The Latest: National Guard deploys as ICE uses increasingly combative tactics in US cities

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Trump signs order to approve mining road through Alaskan wilderness

President Donald Trump on Monday ordered approval of a proposed 211-mile (340-kilometer) road through an Alaska wilderness to allow mining of copper, cobalt, gold and other minerals.

The long-debated Ambler Road project was approved in Trump’s first term, but was later blocked by the Biden administration after an analysis determined the project would threaten caribou and other wildlife and harm Alaska Native tribes that rely on hunting and fishing.

The gravel road and mining project, north of Fairbanks, Alaska, “is something that should’ve been long operating and making billions of dollars for our country and supplying a lot of energy and minerals,” Trump said at an Oval Office ceremony Monday.

▶ Read more about the Alaska road project here.

FBI scrutinized phone records of senators as part of Trump Jan. 6 probe, lawmakers say

The FBI in 2023 analyzed phone records of more than a half dozen Republican lawmakers as part of an investigation into efforts by Trump to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to information released Monday by GOP senators.

The records enabled investigators to see basic information about the date and time of the calls but not the content of the communications, the senators said. The data encompassed several days during the week of Jan. 6, 2021, when pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to halt the certification of the election results.

The disclosure adds new detail to the since-shuttered investigation by the FBI and former special counsel Jack Smith into the steps Trump and allies took in the run-up to the Capitol riot to undo his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump said he is eyeing Ukraine's request for Tomahawk missiles

President Donald Trump said Monday that he’s “sort of made a decision” on whether to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles

Asked where he stood on supplying Kyiv with long-range missiles it’s been seeking from Washington, Trump told reporters: “I think I want to find out what they’re doing with them, where they’re sending them, I guess. I have to ask that question.”

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the U.S. that any move to supply the long-range missiles to Ukraine would seriously damage ties between Moscow and Washington and not change the situation on the battlefield, where the Russian army is making slow but steady advances.

Two accused of ramming Border Patrol vehicle ordered released pending trial

Two Chicago area residents accused of ramming a Border Patrol vehicle were ordered Monday to be released pending trial on federal charges.

Attorneys for the two argued that their clients have no criminal histories and pose no threat to the public.

Marimar Martinez, 30, and Anthony Ruiz, 21, are accused of using their vehicles to strike another vehicle driven by a Border Patrol agent and boxing in the agent’s vehicle. Prosecutors have called the actions dangerous and reckless and said the agent exited his car after the ramming and fired five shots at Martinez.

The woman was treated at a hospital for gunshot wounds. Her attorney, Christopher Parente, said, however, that Martinez was not receiving the medical care she needed as she recovers. He also offered to play body camera footage that he said contradicts the federal government’s narrative of her actions.

Top Senate Democrat denies Trump's claim of ongoing talks about shutdown

Chuck Schumer, the leader of Senate Democrats, says President Donald Trump’s claim that the White House is speaking with Democrats to find a way out of the government shutdown “isn’t true.”

The president said earlier in the day that he would be open to striking a deal on health care subsidies that Democrats want to extend. He said that “billions and billions” are being wasted on the subsidies. but “we are speaking with Democrats” and “some very good things” could happen.

Schumer said that’s false, but “if he’s finally ready to work with Democrats, we’ll be at the table.”

Republican leaders in Congress have said they won’t negotiate on the subsidies until Democratic senators vote to reopen the government. Meanwhile, there have been informal bipartisan talks among some senators.

Trump open to a deal on health care

President Donald Trump said Monday that he would be open to striking a deal on Affordable Care Act subsidies that are at the heart of the government shutdown fight.

But he also noted that “billions and billions” of dollars are being wasted, nodding to arguments from conservatives who do not want the health subsidies extended.

“We are speaking with the Democrats,” Trump said, adding: “some very good things” could happen.

Trump, who had been teasing layoffs for the last several days, said that if a Senate vote later Monday to reopen the government fails, “it could” trigger mass firings.

“It could,” he said. “At some point it will.”

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, responded later Monday that if Trump wants to talk health care, “we’re open.”.

“We’ve been calling for bipartisan conversations to address the Republican health care crisis,” the New York congressman added.

Democrats try again to seat newest House lawmaker, but GOP objects

Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., offered the proposal to seat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva of Arizona, who won her election last month, but has yet to be sworn into office.

“This is outrageous,” McGovern said after short House session. The chamber was gaveled closed with no action on his request.

House Speaker Mike Johnson had said Grijalva would be seated this week, but he has since called off the regular session.

Grijalva is expected to become the final signature needed to force a House vote on releasing the files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

“This is all about a continuation of the Epstein cover-up,” McGovern said. “They are so frightened of the Epstein files. I don’t know what’s in them, but this place doesn’t work.”

Illinois governor says Trump using military as ‘political props’

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday accused the president of using service members as “political props” in an effort to militarize U.S. cities.

Federal agents sent to Chicago over the past month for an immigration crackdown have made things less safe, the Democratic governor said during a news conference.

Earlier Monday, the state and city of Chicago filed a lawsuit seeking to stop Trump from sending National Guard troops to the nation’s third-largest city.

Pritzker, who some view as a possible 2028 presidential contender, said he thinks Trump wants to “justify and normalize the presence of armed soldiers under his direct command.”

Portland prosecutors drop case against conservative influencer Nick Sortor after protest arrest

Prosecutors in Portland said Monday they will not pursue criminal charges against conservative influencer Nick Sortor, who was arrested last week during a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.

The decision came just hours before Sortor was scheduled to appear in court.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said that after reviewing police reports and video, the evidence didn’t support a disorderly conduct charge “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

According to a memo released Monday, Sortor was recording when a person dressed in black confronted him and a verbal exchange followed. Another protester pushed him with an umbrella and Sortor grabbed the umbrella before a crowd closed in. One person appeared to swing something at him as he tried to get away, prosecutors said. One of the protesters then pushed him and a crowd formed around him as he tried to get away, the memo said.

Police moved in afterward, arresting Sortor and two others.

The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the circumstances of Sortor’s arrest.

Trump says 25% tariff on medium and heavy-duty trucks to now start Nov. 1

In late September, Trump announced that a 25% tariff on medium and heavy-duty trucks would start Oct. 1, along with new tariffs of 100% on pharmaceutical drugs, 50% on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, and 30% on upholstered furniture.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the delay of the medium and heavy-duty truck tariff.

Trump announced the new Nov. 1 date for the tariff implementation in a Truth Social post Monday. The announcement comes ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to the White House on Tuesday, where talks are expected to focus heavily on trade.

Duffy says shutdown adds stress on air traffic controllers and jeopardizes program for small communities

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the shutdown is already having a real impact on aviation because it’s adding more stress on air traffic controllers who already have an extremely stressful job.

Controllers are expected to continue working without a paycheck. Duffy said they are now worried about how to pay their bills in addition to worrying about keeping flights safe.

“Now, what they think about as they’re controlling our airspace is, how am I going to pay my mortgage? How do I make my car payment? I have a couple kids at home. How do I put food on the table? I’m working six days a week. Do I have to take a second job and drive Uber when I’m already exhausted from doing a job that’s already stressful, to think about how I can make extra money because the government may not provide me a paycheck?” Duffy said.

The Essential Air Service program that subsidizes airline service to small communities across the country will also run out of money on Sunday. Duffy said that the program enjoys strong bipartisan support and provides an important lifeline to many small communities.

White House rips judge who temporarily blocked Trump for deploying National Guard to Portland

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, says that the relatively small protests the city has seen did not justify the use of federalized forces, and allowing the deployment could harm Oregon’s state sovereignty.

“With all due respect to that judge, I think her opinion is untethered in reality and in the law,” Leavitt said. “The president is using his authority as commander in chief.”

Trump and Canadian PM to talk trade at Tuesday’s Oval Office meeting

“I’m sure trade will be a topic of discussion tomorrow, and all of the other issues that are facing both Canada and the United States,” Leavitt said. The meeting comes ahead of a review of a free-trade agreement.

It also comes as Trump engages in “51st state” talks again, and Canada asks to be included in Trump’s future Golden Dome missile defense program.

US calls on all countries to back Gaza peace deal and urge Hamas to accept it

The U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Shea, issued the appeal at U.N. Security Council meeting Monday, stressing that Trump’s plan has been accepted by Israel, welcomed by the Palestinian Authority, and has broad support from a number Arab and Muslim-majority countries.

The plan’s acceptance, she told the council, “will allow Gaza to begin a peaceful and prosperous future, while ensuring Hamas no longer threatens Israel.”

“We urge Hamas to accept the deal on the table, and we call on all member states to give the plan their full support and demand that Hamas immediately accept it,” she said.

Shea expressed shock that Palestinian American human rights lawyer Noura Erakat disparaged the peace deal in an earlier briefing to the council and called Israel’s war against Hamas “a genocide.”

Erakat urged the council to insist on a solution to the war doesn’t come at the expense of accountability and that the U.N. — not Israel and its allies — oversee the end of Israeli occupation.

Judge denies government’s request to delay Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s case over the shutdown

Department of Justice lawyers had requested a delay in the case during the federal government shutdown.

District Court Judge Paula Xinis said Monday during a hearing in Maryland that the case was of “such importance” that she was “duty bound” to continue with the proceedings.

The Trump administration mistakenly deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador in March. He was held in a notorious prison before being returned to the U.S. to face criminal charges.

His case, which his lawyers say is baseless, has become a rallying cry for those who oppose the Republican president’s immigration crackdown.

US calls on all countries to back Gaza peace deal and urge Hamas to accept it

The U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Shea, issued the appeal at U.N. Security Council meeting Monday, stressing that Trump’s plan has been accepted by Israel, welcomed by the Palestinian Authority, and has broad support from a number Arab and Muslim-majority countries.

The plan’s acceptance, she told the council, “will allow Gaza to begin a peaceful and prosperous future, while ensuring Hamas no longer threatens Israel.”

“We urge Hamas to accept the deal on the table, and we call on all member states to give the plan their full support and demand that Hamas immediately accept it,” she said.

Shea expressed shock that Palestinian American human rights lawyer Noura Erakat disparaged the peace deal in an earlier briefing to the council and called Israel’s war against Hamas “a genocide.”

Erakat urged the council to insist on a solution to the war doesn’t come at the expense of accountability and that the U.N. — not Israel and its allies — oversee the end of Israeli occupation.

Government shutdown threatens food aid relied on by millions in US

A food aid program that helps more than 6 million low-income mothers and young children will run out of federal money within two weeks unless the government shutdown ends, forcing states to use their own money to keep it afloat or risk it shutting down, experts say.

The $8 billion Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC, provides vouchers to buy infant formula as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk and other healthy staples that are often out of financial reach for low-income households.

The shutdown, which began Wednesday, coincided with the beginning of a new fiscal year, meaning programs like WIC, which rely on annual infusions from the federal government, are nearly out of money. Currently, the program is being kept afloat by an $150 million contingency fund, but experts say it could run dry quickly.

After that, states could step in to pay for the program and seek reimbursement when a budget finally passes, but not all states say they can afford to do so.

▶ Read more on how the shutdown is threatening food aid

Retired Marine pilot launches bid to succeed McConnell in Kentucky

Democrat Amy McGrath is running for Senate again in Kentucky, aiming to be a “bulwark against authoritarianism and threats to our democracy.” The comeback bid by McGrath, who was trounced by Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2020, grows the field of Republicans and Democrats competing to replace the retiring McConnell. McGrath flew in 89 combat missions against al-Qaida and the Taliban during her 20-year Marine career and was seen as a rising Democratic star before losing two general elections in the GOP-dominated state. With a reputation for blunt talk, McGrath condemned Trump her campaign announcement video Monday, saying: “What we’re seeing in this country, from this president, not normal. Dangerous for Kentuckians and for all Americans.”

Illinois, Chicago sue to stop Trump from sending National Guard

Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit Monday aiming to stop the Trump administration from sending hundreds of National Guard troops to Chicago.

Trump moved to expand National Guard deployments on Saturday by authorizing 300 troops to protect federal officers and assets in Chicago. Sending troops to the city has long been among Trump’s threats, but it was not immediately clear when or exactly where they would be deployed.

The lawsuit alleges that “these advances in President Trump’s long-declared ‘War’ on Chicago and Illinois are unlawful and dangerous.”

“The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly not simply because their city or state leadership has fallen out of a president’s favor,” the lawsuit says.

ACLU of Illinois sues Trump, DHS over crackdown

The lawsuit filed Monday accuses Trump, DHS, ICE, Border Patrol and several of these agencies’ national and local leaders of unleashing a campaign of violence and intimidation against peaceful protesters and journalists during weeks of demonstrations outside an ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois.

Federal agents have repeatedly fired tear gas, pepper balls and other projectiles at crowds, and arrested at least seven people on federal charges as some protesters have tried to block vehicles from going in or out, part of growing pushback to the immigration enforcement surge.

Joining the protesters as plaintiffs is a coalition of news outlets and media associations. They include the Illinois Press Association, Block Club Chicago and the Chicago Headline Club. They allege that federal agents interfered with

The lawsuit alleges that federal agents interfered with First Amendment rights to speech and a free press by using “indiscriminate” and “violent force,” including tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper balls and flash grenades.

House Speaker says there’s ‘nothing to negotiate’ as shutdown drags

The Louisiana Republican sent House lawmakers home two weeks ago, and is not expected to call them back to work in Washington any time soon. With the House having passed its bill, Johnson said it’s up to the Senate to act.

“There’s nothing for us to negotiate,” Johnson said. “The ball is in the Senate’s court.”

Democrats are demanding that Republicans act now to prevent the expiration at year’s end of insurance subsidies that some people use to purchase policies.

Republicans say the health care funding issue can be discussed later, after the government reopens.

White House official: Portland protests ‘organized terrorist attack’

A top Trump aide is calling the protests in Portland an “organized terrorist attack.”

Stephen Miller accused the demonstrators of seeking to “overturn votes with violence” and insisted it’s part of a campaign to overturn the 2024 election results with “violence.”

“It is the absolute moral and constitutional duty of the federal government to stop this terrorism, defend the lives and safety of federal officers, and protect the American citizen and nation by ensuring the full and unrestricted enforcement of federal immigration law in all fifty states,” Miller wrote on the social media site X.

This is an uncertain economic moment for a shutdown

While the U.S. economy has continued to grow this year, hiring has slowed and inflation remains elevated as the Republican president’s import taxes have created a series of disruptions for businesses and hurt confidence in his leadership. At the same time, there is a recognition that the nearly $2 trillion annual budget deficit is financially unsustainable.

The Trump administration sees the shutdown as an opening to wield greater power over the budget, with multiple officials saying they will save money as workers are furloughed by imposing permanent job cuts on thousands of government workers, a tactic that has never been used before.

Even though it would be Trump’s choice to cut jobs, he believes he can put the blame on the Democrats.

Supreme Court rejects appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein. As is their custom, the justices did not explain why.

On the first day of their new term, the justices declined to take up a case that would have drawn renewed attention to the sordid sexual-abuse saga after the Trump administration sought to tamp down criticism over its refusal to publicly release more of its investigative files.

Lawyers for Maxwell, a British socialite, argued that she never should have been tried or convicted for her role in luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein, a New York financier. She is serving a 20-year prison term, though she was moved from a low-security federal prison in Florida to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas after she was interviewed in July by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

CBS buys The Free Press website and installs founder Bari Weiss as CBS News editor-in-chief

Paramount said Monday that it has bought the commentary website The Free Press and installed its founder, Bari Weiss, as the editor-in-chief of CBS News.

The announcement is a bold move for the venerable television news network, initiated by new corporate leader David Ellison, who said “I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News.”

Weiss’ experience is in print journalism, particularly in commentary. Ellison said in the news release that the move fits Paramount’s vision to modernize “the way it connects — directly and passionately — to audiences around the world.”

No purchase price was announced for The Free Press. Some at CBS News have been concerned it is a sign that the news division was moving in a direction more friendly to President Donald Trump.

Treasury Secretary names SSA Commissioner as CEO of the IRS

Scott Bessent named Frank Bisginano, the current commissioner of the Social Security Administration, as the new CEO of the IRS.

Bessent made Monday’s announcement of the unusual decision on the social media site X.

It is a newly created position at the IRS and Bisignano will remain head of SSA in addition to his new role at the federal tax collection agency.

Bessent said Bisignano will bring his expertise to the IRS “as we sharpen our focus on collections, privacy, and customer service.”

Shutdown negotiations? This is a blame game

The House is not expected to be in session this week, focusing attention on the Senate to take the lead on any deal in the Republican-led Congress. Both Republican and Democratic leaders have been holding almost daily briefings as they frame their arguments and seek to shift blame for the shutdown.

Democrats insist on extending the subsidies that have enabled millions of households to afford health insurance. Otherwise they will be eliminated at the end of the year, spiking premiums for millions.

Trump wants to preserve the budget changes Republicans made, and figures Democrats will fold under his pressure to end federal infrastructure and energy projects.

Judge granted California and Oregon’s request to temporarily restrain deployments

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who was appointed by President Trump in his first term, seemed incredulous that the president moved to send National Guard troops to Oregon from neighboring California and then from Texas on Sunday, just hours after she had ruled the first time.

She ultimately blocked the Trump administration from deploying any National Guard units to Oregon at all.

“How could bringing in federalized National Guard from California not be in direct contravention to the temporary restraining order I issued yesterday?” she questioned the federal government’s attorney during a hastily called evening telephone hearing. “Aren’t defendants simply circumventing my order?” she said later. “Why is this appropriate?”

The White House did not immediately comment on the judge’s decision.

Israel and Hamas meet in Egypt

The Israeli and Hamas officials hope their meeting Monday will lead to a potential ceasefire in Gaza on the eve of the devastating war’s second anniversary.

This latest push for peace comes after Hamas accepted some elements of the U.S. peace plan, a move welcomed by Trump. Israel has said it supported the new U.S. effort.