Key Updates on the Trump Administration:
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Ukraine Aid Debates: President Volodymyr Zelensky passionately advocated for advanced weapons in his White House meeting with President Trump. However, Trump expressed hesitation about providing Ukraine with long-range missiles capable of striking deep within Russia. He proposed a ‘double meeting’ strategy for upcoming talks in Budapest, aiming to engage separately with both President Putin and President Zelensky to de-escalate the conflict.
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Justice Department Shake-up: A federal prosecutor and her deputy were reportedly dismissed after resisting President Trump’s demands to file charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James. This incident marks the latest in a series of actions impacting career Justice Department officials who have pushed back against the president’s campaign of retribution.
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National Guard Deployment: The Trump administration has petitioned the Supreme Court to permit the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area. Lower courts and state officials have opposed this move, arguing it constitutes an unconstitutional federal overreach.
Marines Plan Artillery Fire Over California Freeway Amid Outcry
The U.S. Marines are set to conduct a controversial demonstration this Saturday, firing 155-millimeter artillery shells over a major Southern California freeway as part of Camp Pendleton’s 250th-anniversary celebration. This plan has ignited strong opposition from Governor Gavin Newsom, who voiced his outrage late Friday upon learning that live munitions would be discharged across Interstate 5, a heavily trafficked corridor between Los Angeles and San Diego.
“This is a profoundly absurd show of force that could put Californians directly in harm’s way,” Governor Newsom stated. He criticized President Trump for what he described as a dangerous lack of coordination among state, federal, and local officials. The artillery demonstration, expected to host Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other military officials, coincides with planned “No Kings” anti-Trump protests across Southern California.
Newsom vehemently opposed the military action, asserting, “Using our military to intimidate people you disagree with isn’t strength — it’s reckless, it’s disrespectful, and it’s beneath the office the president holds.”
However, William Martin, a spokesman for Vice President Vance, countered that the Marine Corps had deemed the exercise safe and routine. “Gavin Newsom wants people to think this exercise is dangerous,” Martin stated. “The Marine Corps says it’s an established and safe practice. Newsom wants people to think this is an absurd show of force. The Marine Corps says it’s part of routine training at Camp Pendleton.” He added, “If Gavin Newsom wants to oppose the training exercises that ensure our Armed Forces are the deadliest and most lethal fighting force in the world, then he can go right ahead.”
Governor Newsom reaffirmed his support for military personnel but demanded improved communication. His office had requested additional information from the military late Friday, having received minimal details beyond a request to post warnings about live fire on electronic freeway signs.
A White House official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that authorities still intended to keep the freeway open during the demonstration.
Vice President Vance, an Iraq War veteran, along with other dignitaries, is slated to observe an “amphibious capabilities demonstration” at the Camp Pendleton base. This event may involve active-duty Marines coming ashore from the sea at an oceanfront training area known as Red Beach. This strip of shoreline, located along Interstate 5 south of the decommissioned San Onofre nuclear power plant, is closed to the public and was historically used by former President Richard M. Nixon for its security and seclusion.
As a preparatory measure for Saturday’s event, M777 howitzers fired artillery rounds from Red Beach east over Interstate 5 on Friday evening. Captain Gregory Dreibelbis, a spokesman for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, confirmed that vehicular traffic on the interstate was not halted during the test firing, calling it an “established and safe practice” as a rehearsal for the main event.
M777 howitzers typically fire 155-millimeter shells, approximately six inches in diameter and two feet long, weighing about 90 pounds, and capable of striking targets over 15 miles away. Marine officials did not specify whether Friday’s test firings involved high-explosive rounds or inert practice projectiles.
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued notices to airmen, closing some airspace near Camp Pendleton during the Vice President’s visit. Amtrak, which operates the Pacific Surfliner train, has canceled rail service in the area for Saturday afternoon.
The celebration had previously caused confusion earlier this week when Governor Newsom first expressed concerns about missiles being fired over the freeway. His office had begun preliminary plans to close the freeway, expecting further details from the federal government. However, the Marine Corps later issued a statement clarifying that all events would occur on approved training ranges, adhering to safety protocols, and that no public freeways would be closed.
Newsom expressed visible frustration over the lack of necessary details to manage traffic and potential public safety issues. “So, to be determined, what they are proposing to do,” he remarked.
In a related context, the Army staged a parade in Washington to celebrate its 250th birthday in June, and the Navy hosted the president and other officials aboard an aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia earlier this month to mark a similar milestone, an event Mr. Trump utilized as a political rally.
U.S. Nuclear Agency to Furlough Workers Amid Government Shutdown
The federal agency tasked with managing America’s arsenal of nuclear bombs and warheads, the National Nuclear Security Administration, announced plans to furlough 1,400 workers by Monday. This decision, revealed by the Energy Department on Friday, highlights the growing impact of the government shutdown as it extends into its third week.
The Energy Department confirmed that approximately 400 essential workers would remain at the agency to safeguard “property and the safety of human life.”
Created in 2000, the National Nuclear Security Administration operates as a semi-autonomous entity under the Energy Department, responsible for maintaining the nation’s nuclear stockpile and preventing global nuclear weapons proliferation. Its predecessors include the Atomic Energy Commission. The department noted this marks the first time the agency has furloughed government employees during a shutdown, despite employing nearly 100,000 contractors and subcontractors.
“We are left with no choice this time,” stated Ben Dietderich, an Energy Department spokesman, explaining that available funding had been exhausted. The agency’s Office of Secure Transportation, which is responsible for moving nuclear weapons and materials, reportedly has funding to operate through October 27.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright is scheduled to visit a nuclear security station on Monday to discuss the shutdown’s repercussions on U.S. nuclear deterrence efforts. In an interview, Wright assured that the U.S. nuclear stockpile would remain secure but warned that the shutdown could jeopardize a program aimed at replacing aging nuclear weaponry. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that modernizing America’s nuclear arsenal will cost over $900 billion in the next decade, with the Trump administration having previously pushed for a substantial increase in NNSA spending.
Representative Mike Rogers, a Republican from Alabama and chair of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed strong concern about the impending furloughs. “These are not employees that you want to go home,” Rogers stated at a news conference on Friday. “They’re managing and handling a very important strategic asset for us. They need to be at work and be paid.”
Jay Coghlan, executive director of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, a private monitoring group, indicated that while immediate nuclear safety effects were unclear, nuclear safety officers have consistently been understaffed. “There is simply not enough federal oversight as is. And then you’re talking about furloughing more,” he added.
Air Force Academy Withdraws Honorary Degree Bid for Charlie Kirk
A proposal to grant Charlie Kirk, founder of the right-wing organization Turning Point USA, an honorary degree from the United States Air Force Academy was withdrawn on Friday. The decision was made during a meeting of the academy’s alumni group directors.
Both the honorary degree motion and a proposal for honorary alumni membership for Mr. Kirk were ultimately not brought to a vote. Honorary membership in the Association of Graduates is typically reserved for individuals not graduated from the academy who have provided “outstanding and conspicuous service to the Air Force and/or the Air Force Academy.”
Mr. Kirk, who was tragically assassinated last month while delivering a speech on a college campus in Utah, had been appointed to the academy’s board of visitors by President Trump earlier this year. Despite this, he had no military service background.
Lt. Gen. Rod Bishop, a retired Air Force officer and member of the alumni association’s board of directors, sponsored the motions to honor Kirk. He declined to comment on his rationale for proposing these honors.
A spokesman for the Association of Graduates confirmed that “several hundred Air Force Academy graduates, parents and family members” had contacted them to “share their perspectives” on the proposed honors for Mr. Kirk. The board considered this input before the motions were withdrawn.
Prosecutor Fired After Resisting Trump’s Demand to Charge Letitia James
A federal prosecutor, Elizabeth Yusi, and her deputy were terminated on Friday evening, reportedly after Yusi resisted President Trump’s directives to bring charges against New York State Attorney General Letitia James. This dismissal marks the latest instance of career Justice Department officials facing repercussions for pushing back against Mr. Trump’s broad campaign of retribution against perceived political adversaries.
Yusi, who oversaw significant criminal cases in the Norfolk office of the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia, had previously informed colleagues that she found no probable cause to indict Ms. James. The specific reason for her deputy, Kristin G. Bird’s, dismissal was not immediately disclosed.
The Justice Department has not yet issued an official comment regarding the firings.
Despite the concerns raised by career prosecutors, Mr. Trump’s personally selected and inexperienced acting U.S. attorney, Lindsey Halligan, successfully secured an indictment against Ms. James last week, accusing her of mortgage fraud. The indictment alleges that Ms. James falsely claimed a Norfolk, Virginia, home as a secondary residence in loan documents, when it was in fact used as a rental property. This alleged misrepresentation allowed her to receive favorable loan terms, saving her nearly $19,000.
These recent firings occurred less than a month after Halligan’s predecessor, Erik S. Siebert, resigned under pressure from Mr. Trump. Siebert had similarly opposed Trump’s desire to charge another prominent adversary, former F.B.I. director James B. Comey.
Ultimately, Halligan proceeded with Trump’s directive in Comey’s case as well, personally presenting the case to a grand jury last month and securing an indictment against him for allegedly lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
The U.S. attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Virginia, traditionally responsible for significant terrorism and national security cases, has experienced numerous dismissals and resignations stemming from the controversial cases against Ms. James and Mr. Comey, both of whom vehemently deny the charges.
Among those terminated were Maya Song, the office’s former first assistant U.S. attorney, and her successor, Maggie Cleary, a well-known conservative lawyer in Virginia. Additionally, Troy Edwards Jr., Comey’s son-in-law and a national security prosecutor, resigned in protest. His superior, Michael P. Ben’Ary, was also dismissed after a pro-Trump social media influencer falsely accused him online of questioning Comey’s indictment.
Trump Proposes Triumphal Arch in D.C. for Nation’s 250th Anniversary
President Trump envisions a grand triumphal arch rising in a Washington roundabout, positioned directly across from the Lincoln Memorial, to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary next year.
During a White House fundraising dinner for his new ballroom project, Mr. Trump unveiled models of the proposed arch. The design features an arched structure topped with two eagles and a golden, winged angel, which Trump identified as Lady Liberty, drawing comparisons to Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe.
The arch would be situated on Memorial Circle, at the terminus of Arlington Memorial Bridge on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, within Washington, D.C. “Every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge right to the Lincoln Memorial, it’s so beautiful, they literally say, ‘Something is supposed to be here,’” Mr. Trump remarked at the dinner, which was attended by corporate executives and donors.
Expressing gratitude for the “generous” contributions, Trump hinted that residual funds might be allocated for the arch, adding, “We’ll use that probably maybe for the arch or something else that will come, but we love to fix up Washington.”
The White House did not immediately provide details regarding the arch’s funding, construction timeline, or whether its design had received approval from the National Capital Planning Commission. The commission itself is currently closed due to the ongoing government shutdown.
Mr. Trump shared an image of the proposed arch on social media. A similar illustration was previously posted by Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, a D.C.-based architect at Harrison Design, with the caption, “A proposal for a triumphal arch in DC for #America250.”
Historically, triumphal arches have been erected to celebrate notable figures or significant events, tracing back to ancient Romans who honored emperors or victorious generals, according to Jason Montgomery, a Washington, D.C.-based architect and urban designer.
In the United States, examples include the Washington Arch in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park, commemorating George Washington’s 1789 inauguration centennial, and Brooklyn’s Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch at Grand Army Plaza, honoring Union Civil War soldiers.
Montgomery described the design, location, and the decision to erect a triumphal arch for the 250th anniversary as “reasonable,” but emphasized the monument’s need to represent all Americans in this “very polarized moment.”
“Every American who comes to Washington D.C. and explores all the monuments should come to this new monument and feel that it’s speaking to their values,” said Montgomery, an associate professor of urban design at the Catholic University of America.
He further noted, “It would be ironic if those values are not represented in this monument and those values are not carried forward after this monument is built.”
The president’s arch initiative aligns with his broader goal to imbue the White House with a more opulent and gilded aesthetic, transforming the capital’s landscape. In July, Mr. Trump unveiled plans for a $200 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom off the East Wing. This raised concerns among preservation experts regarding the project’s feasibility and respect for the building’s historic integrity. Earlier this year, he controversially paved over the White House Rose Garden, redesigning it in a style reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago resort patio.
The White House has recently asserted greater control over the design and planning of federal architecture, particularly in the redevelopment plans for southwestern Washington.
Mr. Trump’s declared objective of “making federal architecture beautiful again” culminated in an August executive order mandating that federal buildings in Washington adhere to a classical Greco-Roman architectural style, mirroring the marble columns and austere halls of the Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol.
Montgomery strongly advocated for a “national conversation” before the triumphal arch’s construction begins, stressing that the monument belongs to the American people. “We are the legacy of this 250 years of history.”
However, Mr. Trump’s perspective differed. When asked on Wednesday whom the arch was for, Mr. Trump simply replied, “Me.”
Judge Mandates Body Cameras for Federal Agents in Chicago Area
A federal judge in Chicago issued an order Friday, requiring federal immigration agents already equipped with body cameras to activate them during immigration arrests and interactions with protesters and the public in the Chicago area. The ruling aims to enforce compliance with a previous order that established strict limits on agents’ use of tear gas and mandated warnings for protesters to disperse. Both orders cover 18 counties in northern Illinois, including the entire Chicago region.
The body camera directive has certain limitations: it only applies to agents who already possess and are trained to use cameras. Undercover agents are exempt, and cameras are not required in specific locations like jails and ports of entry. Judge Ellis has given the government until October 24 to submit its policies for implementing this new requirement.
During a hearing on Thursday, Judge Ellis expressed “profound concern” over whether the Trump administration was adhering to her directives regarding protest warnings and tear gas use. On Friday, she reiterated her demand for federal immigration officials to appear in court next week to address agents’ conduct towards protesters and residents during recent immigration crackdowns in the region.
Chicago-area residents have been actively protesting arrests and raids by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, particularly near an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois. These protests have occasionally led to clashes with immigration agents on Chicago streets, involving the use of tear gas.
It remains unclear which federal official from ICE or Customs and Border Protection will appear before Judge Ellis for the scheduled Monday hearing. Judge Ellis stated she would be satisfied with “someone with knowledge” who could provide an account of recent events.
In court, a Justice Department lawyer raised objections, citing logistical challenges and the need for additional personnel to review and redact video footage. The government argued that mandating cameras “would improperly draw the judiciary in overseeing law enforcement’s daily operations.”
The exact number of federal agents in the Chicago area currently equipped with body cameras is unknown. However, some homeland security officers have had cameras as per a 2022 executive order promoting their use.
The case originated from a lawsuit filed by media organizations, journalists, and protesters, accusing federal agents of “a pattern of extreme brutality” aimed at “silencing the press and civilians.”
The Department of Homeland Security has not yet responded to Judge Ellis’s new order. On Thursday, Tricia McLaughlin, a department spokeswoman, had called requiring body cameras “an extreme act of judicial activism.”
On Friday, Judge Ellis admonished the government for its perceived delay in drafting proposed language for the new body camera requirement, stating, “This was not a suggestion. It wasn’t a hint. It was an order. So I will enter it today, and I will expect that it will be followed.”
Food Stamp Benefits at Risk in November Amid Government Shutdown
The Agriculture Department issued a warning to state agencies last week, indicating that approximately 42 million low-income individuals could face significant disruptions to their food stamp benefits in November if the government shutdown persists, citing “insufficient funds.”
As a result, more than a dozen states have cautioned that food stamp recipients might experience considerable delays, reduced aid, or a complete cutoff of assistance next month.
A copy of the Agriculture Department’s letter, obtained by The New York Times, revealed that its Food and Nutrition Service, which manages the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is exploring contingency plans. However, it directed state agencies to temporarily halt sending electronic files for loading November benefits to vendors.
“We’re going to run out of money in two weeks,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins told reporters at the White House on Thursday. “So you’re talking about millions and millions of vulnerable families, of hungry families that are not going to have access to these programs because of this shutdown.”
A White House official commented that Democrats “chose to shut down the government knowing that programs like SNAP would soon run out of funds.”
This potential disruption would be unprecedented in recent decades, as benefits have consistently been available through every shutdown over the past 20 years, according to Carolyn Vega, associate director of policy analysis for Share Our Strength, an anti-poverty nonprofit. “We are in uncharted territory,” she stated.
In May, the latest month for which data is available, nearly 42 million people participated in the food stamp program, receiving an average of $188 each, totaling about $8 billion.
Nutrition policy experts have suggested several alternative funding sources. The Agriculture Department could utilize a contingency fund of about $6 billion, though this would be insufficient to cover full benefits for the month. Additionally, the Trump administration previously funded the WIC program (for mothers and children) using customs duties; this “Section 32” fund could potentially be tapped, but it primarily supports school lunch and other child nutrition initiatives, and is unlikely to fully cover both SNAP and WIC.
The agency also has regulations permitting benefit reductions based on need and household size, meaning higher-income families could see a larger percentage reduction in their November benefits. David A. Super, a law professor at Georgetown University, proposed that the Agriculture Department could interpret existing law to recognize SNAP as an entitlement program, similar to Medicare, thereby exempting it from annual appropriations and allowing continued benefit payments.
Several states, including Illinois and New York, have already declared their inability to provide funding from their own budgets. Moreover, Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth and Families warned Friday that October benefits for new enrollees might not be available before November 1.
Despite these warnings, Ms. Vega advised eligible individuals to continue applying for benefits, emphasizing the need for clarity and a swift resolution from Washington. “While a delay is certainly better than not issuing November benefits at all, even that can be really significant to a family that is counting on that money and already has a tight budget,” she concluded.
Sarah Kliff and Emily Badger contributed reporting from Washington.