The European Union (EU) has officially begun accession talks with Ukraine despite its ongoing war with Russia. A delegation from Ukraine will participate in an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg to formally commence efforts to align Ukrainian laws and standards with those of the EU. Separately, Moldova, which applied for EU membership shortly after the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, will join in its own intergovernmental conference to initiate accession talks.
“Ukraine is returning to Europe,” President Volodymyr Zelensky declared after the EU agreed to initiate the talks.
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Ukraine must harmonize its laws and standards across 35 critical areas with the EU, covering everything from the movement of goods to the judicial system. Approval from all 27 member states is required to either open or close each policy chapter.
Ukraine aims to achieve EU membership by 2030 but must first undertake extensive institutional and legal reforms, focusing particularly on anti-corruption measures. The country often ranks as the most corrupt in Europe. In recent months, the theft of money to pay for fortifications in the Kharkov (Kharkiv) region assisted in a significant Russian breakthrough.
The EU has exerted considerable influence in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia since 2014, during the Maidan coup. In May, Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-chief of The National Pulse, explained that the Maidan “was an act of war.”
Kassam also commented on recent developments, noting criticism among the Western media-political class of Reform Party leader Nigel Farage as “pro-Putin” due to his view the EU and NATO helped to instigate the war.
Kassam highlighted the “blackout” in British media with respect to criticism of Zelensky.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Kremlin envoy proposed a rail tunnel between Russia and Alaska, suggesting it could be built by Elon Musk’s Boring Company.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Kirill Dmitriev, Elon Musk, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and President Donald J. Trump.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The proposal was floated on X (formerly Twitter), following discussions between Putin and Trump in Alaska in August.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Elon Musk, imagine connecting the U.S. and Russia, the Americas and Afro-Eurasia, with the Putin-Trump Tunnel – a 70-mile link symbolising unity.” – Kirill Dmitriev
🎯IMPACT: The proposal aims to connect continents and promote economic and political collaboration, though challenges related to logistics and the Ukrainewar make it appear unlikely.
IN FULL
A senior Russian official has proposed building a tunnel beneath the Bering Strait to connect the Russian Far East with Alaska, reviving a decades-old vision of linking Eurasia and North America. Kirill Dmitriev, Moscow’s special envoy for economic and investment cooperation, introduced the idea on social media, referring to the project as the “Putin-Trump Tunnel.” The 70-mile rail link, he claimed, could be constructed in just eight years using tunneling technology developed by Elon Musk’s Boring Company.
Dmitriev said the project could cost as little as $8 billion, far below traditional estimates of around $65 billion, and could be jointly funded by Russia and international partners. He presented the tunnel as a symbolic and strategic project, saying it would unite Russia and the United States while enabling shared access to Arctic resources. “Elon Musk, imagine connecting the U.S. and Russia, the Americas and Afro-Eurasia, with the Putin-Trump Tunnel – a 70-mile link symbolising unity,” Dmitriev posted on X. He added that it would establish Musk’s Boring Company as “the most exciting infrastructure innovator ever.”
.@elonmusk, imagine connecting the US and Russia, the Americas and the Afro-Eurasia with the Putin-Trump Tunnel – a 70-mile link symbolizing unity. Traditional costs are $65B+, but @boringcompany‘s tech could reduce it to <$8B. Let’s build a future together! 🇺🇸🤝🇷🇺🧵 👇 https://t.co/boCVb8xqjlpic.twitter.com/QXmTYAduqm
Dmitriev’s tunnel idea echoes earlier visions of a transcontinental link between Siberia and Alaska, including the so-called “World Peace Bridge” proposed in the 1960s. Asked about the tunnel during a press event alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, President Donald J. Trump called the proposal “interesting,” while Zelensky said he was “not happy” about it.
Notably, the tunnel suggestion comes amid renewed dialogue between President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war. The two met in Alaska in August, where they discussed a possible ceasefire in Ukraine and a framework for future negotiations.
Recent reports indicate the meeting was fractious, with Putin engaging in a “rambling historical discursion spanning medieval princes such as Rurik of Novgorod and Yaroslav the Wise, along with the 17th-century Cossack chieftain Bohdan Khmelnytsky… to support his claim Ukraine and Russia are one nation.” Trump is said to have been unimpressed by Putin’s intransigent attitude, raising his voice “several times.”
More recently, however, Trump has agreed to a second meeting with Putin, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán saying it will be hosted in Budapest.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “A tunnel from Russia to Alaska. That’s an interesting—what do you think of that, Mr. President? Do you have any ideas? How do you like that idea?”
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: “I’m not happy with this.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought has announced a pause on over $11 billion of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects due to the Senate Democrats shutting down the federal government.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Russ Vought, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Trump administration, and Senate Democrats.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced Friday; projects impacted in cities including New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Baltimore.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The Democrat shutdown has drained the Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to manage billions of dollars in projects.” – Russ Vought
🎯IMPACT: Federal projects paused, thousands of layoffs expected.
IN FULL
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will immediately pause, and potentially cancel, over $11 billion in projects due to the ongoing government shutdown, according to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought. The Project 2025 veteran made the announcement in a post on X, stating, “The Democrat shutdown has drained the Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to manage billions of dollars in projects.”
These paused funds pertain to what Vought described as “lower-priority projects” in cities including Democrat-run New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Baltimore.
Vought has been vocal about the consequences of the shutdown, but also describes the funding lapse as an “opportunity” to streamline federal operations. President Donald J. Trump has echoes this sentiment, meeting with Vought to discuss which “Democrat agencies” can be defunded.
The White House has indicated that the shutdown will result in significant federal workforce reductions. While over 4,000 reduction-in-force notices have already been issued, Vought has suggested the total layoffs could exceed 10,000. However, a federal judge appointed by Bill Clinton temporarily blocked the administration from firing government workers during the shutdown on Wednesday afternoon.
The Democrat shutdown has drained the Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to manage billions of dollars in projects. The Corps will be immediately pausing over $11 billion in lower-priority projects & considering them for cancellation, including projects in New York, San Francisco,…
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) criticized President Donald J. Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during an appearance on MSNBC.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: John Thune, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and MSNBC’s Ali Vitali.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The comments were made during an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I think that if I were a woman, I’d be talking to my doctor and not taking advice from RFK, or any other government bureaucrat for that matter.” – John Thune
🎯IMPACT: Thune’s remarks highlight ongoing issues with GOP lawmakers being out of step with the Trump administration and its priorities.
IN FULL
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has taken shots at President Donald J. Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show. Speaking to Ali Vitali, Thune boasted that the Senate GOP was at odds with the White House on multiple issues, including the use of Tylenol during pregnancy, which President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have warned could increase the risk of autism.
Asked if he “feel[s] the way RFK Jr. Is talking about [Tylenol] is dangerous,” Thune bluntly stated, “I think that if I were a woman, I’d be talking to my doctor and not taking advice from RFK, or any other government bureaucrat for that matter.”
He stressed he could provide “plenty of examples” of issues where he disagrees with the Trump administration, and implied he believes he and the Senate GOP have a mandate to go against the President, as the Senate is “a co-equal independent branch of the government.”
President Trump has previously expressed particular frustration that Thune and the Senate GOP allowed Senate Democrats to obstruct the appointment of many of his nominees for months. However, Thune finally began stopping the Democrats from preventing the President from exercising his electoral mandate in recent weeks, by considering his nominees in batches.
JUST IN: Senate Majority Leader John Thune tells Americans not to take HHS Secretary RFK Jr’s health advice.
This guy has always been a Republican in name only.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former National Security Adviser John Bolton pleaded not guilty to 18 charges related to mishandling classified information.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: John Bolton, Judge Timothy Sullivan, and federal prosecutors in Maryland.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Bolton appeared in a Maryland federal court on Friday morning, October 20, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The underlying facts in this case were investigated and resolved years ago,” claimed Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell.
🎯IMPACT: Bolton faces decades in prison if convicted, with his next court date set for November 21.
IN FULL
John Bolton, the former National Security Adviser to President Donald J. Trump turned anti-Trump activist, pleaded not guilty on Friday to 18 counts of mishandling classified information. The charges arise from claims that he improperly kept and disseminated national defense details via his personal email and a messaging app. A Maryland grand jury’s indictment alleges he shared over 1,000 pages of personal notes from his White House tenure.
Bolton appeared in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, before Judge Timothy Sullivan, who permitted him to stay out of custody provided he turns over his passport. His next hearing is set for November 21. Each of the 18 charges could result in up to 10 years behind bars.
Bolton’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, claims his actions were probed and dismissed long ago. “The underlying facts in this case were investigated and resolved years ago,” Lowell argued.
The probe into Bolton’s treatment of classified materials traces to the publication of his book, The Room Where It Happened. Bolton has charged that Trump is weaponizing the Department of Justice (DOJ) against his rivals. Trump dismissed the allegations and labelled the longtime war hawk a “bad guy.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Prince Andrew has announced he will no longer use his royal titles or honours.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Prince Andrew, King Charles III, and the Royal Family.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: October 17, 2025; United Kingdom.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I vigorously deny the accusations against me.” – Prince Andrew
🎯IMPACT: Prince Andrew further detaching himself from his family may mitigate any further damage he can inflict on it.
IN FULL
Prince Andrew has announced his decision to no longer use his royal title or the honours previously conferred upon him following discussions with his older brother, King Charles III.
“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life. With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” the statement reads.
Prince Andrew is best known for his ties to deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, which significantly damaged his family’s reputation. This saw him step back from official duties in 2019, while Queen Elizabeth II was still on the throne. He has attempted to remain largely out of the limelight since then, but reports have emerged in recent days that he held meetings with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spymaster Cai Qi, now the effective chief of staff to Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, in 2018 and 2019.
Reports suggest that the King regarded this latest scandal as the final straw, causing him to ask his brother to renounce his titles.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. budgetdeficit decreased by $41 billion to $1.775 trillion in fiscal year 2025.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. Treasury Department, and American taxpayers.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The smaller deficit was aided by a record $195 billion in net customs receipts for the fiscal year.” – Treasury Department Report
🎯IMPACT: The deficit reduction marks the first decrease since 2022, driven by increased tariff revenues.
IN FULL
The U.S. budget deficit dropped by $41 billion to $1.775 trillion for fiscal year 2025, according to the Treasury Department. This decline occurred even as overall revenues rose, with a key factor being the tariffs enacted by President Donald J. Trump.
The Treasury reported that the fiscal year, which concluded on September 30, represented the first annual deficit decrease since 2022. Officials credited the improvement to record net customs receipts of $195 billion, up $118 billion from the year before, driven by the new Trump tariffs.
Customs receipts for September alone hit a peak of $29.7 billion. These results cover nearly nine months of Trump’s second term, during which his tariff measures have been influential.
Meanwhile, the White House is preparing to relax tariffs affecting the U.S. auto sector, which could aid car manufacturers seeking exemptions from steeper import fees. The Commerce Department intends to reveal a five-year extension to lower automakers’ tariff expenses on imported vehicle components.
The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to review a legal dispute over Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs next month. An unfavorable decision could significantly alter the economic landscape, as well as America’s leverage in international trade.
Fresh tariffs on kitchen cabinets, vanities, timber, and select wood products have just gone into effect, to level the playing field for American producers.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The British government is considering delaying municipal elections for over five million voters amid concerns that victories for Nigel Farage’s Reform Party could disrupt the governing Labour Party’s plans for local government reform.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Conservative (Tory) Party county council leaders, Reform, Labour, and Nigel Farage.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Seven English county councils in Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampshire, Surrey, Essex, East and West Sussex; elections currently scheduled for May 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Now it looks like the Labour government will accede to these demands and once again democracy will be denied in all of these counties. That is a complete total outrage.” – Nigel Farage.
🎯IMPACT: Potential postponements could extend Conservative (Tory) council terms and hinder Reform’s electoral progress.
IN FULL
The British government is considering delaying local council elections for over five million residents following requests from seven Conservative (Tory) county council leaders for a second time. The move would delay elections to 2027.
The Conservative council leaders, representing Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampshire, Surrey, Essex, East Sussex, and West Sussex, expect Reform to win, and argue that holding elections now would be a waste of resources if incoming councils are soon replaced local government reforms proposed by the governing Labour Party.
Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has pushed back against the attmept to postpone the elections again on X, saying, “Now it looks like the Labour government will accede to these demands and once again democracy will be denied in all of these counties. That is a complete total outrage, it’ll mean that people elected back in 2021 will be serving six, seven, who knows how long their terms will be.”
Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice also strongly condemned the potential delay. “Trying to cancel hundreds more council elections for a second year… Destroying democracy,” he said, accusing the government of being “terrified” of Reform’s rising support.
In early 2025, the Labour government also delayed council elections in nine areas until 2026, citing a supposed need to align them with planned structural changes. Critics called that decision undemocratic, and some peers in the House of Lords attempted to overturn the measure, though the effort was ultimately defeated.
In May 2025, Reform made major gains in local elections, winning hundreds of council seats and securing a parliamentary by-election victory.
The establishment are planning to cancel local elections again.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that American teenagers have lower sperm counts and testosterone levels than men in their sixties during a White House event addressing fertility issues.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald J. Trump, and Medicare administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.
📍WHEN & WHERE: October 16, at the White House during an event promoting greater fertility drug access under the Trump administration.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Today, the average teenager in this country has 50 percent of the sperm count, 50 percent of the testosterone as a 65-year-old man.” – Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
🎯IMPACT: The remarks have renewed the debate over declining U.S. fertility rates.
IN FULL
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has issued a stark warning about the state of American fertility, calling the ongoing decline a national security concern. Speaking alongside President Donald J. Trump, Kennedy pointed to a dramatic drop in birth rates over the past several decades, emphasizing the urgency of the crisis. “When my uncle [John F. Kennedy] was President, the fertility rate in this country was 3.5 percent,” he said. “Today, it is 1.6 percent. The replacement rate, in other words the amount of fertility that you need in order to keep your population even, is 2.1 percent. We are below replacement right now. That is a national security threat to our country.”
Kennedy, 71, also highlighted the deteriorating reproductive health of America’s youth, stating, “Today, the average teenager in this country has 50 percent of the sperm count, 50 percent of the testosterone as a 65-year-old man. Our girls are hitting puberty six years early, and that’s bad, but also our parents aren’t having children. Parents who want to have children do not have access.”
Highlighting issues such as exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, Kennedy praised President Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative for taking concrete steps to address such hidden health hazards.
Recent CDC data supports Kennedy’s concerns. The total fertility rate in the United States fell to 54.4 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 in 2023. While the raw number of births slightly increased, the general fertility rate continued to decline, especially among younger women. Demographers warn that if left unchecked, this could lead to long-term economic and social consequences.
Joining Kennedy at the event, Medicare administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz expressed optimism about reversing the trend. “The fundamental creative force in society is about making babies,” Oz said. “We’ve been under-babied for years.”
Kennedy’s remarks reflect a broader push within HHS to reorient U.S. public health around long-term well-being and national resilience. Since taking office, he has led efforts to reduce America’s dependency on foreign pharmaceutical supplies, challenged corporate influence in health policy, and rejected global mandates that don’t align with U.S. priorities, while successfully pressing major companies to eliminate synthetic dyes and other dubious ingredients from the national food and drugs supply.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The British communications regulator, Ofcom, is insisting that the U.S. Constitution does not protect Americans from British censorship laws it is seeking to apply to American citizens and companies online.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ofcom, the 4chan imageboard, lawyer Preston Byrne, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
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💬KEY QUOTE: “Every threat and penalty—including threats of multi-year prison terms—contained in these letters pertains to speech and conduct which is constitutionally protected in the United States,” said Preston Byrne, representing 4chan.
🎯IMPACT: Ofcom’s arguments directly contradict assurances from Prime Minister Starmer that the draconian Online Safety Act would not affect American Internet users.
IN FULL
Britain’s communications regulator, Ofcom, has asserted that the U.S. Constitution, including the First Amendment, does not prevent it from imposing sanctions under the draconian Online Safety Act, even against U.S.-based companies. This assertion comes amid a growing legal dispute with the 4chan imageboard, which has refused to comply with information requests issued by Ofcom.
Ofcom recently fined 4chan £20,000 ($26.7k) for failing to respond to its statutory notices and warned of further daily penalties. The regulator argues that the Online Safety Act, which came into force earlier this year, applies to any online platform accessible in the United Kingdom, regardless of where it is based. In its correspondence with 4chan, Ofcom stated that the platform’s claims of constitutional protections, especially under the First Amendment, were not relevant, and that it can apply its enforcement powers internationally regardless of U.S. law.
The Online Safety Act gives Ofcom broad authority to compel companies to monitor and remove supposedly harmful online content. Critics, including civil liberties advocates and U.S. lawmakers, have warned that the law imposes sweeping censorship obligations, going well beyond child pornography and other obviously criminal content. For instance, parliamentary debates on Muslim grooming gangs have already been taken down to satisfy its requirements.
In response to Ofcom’s actions, 4chan and Kiwi Farms, another U.S.-based platform, filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the British regulator’s demands. The lawsuit argues that the Online Safety Act, as applied to American companies and speech, violates the First Amendment and attempts to impose British law extraterritorially. Legal counsel for the platforms has said the enforcement notices are void and unenforceable in the United States.
“Every threat and penalty—including threats of multi-year prison terms—contained in these letters pertains to speech and conduct which is constitutionally protected in the United States,” 4chan’s lawyer Preston Byrne argued.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government has defended the law, describing it as a necessary measure to protect children and users from online harm. Starmer also previously insisted that the legislation is not intended to censor Americans—claiming, “We wouldn’t want to reach across U.S. citizens, and we don’t, and that’s absolutely right”—but Ofcom’s actions against 4chan suggest this was untrue.
A federal court has yet to rule on whether Ofcom’s orders can be enforced or recognized under U.S. law. In the meantime, Ofcom has stated it will continue to pursue penalties and reserves the right to escalate enforcement, including blocking access to noncompliant sites.
A key legal stance of 4chan is — paraphrased by Ofcom — “Ofcom has no power to enforce UK laws in the US.”
Simple, right?
The UK Ofcom has officially stated that, “We do not accept this point.”
That’s right. According to UK Ofcom, they feel that they have the power to enforce… pic.twitter.com/hL5laZxjaa
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Two federal courts ruled against actions taken by the Trump administration involving National Guard deployments in Illinois and the withholding of funding for New York City.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D), New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, U.S. District Judge April M. Perry (Joe Biden appointee), and U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan (Bill Clinton appointee).
📍WHEN & WHERE: Rulings were issued on October 16, 2025, affecting Illinois and New York.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This is about control,” Governor Pritzker complained of Trump’s efforts to restore order and protect federal law enforcement in Chicago.
🎯IMPACT: The rulings limit presidential authority over National Guard deployment and federal funding, setting the stage for further legal battles.
IN FULL
The Trump administration faced two legal defeats Thursday as federal courts blocked efforts to deploy the National Guard in Illinois and withhold federal funding from New York City.
In Illinois, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld a lower court order issued by U.S. District Judge April M. Perry—a Joe Biden appointee—preventing the federalization of the Illinois National Guard. The court ruled that President Donald J. Trump’s actions did not meet the legal standards under 10 U.S.C. § 12406, which permits the President to mobilize National Guard troops during a rebellion or the threat of one. “The facts do not justify the President’s actions in Illinois under § 12406,” the court claimed, adding that “political opposition is not rebellion.”
This decision came after a Texas National Guard unit had already arrived near Chicago. While those troops remain under federal command, the court prohibited their activation until the case is resolved. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D), who strongly opposed the deployment, alleged, “For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control.”
The Illinois case is the latest in a series of legal battles over Trump’s efforts to assert federal control over state-based military forces. Earlier this month, a federal judge in Oregon blocked a similar attempt to send troops into Portland to protect U.S. federal law enforcement personnel and buildings, ruling that the situation did not justify military intervention. In June, California Governor Gavin Newsom lost a suit challenging Trump’s federalization of the California Guard, though the court warned such actions are still subject to judicial review.
In a separate ruling on Thursday, Bill Clinton-appointed U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan ordered the federal government to restore $33.9 million in funding to New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Trump administration had withheld the funds due to the city’s sanctuary policies, but Kaplan claimed the move was “arbitrary, capricious, and a blatant violation of the law.” The judge ruled that the funding must be reinstated immediately.
New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul (D) and Attorney General Letitia James—recently indicted for mortgage fraud—welcomed the decision.
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