NTD News Today

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a challenge on Tuesday to a federal law restricting political parties from coordinating spending with candidates. The case pits those who say the First Amendment vigorously protects political speech against those who say the restrictions are needed to prevent corruption and the appearance of corruption in the political process.Miami voters still have to choose their next mayor, and their choice could show how the city's political leaning has evolved ahead of the 2026 midterms. A crowded pool of 13 candidates was on the Nov. 4 ballot, but none gained the majority needed to win. A runoff between the two highest-polling picks is taking place today.

President Donald Trump plans to announce on Monday a $12 billion economic assistance package for farmers, according to a White House official.Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices signaled on Monday they will uphold the legality of President Trump's firing of a Federal Trade Commission member.

President Donald Trump's newly released national security strategy states, "The Era of Mass Migration Is Over."War Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is increasing its focus on defending its own interests. He accuses previous administrations after the Cold War of not putting America first in their policies.Our guest provides analysis on this and on what the strategy says about China.Japan has lodged a strong protest after a Chinese jet locked radar on Japanese fighters.Japan and Australia are calling for calm and both nations say they will keep a close eye on Chinese military activity.A major, magnitude 7 earthquake rocked Alaska on Saturday. It was felt as far away as Canada.

A panel of experts selected by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Friday voted to recommend federal officials stop directing parents to get their infants quickly vaccinated against hepatitis B, unless the babies' mothers test positive for the virus.

President Donald Trump will bring leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda together in Washington on Thursday to sign new deals aimed at stabilizing a war-scarred region and attracting Western mining investment. Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi are expected to pledge their commitment to an economic integration compact already agreed to last month, as well as a U.S.-brokered peace deal reached in June but still not implemented.Lawmakers on Capitol Hill will receive a classified briefing today from Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, the Navy commander who reportedly ordered a follow-up strike that killed survivors of an attack on an alleged drug-smuggling boat near Venezuela. Admiral Bradley now leads U.S. Special Operations Command. He will brief top House and Senate lawmakers as pressure builds on Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it has suspended the processing of all immigration applications from 19 countries, including Afghanistan and Somalia, citing national security and public safety concerns. The action comes a week after an Afghan national was arrested for shooting two National Guard members near the White House, killing one and critically wounding the other. The suspension includes green card and U.S. citizenship processing, according to a memorandum.The House Homeland Security Committee will hear testimonies from leaders of law enforcement associations regarding how anti-law enforcement rhetoric is fueling violence against officers nationwide.

President Donald Trump will hold his ninth cabinet meeting since returning to office. According to the White House, the meeting is scheduled to start at 11:30am ET. NTD will have live coverage of the meeting.U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin confirmed on Dec. 2. Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Witkoff and Kushner would be the only U.S. representatives present. The discussion comes as Trump continues his push to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, which has raged for nearly four years. Witkoff and Putin last met in August.

Tough issues have yet to be resolved following U.S.–Ukrainian talks in Florida, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, as he and other Ukrainian officials toured Europe to rally their allies. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy is heading to Moscow to brief the Kremlin. Zelenskyy arrived in Paris to rally support from French President Emmanuel Macron, and will travel to Ireland tomorrow. Ukraine's defense minister attended an EU counterparts meeting in Brussels today.Luigi Mangione is due in New York state court today. He's accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson a year ago. His attorneys are seeking to have evidence thrown out of court, including a notebook and a nine-millimeter handgun that prosecutors say matches the one used in the killing. The prosecution says the notebook contains passages describing Mangione's intent to “wack” a health insurance executive. His lawyers argue that investigators seized the items illegally from the 27-year-old's backpack without a warrant.

Rubio and Witkoff are Meeting with Ukraine's Negotiators in Florida | NTD News Today (Nov. 30)

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” and remove foreign nationals who are “incapable of loving” the United States, saying the steps were necessary to allow for the U.S. system's full recovery.Hong Kong authorities said on Friday that the search for survivors after a massive fire tore through a residential complex in the New Territories, killing at least 128 people, has ended. About 200 people remain unaccounted for.

FBI Director Kash Patel spoke Thursday about the daytime shooting of two National Guard members in Washington by a man authorities said is an Afghan national. Speaking at a press conference, Patel said there is “confirmation” the man “had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces,” and that the FBI is “fully investigating that aspect of his background.”The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York City at 8 a.m. ET on Thursday.

A fire spread across seven high-rise apartment buildings in a Hong Kong housing complex, killing 13 people and leaving others still trapped, the city's fire services said Wednesday.The Kremlin said U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and several other key U.S. officials will visit Moscow next week for discussions on a possible peace plan for Ukraine.

Russia launched a fresh barrage of drones and missiles at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Tuesday, killing several people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could visit the United States in the coming days to finalize a deal with President Donald Trump to end the Russia–Ukraine war, Kyiv's national security chief Rustem Umerov said on Tuesday.President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spoke by phone on Monday amid tensions between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan. “President Trump gave a brief explanation of the recent state of U.S.–China relations,” Takaichi told reporters following her call with Trump.

The United States and Ukraine on Monday sought to narrow the gaps in a peace plan to end the war with Russia after agreeing to modify a U.S. proposal. Washington and Kyiv said in a joint statement that they had drafted a "refined peace framework" after talks in Geneva on Sunday.British Members of Parliament are questioning BBC Chair Samir Shah on Monday over the broadcaster's editorial policies in the wake of the controversy over its editing of President Donald Trump's Jan. 6, 2021, speech.

President Donald Trump says Ukraine has shown zero gratitude for U.S. efforts to end the war. More on the divisions and controversies surrounding America's peace proposal.Top U.S. negotiators are in Geneva today discussing their proposed Russia–Ukraine peace plan with Ukrainian and European counterparts. A former lead Army intelligence coordinator shares his insight.

President Donald Trump will meet with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House on Friday. Mamdani commented on the planned meeting during a Nov. 20 press conference, describing the visit as “customary.” Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist whose campaign to run America's most populous city drew national attention, is set to take office on Jan. 1, 2026. The mayor-elect has already sparred publicly with Trump, who has threatened to reduce federal funding to the city.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was ready for “honest” work with the United States to bring an end to the war with Russia. His comments came after discussions with a top U.S. Army official following revelations of a plan devised by the Trump administration. The White House confirmed on Nov. 20 that it has been working with both Russia and Ukraine over the past month to develop a peace plan aimed at ending the conflict, following media reports of a leaked proposal.

U.S. employers added 119,000 jobs in September, according to data delayed for weeks by the government shutdown. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4 percent from 4.3 percent in August. The increase in payrolls was more than double the 50,000 economists had forecast. But Labor Department revisions showed that the economy lost 4,000 jobs in August instead of gaining 22,000 as originally reported.Former Vice President Dick Cheney's funeral will be held in Washington National Cathedral on Thursday. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden will attend the service. Bush will deliver a tribute at the funeral.

The Senate passed a bill unanimously on Tuesday requiring the Department of Justice to release more files related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The bill now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature, as the House passed the bill earlier in the day by 427-1. The president has said he would sign the bill if it came to his desk. The Epstein Files Transparency Act would order the Department of Justice to release “in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” related to Epstein no later than 30 days after the bill's enactment.Trump will deliver a speech at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum on Wednesday, according to a schedule released by the White House. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will also be in attendance. The investment summit will include the heads of Salesforce, Qualcomm, Pfizer, the Cleveland Clinic, Chevron, and Aramco, Saudi Arabia's state-owned petroleum and natural gas company.

President Donald Trump changed course on Sunday evening on his previous opposition to a resolution ordering the release of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After previously speaking out against the Democrat-led discharge petition, Trump is now calling on his party to vote for the resolution when it comes up this week.The Federal Aviation Administration terminated its order to reduce flights out of U.S. airports on Nov. 17 as the country moves to return to normal air traffic in the aftermath of the government shutdown. The flight reduction emergency order expired at 6 a.m. on Monday, enabling normal operations to resume across the National Airspace System, according to the federal agency.

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (Nov. 16)

President Donald Trump this week elaborated more on how he would deal with health care subsidies and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), suggesting an account for citizens where payments can be made for health-related issues. Trump wrote in a Nov. 8 post on Truth Social that Senate Republicans should direct hundreds of billions in funding away from insurance companies and into people's accounts, allowing them to purchase their own health insurance.The federal government has reopened after Trump signed the funding bill passed by Congress. Government employees are returning to work, with regular paychecks also resuming. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told CNN that most SNAP recipients should receive benefits by the end of this week, providing relief to the almost 42 million people who stopped receiving the benefits this month. The Trump Administration also withdrew its emergency application to the Supreme Court related to SNAP benefits.

After more than 40 days, Congress has passed legislation to end the government shutdown. The bill funds the government through Jan. 30. It also includes three full-year appropriations bills to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture through Sept. 30, 2026. Left only with time until the end of January to fund the government long-term, appropriators will have to come up with legislation soon to fund the agencies that did not get full-year appropriations.Attorneys for former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James will try to disqualify interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan on Thursday. The defense attorneys will argue that a U.S. attorney can only serve 120 days on a temporary basis before needing Senate confirmation. If the judge concludes that Halligan's appointment is invalid, the decision could be a fatal blow to the cases against both Comey and James.

President Donald Trump is marking Veterans Day on Tuesday with a new proclamation honoring America's service members. Trump will also lay a wreath and deliver remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. The president called upon federal, state, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and participate in patriotic activities in their communities.Trump is taking his dispute with magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll to the Supreme Court. On Monday, Trump asked the nation's highest court to review the $5 million civil judgment against him. Trump's lawyers argued that the judge in that trial made a number of errors.

President Donald Trump will host Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday in what is the first visit by a Syrian leader to Washington. The meeting comes six months after Trump and Sharaa met in Saudi Arabia and just days after the United States and the United Nations lifted terrorism-related sanctions on the Syrian leader.Air travel across the United States is in turmoil as the government shutdown triggers massive flight cancellations and delays. More than 2,700 flights were canceled and over 10,000 were delayed on Sunday, marking the worst day of travel disruption since the shutdown began.

Trump: $2,000 For Every American — Paid For By Tariffs

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House on Friday. It is the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders since Trump's return to office in January. The two leaders are expected to discuss Hungary's reliance on Russian oil. Trump has insisted that European nations stop buying Russian petroleum products as a way of slashing Moscow's funding for its war in Ukraine.Some 40 airports across the United States are being forced to decrease the number of flights, starting on Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the decision on Wednesday, as it struggles with personnel shortages due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Food stamp recipients will receive up to 65 percent of their normal benefits in November, according to court filings by Trump administration officials on Nov. 5. That's an increase on the 50 percent outlined in previous filings and in a U.S. Department of Agriculture memorandum sent to states on Tuesday.As President Donald Trump toured Asia in late October, an Epoch Times reporter traveling with the White House entourage met with repeated roadblocks in accessing key press events, which fit an ongoing pattern of interference by communist authorities in Beijing. Along with its sister media outlet NTD, The Epoch Times was ultimately denied access to two key press events in which world leaders gathered in late October—the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits. Both summits revealed the regional power of China's communist regime, which signed trade pacts and pressed for stronger trade ties with nations already heavily tethered to China economically.

Democrats swept a trio of races on Tuesday in the first major elections since Donald Trump regained the presidency. In New York City, 34-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral race. And in Virginia and New Jersey, moderate Democrats Abigail Spanberger, 46, and Mikie Sherrill, 53, won their respective elections for governor with commanding leads.The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Wednesday over the legality of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs in a case with implications for the global economy. The arguments are set to begin at 10 a.m. EST.

Americans in states and localities across the country are heading to the polls on Tuesday to cast their votes for a variety of candidates, positions, and ballot measures.The U.S. government shutdown entered its 35th day on Tuesday, matching the record for the longest shutdown in history as Republicans and Democrats in Congress continue to blame each other for the standoff.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments this week on whether President Donald Trump has overstepped federal law with his tariffs. Trump said it would be a “disaster” for the United States if the justices failed to overturn lower court rulings that found he went too far in using an emergency powers law to put his tariffs in place. But the president said he won't go to the Supreme Court to hear the arguments in person.Nov. 4 is the first major election day of Trump's second term. Heated races in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City will test the popularity of Republicans—and the ideology of democratic socialism.

The United States is now one month into the government shutdown. With food stamps set to lapse, some state governments are resorting to emergency measures. In a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump called on Republicans to "Get rid of the Filibuster," thereby bypassing the need to rely on votes from Senate Democrats. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will join House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to address the media on the shutdown.FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X that the agency prevented "a potential terrorist attack" over Halloween weekend. He said the FBI arrested multiple suspects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack.

During an interview on Fox Business on Thursday morning, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States and China could sign a trade agreement as soon as next week. He also said the United States would enact a one-year suspension of Entity List restrictions. China has agreed to purchase millions of metric tons of U.S. soybeans in the coming years, said Bessent.Hurricane Melissa churned across the Atlantic Ocean toward Bermuda on Thursday after thrashing Cuba's second-biggest city, unleashing devastation on Jamaica and drenching Haiti. According to the National Hurricane Center, Melissa weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moved northeast through the Bahamas on Thursday morning.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States and South Korea had "pretty much finalized" a deal on trade. His comments came at a dinner hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, after a lavish welcome and gift-giving ceremony where Trump was awarded the country's highest award. The two allies unveiled a deal in late July under which Seoul would avoid the worst of U.S. tariffs on its imports.Hurricane Melissa is making its way across Cuba on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, a day after making landfall in Jamaica as one of the region's strongest storms on record. Cuban authorities have evacuated more than 735,000 people. Melissa rapidly strengthened in recent days, making forecasting more difficult.

President Donald Trump met with business leaders in Japan on Tuesday. Around 20 companies from Japan and the United States are exploring projects related to Tokyo's pledge to invest $490 billion in America. The president said the U.S.–Japan partnership is a cornerstone of mutual prosperity and Asian-Pacific security.Hurricane Melissa reached category 5 status on Monday, making it the strongest Atlantic storm so far this year. Melissa is currently bearing down on Jamaica. The island nation hasn't taken a direct hit from a hurricane in more than a decade.

President Donald Trump was greeted by Japan's Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in the heart of Tokyo on Monday, as part of the president's Asia trip aimed at securing trade deals, investment, and increased defense spending. Trump will meet with Japan's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, on Tuesday.A U.S. Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet went down in the South China Sea in two separate incidents on Sunday. All five personnel involved in the two incidents—three onboard the helicopter and two onboard the fighter jet—were recovered safely. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the crashes could have been caused by “bad fuel.” He ruled out foul play and said there was nothing to hide.

President Trump begins his high-stakes Asia trip by brokering a peace deal in Malaysia — and signs a flurry of trade agreements after issuing a warning to Hamas.Clashes broke out overnight outside Portland's ICE facility. Meanwhile, National Guard deployment is on hold as the courts weigh a decision.Can we “resistance-train” the brain the way we do the body — to boost performance and keep it healthier, longer? Vital Signs' Brendon Fallon shares insights from a professor of medicine and brain-health expert.

The holiday season is approaching, and the gridlock on Capitol Hill could affect people's travel plans. The Trump administration and Republican leaders in Congress warned on Thursday that flight disruptions would increase as the government shutdown enters its fourth week. At present, approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA officers are working without pay. The controllers' first missed paycheck will come due on Oct. 28, which is expected to cause more absences among workers.An illegal immigrant truck driver from India is accused of causing a fiery crash that killed three people in Southern California. Federal officials now say the driver involved should not have had a commercial license.

As the government shutdown entered its 23rd day, senators have failed to reopen the government for the 12th time. A vote planned for Thursday afternoon aims to pay federal workers on the job during the shutdown. One Democratic senator is vowing to continue to "put country over party" as he repeatedly breaks ranks in both word and action.Vice President JD Vance criticized the Israeli parliament's vote on West Bank annexation on Thursday, saying it amounted to an insult and went against the Trump administration's policies and efforts to ensure that the U.S.-brokered cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group holds in Gaza. The Israeli parliament on Wednesday narrowly passed a symbolic preliminary vote in support of annexing the occupied West Bank.

Ukraine said Russia launched more than 400 drones and nearly 30 missiles in an overnight attack, killing six people. The air assault targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure—the latest Russian attempt to cripple the country's energy system as winter approaches. The attack followed President Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday that he is holding off on plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.A routine immigration enforcement sweep in New York City's Chinatown district escalated quickly on Tuesday. Federal agents with ICE and Border Patrol moved in on street vendors accused of selling counterfeit handbags and electronics. Crowds gathered within minutes, shouting and blocking agents' vehicles. Homeland Security later said the operation was part of a broader crackdown on sellers of counterfeit goods.

Vice President JD Vance is in Israel as Washington tries to stabilize the first phase of the Gaza cease-fire and push Israel and the Hamas terrorist group toward the next phase. Vance will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hold a press conference later on Tuesday.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that President Donald Trump can deploy National Guard troops into Portland. The three-judge panel granted the Justice Department's request to lift a lower court block on the deployment. The court said the move was an appropriate response after protesters damaged a federal building and threatened ICE officers.

President Donald Trump will host Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House for the first time on Monday. Albanese is vowing to put Australia's national interest at the forefront of talks, with a focus on defense, trade, and regional security.Amazon's cloud services unit Amazon Web Services was recovering on Monday from a widespread outage that knocked out thousands of websites, along with some of the world's most popular apps, and disrupted businesses globally. After roughly three hours of disruptions, systems were gradually coming back online, with AWS saying it was seeing "significant signs of recovery" for some impacted services.

The Israeli military said it launched airstrikes and artillery fire at targets in southern Gaza on Sunday, Oct. 19, in response to Hamas violating the cease-fire agreement.Tens of thousands took to the streets across the United States on Saturday for the "No Kings" protests. We'll take you to Chicago, where NTD's Chris Bob was on the ground with demonstrators.Is there a real possibility of economic or strategic decoupling between the United States and China? Our expert panel weighs in as U.S.–China trade tensions build.It took only a couple of minutes for thieves to rob the famous Louvre Museum—while tourists were still inside. The thieves reportedly stole pieces of jewelry from the Napoleon collection.How can regenerative medicine, including stem cell therapy, help ease the pain of arthritis? Brendon Fallon, host of "Vital Signs," shares insights from a leading rehabilitation and pain medicine specialist.

President Donald Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday as part of a renewed effort to end the conflict in Ukraine. This will be Zelenskyy's third visit to the White House this year.New York City mayoral candidates Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, and Curtis Sliwa squared off for a debate on Thursday in a bid for the seat that current Mayor Eric Adams is vacating in 2026. Cuomo served as governor of New York from 2011 to 2021, and is running as an independent. Mamdani, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, has served as a member of the New York Assembly for the borough of Queens since 2021. Republican candidate Sliwa, founder of the crime patrol group Guardian Angels, previously ran for New York City mayor in 2021, but lost to Adams.

The federal government's partial shutdown has entered its 16th day. The Senate is planning to vote at 11 a.m. ET for a 10th time on the short-term funding bill, but that vote is expected to fail again. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other House GOP leaders are holding a press conference at 10 a.m. ET. NTD will have live coverage of that event.Israel says it has identified two more hostages among the bodies returned from Gaza. Israel's army said the bodies of 27-year-old Inbar Hayman and 39-year-old Sgt. Muhammad al-Atarash were handed over by the Hamas terrorist group on Wednesday night. Hayman was the last known female hostage still held in Gaza after being kidnapped from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023. President Donald Trump said the United States is helping Israel recover the bodies of those still missing.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a dispute over the composition of Louisiana electoral districts on Wednesday. A group of black voters has appealed a lower court's finding that a voting map that added a second black-majority congressional district in Louisiana was guided too much by racial considerations in violation of the constitutional promise of equal protection under the law. This is the second time the Supreme Court will hear arguments in this case.Israel released the identities of three deceased hostages on Oct. 15 that had been handed over by the Hamas terrorist group a day earlier, but said a fourth set of remains transferred by Hamas did not match any of the hostages. The IDF has notified the families of the three men following the completion of the identification process. In response to reports that Hamas was handing over the remains of the dead hostages more slowly than agreed, the Israeli military said it would cut aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip.

President Donald Trump is visiting Egypt on Monday to chair a peace deal signing ceremony—dubbed the “Summit for Peace”—that will end the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group.Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages on Monday. The releases came as Trump was in Israel to celebrate the U.S.-brokered cease-fire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. An Egyptian official said 154 Palestinian prisoners who were released and deported by Israel had arrived in Egypt at the Rafah crossing with Gaza.

Vance: Release of 20 Living Hostages Could Be in the Next 24 Hours; New Threat to the Epoch Times? | NTD News Today (Oct. 12)

President Donald Trump on Friday announced that he has canceled his planned meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Both leaders were expected to meet during Trump's visit to South Korea during the APEC summit later this month. “I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,” Trump said on Truth Social. He accused Beijing of taking a hostile and unprecedented step by sending letters to countries around the world announcing new export controls on rare earth elements and other key materials. He pledged to take countermeasures.A cease-fire came into effect in Gaza at 12 p.m. local time on Friday. According to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, CENTCOM has confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces completed the first phase of its withdrawal to the yellow line by 12 p.m. The Israeli military also confirmed the withdrawal.

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the Gaza hostages should be released on Monday or Tuesday and that he hopes to attend a signing ceremony in Egypt. Trump opened a White House Cabinet meeting to discuss the deal reached on Wednesday. He said he believed it would lead to "lasting peace."Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages celebrated after news of the pact between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza and return home all the Israeli hostages, both living and dead. Israeli Prime Minister's Office spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said that a cease-fire would take effect in Gaza "within 24 hours" of a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty in federal court on Oct. 8 to charges of making a false statement and obstructing a congressional proceeding. Comey, 64, dressed in a dark suit and red tie, sat quietly at the defense table throughout the proceeding. His attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, requested a jury trial. The tentative trial date is Jan. 5.There are no votes scheduled for Wednesday on new funding proposals after both Republican and Democratic plans failed four times. Instead, the Senate is using its floor time for confirmations and other measures. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has floated the idea of a limited bill to ensure pay for U.S. troops and air traffic controllers, though Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has argued that the best solution would be to just reopen the government.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney is making his second visit to the White House in five months on Tuesday under increasing pressure to address U.S. tariffs on steel, autos, and other goods that are hurting Canada's economy.U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told a Senate panel on Tuesday that the Justice Department was ending the "weaponization of justice.” Bondi, appearing before the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee, said the department was "returning to our core mission of fighting real crime," citing the surge in federal law enforcement activity in Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee.