The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.
Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said on the social media site X that the “RIFs have begun,” referring to reduction-in-force plans aimed at reducing the size of the federal government.
The office said in a court filing that well over 4,000 workers would be dismissed, though it noted that the funding situation is “fluid and rapidly evolving.”
Here’s how Friday unfolded.
Postal traffic to US down 70% after duties exemption on low-value packages ended — 10:04 p.m.
By the Associated Press
That is the case five weeks after the end of the “de minimis” exemption that spared packages worth less than $800, according to the United Nations postal agency.
Confusion has reigned since the U.S. ended the tariff exemption. In September the Universal Postal Union reported that 88 of its 192 member countries had suspended all or some of postal service to the U.S. to have time to adjust their shipping procedures.
The UPU said Friday that “only a handful” of those have resumed operations to the U.S.
The organization said traffic was down 70.7% compared with volume one week before the regulatory changes. On Aug. 29, when the exemption ended, volume plummeted 81% from a week earlier.
Bern, Switzerland-based UPU said it is rolling out technology that will help members calculate, collect and remit required duties to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection through the UPU’s Customs Declaration System.
Trump got a COVID-19 booster vaccine during ‘semiannual physical’ — 9:46 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president is in “exceptional health,” his physician said after he underwent a checkup that included lab tests and preventive health assessments at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Trump spent roughly three hours earlier in the day at the hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, for what his doctor, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, called a “scheduled follow-up evaluation” that was a “part of his ongoing health maintenance plan.” He also got his yearly flu shot and the COVID-19 booster.
The president exhibits “strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological and physical performance,” Barbabella wrote in a one-page memo released Friday night by the White House. The doctor said the evaluation helped prepare for Trump’s upcoming overseas trips and included advanced imaging, lab testing and preventive health assessments.
Qatar says it will cover costs of building pilot training facility in Idaho — 9:42 p.m.
By the Associated Press
After it was announced that the Pentagon will build a training facility in Idaho for pilots from Qatar, the nation, which hosts the biggest U.S. military base in the Middle East, is making it clear that it will not have a base on U.S. soil and that it will cover the costs of building the facility.
“This will not be a Qatari air base,” the spokesperson for the embassy in Washington said in a statement posted on the social platform X. “Rather, Qatar has made an initial 10-year commitment to construct and maintain a dedicated facility within an existing US air base, intended for advanced training and to enhance interoperability in defending and advancing our shared interests around the world.”
The statement said the project will create hundreds of jobs for Americans and added that planning for began several years ago and received local approval.
WIC food program receives $300M to keep running during government shutdown — 9:27 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A food aid program that supports millions of low-income mothers and their young children received a $300 million infusion from the Trump administration this week, alleviating some anxiety that it would run out of money during the government shutdown.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children helps more than 6 million low-income mothers, young children and expectant parents to purchase nutritious staples like fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk and infant formula. The program, known as WIC, was at risk of running out of money this month because of the government shutdown, which occurred right before it was slated to receive its annual appropriation.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said this week in a post on the social platform X that the White House had found “a creative solution” to use tariff revenues to keep the program afloat. By Thursday at least some states were receiving WIC money. Alaska and Washington said they received enough federal funds to keep their programs running until at least the end of October.
US clashes with Venezuela and allies at emergency UN meeting on US strikes in Caribbean — 9:23 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Venezuela asked for the meeting of the U.N.’s most powerful body following deadly U.S. military strikes on four boats that Washington says were carrying drugs.
Venezuela accused U.S. President Donald Trump of seeking to topple President Nicolás Maduro and threatening “peace, security and stability regionally and internationally.” The Trump administration has said three of the targeted boats set out to sea from Venezuela.
The strikes, which the U.S. said killed 21 people, followed a buildup of U.S. maritime forces in the Caribbean unlike any seen in recent times.
While Venezuela got support from allies Russia and China, the rest of the 15-member council was cautious, calling for a de-escalation and adherence to the U.N. Charter, which requires all 193 member nations to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all other countries and to settle disputes peacefully.
Pentagon will build a training facility for Qatari pilots in Idaho — 8:35 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The U.S. military is moving forward with plans to build a dedicated facility in Idaho to train pilots from Qatar, an important U.S. ally in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday.
Hegseth, who made the announcement during a visit by Qatar’s defense minister, said the facility to be built at the Mountain Home Air Force Base would “host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase the lethality, interoperability.”
The arrangement is not unusual. Pentagon officials noted that similar facilities have been set up for other allies for decades, and the Idaho base already hosts a fighter squadron from Singapore.
But the plan drew a sharp rebuke from close Trump ally and conservative influencer Laura Loomer, who called it “an abomination.”
Budget office says that it could fire over 4,000 federal employees during shutdown — 7:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The office said in a court filing that well over 4,000 workers would be dismissed, though it noted that the funding situation is “fluid and rapidly evolving.”
The firings would hit the hardest at the departments of the Treasury, which would lose over 1,400 employees; Health and Human Services, with a loss of over 1,100; and Housing and Urban Development, set to lose over 400.
Commerce, Education, Energy, Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency were all set to fire hundreds more.
It was not clear which particular programs would be affected.
Trump officials not giving up on deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to African nations despite resistance — 7:36 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The administration is pushing again to deport Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly sent to El Salvador, even though three African countries that have been approached have rejected the idea, a judge heard during testimony Friday.
Abrego Garcia is challenging efforts to remove him to a third country after the government admitted that a previous order prevents deportation to his home country, El Salvador. Immigration officials said recently that they plan to send him to the southern African country of Eswatini
The case has come to represent the bitter partisan struggle over the president’s sweeping immigration policy and mass deportation agenda.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said she will decide soon whether Abrego Garcia should remain in custody or be released from immigration detention while his challenge moves forward. That followed a hearing she ordered asking officials to explain steps they have taken to deport Abrego Garcia.
Homeland Security Department awards 10 border wall contracts for $4.5 billion, spanning 230 miles — 7:07 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The contracts announced Friday are the first to be funded by $50 billion set aside in a bill the president signed in July. They also draw on money left over from 2021.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem waived environmental and other legal reviews in California and New Mexico to expedite construction.
Seven contracts were awarded to a company identified as BCCG Joint Venture in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection statement. Construction is to take place in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
The first Trump administration built more than 450 miles (720 kilometers) of wall, covering nearly one-fourth of the border.
Trump says Nobel could have been given for achievements in 2024, when he was busy running for office — 7:02 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president, giving his reaction to the award, listed off peace efforts he made while in office this year but said that when it comes to the Nobel Peace Prize, “You could also say it was given out for ’24, and I was running for office in ’24.”
There is some truth to that: There is a Feb. 1 deadline to be nominated for the 2025 award, which fell just a week and a half into his second term.
Trump said Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado called him after her win and told him, “I’m accepting this in honor of you because you really deserved it.”
He then joked: “I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me.’”
“I think she might have,” Trump added.
Trump to first visit Israel before Egypt during Mideast trip to mark ceasefire and hostage deal — 6:26 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president also confirmed that he will deliver an address to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, and that he expects to meet with “leaders from all over the world” in Egypt.
Trump expressed confidence that a ceasefire, which went into effect earlier Friday, will hold.
“Hopefully, you’re going to have success or as I call it everlasting success,” he said.
Trump says he hasn’t canceled meeting with Xi despite new trade tensions — 6:23 p.m.
By the Associated Press
“I’m going to be there regardless,” the president told reporters during an Oval Office appearance for an announcement on prescription drug pricing.
The leaders are expected to meet at the end of October on the sidelines of a regional conference in South Korea.
Trump had said earlier on social media that there didn’t seem to be a reason to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping anymore because of export controls the country placed on rare earths.
He said in the Oval Office that China’s move was unexpected.
Trump to hold ceremony Tuesday night to posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom — 6:19 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president said the ceremony will be held in the East Room of the White House when he returns from his Middle East trip.
Trump administration puts up landing page for TrumpRX.gov — 6:09 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Both Pfizer and AstraZeneca will offer medications through the site, which the administration says will allow people to buy drugs directly from manufacturers.
The website’s landing page features two very large pictures of Trump and a promise that the site is “Coming Soon” in January 2026.
It says at the bottom that the website was “Designed in DC by The National Design Studio,” which was created by executive order in August and is being led by Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia.
Wall Street tumbles to its worst day since April after Trump threatens more tariffs on China — 5:58 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A monthslong calm on Wall Street shattered as the S&P 500 sank 2.7% in its worst day since April; the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 878 points, or 1.9%; and the Nasdaq composite fell 3.6%.
Stocks had been heading for a slight gain in the morning, until Trump took to his social media platform and said he’s considering “a massive increase of tariffs” on Chinese imports. He’s upset at restrictions China has placed on exports of its rare earths, which are materials that are critical for the manufacturing of everything from consumer electronics to jet engines.
The ratchet higher in tensions between the world’s largest economies led to widespread drops across Wall Street, with roughly six out of every seven stocks within the S&P 500 falling. Nearly everything weakened, from Big Tech companies like Nvidia and Apple to stocks of smaller companies looking to get past uncertainty about tariffs and trade.
Trump makes announcement on drug prices — 5:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Late in the afternoon, the president brought the press into the Oval Office to announce that drug manufacturer AstraZeneca will offer “major discounts” on prescriptions.
He touted it as “another historic achievement in our quest to lower drug prices for all Americans.”
Trump threatens tech export limits, new 100 percent tariff on Chinese imports starting Nov. 1 or sooner — 5:06 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president announced the additional tax Friday, potentially escalating tariff rates close to levels that in April fanned fears of a steep recession and financial market chaos.
Trump said he is imposing these new tariffs because of Chinese export controls on rare earths.
He said on his social media platform, Truth Social, that “starting November 1st, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying.”
Healey blasts plans to withhold back pay from federal workers during government shutdown — 4:46 p.m.
By Camilo Fonseca and Katarina Schmeiszer, Globe Staff
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey on Friday criticized the Trump administration for suggesting that federal workers will not be guaranteed back pay after the end of the ongoing government shutdown.
Ahead of a visit to Logan International Airport on Friday, Healey said federal workers — including nearly 2,000 TSA agents and air traffic controllers at Logan — should be lauded for working through the shutdown without pay.
“These public servants have families to provide for and bills to pay – and they’re continuing to show up to do their jobs,“ Healey said in a statement. ”I want them to know that we see them, we appreciate their service, and we are going to fight to make sure they get the pay they have earned.”
Dozens of employees face layoffs at Education Department — 4:34 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Rachel Gittleman, president of AFGE Local 252, said the Trump administration is laying off almost all employees below the director level at the agency’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The office was down to about 165 employees after mass firings that nearly halved the Education Department in March.
The office oversees much of the department’s grantmaking activities to school districts. It supports work ranging from helping schools affected by natural disasters to allocating funding for teacher training and disbursing money allocated by Congress.
Fewer than 10 employees were being terminated at the Education Department’s Office of Communications and Outreach. It will eliminate one of two teams remaining in the office after the March layoffs.
The union said it’s unclear exactly how many Education Department staffers are being laid off as part of mass firings across the federal government Friday.
Breaking with fellow Dems, NYC Mayor Eric Adams declines to criticize prosecution of NY AG Letitia James — 4:32 p.m.
By the Associated Press
As James’ indictment provokes harsh condemnations from high-profile Democrats – including allegations of “tyranny” and “political retribution” – one party member is reserving judgment.
On Friday, Eric Adams, the outgoing mayor of New York City, repeatedly evaded questions about the prosecution, saying only that he would “let the process play out.”
“Don’t start asking me about what do I think about what’s going on now,” he added, launching into a lengthy broadside about the lack of support he received following his own federal indictment. “I want to know what did you think about when my life was destroyed.”
Adams’ corruption case was dropped earlier this year following another norm-breaking intervention by Trump’s Justice Department. The Democratic mayor has since refused to criticize the president publicly and recently met with Trump intermediaries to discuss the possibility of accepting a federal job in exchange for dropping out of the mayoral race.
Adams has since abandoned his re-election campaign but says he hasn’t received any formal offers to join the Trump administration.
Virginia senators say firings are ‘deliberate choice’ — 4:14 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Virginia’s two senators, Democrats Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, say the Trump administration’s firing of thousands of federal workers is not an unfortunate byproduct of the government shutdown, “but a deliberate choice.”
The senators represent a state that will be predominantly affected by the layoffs. They said the president and his budget director, Russell Vought, are “reckless ideologues willing to inflict real pain on hardworking Americans to score political points.”
“It’s irresponsible, it’s cruel, and it won’t work,” they wrote in a joint statement.
Trump adds a bronze George Washington statue to the White House Rose Garden — 4:03 p.m.
By the Associated Press
In a speech earlier this year, Trump said America’s first president was a “great general” who was also a “great executive and a true statesman.”
The statue belongs to the National Park Service and is a 1992 reproduction of the original white marble statue on display at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, according to the White House. The original was made by French artist Jean-Antoine Houdon.
The statue sits at the edge of the Rose Garden in an area where first lady Melania Trump had installed a different work of art during her husband’s first term in office.
Layoffs at agency tasked with cyber, physical infrastructure security — 3:48 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Homeland Security says that layoffs are happening at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The Department did not say how many people would be laid off.
The agency is one of the smaller components within the sprawling Department of Homeland Security. As of May, there were about 2,540 employees at CISA compared to a total Homeland Security staff of roughly 270,000 people.
CISA was formed in 2018 during the first Trump administration and is charged with protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure.
The agency has been a frequent target of the Trump administration and its allies over the agency’s work to counter misinformation about the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic.
GOP Senator Susan Collins blasts firing of federal workers — 3:26 p.m.
By the Associated Press
“I strongly oppose OMB Director Russ Vought’s attempt to permanently lay off federal workers who have been furloughed due to a completely unnecessary government shutdown,” said Collins, the chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
“Their work is incredibly important to serving the public,” she said in a statement, adding that “arbitrary layoffs” cause harm to families in her state of Maine “and throughout our country.”
Schumer blasts federal worker firings — 3:05 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says nobody is forcing President Trump and his budget director, Russell Vought, to fire thousands of federal workers.
“They don’t have to do it. They want to,” Schumer said in a statement.“They’re callously choosing to hurt people -- the workers who protect our country, inspect our food, respond when disasters strike. This is deliberate chaos.”
Schumer said the way forward is simple: stop the attacks and come to the negotiating table and reopen the government.
Labor unions asks judge for an immediate order blocking the government from mass firings of federal workers — 2:41 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The unions cited Vought’s social-media post and said they’ve begun receiving credible information that the Office of Management and Budget has directed federal agencies government-wide to begin issuing layoff notices.
They argue that firing federal employees during a shutdown is an unlawful abuse of power designed to punish workers and pressure Congress and violates laws that govern how shutdowns are supposed to function.
The lawsuit was first filed in federal court in San Francisco last week by the group Democracy Forward. The plaintiffs are the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
US senators denied entrance to immigration facility outside of Chicago — 2:36 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said they were denied access Friday to a federal immigration enforcement building outside Chicago, the site of confrontations between protesters and federal agents.
“It is appalling that two United States senators are not allowed to visit this facility,” Duckworth said. “What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of? You don’t hide, you don’t run away when you’re proud of what you’re doing.”
The two Democrats were at the building in Broadview where National Guard members had assembled Thursday. Hours later, a judge halted the Trump administration’s deployment of troops in northern Illinois for at least 14 days.
Durbin and Duckworth said they wanted to see the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility as part of their congressional oversight authority. ICE processes immigrants there before taking them elsewhere. Illinois lawmakers said they were denied access in the summer.
Union calls firing of federal workers ‘disgraceful’ — 2:35 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The largest federal employee union says it’s “disgraceful” that the Trump administration is using the shutdown as an excuse to “Illegally fire” thousands of workers.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the workers show up every day to serve the American people.
“And for the past nine months have been met with nothing but cruelty and viciousness from President Trump,” Kelley said. “Every single American citizen should be outraged.”
Kelly said that in the 93 years of the union’s existence, no president has decided to fire thousands of furloughed workers during a shutdown.
The union is part of a lawsuit that alleges the administration’s plan to fire federal employees during a shutdown is an unlawful abuse of power designed to punish workers and pressure Congress.
Trump is back from his Walter Reed visit — 2:26 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The president returned to the White House from his “semiannual physical” around 2:15 p.m. Friday, slightly ahead of schedule.
He did not answer questions from reporters upon his arrival. The White House has not indicated when it would release results or more information about his exams from Friday.
Democratic governors say the federalization of the National Guard is a ‘preview’ of Trump’s plan — 2:24 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and California’s Gavin Newsom warned in Newsom’s podcast Friday. The governors also condemned the deployment of military troops to Chicago and Portland.
They said they wouldn’t be surprised to see federal law enforcement officers at voting places next year during the midterm elections.
“This is a preview of things to come at voting booths and polling places all across the country,” Newsom said. “This is about something much insidious than just control in the short run.”
Kotek met with Secretary Kristi Noem when she was in Portland earlier this week, but said “it’s hard to have a rational conversation with irrational people.”
Education Department is among agencies hit by new layoffs — 1:57 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A spokesperson for the department has confirmed that it will lose even more staff, though details weren’t immediately provided.
The department — which Trump wants to eliminate — had about 4,100 employees when he took office in January but its workforce was nearly halved amid mass layoffs in the administration’s first months.
The agency had about 2,500 employees when the government shut down on Oct. 1.
Layoffs of furloughed workers happening at federal health agencies, officials confirm — 1:37 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump administration officials said furloughed federal health workers are being fired “as a direct consequence” of the government shutdown, but they did not say how many or which agencies were being hit hardest.
A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman confirmed the terminations in an email Friday, saying everyone receiving a notice was designated as non-essential.
“HHS continues to close wasteful and duplicative entities, including those that are at odds with the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda,” said the spokesman, Andrew Nixon.
Some employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the HHS agencies, on early Friday afternoon said they had not heard of anyone receiving a notice yet.
Federal prosecutors obtain indictment against 2 Chicago residents who boxed in border control agent — 1:36 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Federal prosecutors have obtained a grand jury indictment against a woman and man accused of using their vehicles to strike and then box in a Border Patrol agent’s vehicle last Saturday in Chicago.
The agent exited his car and fired five shots at Marimar Martinez, 30, who was treated and released. The indictment filed Thursday formalizes the initial charges of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon – a vehicle -- that were filed Sunday against Martinez and Anthony Ruiz, 21.
Because of the indictment, probable cause hearings for Martinez and Ruiz that were scheduled for Friday were canceled. Future court dates were not immediately set.The two were released Monday pending trial. Martinez’s lawyer claimed then that body camera footage contradicts the government’s narrative of her actions.
S&P 500 drops 2% after Trump shatters Wall Street’s calm by threatening more tariffs on China — 1:35 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The S&P 500 dropped 2% after President Donald Trump shattered a monthslong calm on Wall Street by threatening to crank tariffs higher on China.
The main measure of Wall Street’s health is heading toward its worst loss since April. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 622 points, and the Nasdaq composite sank 2.7%.
Stocks had been on track for a slight gain in the morning until Trump took to his social media platform and said he’s considering a massive increase of tariffs on Chinese imports. He’s upset at the restrictions China has placed on exports of its rare earths.
Judge orders removal of fence outside Chicago-area ICE facility amid protests — 1:34 p.m.
By the Associated Press
A federal judge late Thursday ordered ICE to temporarily remove a fence outside an ICE facility in the western Chicago suburb of Broadview.
The Village of Broadview sued DHS, accusing them of erecting an 8-foot-tall fence to illegally block the public street outside the facility, creating problems for local emergency services trying to access the area. The ICE facility has been the site of intense protests over the last few weeks.
Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson said the decision was a “validation of local law and, most importantly, a decisive win for public safety.”
She said it “remains to be seen if ICE will respect the judge’s order and dismantle this hazard immediately, or if they will continue their pattern of defiance.”
Budget office says ‘substantial’ firings of federal workers have started — 1:06 p.m.
By the Associated Press
The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.
Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said on the social media site X that the “RIFs have begun,” referring to reduction-in-force plans aimed at reducing the size of the federal government.
The White House previewed that it would pursue the aggressive layoff tactic shortly before the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, telling all federal agencies to submit their reduction-in-force plans to the budget office for its review.
Senate Majority Leader digs in on government funding fight — 12:31 p.m.
By the Associated Press
Senator John Thune is showing no sign of backing away from his current tactic of pressing Democrats to vote for a stopgap government funding bill.
Thune, a South Dakota Republican, has tried to peel away Democratic senators to vote to advance the bill. So far, it hasn’t worked. Despite repeated votes on the bill since the government shutdown, the voting pattern has not changed, leaving Republicans five votes short of advancing the legislation.
Yet Thune at a news conference laid down a challenge to any Democrat who may be thinking about crossing party lines: “All it takes is a little backbone, a little courage on behalf of five Democrats.”
Maine Governor Mills to launch campaign to challenge Susan Collins — 12:17 p.m.
By James Pindell and Sam Brodey, Globe Staff
Janet Mills, the Democratic governor of Maine, is planning to announce on Tuesday that she is joining the race to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins, setting up a potentially fierce contest between two longtime forces in Maine politics that could significantly affect the balance of power in Washington.
Two sources with direct knowledge of Mills’ plans confirmed she would enter the nationally-watched contest. The governor called Democratic senators this week to inform them, one of the sources said.
Mills, 77, has been active in Maine politics for much of her life. She was elected to the governorship in 2018, easily defeating a Republican opponent and reclaiming the governor’s office for Democrats after eight years of former Governor Paul LePage. In 2022, Mills stifled LePage’s comeback bid, defeating him by more than 12 points to win a second term. She is unable to seek a third term under Maine law.
A center-left Democrat, Mills has occasionally clashed with progressives in the state legislature, but this year, she made national headlines for her high-profile clashes with President Trump.
First lady says Ukrainian children have been reunited with families after her outreach to Putin — 11:37 a.m.
By the Associated Press
First lady Melania Trump says eight Ukrainian children have been reunited with their families after ongoing talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Melania Trump in August wrote a letter to Putin and had her husband hand-deliver it during his meeting with the Russian president in Alaska.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in Russia taking Ukrainian children out of their country so that they can be raised as Russian.
Trump suggests calling off upcoming meeting with Xi — 11:34 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Trump says “there seems to be no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea after China has restricted exports of rare earths needed for American industry.
Trump suggested that he was looking at a “massive increase” of import taxes on Chinese products in response to Xi’s moves.
“One of the Policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “There are many other countermeasures that are, likewise, under serious consideration.”
Trump to make announcement on lowering prescription drugs — 11:31 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The White House says that the president’s Friday afternoon announcement in the Oval Office is aimed at reducing drug prices.
It follows Trump announcing late last month that his administration had reached an agreement with Pfizer aiming to reduce the prices of its US prescription drug to be similar to the lowest prices paid by other developed nations.
Machado said she wants to dedicate Nobel Peace Prize to Trump — 11:24 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The Venezuelan opposition leader said in a statement that she wanted to dedicate the award to the U.S. president for support of her cause, along with dedicating it to the people of her country.
“We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve Freedom and democracy,” Machado said in a statement on X.
Johnson says House won’t hold votes until Senate Democrats ‘turn the lights back on’ — 11:15 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Johnson is making clear he won’t be bringing House lawmakers back to Washington until the Senate passes a government funding bill.
The House has not held votes for about three weeks.
It could take up other issues besides a government funding bill, and Democrats have described the situation as House Republicans going on vacation.
But Johnson said members are working diligently in their districts to help constituents.
“We will come back here and get back to legislative session as soon as the Senate Democrats turn the lights back on,” Johnson said.
White House says Nobel Committee ‘proved they place politics over peace’ — 11:03 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, made the comment on X Friday as he reacted to Trump being passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize despite jockeying from his fellow Republicans, various world leaders and — most vocally — himself.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado received the award.
Cheung did not comment on Machado’s recognition but said Trump “has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will.”
MIT becomes first school to reject proposed ‘compact’ with Trump administration — 10:45 a.m.
By Diti Kohli, Globe Staff
MIT became the first university to reject the Trump administration’s compact of demands, after its president Sally Kornbluth said the practices of the school already “meet or exceed many standards outlined” by the federal government.
“We freely choose these values because they’re right, and we live by them because they support our mission — work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States," she wrote. “And of course, MIT abides by the law.”
Trump’s Friday schedule — 10:40 a.m.
By the Associated Press
This morning, Trump is having his appointment at Walter Reed Medical Center. At 3 p.m., he will return to the White House before a 5 p.m. announcement.
At 11 a.m., first lady Melania Trump is expected to make an announcement as well.
Republicans highlight the toll of a shutdown for federal workforce — 10:31 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Speaker Mike Johnson is highlighting the prospect of 1.3 million military service members missing a paycheck next week as the federal government shutdown continued Friday.
Also, the next paycheck for civilian workers will be a partial one.He’s blaming Democratic lawmakers for that scenario during a press conference and emphasizing that Republicans have voted multiple times to keep the government funded temporarily.
“You’ve got millions of American families who will now have to figure out how to make their mortgage, how to cover the rent, pay the car note, keep food on the table because Democrats, Chuck Schumer and his colleagues in the Senate are here playing games,” Johnson said.
National Guard troops seen patrolling in Memphis — 10:23 a.m.
By the Associated Press
National Guard troops have been seen patrolling in Memphis for the first time, as part of Trump’s federal task force.
The deployment comes a day after a federal judge in Illinois blocked the deployment of troops in the Chicago area for at least two weeks.
It was unclear Friday how many Guard members were on the ground in Memphis or were expected to arrive later. Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee supports the deployment.
Senate leaves town without funding deal — 10:22 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Senators are leaving Washington after a late night of votes Thursday, but without making progress towards ending the government shutdown.
The Senate is not scheduled to meet again until Tuesday, leaving many government services shuttered, federal employees furloughed and no scheduled payday for military members and other federal employees.
Troops will miss paychecks next week without action on the government shutdown — 9:47 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The nation’s third shutdown in 12 years is once again raising anxiety levels among service members and their families because those in uniform are working without pay. While they would receive back pay once the impasse ends, many military families live paycheck to paycheck. During previous shutdowns, Congress passed legislation to ensure that troops kept earning their salaries, but time is running out before they miss their first paycheck in less than a week.
“There are so many things that Congress can’t agree on right now,” said Kate Horrell, the wife of a Navy veteran whose Washington, D.C., company provides financial advice to military families. “I don’t want to assume that they’re going to be able to agree on this.”
The economic impact will ripple through regions with large military footprints, like coastal Virginia, home to the nation’s largest Navy base and several other installations. The area’s 88,000 active duty service members and their families likely have pulled back significantly on spending, said Rick Dwyer, executive director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, an advocacy group.
US is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the Gaza ceasefire deal — 9:46 a.m.
By the Associated Press
The US is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector players, US officials said Thursday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that were not authorized for release, said U.S. Central Command is going to establish a “civil-military coordination center” in Israel that will help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into the territory wracked by two years of war.
The remarks provide some of the first details on how the ceasefire deal would be monitored and that the U.S. military would have a role in that effort. After Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a Trump administration plan to halt the fighting, a litany of questions remain on next steps, including Hamas disarmament, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a future government in the territory.
New York Attorney General Letitia James charged in fraud case after pressure campaign by Trump — 8:37 a.m.
By the Associated Press
New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted Thursday in a mortgage fraud case that President Donald Trump urged his Justice Department to bring after vowing retribution against some of his biggest political enemies.
James, a Democrat who infuriated Trump after his first term with a lawsuit alleging that he built his business empire on lies about his wealth, was charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in connection with a home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2020.
The top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia, a former Trump aide, personally presented the case to the grand jury weeks after she was thrust into the role amid the administration’s pressure to deliver charges.
The indictment, two weeks after a separate criminal case charging former FBI Director James Comey with lying to Congress, is the latest indication of the Trump administration’s norm-busting determination to use the law enforcement powers of the Justice Department to pursue the president’s political foes and public figures who once investigated him.
National Guard set to patrol Memphis but blocked in Illinois for 2 weeks — 3:11 a.m.
By the Associated Press
National Guard troops were expected Friday to begin patrolling in Memphis, a day after a federal judge in Illinois blocked the deployment of troops in the Chicago area for at least two weeks.
The on-again, off-again deployments are the result of a political and legal battle over President Trump’s push to send the National Guard to several US cities. His administration claims crime is rampant in those cities, despite statistics not always backing that up.
President Trump is headed to Walter Reed for a ‘semiannual physical’ — 2:47 a.m.
By the Associated Press
President Trump is undergoing what he has described as a “semiannual physical” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday.
The visit, which the White House announced earlier this week, comes as Trump is preparing to travel to the Middle East on the heels of a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had described it as a “routine yearly check up,” although Trump had gotten his annual physical in April.
The White House declined to explain why he was getting a yearly checkup six months after his annual exam. But in an exchange with reporters Thursday, Trump said it was a “semiannual physical.”
Federal judges in 2 states are considering challenges to the government’s treatment of Abrego Garcia — 1:24 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Federal judges in two states on Friday will consider challenges to the government’s treatment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose mistaken deportation to El Salvador galvanized opposition to President Trump’s sweeping immigration policy and mass deportation agenda.
In Maryland, Abrego Garcia has challenged efforts to re-deport him to a third country after the government admitted that a previous order prevents his deportation to his home country of El Salvador. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said recently that it plans to deport him to the southern African country of Eswatini.
Who is Adelita Grijalva and what is the controversy over her being sworn in to Congress? — 12:16 a.m.
By the Associated Press
Democrats are ramping up the pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to swear in Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat who won a special election last month to succeed her late father.
The delay has attracted mounting attention this week, with Johnson challenged by lawmakers, reporters and even C-SPAN viewers about why Grijalva hasn’t been given the oath of office. Johnson has said repeatedly that she will be sworn in when the House returns to session. He blames the government shutdown for the delay.