Brian Allen - CNN just confirmed the [National Guard] shooter applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved in April of this year under Trump.
November 27, 2025
Heavy snow and high winds in many states
Newsweek - Residents across many states in the U.S. have been given winter storm warnings, with some areas expected to get up to 24 inches of snow and blizzard-like conditions from Thursday through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Snow and blustery conditions are likely to disrupt travel plans over Thanksgiving and into the weekend, with the NWS issuing warnings that visibility levels may fall to below a quarter of a mile in some affected areas, causing “treacherous” travel and “potentially life-threatening” conditions.”
What To Know
Several states across the U.S. are likely to experience high levels of accumulated snowfall and high winds, including Montana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Illinois.
Snow and blustery conditions are likely to disrupt travel plans over Thanksgiving and into the weekend, with the NWS issuing warnings that visibility levels may fall to below a quarter of a mile in some affected areas, causing “treacherous” travel and “potentially life-threatening” conditions.”
What To Know
Several states across the U.S. are likely to experience high levels of accumulated snowfall and high winds, including Montana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Illinois.
Trump regime puts restrictions on housing for immigrants
Newsweek - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has updated its interpretation of immigration verification requirements on Wednesday, introducing changes that immigrants advocates say “effectively deny” immigrants lawfully present in the country access to housing programs.
For Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) Coalition, which unites more than 800 organizations nationwide fighting for the rights of immigrants in the U.S., the consequences of the HUD’s redetermination are likely to extend “well beyond immigrants excluded under the notice,” the group said in a statement shared with Newsweek.
For Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) Coalition, which unites more than 800 organizations nationwide fighting for the rights of immigrants in the U.S., the consequences of the HUD’s redetermination are likely to extend “well beyond immigrants excluded under the notice,” the group said in a statement shared with Newsweek.
UPS, FedEx’s Cargo Planes To Be Grounded Over Christmas
Newsweek - United Parcel Service's (UPS) and FedEx's fleet of MD-11 cargo aircraft will likely remain grounded for months rather than weeks as had initially been expected, according to an internal memo obtained by Newsweek, potentially increasing pressure on shipping over the Christmas holiday.
The vast grounding of the Boeing-made planes follows the November 4 crash of Flight 2976 in Louisville, Kentucky, which killed 14 people, including all three crew members, and injured at least 23 others.
In the new memo, UPS Airlines president Bill Moore told employees on Wednesday that Boeing’s “ongoing evaluation shows that inspections and potential repairs will be more extensive than initially expected,” and return to service “will take several months instead of weeks.”
The vast grounding of the Boeing-made planes follows the November 4 crash of Flight 2976 in Louisville, Kentucky, which killed 14 people, including all three crew members, and injured at least 23 others.
In the new memo, UPS Airlines president Bill Moore told employees on Wednesday that Boeing’s “ongoing evaluation shows that inspections and potential repairs will be more extensive than initially expected,” and return to service “will take several months instead of weeks.”
Polls
Newsweek - The likelihood that Vice President JD Vance will become the Republican Party's nominee for the 2028 presidential election is declining, according to polls. According to polling by McLaughlin & Associates, Vance's net lead over President Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr.—in a hypothetical contest between them and other Republican figures—has decreased in recent months.....
.According to the polling, in August Vance had a 20-point lead over Trump Jr., who is in second place, with 36 percent of the vote share to Trump Jr.'s 16 percent. This lead actually increased to 28 points in September.
However, in October, his lead decreased and while Vance still enjoyed 38 percent of the vote share, Trump Jr.'s 20 percent of the share meant that just a few weeks ago Vance had a narrower 18-point lead. And in November, this lead decreased again to 10 points, with Vance on 34 percent and Trump Jr. on 24 percent.
.According to the polling, in August Vance had a 20-point lead over Trump Jr., who is in second place, with 36 percent of the vote share to Trump Jr.'s 16 percent. This lead actually increased to 28 points in September.
However, in October, his lead decreased and while Vance still enjoyed 38 percent of the vote share, Trump Jr.'s 20 percent of the share meant that just a few weeks ago Vance had a narrower 18-point lead. And in November, this lead decreased again to 10 points, with Vance on 34 percent and Trump Jr. on 24 percent.
Trump's golf tab
New Republic - Donald Trump has already spent $70 million of taxpayer money on golfing in less than a year as president. If this pace keeps up, he will spend $300 million playing golf by the time his second term ends.
20 states sue the Trump administration over cuts to homeless permanent housing funding
Politico - A coalition of 19 attorneys general and two governors on Tuesday sued the Trump administration over policy changes that would place new conditions on and significantly cut funding for permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. The coalition, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, is seeking a court order blocking the “administration’s cuts and illegal new conditions” on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care program funding.
How healthy are potatoes?
NY Times - Sweet potatoes tend to get most of the nutritional glory, but regular potatoes (russets, fingerlings, red and Yukon Golds) deserve another look. The tubers help to support your immune system, aid in various bodily functions and keep you energized.
“Potatoes often get a bad reputation” because they’re commonly eaten in the form of French fries or potato chips, said Tal Kleiner, a clinical nutrition manager at NYU Langone Health. But when they’re prepared in a healthy way, potatoes are an “amazing, nutrient-dense” food, she added.
Potatoes are high in carbohydrates (a medium-size peeled russet potato has about 35 grams), but that doesn’t make them “inherently bad,” explained Tara Schmidt, a dietitian and instructor of nutrition at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. — it just means they may not be considered an “unlimited” food.
Potatoes are complex carbs that take longer for the body to break down and digest than simple carbs, so they provide a steadier source of energy, which helps you feel fueled and fuller for longer, Ms. Kleiner said.
But certain varieties do have a high glycemic index, meaning they can rapidly spike blood sugar, Ms. Kleiner said. Diets rich in foods with a high G.I. have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. Waxy potatoes, like fingerlings and red potatoes, tend to have a lower G.I. than russet or Idaho potatoes, she explained, and boiled and roasted potatoes have a lower G.I. than fried or mashed ones.
To help manage blood sugar spikes and slow digestion, Ms. Schmidt suggested “meal balancing” by pairing potatoes with lean protein, healthy fats and nonstarchy vegetables.
“Potatoes often get a bad reputation” because they’re commonly eaten in the form of French fries or potato chips, said Tal Kleiner, a clinical nutrition manager at NYU Langone Health. But when they’re prepared in a healthy way, potatoes are an “amazing, nutrient-dense” food, she added.
Potatoes are high in carbohydrates (a medium-size peeled russet potato has about 35 grams), but that doesn’t make them “inherently bad,” explained Tara Schmidt, a dietitian and instructor of nutrition at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. — it just means they may not be considered an “unlimited” food.
Potatoes are complex carbs that take longer for the body to break down and digest than simple carbs, so they provide a steadier source of energy, which helps you feel fueled and fuller for longer, Ms. Kleiner said.
But certain varieties do have a high glycemic index, meaning they can rapidly spike blood sugar, Ms. Kleiner said. Diets rich in foods with a high G.I. have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. Waxy potatoes, like fingerlings and red potatoes, tend to have a lower G.I. than russet or Idaho potatoes, she explained, and boiled and roasted potatoes have a lower G.I. than fried or mashed ones.
To help manage blood sugar spikes and slow digestion, Ms. Schmidt suggested “meal balancing” by pairing potatoes with lean protein, healthy fats and nonstarchy vegetables.
North Carolina congressional map may add one Republican to House
NY Times - A panel of three federal judges in North Carolina on Wednesday allowed the state’s newly redrawn congressional map to go into effect for the 2026 midterm elections, a victory for the Trump administration and Republican efforts to retain control of the U.S. House next year.
The judges, at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, unanimously sided with the state’s Republican leaders, whose lawyers had argued that their motivations to draw a new map were partisan — not because of race or political retaliation, as the plaintiffs had claimed. That distinction was important because the U.S. Supreme Court effectively blessed partisan gerrymandering in a 2019 ruling.
The new North Carolina map is very likely to give Republicans an extra House seat. It was redrawn in October by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature, after Texas kicked off a redistricting effort over the summer at President Trump’s behest to help Republicans. Since then, Ohio and Missouri have also passed new maps to help the party.
The judges, at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, unanimously sided with the state’s Republican leaders, whose lawyers had argued that their motivations to draw a new map were partisan — not because of race or political retaliation, as the plaintiffs had claimed. That distinction was important because the U.S. Supreme Court effectively blessed partisan gerrymandering in a 2019 ruling.
The new North Carolina map is very likely to give Republicans an extra House seat. It was redrawn in October by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature, after Texas kicked off a redistricting effort over the summer at President Trump’s behest to help Republicans. Since then, Ohio and Missouri have also passed new maps to help the party.
A native American Thanksgiving
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NIce News - By
the time the sun has risen over San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island today,
Native Americans and visitors from all over the world will have already gathered there in droves. The Indigenous Peoples Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering, held by the International Indian Treaty Council, celebrates the resilience of Native Americans and gives thanks for the survival of their way of life.
The annual gathering, held since 1979, carries several layers of meaning,
beginning with the fact that Alcatraz is within the traditional
Ramaytush Ohlone territory. During the event, the council shares the “true history” of the first Thanksgiving:
According to the Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts, that inaugural 1637
holiday was declared by colonizers to give thanks for the massacre of
hundreds of Pequot Native Americans.
National Guard shooter worked for CIA
NY Times - The Afghan man accused of shooting two members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday had worked with C.I.A.-supported military units in Afghanistan, the agency said. The suspect worked for multiple U.S. government agencies in Afghanistan, including a C.I.A.-backed unit in the southern province of Kandahar, a stronghold of the Taliban insurgency during the two-decade war there, the C.I.A. said. Officials identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29.
November 26, 2025
American Psychological Association warns against over use of Tik Tok and Instagram
Independent UK - Excessive usage of TikTok and Instagram Reels is damaging cognitive performance, the American Psychological Association has said in a recent study.
Data from 98,299 participants across 71 studies found that the more short-form content a person watches, the poorer cognitive performances they had in terms of attention and inhibitory control - meaning the more complex they found it to focus.
Researchers found that “repeated exposure to highly stimulating, fast-paced content may contribute to habituation, in which users become desensitized to slower, more effortful cognitive tasks such as reading, problem solving, or deep learning.” In short, researchers said it can contribute to brain rot.
Data from 98,299 participants across 71 studies found that the more short-form content a person watches, the poorer cognitive performances they had in terms of attention and inhibitory control - meaning the more complex they found it to focus.
Researchers found that “repeated exposure to highly stimulating, fast-paced content may contribute to habituation, in which users become desensitized to slower, more effortful cognitive tasks such as reading, problem solving, or deep learning.” In short, researchers said it can contribute to brain rot.
Donald Trump
The Guardian - Donald Trump on Sunday appeared to endorse the discredited conspiracy theory that Venezuela’s leadership controls electronic voting software worldwide and caused his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden.
White House officials have previously said that Trump’s increasingly bellicose policy toward Venezuela is driven by concerns about migration and the drug trade. But the president’s new comment, made on Truth Social, hints that his hostility to Venezuela may also be based on an outlandish, implausible theory ruled to be false by a judge in 2023.
Fox News paid $787m in 2023 to Dominion Voting to settle a lawsuit that was based in part on identical claims about Venezuela’s supposed role in the 2020 election.
Trump wants a bigger White House ballroom. His architect disagrees.
People - Donald Trump called a White House correspondent for The New York Times "ugly, both inside and out" in a lengthy social media post on Wednesday, Nov. 26. Trump, 79, targeted reporter Katie Rogers after the outlet published a story about how his age has appeared to impact his ability to travel during his second term in office. The remarks come less than two weeks after Trump called Bloomberg correspondent Catherine Lucey "Piggy" while aboard Air Force One on Nov. 14.
Trump has argued at least 28 times that a national TV network should lose its licence
The Guardian - Trump has suggested at least 28 times over the last eight years that a television network should lose its license, according to analysis by the Guardian. But while the FCC does not actually license national networks, it does license the local television stations they own or strike affiliate deals with.
Anna M Gomez, the lone Democrat on the FCC, said after a commission meeting last week that Trump’s threats are hollow. “Aside from the ability to make things difficult for those we retaliate, this FCC is powerless to truly retaliate against a news network,” she said, noting that no local station licenses are up for renewal “any time soon.”
Anna M Gomez, the lone Democrat on the FCC, said after a commission meeting last week that Trump’s threats are hollow. “Aside from the ability to make things difficult for those we retaliate, this FCC is powerless to truly retaliate against a news network,” she said, noting that no local station licenses are up for renewal “any time soon.”
Polls
Newsweek - President Donald Trump's approval rating is negative with every pollster for the first time.As of Wednesday morning, Trump currently has an average disapproval rating of 55 percent, while 41 percent approve, according to The New York Times' polling aggregator. Polls, including Morning Consult, Ipsos, HarrisX, Quinnipiac, YouGov, and Pew Research, all show more Americans disapprove than approve of Trump's performance or favorability.
Independent, UK - Throughout the past 10 months, Trump’s deportation operation has been on full display as chaotic raids take place in Los Angeles, Chicago and most recently, Charlotte, North Carolina.
It seems Americans are not liking what they are seeing, as a new Daily Mail/JL Partners poll found that ICE has just a 34 percent approval rating. This is a four percentage point drop since last month
Trump regime allowing use of pesticides on foods
News Hour - The EPA is starting to allow the use of pesticides
containing PFAS on food. The move is part of an effort to roll back the
regulation of PFAS — also known as "forever chemicals" because they
don't break down easily in the environment.
The danger of 50 year mortgages
Patriotwise - While the allure of lower monthly payments is significant, the long-term implications of a 50-year mortgage are concerning. Borrowers could find themselves owing more than their homes are worth, a situation known as being “underwater.” This is particularly risky in markets where home prices stagnate or fall. After a decade, borrowers may have only paid off 4% of the principal, compared to 46% on a traditional 30-year mortgage. This slow equity growth exposes borrowers to excessive interest costs, potentially paying up to 225% of the home’s price over the loan’s lifetime. More
Public links Tesla to GOP
Heather Cox Richardson - Last week, a poll conducted for Global EV Alliance, made up of electric vehicle driver associations around the world, found that 52% of Americans would avoid buying a Tesla for political reasons.
Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk pumped more than $290 million into electing President Donald J. Trump and supporting the Republicans in 2024. After taking office, Trump named Musk to head the “Department of Government Efficiency,” a group that slashed through government programs and fired civil servants.
In response, protesters organized “Tesla Takedowns,” gathering at Tesla dealerships to urge people not to buy the vehicles. The protests spread internationally. In March, Trump advertised Teslas on the South Lawn of the White House to try to help slumping sales, to no avail.
Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk pumped more than $290 million into electing President Donald J. Trump and supporting the Republicans in 2024. After taking office, Trump named Musk to head the “Department of Government Efficiency,” a group that slashed through government programs and fired civil servants.
In response, protesters organized “Tesla Takedowns,” gathering at Tesla dealerships to urge people not to buy the vehicles. The protests spread internationally. In March, Trump advertised Teslas on the South Lawn of the White House to try to help slumping sales, to no avail.
Judge Dismisses Georgia Election Interference Case Against Trump
NY Times - A judge in Georgia dismissed the last pending criminal prosecution against President Trump on Wednesday, effectively ending efforts to hold him criminally responsible for attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
The president has now seen three criminal cases against him dissolve since he was re-elected last year. A number of his allies are also defendants in the Georgia racketeering case, including Rudolph W. Giuliani, his former personal lawyer, and Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff.
A motion seeking to end the prosecution was filed Wednesday morning by Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the state’s nonpartisan prosecutor council. The case was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats to Mr. Trump, because state criminal convictions are not subject to presidential pardons.
Mr. Skandalakis, a career prosecutor who ran for office early in his career as a Democrat but later as a Republican, shredded the case originally brought by Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, taking it apart charge by charge in a 22-page filing. He asserted that “it is not illegal to question or challenge election results.”
The president has now seen three criminal cases against him dissolve since he was re-elected last year. A number of his allies are also defendants in the Georgia racketeering case, including Rudolph W. Giuliani, his former personal lawyer, and Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff.
A motion seeking to end the prosecution was filed Wednesday morning by Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the state’s nonpartisan prosecutor council. The case was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats to Mr. Trump, because state criminal convictions are not subject to presidential pardons.
Mr. Skandalakis, a career prosecutor who ran for office early in his career as a Democrat but later as a Republican, shredded the case originally brought by Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, taking it apart charge by charge in a 22-page filing. He asserted that “it is not illegal to question or challenge election results.”
How to handle your Uncle Bob on Thanksgiving
Robert Reich - Most of us have an “Uncle Bob.” They’re a Trumper, or a Republican, or conservative. They disagree with us on most of the fundamental issues of our time and refuse to listen to us when we try to reason with them. But, hey, they’re a member of our family.
We’re about to have Thanksgiving dinner with them, and we don’t want it to be a disaster (as it’s sometimes been). So what do we do?
1. Try to reason with them. We’re not going to sacrifice our integrity by allowing them to spout nonsense, so we’ll take on their arguments with thoughtful (and, to the extent possible, good-natured) responses even if we don’t get anywhere.
2. If they bring up politics, humor them but don’t engage. We’ll let them express their political views if they must but not try to argue. It won’t get anywhere and will only escalate conflict and make Thanksgiving miserable.
3. Avoid all political discussion. We’ll make it clear from the start that politics is off-limits. If they say anything even slightly political, we’ll gently remind them that we’re not going there.
4. Don’t invite them (or disinvite them). We’ve decided, sadly, that there’s just no point in having them by. They’ll wreck Thanksgiving for us. We have not invited them (or we’ve decided to disinvite them).
We’re about to have Thanksgiving dinner with them, and we don’t want it to be a disaster (as it’s sometimes been). So what do we do?
1. Try to reason with them. We’re not going to sacrifice our integrity by allowing them to spout nonsense, so we’ll take on their arguments with thoughtful (and, to the extent possible, good-natured) responses even if we don’t get anywhere.
2. If they bring up politics, humor them but don’t engage. We’ll let them express their political views if they must but not try to argue. It won’t get anywhere and will only escalate conflict and make Thanksgiving miserable.
3. Avoid all political discussion. We’ll make it clear from the start that politics is off-limits. If they say anything even slightly political, we’ll gently remind them that we’re not going there.
4. Don’t invite them (or disinvite them). We’ve decided, sadly, that there’s just no point in having them by. They’ll wreck Thanksgiving for us. We have not invited them (or we’ve decided to disinvite them).
Health
NBC News - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced lower prices on 15 costly prescription drugs under Medicare that include Ozempic and Wegovy. The price cuts come through the Medicare drug price negotiation program created under the Inflation Reduction Act, which then-President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022.
It's different from Trump's "most favored nation" drug pricing approach, which relies on executive orders and voluntary deals with drugmakers — not legislation. Trump recently announced such a deal with Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, to lower the price of the drugs in exchange for tariff relief.
The negotiated prices are what Medicare will pay drugmakers for the medicines, not what patients will pay out of pocket. Those discounts will save taxpayers $12 billion, according to CMS. It's expected to save Medicare enrollees $685 million in out of pocket costs in 2027. Read the story and see the full list of reduced price drugs.
Nice News - A small trial led by researchers out of China and the U.K. has turned up
some promising news for people experiencing anxiety or depression. Half
of participants with treatment-resistant severe depression saw clinical
improvement after undergoing deep brain stimulation, or DBS, and more than a third experienced an almost total elimination of their symptoms.
The technique involves thin electrodes being implanted deep into the brain that transmit mild electrical pulses to correct aberrant activity. It’s
been used in recent years to treat a range of conditions, including —
with noted success — Parkinson’s disease.
The study also
identified a “telltale” signature of brain activity that predicted how
well individual patients responded to the treatment, a breakthrough that
could be used in the future to personalize treatment for those most likely to benefit, per a news release from the University of Cambridge.
Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental health problems worldwide, and according to Stanford Medicine, at least 10% of Americans will be affected by it at some point in their lives. Antidepressants and cognitive therapies
help many patients, but there are still high rates of treatment
resistance: Current methods fail for between 3 and 5 people. Learn more about how deep brain stimulation may help.
Meanwhile...
Heavy Snow Is Expected Across Upper Midwest Through Thanksgiving
NBC News - The Trump administration is ordering the review of all refugees admitted to the U.S. during the Biden administration.
NBC News - D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced she will not run for re-election. Her decision comes months after a delicate dance with Trump over the federal law enforcement presence in the nation's capital.
Bloomberg - The US government negotiated a 71% discount off of the list price of Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy among a slew of price cuts for patients in Medicare. It’s another headwind for Novo as it seeks to regain market share amid the booming weight-loss injection market.
NPR’s Joel Rose says people heading to the airport should expect big crowds. The Federal Aviation Administration says this could be the busiest Thanksgiving in 15 years.
The mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's 11-year-old nephew is in ICE custody after being detained earlier this month. Bruna Caroline Ferreira was arrested on Nov. 12 in Revere, Mass., a city roughly seven miles north of Boston, according to reporting by CNN and CNN affiliate WMUR.
National parks triple fees for non-Americans
The Guardian - The interior department has announced new “America-first” entrance fees for national parks, commemorative annual passes featuring Donald Trump and “resident-only patriotic fee-free days for 2026” including Trump’s birthday.
Starting next year, entrance fees for international visitors will more than triple.
According to a department press release, non-residents will be able to choose between purchasing a $250 annual pass or paying $100 per person “to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee”.
Starting next year, entrance fees for international visitors will more than triple.
According to a department press release, non-residents will be able to choose between purchasing a $250 annual pass or paying $100 per person “to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee”.
Also.....
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Photographer: Jak Wonderly |
Ukraine
The Hill - Republicans on Capitol Hill have deep misgivings about President Trump’s emerging deal to end the war in Ukraine, as key GOP lawmakers fear the administration could set the stage for further Russian aggression toward NATO allies in Europe.
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chair Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) have led the public criticism of the administration’s pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept a deal heavily tilted toward Russia’s demands.
This has put them in direct opposition to Vice President Vance, who is exercising increasing influence over U.S. attempts to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a Vance ally, has taken over as Trump’s top interlocutor with Ukraine.
Time - The 28-point peace plan for Ukraine, leaked to the press last week, left many wondering about its origins. The document repeated many of the talking points previously voiced by the Kremlin. Even the language of the plan looked to some as if it was translated from Russian. The confusion grew after a group of U.S. lawmakers claimed Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that it was a Russian proposal. Rubio was quick to deny that and insist the plan was an American one, based on “the input from the Russian side.”
Whatever the origins, the plan is a disaster for Ukraine and Europe for several reasons.
First, it would force Ukraine to voluntarily hand over to Russia territory it doesn’t control. That includes some of the most heavily fortified land in Donetsk region, which would make a new Russian assault on Kyiv an easy walk. Ukraine has always insisted that the conflict should be frozen along the current frontlines, and that a ceasefire must be a pre-condition for any further talks.
Second, it severely limits Ukraine’s sovereignty by capping the size of its armed forces to 600,000, and by forcing it to abandon NATO aspirations and enshrine neutrality in its constitution (Ukraine was constitutionally a neutral country before Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014). Giving the Russian language and Russian Orthodox Church more rights might seem like innocent provisions, but the Moscow-centered institution would increase the Kremlin’s influence inside Ukraine.
Third, the plan foresees an amnesty for “all parties”—including Russian soldiers, who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine. Among them are those responsible for a massacre of civilians in Bucha, the bombing of maternity hospitals in Mariupol, the illegal deportation of 19,500 Ukrainian children, and ongoing drone attacks on civilians in Kherson. There is a huge demand for justice inside Ukraine—and this plan does nothing to address it.
Fourth, the plan doesn’t offer any concrete security guarantees for Ukraine and relies heavily on Russia’s goodwill not to invade again. It ignores the fact that Russia has violated numerous international and bilateral commitments since 2014. It rewards and empowers the aggressor by forcing the victim to compromise on issues vital for its survival.
The plan would leave Ukraine—and Europe at large—extremely vulnerable to more, not less, Russian aggression. Nobody in Ukraine trusts Russia—the general consensus is it would use any deal or pause in the fighting to rearm, regroup, and attack again. Russia would also be more tempted to test Europe’s resolve by attacking a E.U. or NATO member, like one of the Baltic states. The German defense chief has already warned NATO to prepare for a possible attack there by 2029.
NPR - Newly released transcripts by Bloomberg show U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff coached a Russian adviser on how to pitch a Ukraine peace deal to President Trump. The transcripts were released just as Trump's peace plan appears to be making headway. During the phone call, Witkoff allegedly advises Yuri Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy adviser, on how to manage Trump. The news outlet says the recording is from a call in mid-October, right after Trump sanctioned Russia’s two biggest oil companies. NPR has not independently verified the contents of the transcript.
NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley tells Up First she spoke with Ukrainian parliament member and chair of the foreign affairs committee Oleksandr Merezhko, who says he is not surprised by this development. Merezhko called for Witkoff's replacement six months ago, citing incompetence and lack of understanding regarding Ukraine and the origins of the war. Merezhko says that Ukrainians know they are dealing with people in Trump’s entourage who take Russia’s side, but they have to deal with them regardless of who they are.
NPR’s Franco Ordoñez reports that Ukraine and Russia are not necessarily closer to reaching a deal, even though the two countries are exchanging ideas on how to end the war with the U.S. Trump seems to show genuine interest in the loss of life, especially children, but Ordoñez believes that the president’s quest for a Nobel Peace Prize could be a partial motivation for ending the war.
Questions raised about FBI director
NY Times - [FBI Director Kash] Patel’s heavy use of taxpayer-funded resources during his first nine months on the job has contributed to growing questions inside the administration about whether it exceeds the bounds of standard practice. This includes an intense use of security to protect himself and his girlfriend.
He has also used a government jet for some of his recreational travel, such as a golf trip with buddies to a private resort in Scotland over the summer.
Directors must fly on government aircraft for their travel because of required access to secure communications equipment. But using government jets for business trips, or to return home if they have left settled lives in other parts of the country to serve in Washington, requires planning and coordination
He has also used a government jet for some of his recreational travel, such as a golf trip with buddies to a private resort in Scotland over the summer.
Directors must fly on government aircraft for their travel because of required access to secure communications equipment. But using government jets for business trips, or to return home if they have left settled lives in other parts of the country to serve in Washington, requires planning and coordination
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