse of federal authority’

The top Democrats on three Senate committees are suggesting to Trump that his proposed White House ballroom is “unauthorized, unprecedented” and a “likely misuse of federal authority.”

The senators raised conflict-of-interest concerns about major government contractors being among the donors contributing to the $300 million project, saying it presented a “profound risk of pay-to-play corruption.”

In a letter sent to Trumpthey request an itemized list of donors, the amounts they gave and if any are foreigner individuals or entities. They also ask for a detailed breakdown of the ballroom plan’s finances, They also ask what steps are being taken to preserve furniture and other historical items previously in the East Wing.

The letter’s signers were: Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, ranking member of the environmental committee, Martin Heinrich, ranking member of the energy committee and Gary Peters, ranking member of the government affairs committee.

Illinois governor’s ask to halt immigration crackdown for Halloween dismissed

Illinois Gov JB Pritzker’s request to “suspend” a Chicago area immigration crackdown during Halloween has been shutdown by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Pritzker made the request this week after federal agents deployed a chemical agent in a Chicago neighborhood preparing up for a Halloween parade. Neighbors said several children were affected and U.S. citizens were among those handcuffed.

The crackdown that started nearly two months ago has led to tense clashes and roughly 3,000 arrests across Chicago’s metro area, which includes parts of Indiana.

Pritzker says Illinois families “deserve to spend Halloween without fear.”
But Noem says immigration agents are keeping communities safe and blasted Pritzker’s request as “shameful.” She spoke to reporters in Gary, Indiana, after highlighting recent arrests.

UN official blasts Trump’s announcement that US will restart nuclear weapons testing

The top U.N. official on Thursday blasted President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States will restart its testing of nuclear weapons.

Antonio Guterres, the U.N. Secretary General, said in a statement that “current nuclear risks are already alarmingly high” for any other countries to join in.

“We must never forget the disastrous legacy of over 2,000 nuclear weapons tests carried out over the last 80 years,” he said, according to his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haqq. “Nuclear testing can never be permitted under any circumstances.”

Kamala Harris voted for California’s partisan plan to redraw US House maps

Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

The former vice president said Proposition 50 is California’s chance to fight back against President Donald Trump’s plan to gain more GOP seats in Texas and other states.

“We as Californians are standing up to level the playing field,” Harris said in a social media post.

Voting concludes Nov. 4. If passes, it would realign district boundaries to make as many as five additional seats winnable for Democrats in next year’s midterm elections. Republicans currently hold nine of the state’s 52 congressional seats.

Warner calls partisan briefing on boat strikes ‘outrageous’

The top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee said that the Trump administration’s gradual efforts to block Democrats from briefings on national security matters is “against every norm of how national security policy has worked” and “an erosion of trust” with the public.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said Thursday that a partisan briefing on the U.S. military’s boat strikes in waters off South America this week was “outrageous” and should have never happened.

Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to examine worldwide threats at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)

Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to examine worldwide threats at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)

“Every United States senator ought to read in,” Warner told reporters. “And until that happens, I don’t know how you even begin to rebuild trust.”

Warner criticized Republican senators who attended the meeting, including members of leadership and more moderate members of the GOP conference. He said that “somebody should have walked out.”

The briefing came as the Senate is expected to vote next week on a war powers resolution that would prohibit strikes in or near Venezuela, unless Congress approves the military action.

Oklahoma agency plans worker furloughs in response to federal shutdown

The head of the Oklahoma Human Services agency notified employees via email Wednesday that as a result of the federal shutdown they plan to furlough employees who make more than $50,000 annually, effective Nov. 2.

The agency also plans to implement a hiring freeze for most positions, eliminate most travel and overtime, and reduce or suspend some of its contracts, according to the email from OHS Director Jeffrey Cartmell.

“As you know, nearly 75% of OKDHS’ funding comes from federal sources,” Cartmell wrote in the email obtained by The Associated Press.

“After exhausting every available option to minimize the impact on staff and sustain essential operations, the continuing lapse in federal appropriations leaves us no choice but to implement these temporary measures.”

Last-minute scramble over pay takes a toll on military families during the shutdown

The government shutdown is exacting a heavy mental toll on the nation’s military familiesleaving them not knowing from week to week whether their paychecks will arrive.

Alicia Blevins, whose husband is a Marine, said she’s going to see a therapist in large part because of the grinding uncertainty.

“I don’t feel like I have the tools to deal with this,” said Blevins, 33, who lives at Camp Lejeune, a Marine base near North Carolina’s coast. “I don’t want to dump all this on my husband. He’s got men that he’s in charge of. He’s got enough to deal with.”

Even though the Trump administration has found ways to pay the troops twice since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, the process has been fraught with anxiety for many Americans in uniform and their loved ones. Both times, they were left hanging until the last minute.

Trump administration limits number of refugees to 7,500 and they’re mostly white South Africans

The Trump administration is restricting the number of refugees it admits into the country to 7,500 and they will mostly be white South Africans, a dramatic drop after the U.S. previously allowed in hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and persecution from around the world.

The administration published the news Thursday in a notice on the Federal Register.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau greets Afrikaner refugees from South Africa, May 12, 2025, at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau greets Afrikaner refugees from South Africa, May 12, 2025, at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

No reason was given for the numbers, which are a dramatic decrease from last year’s ceiling set under the Biden administration of 125,000. The Associated Press previously reported that the administration was considering admitting as few as 7,500 refugees and mostly white South Africans.

The memo said only that the admission of the 7,500 refugees during 2026 fiscal year was “justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.”

▶ Read more about refugee admissions

JUST IN: Trump administration is slashing refugee admissions to 7,500 and making them mostly white South Africans

Vance and Duffy will hold roundtable to discuss shutdown impacts on aviation

Vice President JD Vance will lead the closed-door meeting at the White House on Thursday, according to a White House official who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to share details of the meeting.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned in recent days that flight delays could grow as air traffic controllers who are missing paychecks because of the shutdown call out sick. Duffy and Vance will be joined at the roundtable by former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, and leaders from the aviation industry, according to the official.

Cuba hawk Rubio says US ready to help Cuban people recover from Hurricane Melissa

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the United States is ready to help the Cuban people recover from devastation wrought by Hurricane Melissa despite long-standing hostility between Washington and Havana, the U.S. emargo on the communist island nation and Rubio’s own harsh criticism of the Cuban government.

In a statement released Thursday, Rubio said the State Department is issuing “a Declaration of Humanitarian Assistance for Cuba and is prepared to provide immediate humanitarian assistance directly and via local partners who can most effectively deliver it to those in need.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media after visiting the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Fadel Senna/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media after visiting the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Fadel Senna/Pool Photo via AP)

He noted that current U.S. law allows for exemptions on exports to Cuba that include private donations of food, medicine, other humanitarian goods to Cuba and disaster response.

On Wednesday, U.S. officials said several dozen disaster relief workers and urban search and rescue teams are being deployed to Caribbean nations affected by the storm but didn’t mention Cuba.

US sanctions alleged human smuggling network operating out of Mexico

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on a Cancun-based human smuggling organization that has allegedly smuggled thousands of people from Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Asia into the U.S.

Bhardwaj Human Smuggling Organization and its leader Vikrant Bhardwaj and a group of firms are also accused of being involved in drug trafficking, bribery, and money laundering.

Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said the Trump administration “will continue to target and dismantle terrorist transnational criminal organizations to protect the American people.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson says the shutdown ‘has to end’

Johnson, a Republican, says it’s no surprise talks are picking up in the Senate on ways to end the government shutdown, particularly with SNAP food aid about to end Saturday.

“We’re just fed up with it,” he said at his daily news conference at the Capitol, on day 30 of the shutdown. “Turn this thing back on.”

The speaker has kept the House out of legislative session for more than a month, a remarkable closure preventing other business during the shutdown.

US stocks mixed as Wall Street sees both good and bad in Big Tech profits, US-China relations

The U.S. stock market is drifting around its record heights Thursday, as Wall Street sifts through mixed developments on everything from the U.S.-China trade war to profits for Big Tech behemoths.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% and edged a bit further from its all-time high set Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 199 points, or 0.5%, as of 10 a.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.6% from its record set the day before.

Stocks also dipped in Europe, following a mixed finish in Asia, coming off a much anticipated meeting between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies. President Trump hailed his talk with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, as a “12” on a scale of zero to 10, and Trump said he would cut tariffs on China. But while the talks may offer some stability for the near term, major tensions remain between the two countries.

▶ Read more about the financial markets

Trump’s schedule for Thursday

The president is en route back to Washington and is expected to arrive a little after 3 p.m. ET. This evening, he and first lady Melania Trump will host the annual Halloween parade at the White House.

Xi agreed to buy 25 million metric tons of soybeans annually for next 3 years, Bessent says

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added that as part of the deal President Trump struck with Xi, China will start by purchasing 12 million metric tons of soybeans from the U.S. between now and January.

“So you know, our great soybean farmers, who the Chinese used as political pawns, that’s off the table, and they should prosper in the years to come,” Bessent said in an interview on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria.”

New Trump administration rule bars student loan relief for public workers tied to ‘illegal’ activity

The Trump administration is forging ahead with plans to eject some nonprofits from a popular student loan forgiveness program if their work is deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose” — a move that could cut off some teachers, doctors and other public workers from federal loan cancellation.

New rules finalized Thursday give the Education Department expanded power to ban organizations from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The Trump administration calls it necessary to block taxpayer money from lawbreakers. Critics say it turns the program into a tool of political retribution.

Set to take effect in July, the policy is aimed primarily at organizations that work with immigrants and transgender youth.

It grants the education secretary power to exclude groups from the program if they engage in activities including the trafficking or “chemical castration” of children, illegal immigration and supporting terrorist organizations. “Chemical castration” is defined as using hormone therapy or drugs that delay puberty — gender-affirming care common for transgender children or teens.

▶ Read more about the Trump administration and student loans

Surgeon general nominee goes into labor, delaying confirmation hearing

A Senate hearing for Trump’s surgeon general pick, Casey Means, has been postponed because she went into labor.

The news from a spokesperson for the Senate health committee comes just hours before Means was scheduled to appear virtually before the committee for her confirmation hearing. It wasn’t immediately clear when the hearing would be rescheduled.

Meansa Stanford-educated physician-turned-wellness influencer, has been expecting her first child.

Catch up on the latest headlines

Trade takeaways from Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping

President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, second left, shake hands before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, second left, shake hands before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

  • Rolling back tariffs: Trump told reporters while heading home on Air Force One that he had agreed to cut his 20% tariff increase, imposed over China’s role in producing fentanyl and chemicals used to make it, to 10%. China confirmed that it will take average tariffs on Chinese goods to 47%, down from 57%. The two sides agreed to continue to work on cracking down on illicit flows of the drug into the U.S.
  • Sales of computer chips to China: Trump said he discussed U.S. sales of computer chips to China. Trump and former President Joe Biden had imposed restrictions on access to the most advanced chips such as those used for artificial intelligence. China will speak with Silicon Valley chipmaker Nvidia about purchasing its computer chips, he said. That won’t include its next-generation Blackwell AI chip, he said, “but a lot of the chips.”
  • U.S. soybeans and other farm exports: Trump said the Chinese side has committed to buying “a tremendous amount” of American soybeans, sorghum and other farm products. The Chinese side did not provide any details.
  • No TikTok deal itself: Beijing said it will work with the Trump administration to resolve issues related to TikTok’s ownership.

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The Dictatorship

Blanche’s confirmation imperiled by GOP holdouts Cornyn, Tillis

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2 months ago

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July 30, 2026

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Blanche’s confirmation imperiled by GOP holdouts Cornyn, Tillis

The Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination, a spokesperson said late Wednesday, as two retiring Republicans on the panel dug in over President Donald Trump’s personal “anti-weaponization” deal with the government he runs.

Sen. Chuck Grassley’s decision to delay the committee vote that had been set for Thursday marks a setback for one of Trump’s highest-profile Cabinet nominees, at the hands of Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a pair of Republicans set to leave the chamber next year.

“Chairman Grassley works to set President Trump’s nominees up for success in committee, not failure. Senators Cornyn and Tillis want written assurances from the Department of Justice regarding the Trump-IRS settlement,” the committee spokesperson said.

Blanche’s nomination to permanently head the Department of Justice needs the support of either Cornyn or Tillis to make it out of the committee to a vote by the full Senate, assuming all Democrats remain opposed.

“Why don’t you call over the Department of Justice and tell them they have one hour and 50 minutes to get me what I asked for,” Cornyn told reporters Wednesday afternoon amid the hardening standoff over his demand that Blanche and the DOJ put in writing a commitment never to pursue the president’s prized “anti-weaponization” fund, and to clarify the terms of Trump’s personal deal with the Internal Revenue Service.

Tillis told MS NOW that the conversations were complicated by the need for the Justice Department to get “several parties” to agree on the language of the statement Cornyn and Tillis are seeking.

“What I’ve advised the chair, and I would assume Senator Cornyn said something similar, is that we’re not prepared to vote yes yet,” he added.

“The Department has been in regular communication with Committee members for weeks, and we look forward to continuing to work productively with Senators to address any concerns,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in response to the decision to postpone the committee vote.

Cornyn was set to meet with Blanche on Wednesday morning, but the meeting was called off after Blanche failed to meet the senator’s demand for written proposals to modify the controversial settlement agreement he brokered between Trump and the IRS. The Republican senator is set to leave Congress when his term ends in January after a bruising May primary loss to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Trump’s chosen candidate.

“Maybe John Cornyn’s upset with me because I didn’t endorse him,” Trump told reporters Wednesday afternoon in the Oval Office. “I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t heard that there’s a problem. I heard (Blanche) is going through quite nicely.”

Cornyn made clear to Blanche during his confirmation hearing that he will not get his support until he agrees to reopen and modify the settlement. Due to the committee’s narrow Republican majority, one GOP “no” vote is enough to sink Blanche’s nomination.

The senator has asked Blanche to provide proof that the proposed nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund established as part of the deal between Trump and the IRS is formally dead, and he has also demanded Blanche narrow the tax audit immunity provisions the settlement afforded to Trump and his family.

Blanche has publicly stated that his department has dropped the fund, but he and the DOJ have dodged requests from Cornyn and a federal judge to put that in writing.

After announcing his meeting with Blanche would not take place Wednesday morning, Cornyn told reporters that changes from Blanche “in a modified release form” would be acceptable, but that “for some reason … they simply refuse to do it,” referring to the DOJ.

Shortly after the meeting was called off, a Justice Department official told MS NOW that the department “provided a written proposal to Senator Cornyn’s staff yesterday following ongoing discussion with both the Committee and the Senator’s office.”

Cornyn said that proposal was “not responsive” to his demands because it did not address the tax audit immunity provisions in the settlement, one of his key demands.

In May, Blanche signed an addendum as part of the deal that granted Trump, his family and his businesses immunity from pending IRS tax audits. That agreement, which has been decried by former IRS officials and legal experts as unlawful self-dealing, is being contested in federal court.

Cornyn noted that Blanche testified under oath that he could meet the request during his confirmation hearing.

“Maybe they think I’m just going to give up or you know, go along, but they’re mistaken,” Cornyn said when asked why he thinks the DOJ could be slow-walking his request.

Kevin Frey contributed to this report.

Sydney Carruth is a breaking news reporter covering national politics and policy for MS NOW. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at SydneyCarruth.46 or follow her work on X and Bluesky.

Mychael Schnell is a reporter for MS NOW.

Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at BLN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.

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The Dictatorship

Netanyahu leaves his visit with Trump without a clear endgame on Iran

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2 months ago

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July 30, 2026

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Netanyahu leaves his visit with Trump without a clear endgame on Iran

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived this week for his tour of Washington, he may have had a mission in mind.

Netanyahu needed to overcome his newly diminished stature and waning influence over his once close friend President Donald Trump as both leaders grapple with the unpopularity of a war they started together and is escaping their control.

His meeting at the White House with Trump on Tuesday, which was closed to the press, was the first face-to-face encounter between the two allies since the U.S. and Israel launched a joint attack against Iran on Feb. 28.

Trump gave him a muted welcome and afterwards simply described the meeting as “very good.” “Obviously, many important subjects were discussed,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

Rather than an intimate one-on-one setting, the Oval Office was full of top U.S. officials — Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

But Netanyahu continued the full court press on the Trump administration.

Over the course of two days, in addition to seeing Trump and attending Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral at the Capitol, Netanyahu also met separately with Vance, Hegseth, and Rubio, White House and Israeli officials confirmed to MS NOW.

The Israeli prime minister’s slate of meetings with key U.S. national security officials comes at a pivotal moment in the Iran conflict as tensions escalate in the region and Americans increasingly sour on the war. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows 60% of American voters opposing U.S. military action against Iran and 74% against sending U.S. ground troops into Iran.

Not only does Trump face pressure as Republicans face an uphill battle to retain congressional control in this fall’s midterms, Netanyahu’s fate as prime minister is at stake in Israel’s upcoming September elections – and he can’t afford to lose Trump’s favor.

The talks largely focused on what to do next as Iran continues to menace shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and retaliate against American bases in the region and launch attacks on Gulf allies.

According to a senior Israeli official who was granted anonymity to describe the closed-door meeting, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu did not come to a final decision after discussing three paths forward: get a “good deal” focused on Iran’s nuclear program and enriched material, have no deal and instead continue the blockade and economic pressure, or take escalated military action.

But Netanyahu did not tell Trump what he should do – nor did he express a preference.

The senior Israeli official noted Netanyahu has not ruled out diplomacy – as long as it is coupled with “very strong pressures,” calling the push to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program “a contest of will and a contest of force.”

“There are ways of squeezing them and squeezing them and squeezing them and negotiating at the same time,” the official said.

Netanyahu did not present President Trump with new intelligence regarding the underground Iranian nuclear facility Pickaxe Mountain, per the senior Israeli official, noting the U.S. and Israel already are constantly sharing intelligence – and know where Iran’s highly enriched material is. “We don’t think it’s moved, and I think we have a pretty good grasp on that,” the official said.

During their meeting on Tuesday, Trump and Netanyahu discussed ways Israel and the U.S. can work together to stop Iran’s nuclear program and get the Strait of Hormuz open to maritime trade, the senior Israeli official said.

The two leaders also discussed a third goal: to continue to undermine the Iranian regime and “possibly create future conditions for a change in that area.” U.S. officials have backed away from pursuing paths that would overthrow the current leadership, but Netanyahu still believes that could happen.

“The chasm that has been created between the people and the regime is not about to be closed,” the senior Israeli official said of Netanyahu’s thinking.

Netanyahu advised Trump in February that Israeli intelligence indicated launching strikes against Iran would lead to the toppling of the Islamic Republic’s regime – and five months later, the slain ayatollah’s son retains power with a close circle of hardliners, calling into question the accuracy of Israel’s intelligence apparatus.

But the senior Israeli official said at the time, Netanyahu did not promise the Iranian people would take fate into their own hands following a coordinated attack. Rather, he chose his words carefully and said that an attack could create conditions to “advance the probability or the possibility that that would happen.”

The conditions needed for the Iranian regime to fall, “did not materialize,” the official told MS NOW, adding, “not for lack of insight, but for either operational failure or decisions that were made.”

Despite Netanyahu insisting Israel and the U.S. are on the same page, differences still remain: the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and the Saudi nuclear arrangement did not come up during Wednesday’s White House meeting, according to a second Israeli official granted anonymity to describe sensitive discussions.

Meanwhile, the conflict continues to spread, with an Iranian drone attacking a U.S. gas storage tanker off the coast of Egypt on Wednesday.

Trump indicated he would not let Iran’s latest action slide, telling reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. would retaliate against Iran even as he leaves room for diplomatic talks to resume.

“It’s our turn, and we’ll see if we get there with an agreement at some point,” Trump said. “But we’re going to hit them very hard.”

As for what it would take for Israel to join the U.S. strikes, the senior Israeli official said that if Israel is attacked by Iran, “We will respond very, very forcefully and very quickly. And I think Iran would make a great mistake.”

Julia Jester covers politics for MS NOW and is based in Washington, D.C.

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The Dictatorship

FIFA faces global anger over plan to give Kushner brother a financial stake

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2 months ago

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July 30, 2026

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FIFA faces global anger over plan to give Kushner brother a financial stake

International rage over FIFA’s close ties to President Donald Trump has reached a fever pitch after soccer’s governing body announced a plan to sell a significant stake to an investor group led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law.

The president and his family have all but turned the White House into their personal piggy bank. And FIFA — which has its own sordid history of corruption — seems to have made itself a party to Trump’s self-enrichment under Gianni Infantino’s leadership, such as by paying for space inside Trump Tower in New York. (The organization has defended the office rental as a World Cup outpost.)

Soccer is seen by many as a unifying game. But Trump’s incorporation of FIFA into his political dynasty is threatening that idea.

As The Athletic reported:

FIFA has announced plans to sell a large minority stake in a new company that will run its main events, including the World Cup and Club World Cup, as part of a plan to triple the amount of development money it dishes out to its 211 member associations.

Under the proposals — which are subject to approval by a majority of those national associations and FIFA’s 37-member council — a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) will take over all commercial operations, while FIFA remains the game’s global governing body and retains a majority stake in FFE.

A press release from FIFA confirmed the plans and said Thrive Eternal, which was launched by Joshua Kushner, is expected to lead the investment group that would control FIFA Forward Enterprise. FIFA did not clarify why Thrive Eternal was selected, and Kushner was already dabbling in sports.

But Trump basically has already given son-in-law Jared Kushner carte blanche to dictate U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East while simultaneously hatching business plans in the region. (Jared Kushner has denied any conflicts of interest.)

Joshua Kushner reportedly has been a major donor to Democrats. But, predictably, the idea of another Kushner becoming financially entwined with the World Cup — the world’s most popular sporting event — and basically being dropped into a position of global significance isn’t going over well. Several other soccer governing bodies have expressed concerns, including Europe’s UEFA.

“This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” UEFA said in a statement about The Athletic’s report, adding: “The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee also rebuked the plan, writing on X: “Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren’t enough — now Infantino performs a kickback hat trick by pursuing a multibillion-dollar deal with Jared Kushner’s brother to sell ownership stakes in the World Cup to private investors.”

FIFA, Donald Trump’s favorite corrupt racketeering enterprise in world sports, is now going directly into business with the Trump family!

Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren’t enough—now Infantino performs a kickback hat trick by pursuing a… https://t.co/knSZibuMea

— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) July 28, 2026

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has already launched an investigation into the FIFA leader’s relationship with the Trump administration, while dozens of European lawmakers — citing concerns about “potential breaches of political neutrality” — have called for the FIFA Ethics Committee to investigate Infantino. This new proposal seems unlikely to assuage those concerns.

But what it does seem likely to do is fuel global anger toward the U.S. — the kind that has been growing since Trump retook office.

And when you consider that, it’s truly remarkable how the same MAGA movement whose members whined for years about politics mixing with sports is now in lockstep with a president who seems dead-set on casting his shadow over every sports event he can.

This post on X basically sums up the foul stench around FIFA’s latest proposal.

Sepp Blatter was Infantino’s predecessor as FIFA president and oversaw the organization amid some of its many scandals. When heof all people, is warning about how Trump and Infantino’s relationship is “deeply damaging” soccer, it’s a sign of how far FIFA has descended into the gutter.

Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.

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