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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR
President Trump yesterday reiterated that a renewed military campaign against Iran is “quite unlikely,” and “doesn’t seem to be necessary.” Trump’s comments were made on social media and at an impromptu press conference, and he added that “we want a long-term solution.” Trump told Reuters that Qatar and Saudi Arabia were eager for a peaceful solution to the Iran conflict but that the United States was ready to resume military strikes if necessary. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Steve Holland reports for Reuters.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on social media yesterday described his talks with Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance about Iran as “positive.” The prime minister said he was “grateful for the positive discussions on reaching a deal and bringing peace to the region.” France’s foreign minister today said the Qatari prime minister will make an unscheduled stop at the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Paris, France. Tara Suter reports for The Hill; John Irish reports for Reuters.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
France yesterday accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of being behind last month’s temperature-raising hack of French supermarket fridges and freezers. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the attack was “unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression,” and added that those responsible would be hit with sanctions. Iranian media outlets have dismissed the allegations as baseless, while France today summoned Iran’s ambassador. Ella Kipling and Joe Tidy report for BBC News; John Irish reports for Reuters.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand at the G7 meeting today said Canada reimposed sanctions on 11 Iranian entities for their contribution to Iran’s nuclear activities and ballistic missile program. Anand said the measures were intended to restrict Iran’s access to funding and sensitive technology linked to its nuclear and missile programs. Rishabh Jaiswal reports for Reuters.
The United States yesterday evacuated U.S. aircraft from the U.K. Royal Air Force base in Mildenhall in the wake of a threat from Iran, sources told the Wall Street Journal. The sources said the precise nature of the threat to RAF Mildenhall remains under discussion among U.S. officials. Shelby Holliday and Alexander Ward report.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russian and Ukrainian officials today met in Abu Dhabi for their first U.S.-brokered talks since Feb. 2026. U.S. Special Envoy Jared Kushner told delegates that recent contacts with both sides had “really identified, narrowed the gaps,” and that Trump was committed to achieving peace. Roula Rouhana reports for Reuters.
The White House is “cautiously optimistic” about the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi this week, U.S. officials told Axios. A U.S. official said the “relations we have built with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will be instrumental in these negotiations,” while another U.S. official said U.S. Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may travel to Ukraine and Russia to speak directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin. Barak Ravid reports.
Russia believes the main thrust of U.S.-brokered peace talks on Ukraine should be seeking agreement on the main elements of a post-war security framework for Europe, a source in the Russian delegation told Reuters. The source said the Ukrainian settlement “is just one aspect of this wide-ranging discussion and is subordinate to the main objective – the creation of a comprehensive and indivisible security architecture for the entire continent.” Andrew Osborn reports.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Poland’s Internal Security Agency today said two Ukrainian men suspected of espionage and sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence services were arrested. The agency said “the suspects carried out tasks on behalf of Russian special services, which included, among other things, reconnoitring critical infrastructure and military facilities throughout the country.” Anna Koper reports for Reuters.
The United Kingdom today said it would spend £90 million on drones, sensors, and AI systems to help the Royal Navy counter Russian undersea threats in the North Atlantic and protect critical infrastructure. Sarah Young reports for Reuters.
Actor Russell Brand yesterday was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison in a U.K. court, after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault last Thursday. The judge described Brand as a “sexual predator” and criticized his “staggering arrogance.” Sima Kotecha and Steven McIntosh report for BBC News.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar yesterday said Hungary has detained the brother of former prime minister Viktor Orban during its investigation of a people-smuggling case. Magyar said “three out of the ex-ministers of Orban are already in custody.” Anita Komuves reports for Reuters.
The spokesperson for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, Thameen Al-Kheetan, today voiced alarm about Egyptian authorities’ widening assaults on press freedom and called for the immediate release of detained journalists. Al-Kheetan said “these alarming developments must end immediately, and journalists must be able to carry out their essential work free from intimidation and reprisals.” Emma Farge reports for Reuters.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, today expressed regret over comments by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging the two Koreas to ease tensions through dialogue following a landmine blast at the border last September. Kim Yo Jong said Guterres took a “prejudiced and irresponsible” attitude by echoing South Korea’s unilateral claim. Jack Kim reports for Reuters.
Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka today expressed his intention to resign during a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto, presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi said. Hadi said the president didn’t decline the vice president’s request to resign. Stefanno Sulaiman, Ananda Teresia, and Stanley Widianto report for Reuters.
Paraguayan public schoolteachers yesterday went on strike following the collapse of the major bank Ueno linked to former Paraguayan president Santiago Peña. President of the Federation of Paraguayan Educators Silvio Piris said that teachers are concerned over the fate of around $60 million in pension funds that had been deposited in Ueno. AP News reports.
CLIMATE DEVELOPMENTS
Brazil today will launch its road map to “transition away from fossil fuels” during the COP31 meeting in Turkey. The document is designed with different “levers” for countries to use to switch from coal, oil, and gas to renewable energies such as wind and solar. The Brazilian CEO of last year’s COP meeting Ana Toni told AP News that “what we hope to achieve with the road map is making a big problem, that is transitioning away, translating it into smaller actionable solutions.” Suzan Fraser, Sibi Arasu, and Seth Borenstein report.
AI DEVELOPMENTS
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today said the country plans to create an AI safety regulator in response to OpenAI’s breach of an Australian Health Department website in June. Albanese said the regulator would enforce legislated AI standards that would apply to all frontier AI companies that want to operate in Australia, and that financial penalties would apply, although the penalties are yet to be detailed. Rod McGuirk reports for AP News.
Nvidia shareholders yesterday sued the company, alleging that Jensen’s failure to disclose his affair with Alice artificially inflated share prices. The lawsuit also contends that the national security concerns raised by the allegations present a material risk to the company’s reputation and future business prospects. Andrew Atterbury reports for POLITICO.
Trump yesterday said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told him that he was not aware that Alice Huang, with whom he was having a romantic relationship, was an intelligence operative for China. Trump told reporters “I asked [Jensen] that question: ‘Did you have any idea that she was a spy?’” and “He said, ‘I had no idea that she was a spy,’ and I really believe him.” Trump also confirmed the FBI was looking into Jensen’s affair, but that “I think that [Jensen will] be in good shape.” Luke Broadwater and Maggie Haberman report for the New York Times; Steve Holland, Courtney Rozen, Karen Freifeld, and David Shepardson report for Reuters.
Microsoft has been pressing the Trump administration to halt plans to bar Chinese imports of a key component used in AI data centers, sources told Reuters. The White House is concerned that the use of Chinese optical transreceivers would allow China to steal data, install malware, or disrupt service at U.S. data centers. Alexandra Alper reports.
U.S. MIDTERM DEVELOPMENTS
Trump on social media yesterday appeared to go back on his acceptance of midterm election results and said “Does anybody really believe that this ‘Election’ was honest.” Trump further wrote “How could the Polls be so wrong??? Some early voting ‘dumps’ were so large that it was impossible to win, no matter how many people went to vote. It’s all about the machines, which are far more important than the voter!” Luke Broadwater and Zolan Kanno-Youngs report for the New York Times.
Vance yesterday joked about a “devastating loss” last week while addressing veterans at an event in the capital. Vance said “there are a lot of people unfairly criticizing the leader of the team despite leading us to a great victory two years ago,” and joked that “there’s a conversation about whether the number two has what it takes to lead the team,” in reference to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Mallory Wilson reports for The Hill.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The United States today will spurn a U.N. meeting where its human rights record under Trump was due to be examined. The White House last year disengaged from the U.N. Human Rights Council, citing an anti-Israel bias, and it’s the second year in a row that it has skipped its own review. Emma Farge reports for Reuters.
China wants any three-way summit between Trump, Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping to be a highly scripted affair, with each reading a prepared statement, sources told the Wall Street Journal. The sources said the Trump administration is pushing for a looser format that would allow more exchange among the three leaders, and the differences between the two sides raise doubts about whether the meeting will happen. Lingling Wei reports.
U.S. oil company Exxon Mobil yesterday said it reached a non-binding preliminary deal with Venezuela to evaluate oil production opportunities in the country. Exxon in a statement said that “any future investment would require stable policies, clear regulations, strong investment protections, and competitive returns.” Rebecca F. Elliott reports for the New York Times.
Derek Utley, co-founder of digital firm X Strategies, yesterday accused his co-founder and MAGA media guru Alex Bruesewitz of receiving gifts from foreign individuals in Qatar and Syria while also pursuing lucrative deals with other entities looking to unlock access to U.S. government officials. Bruesewitz is a top outside adviser to Trump and X Strategies still maintains the Trump War Room and Team Trump accounts on some social media platforms. The allegations were made in a court filing, after X Strategies in September sued Utley, alleging he embezzled and gambled away millions of dollars from the firm. Utley called the suit against him a “marketing ploy masquerading as a federal lawsuit” and denies the allegations. Jason Beeferman reports for POLITICO.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
Trump yesterday defended his administration’s immigration policy and said he was opposed to any immigration deal that would include “amnesty” for immigrants living in the United States illegally. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also said that while he has been fielding calls from Democrats interested in working on immigration policy, he was opposed to any deal that would include amnesty. Rebecca Santana reports for AP News.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Karen Attiah yesterday announced she would not return to her job as a Washington Post opinion columnist even after an arbitrator ruled she was unjustly fired for statements following the killing of Charlie Kirk. Attiah said she would not return due to a lack of “guaranteed freedom and institutional support” within the Post newsroom. Attiah sued for wrongful termination after she was fired for writing that the United States “accepts and worships gun violence,” and posted a quote from Kirk in which he said a number of prominent Black women didn’t have the “brain processing power” to be taken seriously. Ryan J. Karlin reports for The Hill.
Nonprofit organization Hispanic Scholarship Fund yesterday said the scholarships they provide for Hispanic students will be open to applicants of all races and ethnicities from Jan. 2027. The move is part of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit filed by the American Alliance for Equal Rights that claimed the awards were discriminatory. The HSF said it will not consider an applicant’s race or ethnicity but will instead offer the scholarships to students who “demonstrate a commitment” to the success of Hispanics in the United States. Madeleine Rubin reports for the New York Times.
California voters yesterday rejected a one-time 5% tax on billionaires’ net worth. During the run-up to the election, the “no” side raised roughly 10 times as much as the “yes” side, with Google co-founder Sergey Brin alone spending more than $100 million into a political action committee working to defeat the measure. The “Yes on 40” campaign said the measure sought to protect healthcare for Californians and that they will put a tax back on the ballot in 2028 if patients are not protected. Sophie Austin reports for AP News.
House Democrats are demanding that the Interior Department retains documents related to Trump’s construction projects around Washington D.C. after whistleblowers warned that key paperwork has already been destroyed before Democrats take power, congressional sources told CNN. The top Democrat in the House Natural Resources Committee today plans to issue letters to the Interior Department as well as other federal agencies and private companies, requesting that they “preserve all records and data responsive to oversight.” Sunlen Serfaty and Annie Grayer report.
House Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) yesterday introduced eight articles of impeachment accusing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of violating federal law and the Constitution, and abusing his authority. The articles accuse Hegseth of waging war without congressional authorization and continuing the military campaign after Congress voted to direct Trump to terminate the conflict or seek authorization to continue it, and of violating deadlines under the War Powers Resolution, which requires the withdrawal of U.S. forces from unauthorized hostilities after 60 days. The remaining charges accuse Hegseth of carrying out unlawful military strikes against suspected drug traffickers, unlawfully capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, conducting unauthorized military operations in Yemen, disregarding laws intended to minimize civilian casualties, and abusing his power by retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for protected speech. The vote must occur by tomorrow. Robert Jimison reports for the New York Times.
A silver sedan yesterday smashed into a tourist display sign near the White House, placing the residence on temporary lockdown. Around the same time, one person jumped a barricade near the northwest corner of Lafayette Square, and was arrested alongside the driver of the sedan. A spokesperson for the Secret Service said the driver was “combative” after National Guard and Secret Service police personnel responded to the scene. It was not immediately clear whether the two episodes were related. Karoun Demirjian reports for the New York Times.
Brett Shumate yesterday resigned as assistant attorney general for the civil division in the Justice Department, marking the fourth official in the last week the DOJ lost. The Civil Division handles a wide variety of cases and has seen significant departures during the Trump administration. Attorney General Todd Blanche on social media said “under [Brett’s] leadership, the Division pursued important affirmative litigation to challenge sanctuary policies and delivered key wins in lawsuits against local policies that endangered federal law enforcement.” Rebecca Beitsch reports for The Hill.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTION
Hegseth yesterday said he plans to hold a press conference at the Pentagon today and argued that he is “not worried” about the impeachment articles Massie plans to reintroduce against him. Hegseth told reporters he’ll save his remarks for the press conference. Trump on social media and an impromptu press conference defended Hegseth, and said “Defeated Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, a total loser, is trying to Impeach perhaps the most popular and successful military official in the Country, Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.” Filip Timotija reports for The Hill; Tara Suter reports for The Hill.
Hegseth yesterday ordered new changes to the U.S. military’s professional education system, prioritizing skills that will win wars. Hegseth in a speech at the Naval War College said “when a commandant approves a curriculum, the essential question before them is not, ‘Is this intellectually fashionable?’…. The only question that matters to the American republic is this: Will it help us achieve victory?” A memo signed by Hegseth also released yesterday lays out 33 reforms and directives across the military’s Senior Service Colleges and Intermediate Level Education institutions, to be “effective immediately.” Ellen Mitchell reports for The Hill.
The White House yesterday nominated Christopher Mufarrige to be a commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission for a role that will require Senate approval. Mufarrige previously served as an adviser at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Costas Pitas reports for Reuters.
The White House yesterday nominated Michael LoSapio to be the director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. LoSapio, who is currently the chief information security officer at Palantir, will take over from acting CISA Director Nick Andersen should he be approved by the Senate. Bhargav Acharya and Raphael Satter report for Reuters.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
The Supreme Court yesterday allowed the Trump administration to continue construction of a wall along the southern border in the Big Bend region of southwest Texas, including within Big Bend National Park. The administration announced in a statement that it had “made meaningful adjustments” to its plan for construction within the national park, but did not provide details of the changes. Abbie VanSickle reports for the New York Times.
The DOJ yesterday sued Lyft, accusing the ride-hailing company of routinely discriminating against people with disabilities in violation of federal law. The department said that Lyft and its drivers “routinely refuse to serve” people with disabilities, including those who use stowable wheelchairs or ride with service animals. The administration also accused the company of imposing cancellation fees on people who were denied service, and of charging passengers with disabilities higher fees and unnecessary surcharges. Qasim Nauman reports for the New York Times.
Researchers and advocacy groups yesterday sued the National Science Foundation to halt the erosion of government funding for social sciences. The lawsuit seeks to block the NSF from dismantling its social science funding division, known as the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, which is “dedicated to understanding human behavior and improving people’s quality of life,” according to the foundation’s website. Adam Sella reports for the New York Times.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.
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