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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russia’s military said it has recaptured Sudzha, a key town in the Kursk region that was previously taken by Ukrainian forces. The Kremlin had earlier said it was in the final stage of the operation to push Ukraine from territory it had captured across the border. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Kursk today, with the head of Ukraine’s military also suggesting that some of its troops were withdrawing from Kursk. BBC News reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
Russia has presented the United States with a list of demands for a deal to end its war against Ukraine and reset U.S. relations, sources say. The demands reportedly mirror similar previously presented demands, including no NATO membership for Ukraine, no foreign troops in Ukraine, and international recognition of Putin’s claim that Crimea and four provinces belong to Russia. Erin Banco and Jonathan Landay report for Reuters.
U.S. officials landed in Moscow today to discuss a potential 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine. A Kremlin spokesperson said that while the truce talks were planned, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we’ll tell you about them later.” Separately, U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine also resumed yesterday. Bernd Dbusmann Jr reports for BBC News; Samya Kullab and Hanna Arhirova report for the Associated Press.
Russia should seek to undermine the U.S. negotiating stance on Ukraine by fueling tensions between the Trump administration and other nations while continuing its efforts to dismantle the Ukrainian state, according to a document prepared for the Kremlin. The document was written by a Moscow-based think tank close to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). Catherine Belton and Robyn Dixon report for the Washington Post.
SYRIA
Israel’s defense minister yesterday reaffirmed his country’s intention to occupy the southern Syrian territory of Mount Hermon, saying, “The IDF is prepared to stay in Syria for an unlimited amount of time.” Jason Burke reports for The Guardian; Emanuel Fabian reports for The Times of Israel.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
White House envoy Steve Witkoff is in Qatar to participate in indirect Israel-Hamas talks on extending the ceasefire in Gaza. Arab foreign ministers also said yesterday they would continue talks with Witkoff over Egypt’s plan for rebuilding Gaza, an alternative to President Trump’s proposed takeover of the enclave. Yolande Knell reports for BBC News; Reuters reports.
U.S. Muslim and Jewish advocacy groups have criticized Trump’s remarks in which he referred to Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the highest-ranking elected U.S. Jewish official, as a Palestinian. “Schumer is a Palestinian as far as I’m concerned. He’s become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore. He’s a Palestinian,” Trump remarked yesterday. Kanishka Singh and Andrea Shalal report for Reuters.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia university graduate and pro-Palestinian activist detained by the Trump administration last weekend over alleged national security concerns, have been unable to hold a private conversation with their client since his arrest. The revelation came to light yesterday in Manhattan federal court, as Khalil’s lawyers raised concerns about free speech protections amid Trump’s immigration crackdown. Jonah E. Bromwich and Anusha Bayya report for the New York Times.
Trump is planning a visit to the Justice Department tomorrow to make public remarks on his administration’s plans on “restoring law and order,” Axios has learned. Alex Isenstadt reports.
Trump has pardoned an imprisoned former Tennessee Republican state senator who was two weeks into a 21-month sentence for illegally funneling money to his failed 2016 congressional bid. Neil Vigdor reports for the New York Times.
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the funding and management of New York City hotels operating as migrant shelters, according to a copy of a federal subpoena sent to a Manhattan hotel. Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Chelsia Rose Marcius report for the New York Times.
All migrants who were being held at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba have been flown back to the United States, a Defense Department official said yesterday. Silvia Foster-Frau and Alex Horton report for the Washington Post.
The Social Security Administration yesterday scrapped plans to end communications by phone service for millions of Americans filing retirement and disability claims, after the Washington Post reported that the DOGE Service team was considering the change to prevent fraud. Hannah Natanson, Lisa Rein, Elizabeth Dwoskin, and Faiz Siddiqui report for the Washington Post.
The Trump administration said yesterday it has ceased using the largest U.S. operator of shelters for migrant children following allegations of sexual abuse and harassment of minors at the facilities. Additionally, it moved to dismiss a Biden-era lawsuit that sought to hold the nonprofit accountable for enabling the misconduct. Aishvarya Kavi reports for the New York Times.
The first Native American to lead the National Endowment for the Humanities, Shelly C. Lowe, has stepped down at the direction of President Trump, the agency confirmed yesterday. Anumita Kaur reports for the Washington Post.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Trump’s letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was delivered yesterday by a senior advisor to the President of the UAE, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said. It follows Trump saying last week that he sent a letter proposing Washington-Tehran negotiations on a new nuclear deal. Khamenei yesterday called Trump’s proposal “a deception.” Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.
South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, said he hopes to avoid further tariffs and decrease tensions to reach a “more balanced and mutually beneficial” relationship on trade and economics with the United States. Timothy W. Martin and Dasl Yoon report for the Wall Street Journal.
Military veterans are reportedly racing to bring Afghan allies who served with U.S. troops to the United States before Trump’s expected travel ban takes effect. Miriam Jordan reports for the New York Times.
The EU and Canada hit back yesterday at Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs with levies of their own, with the EU unveiling a two-stage response targeting up to $28 billion in U.S. exports, and Canada also announcing a 25% tariff on $20.7 billion. Ellen Francis, Marham Javaid, and Terrence McCoy report for the Washington Post.
In the first such contact in over two years, the heads of U.S. and Russian spy agencies have reportedly spoken via telephone and agreed to continue regular contacts to lower tensions in U.S.-Russia relations. CBS News reports.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
A woman involved in a group accused of burning a cross in front of a vandalized campaign sign for Colorado Springs’ first Black mayor pleaded guilty on Tuesday, in what authorities describe as a hoax plan designed to generate racial outrage. AP News reports.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday that it will start the process of dismantling dozens of Biden-era rules aimed at speeding the shift toward electric vehicles, slashing power plant emissions, and safeguarding waterways from pollution. Maxine Joselow reports for the Washington Post.
Senate Democrats say they are prepared to vote to reject the government’s funding bill, threatening the possibility of a shutdown if lawmakers do not strike a deal within days. Theodoric Meyer and Liz Goodwin report for the Washington Post.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has arrived in The Hague where he is set to face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court over his administration’s approach to the “war on drugs.” Joel Guinto reports for BBC News.
Mark Carney will be sworn in tomorrow as Canada’s 24th prime minister. Canada’s Governor General said the ceremony would also involve the swearing-in of a new cabinet, with a national election also widely expected to be called shortly after Carney takes power. Paul Vieira reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Pakistan’s army has freed over 300 hostages from a passenger train hijacked by militants in Balochistan on Tuesday. An army spokesperson said there were around 440 passengers aboard the train when it was seized, and it remains unclear how many passengers remain unaccounted for. Farhat Javed and Anna Lamche report for BBC News.
Turkey’s military has continued deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq on fighters linked to the Kurdish insurgent group, the PKK, in the two weeks since the group issued a disbandment call and declared a ceasefire. Ben Hubbard and Safak Timur report for the New York Times.
The U.K. yesterday revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat in response to Moscow’s expulsion of two British diplomats on accusations of spying. Reuters reports.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A D.C. federal judge yesterday ordered the Trump administration to pause, at least temporarily, parts of its executive order punishing Perkins Coie, a law firm that has represented clients whom Trump considers his political enemies. “It sends little chills down my spine,” Judge Beryl Howell said, describing the executive order as the president punishing a firm he believes is not acting in his interest. Perry Stein reports for the Washington Post.
A federal judge ruled yesterday that Trump’s firing of Susan Grundmann, the Democratic-appointed chair of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, was unlawful. “The Government’s arguments paint with a broad brush and threaten to upend fundamental protections in our Constitution,” District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan wrote in her ruling. Zach Schonfeld and Ella Lee report for The Hill.
DOGE and Elon Musk must produce documents and answer written questions about how they created plans to downsize federal agencies, fire employees, and halt federal contracts, a federal judge ruled yesterday. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report for POLITICO.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
