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In his words: Trump’s rhetoric about Zelenskyy and Putin has evolved

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President Donald Trump repeatedly said during his White House campaign that if he won the 2024 election, he would be able to end the war between Russia and Ukraine “in 24 hours.” But in the 10 months since he took office, the road to a peace deal has been fraught with changing dynamics involving the American leader, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump’s rhetoric toward both men has evolved. It continues to do so. At the outset of his second term in January, Trump was conciliatory toward Putin, for whom he long has shown admiration. Over time, Trump expressed increasing exasperation with Putin, while seemingly softening criticism of Zelenskyy after their February blowout in the Oval Office. Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on Russia and he was suggesting by the fall that Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia. That was a dramatic shift from his repeated calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end the war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022. By late November, Trump had endorsed a peace plan favorable to Russia. Some Democratic senators suggested the proposal was a “wish list” that originated with Moscow and they had heard just that from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The State Department disputed it and Rubio insisted the plan was written by the United States. American allies in Europe nonetheless worried it was too conciliatory to Russia. Trump had returned to slamming Zelenskyy in ways that recalled how Trump and Vice President JD Vance had hounded the Ukrainian leader out of the Oval Office months earlier. Trump was now suggesting Zelenskyy was not appearing grateful enough for years of U. S. military support. The Republican president also chided European countries for not doing more to put economic pressure on Russa. Here is a look at what Trump has said this year and how his tone has changed: Jan. 31 “We want to end that war. That war would have not started if I was president.” Trump said his new administration had already had “very serious” discussions with Russia and that he and Putin could soon take “significant” action toward ending the conflict. Feb. 19 “A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.” Trump’s harsh words for Zelenskyy on his Truth Social platform drew criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans in Congress, where defending Ukraine from Russian aggression has traditionally had bipartisan support. Zelenskyy said Trump was falling into a Russian disinformation trap. He was quickly admonished by Vance about the perils of publicly criticizing the new U. S. president. Feb. 28 “You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have.” Trump and Vance berated Zelenskyy over the war, accusing him of not showing gratitude after he challenged Vance on the question of diplomacy with Putin. The argument in the Oval Office was broadcast globally. It led to the rest of Zelenskyy’s White House visit being canceled and called into question the U. S. support of Ukraine. A few days after the blowup, Trump temporarily paused military aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelenskyy to seek peace. March 30 “I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word. You’re talking about Putin. I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word. I’ve known him for a long time. We’ve always gotten along well.” Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he trusted Putin to hold up his end of a potential peace deal. April 24 “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!” In a Truth Social post, Trump reacted to Russia attacking Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones. It was the first of his rare criticism of Putin as Russia stepped up its attacks on Ukraine. April 29 “A lot of his people are dying. They’re being killed, and I feel very badly about it.” Trump addressed the toll It was the first time the two leaders had met since the Oval Office spat and it signaled a shift in Trump’s attitude toward the Ukrainian president. May 25 “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump’s Truth Social post made it clear he was losing patience with Putin as Moscow pounded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles. June 25 “He was very nice actually. We had a little rough times, sometimes. He was . Couldn’t have been nicer. I think he’d like to see an end to this, I do.” Trump had a closed-door meeting with Zelenskyy during a NATO summit in The Hague. Trump’s comments to reporters later also opened the possibility of sending Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine. July 8 “We get a lot of bull–t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.” Trump also said he was “not happy” with Putin and that the war was “killing a lot of people” on both sides. Trump’s comments during a Cabinet meeting came a day after he said the United States would send more weapons to Ukraine. It was a dramatic reversal after earlier announcing a pause in the delivery of previously approved firepower to Kyiv, a decision that was made amid concerns that America’s military stockpiles had declined too much. July 13 “I am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. He’ll talk so beautifully and then he’ll bomb people at night. We don’t like that.” Trump’s remarks to reporters came as Russia has intensified its aerial attacks. July 14 “I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy. It’s been proven over the years. He’s fooled a lot of people before.” Trump pushed harder against Putin during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Trump said if there was no deal to end the war within 50 days, the U. S. would impose “secondary tariffs,” meaning taxes would target Russia’s trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow. Trump and Rutte also discussed a rejuvenated pipeline for U. S. weapons. European allies planned to buy military equipment and then transfer it to Ukraine. Aug. 15 “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.” Trump failed to secure an agreement from Putin during a summit in Alaska even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started the war. Trump had wanted to show off his deal-making skills. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage after years of Western efforts to make Putin a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional U. S. sanctions. Sept. 23 “Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’ ” Trump posted on social media soon after meeting with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the U. N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders. He also said he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a departure from Trump’s previous suggestions that Ukraine would never be able to reclaim all the territory that Russia has occupied since it seized the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Oct. 17 “Stop the war immediately.” After again hosting Zelenskyy at the White House, Trump implied that Moscow should be allowed keep territory it has taken from Kyiv if doing so could help end the conflict more quickly. “You go by the battle line wherever it is otherwise it’s too complicated,” Trump said. “You stop at the battle line and both sides should go home, go to their families, stop the killing, and that should be it.” Trump had a lengthy phone call with Putin the day before Zelenskyy arrived and announced he soon planned to meet with Putin in Hungary. That meeting never materialized, in part because of a lack of progress on ending the war. Trump also signaled to Zelenskyy that the U. S. would not be selling Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles, which the Ukrainians believed could be a game changer in helping prod Putin to the negotiating table. Oct. 22 “Hopefully he’ll become reasonable.” Trump made the comment suggesting Putin could be more favorable to a peace agreement after the Treasury Department announced sanctions against Russia’s two biggest oil companies and their subsidiaries. But Trump added, “And, hopefully Zelenskyy will be reasonable, too. You know, it takes two to tango, as they say.” Nov. 21 “He’s going to have to approve it.” Trump suggested that Zelenskyy would have to accept the U. S. peace plan. Trump pressed Zelenskyy to agree to concessions of land to Moscow, a massive reduction in the size of Ukraine’s army and agreement from Europe to assert that Ukraine would never be admitted into the NATO military alliance. Trump set a Nov. 27 deadline Thanksgiving Day in the U. S. for Zelenskyy to respond to the plan. Trump also said more time could be allotted to Ukraine as long as progress was made to a lasting peace. Nov. 22 “I would like to get to peace.” Asked if the peace plan was his final offer, Trump said it was not. He did not elaborate. But his comment suggested he would be willing to negotiate past the Nov. 27 deadline and alter the peace plan in ways that Ukraine wants. “We’re trying to get it ended. One way or the other, we have to get it ended,” Trump said of the war. Senators from both parties who have been critical of Trump’s approach to ending the war said they spoke with Rubio, who told them that the plan Trump was pushing Kyiv to accept was actually a “wish list” of the Russians. The State Department called that account “false” and Rubio later took the extraordinary step of insisting that the plan was U. S.-authored. But the incident raised still more questions about its ultimate fate. Nov. 23 “UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS, AND EUROPE CONTINUES TO BUY OIL FROM RUSSIA.” In a post on his social media site, Trump went after Zelenskyy and the Europeans once more: “With strong and proper U. S. and Ukrainian LEADERSHIP” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “would have NEVER HAPPENED,” Trump said, again blaming his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, for allowing the conflict in Ukraine.
https://ktar.com/national-news/in-his-words-trumps-rhetoric-about-zelenskyy-and-putin-has-evolved-3/5781614/

Justice Department says it reverses Michael Gates’ firing, will accept his resignation

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The U. S. Department of Justice said it “rescinds and will remove” records that its former deputy assistant U. S. attorney general, Michael Gates, was terminated and will instead accept his voluntary resignation. The Justice Department, in a letter to Gates dated Friday, Nov. 21, said it will update Gates’ personnel file to note that he voluntarily resigned from his position in its Civil Rights Division. Gates, the former Huntington Beach city attorney, announced on social media on Sunday, Nov. 9, that he had resigned his position in the Trump administration and was returning home to work for the city once more. He said he was “very conflicted” about leaving because the job was “the honor of a lifetime,” but the months felt like years as he missed his family and their events. But the Justice Department had said Gates was terminated from his position “for cause,” personnel records obtained through a records request showed. A Justice Department source did confirm the validity of the letter Gates received on Friday accepting his resignation. There was no further information about the change of decision. “Please accept this letter as formal notification that the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division has accepted your voluntary resignation from the position of Deputy Assistant Attorney General, effective November, 9, 2025. Accordingly, the Division rescinds and will remove from your personnel record any previous reference to your termination.” Gates had maintained that he was fired, but rather was planning to resign from the Justice Department. “They were angry I resigned, and I know this because it was well known throughout the office for months that anybody resigning would make them look bad,” Gates said in an interview last week. “When other people resigned, they were so mad. I’ve seen it with my own eyes because they thought it would make them look bad.” Gates could not immediately be reached for comment Friday evening. But in a Facebook post, Gates called the letter “total vindication.” “DOJ just sent a letter completely reversing now recognizing my resignation!” he posted. Earlier Friday, the Huntington Beach City Council met in closed session for 90 minutes, discussing the rehiring of Gates to work in the city attorney’s office. At its regular meeting on Tuesday, the council called for a special meeting to address “anticipated litigation” in two emails from Gates’ attorney, Benjamin G. Chew, regarding Gates’ employment with the city. In the resignation letter Gates had posted to social media earlier this month, it indicated his last day with the Justice Department would be Nov. 22. The Justice Department’s letter on Friday said his resignation is effective Nov. 9. Gates was elected as Huntington Beach’s city attorney in 2014 and won reelection twice more. He had said he would run for his old post again next year. But in the meantime, Gates said he has accepted the city’s offer to be “chief assistant city attorney” starting Nov. 24. He had been one of the more outspoken elected officials in Huntington Beach and the county, leading his office to fight the state on multiple local control issues, including challenging the state’s sanctuary law, fighting for the city’s voter ID law, and preventing California from mandating the coastal city to build more housing. He announced in February that he was leaving his post as Huntington Beach’s city attorney to head to the Justice Department in Washington, D. C. In his resignation letter, Gates said: “My decision to resign was not made easily but, in light of many circumstances, and after my experiences working at the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D. C., this year, I believe this is the best decision for me and my family.” Staff writer Claire Wang contributed to this report.
https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2025/11/21/justice-department-says-it-reverses-michael-gates-firing-will-accept-his-resignation/

Crypto Industry Eyes Tax Exemptions for Small Sales and Staking via Lawmaker Dinners

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Crypto tax policy remains a priority for the industry in 2025, with nonprofits like the American Innovation Project hosting dinners to educate lawmakers on clarity needs. Key pushes include de minimis exemptions for small transactions and favorable staking reward treatments, aiming for executive and legislative advancements under the Trump administration. The American Innovation Project organized [.] Source:.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/crypto/crypto-industry-eyes-tax-exemptions-for-small-sales-and-staking-via-lawmaker-dinners/

Flagler Beach’s Planned Sewer Plant Cost Increases 320% in 6 Years, to $47 Million, Shocking Commission

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Shocked by the steep cost increase of its planned new sewer plant-a certain precursor of sharp rate increases-the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday voted unanimously to table approval of a $47 million loan to finance the project until commissioners can question the design, explore potential cost savings, and possibly rebid the project. The project has been on the drawing board for over six years, crossing the desks of three city managers. The city is facing a 2032 deadline to have it done. With that in mind, the administration had received two bids and was ready to award the contract, pending the commission’s approval of the loan this week. The sticker price caused a little effluence in the commission chamber. It would have been the commission’s third loan approval since 2019. Commissioners had already approved two much lower loans. On Thursday, commissioners were under the impression that the project’s costs had increased from $18 million to the current $46. 3 million, which would be a 157 percent increase. In fact, when the commission first examined blueprints in 2019, the cost was $11 million. So the cost increase in six years is 321 percent. Either intentionally or preferably, no one’s memory went back that far. That loan will have to be repaid by rate-payers, since development impact fees will not account for a sizeable portion, though the breakdown between impact fees and utility rates is unclear, and was not part of the commissioners’ documented information. Nor did commissioners question the administration about future rates, though that, in the end, is the most salient question for residents. “It’s a statewide, system-wide increase in costs that we all have to deal with,” City Manager Dale Martin said, citing increases in Apopka and Bunnell. He might have also cited ballooning costs in Palm Coast as that city upgrades its oldest sewer plant and just finished expanding one of its sewer plants. “In a vacuum, when you look at a cost increase from $15 to $18 million to 46 million, it may seem as a shocking increase,” Commissioner Scott Spradley said. “But I know, just in my law practice, I represent a lot of developers and others in the construction industry. And it is shocking how the Covid economy has affected the cost, and a number of businesses I work with have gone out of business for that very reason. Raw materials, labor. So while it’s disappointing that it’s this high, it did go out to bid, and I’m not shocked. It’s just disappointing, but that just is kind of a fact of life these days.” In Palm Coast, a 2-million-gallon-per-day capacity expansion to Wastewater Treatment #2 was presented to the City Council in January 2020, the project was billed at $20 million, with a completion date of November 2022. It was only completed in August, at a cost of $30. 9 million, a 54 percent increase. Commissioners Eric Cooley, Rick Belhumeur and John Cunningham took a more jaundiced view than Spradley, while Commission Chair James Sherman was on the verge of anger over the cost. “I’m going to keep my composure right now,” Sherman said. “I want to use a lot of different words that I wouldn’t say up here, but this is ridiculous.” He could not see why the project has been delayed so many years. “I have no more patience. I would have expected this being near completion, how much we talked about it. I know you inherited this. You inherited this. Shame on our previous city manager. But this is unacceptable.” He said the city was being “bullied” into the $46 million bid. Cooley wants the project to go forward, as do all his colleagues. He’s been wanting it to go forward for years. But he had a problem with the information before him. He said he didn’t know what the bid was based on and what he was being asked to pay for. “I have a huge issue with agenda items not being transparent and us not getting information. I have a massive problem with it,” Cooley said. “We’re approving a $46 million project, and we don’t even know what the thing looks like. We don’t know where it’s going. We don’t know what it has. We don’t know a thing about it. We are approving a $46 million concept, but the people who are constructing it, they know what they’re bidding on. We don’t know what we’re approving.” Cooley took issue with the fact that the contractor knew more about the $46 million appropriation than the commission making the appropriation. “I cannot believe that you put something in front of us for $46 million and didn’t even let us see it,” he said, addressing the administration. He wanted to see the specifics of cost increases. Otherwise, “this has thrown up a lot of red flags for me.” Martin, the city manager, clearly took umbrage at comments directed at his administration and fired back, saying the bid was outlined on a specific page before the commissioners. (The bid package itself is 2, 557 pages.) He said the site plan will tell the commission little more than where the sewer plant is going to go. It’s going in the same location as the current sewer plant off Avenue A on the mainland of Flagler Beach. “If you want us to throw it out and rebid it, we can’t value engineer it until we have a contract,” Martin said. “So I guess we’re at a loss of how do you want us to bring it forward to you.” Rebidding would take four months, the city engineer said. “If your pleasure is to rebid, we’ll rebid,” Martin said. Cooley said the commission could figure out collectively with engineers how the plant is going to work, what it is going to cost, and what functionalities could be changed perhaps to lower the cost. He favored a future “discussion on different concepts of how this works.” “You say the cost being so much more is because of Covid. That’s a 170 percent hike in cost,” Belhumeur said, addressing the manager and City Engineer Bill Freeman. “I don’t know that the Covid caused anything to go up that much in cost.” It did not. Covid is among the factors. But costs have continued to rise well after the pandemic subsided. Specifically: In 2019, the City Commission reviewed blueprints for the new sewer plant that put the cost at $11 million. In June 2021, the City Commission voted to borrow $15 million for the sewer plant. In December 2021, well after Covid had crested, the commission approved a $17. 6 million loan secured through the Department of Environmental Protection’s State Revolving Fund. The cost had increased 17 percent in just six months, and 60 percent since 2019. It didn’t stop there, continuing to rise to the current $46. 3 million. The largest portion of that increase ballooned after Covid, adding an additional 163 percent increase. That’s how the project has seen its cost increase 320 percent in six years. It won’t end there: further cost increases are almost certain. “Personally, I wouldn’t be against rebidding it. It might go down significantly,” Commissioner Cunningham said, before adding a shockingly false aside: “I mean, Covid was never really a real thing anyway, except made [all] prices go up.” By every accepted standard and official measure, Covid is responsible for 1. 2 million deaths in the United States since 2020, and 7 million deaths worldwide, though Covid deniers, like Holocaust deniers or climate change deniers, are not few. In Flagler County, no elected official has made comments to that effect since former School Board member Janet McDonald did on and off her public seat, though even McDonald did not outright deny the existence of Covid. She especially disputed how to combat it. It’s not clear whether there will be a rebid. What’s clearer is that the commission will attempt to become more comfortable with the latest cost, and perhaps lower it by eliminating certain functions, though that’s not likely. With every passing week, costs may yet increase further. The plant was built in 1987. It still filters some waste through drying beds. It processes about 700, 000 gallons per day, with a future obligation-to Veranda Bay/Summertown-of 272, 000 gallons a day, and more in the future. The plant is to expand capacity to 1. 5 million gallons per day, with an option for 2 million. State law requires local utilities to have so-called “advanced water treatment facilities,” which significantly lower contaminants in effluent from current standards. It’s an expensive upgrade, and though the state is making it mandatory, the state is not funding it. The city is also under a state mandate to stop dumping effluent in the Intracoastal Waterway by 2032 (the date has been reset over the years). The old plant will keep operating until the new plant is done. Belhumeur complained that the site plan for the new plant was late to reach the commissioners. The city was prepared to award the $46. 3 million bid to L7 Construction.
https://flaglerlive.com/flagler-beach-shocked/

US Files Charges In Decades-Old Double Homicide, Wants Man Extradited From India

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US Files Charges In Decades-Old Double Homicide, Wants Man Extradited From India Photo: FBI Newark officers at a press conference on Nazeer Hameed who is wanted for murder in NJ. The Burlington County Prosecutor’s office announced on November 18 that Nazeer Hameed has been charged with the double homicide of 38-year-old Sasikala Narra and her six-year-old son, Anish Narra. The victims were found dead by Sasikala’s husband, Hanu Narra, over eight years ago. Hameed, who was in the US on a work visa, was a colleague of Hanu Narra at a New Jersey-based company and resided in the same apartment complex as the family. The suspect reportedly left for India six months after the murders and was believed to be residing there ever since. He was initially identified as a person of interest after being accused of stalking the husband. The charges followed a critical development in the investigation involving DNA evidence. Although Hameed denied an earlier request for a DNA sample, investigators were determined to proceed. In 2024, they obtained a court order compelling his employer, Cognizant, to provide his company-issued laptop. After the laptop was transported to a New Jersey State Police DNA Laboratory in September and October 2024, a DNA contributor was successfully obtained from the device. This sample matched unknown blood found at the crime scene. Hameed was subsequently fired by the company. Following the formal charges, the Burlington County Prosecutor requested that the Trump Administration and the Government of India take swift and decisive action to extradite Hameed to face justice in the US. Authorities stated they still have not identified a clear motive for the killings.
https://indiawest.com/us-files-charges-in-decades-old-double-homicide-wants-man-extradited-from-india/

Who Is Lawrence Reed? Chicago Man Accused of Setting Woman on Fire

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Lawrence Reed is the man who has been charged with a federal terrorism offense after allegedly dousing a young woman with gasoline and setting her on fire on a Blue Line train in downtown Chicago. The attack, described in a press release by the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew S. Boutros as “barbaric” and an “act of terrorism,” left the 26-year-old victim hospitalized in critical condition. Reed, 50, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. Why It Matters The attack has drawn intense local and national attention to issues of public safety and criminal justice reform. It comes after Trump in September called Chicago “the most dangerous city in the world” and sent 200 National Guard troops to the city the next month. The administration said the deployment was needed to support domestic immigration enforcement personnel, restore order in the face of protests and reduce crime. But deployment faced legal challenges and opposition from city and Illinois Democratic leadership, and the troops have not partaken in law enforcement operations in the city. What To Know The U. S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago’s federal complaint alleges that Reed boarded a Blue Line train near Chicago’s Clark/Lake station just before 9 p. m. on Monday. The complaint describes train car surveillance footage showing Reed approaching the victim from behind, removing the cap from a plastic bottle filled with gasoline and pouring it over her head and body. When the woman tried to fight Reed off and escape him, he chased her and ignited the bottle of gasoline in his hand that contained the remaining liquid and dropped it on the floor by this point, the woman was at the rear end of the car. Reed picked up the bottle and approached the victim again, setting her on fire with the bottle. He then “ran to the front of the train car and stood watching Victim A as her body was engulfed in flames.” The woman tried to extinguish the flames by rolling on the ground, before she was able to exit the train when it stopped at Clark and Lake Street. She collapsed on the platform, where people rushed to help her, while Reed exited the train and walked away from the scene, the complaint says. Reed was arrested on Tuesday and appeared in court on Wednesday local newspapers reported that he was disruptive, shouting over the judge, insisting he wanted to represent himself and claiming he was a Chinese citizen. At one point, Reed repeatedly yelled, “I plead guilty!” as the judge attempted to advise him of his rights. Lawrence Reed’s Criminal Record Reed has a criminal history dating back to at least 2017, according to the Chicago Police Department’s arrest data reviewed by Newsweek. “Lawrence Reed has no business being on the streets given his violent criminal history and his pending criminal cases,” Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday. “Reed has plenty of second chances by the criminal justice system and, as a result, you have an innocent victim in the hospital fighting for her life.” “There will be no other chances for Mr. Reed,” he added. When a reporter asked whether Boutros was “concerned” that Reed’s “evident mental state could make it hard to have a terrorism charge stick,” he answered: “We have a court system that deals with mental health and mental health competence, so we know that this will go through that normal channel and he’ll be able to avail himself of that entire sort of process.” “I’m not aware of him ever being declared mentally incompetent in connection with any of the other extensive criminal history,” he added. A Timeline of Lawrence Reed’s Criminal Record • May 2017: Driving while revoked/suspended (2nd offense). • April 2018: Soliciting unlawful business. • June 2018: Criminal trespass to real property. • July 2018: Battery make physical contact. • April 2019: Driving on a revoked license. • December 2019: Criminal damage to property under $500. • February 2020: Battery -make physical contact; aggravated battery in a public place. • April 2020: Aggravated arson / arson knowing a person was present. • December 2021: Assault simple; battery cause bodily harm. • June 2022: Battery make physical contact. • January 2024: Criminal damage to property under $500. This is based on records from the Chicago Police Department Newsweek corroborated the name “Lawrence Reed” with the ages filed at the time, in line with Reed being 50 years old in 2025, as well as consistent mugshots. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy wrote in a post on X: “This horrific attack is EXACTLY why we need communities to take safety seriously. Blue cities cannot allow another Iryna Zarutska to happen.” What Happens Next Lawrence Reed is currently in federal custody. He faces a charge of terrorism against a mass transportation system, which carries a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. A detention hearing is set for Friday, where further details about Reed’s criminal record and mental health evaluations are expected. The attack has prompted federal and local officials to review transit security and policies around pretrial release and mental health interventions. It is important to note that criminal complaints are not evidence of guilt and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may follow based on the victim’s medical condition and further developments.
https://www.newsweek.com/lawrence-reed-chicago-man-accused-setting-woman-on-fire-11079202

Trump’s New Peace Deal for Russia-Ukraine War: Everything We Know

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Adding to his roster of international peace negotiations, President Donald Trump has reportedly proposed putting together a plan to end the over three-and-a-half-year war between Russia and Ukraine, according to several reports citing anonymous sources close to the matter. Why It Matters The plan reportedly would grant Russia expanded control over two eastern Ukrainian territories in exchange for security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe. Territorial sovereignty has been at the crux of the war since Russian President Vladimir Putin led a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which was launched years after Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014. The prospect of Russian land guarantees is viewed as a major concession and a concern for Ukraine and its supporters. The reported plan comes nearly a month after the Trump administration announced sweeping new sanctions targeting Russia’s oil industry and after the president said he was not, for now, considering a deal that would allow Ukraine to obtain long-range Tomahawk missiles from the United States for use against Russia. On the campaign trail in 2024, Trump repeatedly said he would end the Russia-Ukraine war on his first day in office. It comes after the president made headway on a peace plan between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. What To Know The plan, outlined in 28 points, would reportedly grant Russia parts of eastern Ukraine, in exchange for a security guarantee, Axios reported, citing a U. S. official familiar with the situation. Specifically, it outlines Russia as gaining de facto control of Luhansk and Donetsk, which are referred to as the Donbas, but Ukraine would not be asked to publicly acknowledge it. The U. S. and international community would recognize Crimea and the Donbas as Russian territory. Currently, the U. S. State Department considers Crimea Ukrainian, writing on its website, “The U. S. government recognizes Crimea is part of Ukraine; it does not and will not recognize the purported annexation of Crimea. Occupation authorities continue to impose the laws of the Russian Federation in the territory of Crimea.” The Axios report noted that in two other frontline regions, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the “current lines of control would mostly be frozen in place, with Russia returning some land.” A Ukrainian official reportedly noted that the plan limits the size of the Ukrainian military and its long-range weapons in return for U. S. security guarantees. The report did not detail what the U. S. security guarantee entails. Two other countries are reportedly involved in the talks-Qatar and Turkey, Axios reported. Both parties played a key role in establishing Trump’s 20-point Israel-Hamas peace plan. On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Ankara. “We count on the strength of Turkish diplomacy, on [how] it’s understood in Moscow,” Zelensky said following their meeting, according to the Associated Press. A U. S. Army official confirmed to the Associated Press that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll was in Ukraine on Wednesday for negotiations. Axios reported earlier that Zelensky’s national security adviser, Rustem Umerov, met with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff last weekend. Financial Times reported that one of the lead architects of the deal is Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and a close ally of Putin. What People Are Saying Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday: “Moscow is open to continuation; Moscow is open to negotiations. The pause that has arisen is, in fact, due to the Kyiv regime’s reluctance to continue this dialogue.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, per Russia state media outlet Tass: “We count on the continuation of the Istanbul negotiations based on a pragmatic and result-oriented approach. We see them as an important basis for a peaceful resolution [of the conflict].” Representative Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, said in an X post on Wednesday: “I totally disagree with the Administration negotiating w/ the Russians & not the Ukrainians, and their plan to demand the Ukrainians accept the agreement as a “fait accompli.” Not involving the Europeans is foolish. The U. S. did this too with South Vietnam & the Afghan Government. This sounds like 1938 Munich.” Maria Avdeeva, a non-resident senior fellow in the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said in an X post on Wednesday: “Seriously? Witkoff and Dmitriev in Miami drafting Russia’s demands for Ukraine calling it a ‘peace plan’? It’s beyond pathetic.” Michael McFaul, Stanford University professor and former U. S. Ambassador to Russia, said in an X post Frankly, I’m shocked.” What Happens Next It is unclear when the plan will be publicly revealed and if and when the parties will agree to the proposal.
https://www.newsweek.com/trumps-new-peace-deal-russia-ukraine-war-everything-we-know-11077463

Trump nominates new CFPB director, but White House says agency is still closing

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By KEN SWEET, AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) President Trump nominated Stuart Levenbach as the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, using a legal maneuver to keep his budget director Russell Vought as acting director of the bureau while the Trump administration continues on its plan to shut down the consumer financial protection agency. Levenbach is currently an associate director inside the Office of Management and Budget, handling issues related to natural resources, energy, science and water issues. Levenbach’s resume shows significant experience dealing with science and natural resources issues, acting as chief of staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during Trump’s first term. Levenbach’s nomination is not meant to go through to confirmation, an administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Under the Vacancies Act, Vought can only act as acting director for 210 days, but now that Trump has nominated someone to the position, that clock has been suspended until the Senate approves or denies Levenbach’s confirmation as director. Vought is Levenbach’s boss. The CFPB has been nonfunctional much of the year. Many of its employees have been ordered not to work, and the only major work the bureau is doing is unwinding the regulations and rules it put into place during Trump’s first term and during the Biden administration. While in the acting director role, Vought has signaled that he wishes to dismantle, or vastly diminish, the bureau. The latest blow to the bureau came earlier this month, when the White House said it does not plan to withdraw any funds from the Federal Reserve, which is where the bureau gets its funding, to fund the bureau past Dec. 31. The White House and the Justice Department used a legal interpretation of the law that created the bureau, the Dodd-Frank Act, that the Fed must be profitable in order to fund the CFPB’s operations. Several judges have rejected this argument when it was brought up by companies, but it’s never been the position of the government until this year that the CFPB requires the Fed to be profitable to have operating funds. “Donald Trump’s sending the Senate a new nominee to lead the CFPB looks like nothing more than a front for Russ Vought to stay on as Acting Director indefinitely as he tries to illegally close down the agency,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, in a statement. The bureau was created after the 2008 financial crisis as part of the Dodd-Frank Act, a law passed to overhaul the financial system and require banks to hold more capital to avoid another financial crisis. The CFPB was created to be a independent advocate for consumers to help them avoid bad actors in the financial system.
https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2025/11/19/trump-cfpb-nomination/

Entire Texas congressional delegation votes to release Epstein files

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The U. S. House of Representatives voted nearly unanimously Tuesday to require the Justice Department to publish all of its files related to Jeffrey Epstein, including one Texas Republican who opposed the measure until a few days ago. For months, President Donald Trump resisted calls to release the files as he tried to distance himself from the deceased sex offender, including pressing Republicans against signing a discharge petition a tool through which a majority can circumvent House leadership and force a vote on a bill to compel the Justice Department to release material on Epstein. Last week, the petition garnered the support of all House Democrats and four House Republicans none from Texas to successfully require a vote. The vote comes after the House Oversight Committee released documents last week that draw ties between Trump and Epstein, including emails from Epstein that mention Trump. As it became clear that many Republicans would vote with Democrats to release the files, the president changed his mind. Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday evening that House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files because they have “nothing to hide.” Trump also said Monday that he would sign the bill to release the files if it reached his desk. Later on Tuesday, the Senate agreed to pass the bill unanimously, sending it straight to Trump’s desk. On his podcast Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he supports the release of the files and added he suspected more Democrats would be harmed than Republicans. “The bulk of the evidence, from everything we know, is going to be evidence that is a real, real problem for, I suspect, a significant number of Democrats,” Cruz said. “I’m glad the President did this. I’m hopeful the House can vote. We can put this behind it, and then we can have some real accountability to people who committed criminal acts and hurt underage girls.” Though no Texas Republican joined the effort to compel a vote through the discharge petition, all of them voted in favor of releasing the files on Tuesday. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Louisiana, was the only member who voted against the release. As recently as Friday, Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, spoke out against the measure. “I’ll be voting NO on the Epstein Hoax,” Nehls wrote on social media. “The Democrats are using the Epstein Hoax to distract us from the winning of President Trump and his administration.” But by Monday, Nehls was parroting Trump and telling reporters he would vote to release the files. The documents will exonerate Trump and prove that the president is not a pedophile, Nehls said. Nehls has previously said Republicans should be doing everything possible to help Trump achieve his goals. “If Donald Trump says ‘Jump three feet high and scratch your heads,’ we all jump three feet high and scratch our heads,” Nehls told reporters last November. Others, like Rep. Keith Self, R-McKinney, had consistently supported the bill, but refused to sign the discharge petition, saying a House panel probing the matter, with the blessing of leadership, was making good progress. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, spoke on the House floor ahead of the vote, emphasizing the importance of transparency. “Today, a united Republican Party and a bipartisan super majority is going to pass a bill to increase transparency regarding the egregious abuses by Jeffrey Epstein,” he said. Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Farmers Branch, said the vote is symbolic because it shows that Congress is standing up for justice. For too long, Republicans have failed to hold people in positions of power accountable, she said. “It is political gamesmanship at its worst,” she said. “They’ve traded that accountability for complicitness to a president out of fear that they’re going to harm their great leader.”.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/11/19/536552/texas-congress-vote-release-epstein-files/

Trump Promises Lower Prices While Taking Aim at Inflation at McDonald’s Event [WATCH]

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President Trump told McDonald’s owners, operators, and suppliers on Monday that prices will decline, delivering remarks at the fast-food chain’s Impact Summit in Washington, D. C. The event came amid ongoing national discussions about inflation, the cost of living, and economic pressures affecting consumers. “Prices are coming down,” President Trump said during his address. “I will tell you that nobody has done what we’ve done in terms of pricing,” Trump said. “We took over a mess. We had the highest inflation in the history of our country . and now we have normal inflation.” Inflation measured 3 percent in September over the previous 12 months, the highest rate recorded so far this year. Food prices remain a significant point of concern for consumers. This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year According to the Economist’s “Big Mac” index, the average price of the McDonald’s burger was $6. 01 in July, an increase from $5. 69 one year earlier. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis showed that ground beef averaged $6. 32 in September, compared to $5. 67 at the same time last year. Last week, the administration adjusted tariff rates on imports of beef, coffee, tropical fruits, and other food products as part of an effort to address affordability issues. “We have it down to a low level,” Trump said of inflation. “But we’re going to get it a little bit lower. We want perfection.” Before a room of McDonald’s franchise leaders, Trump described himself as “one of your all-time, most loyal customers.” He said McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski told him that “prices at McDonald’s are coming down,” referencing ongoing cost adjustments within the company. Trump also highlighted the administration’s economic policies, including investment and trade decisions. He said the country would have faced significant financial challenges had he not won the 2024 election. “You are so damn lucky that I won that election,” Trump said. During the 2024 campaign, Trump visited a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, where he served french fries. He referenced that moment in his speech, saying he was “the very first former McDonald’s frycook to ever become president of the United States,” adding, “It was not that easy!” in reference to working the drive-thru. Trump told the audience that McDonald’s employees have a unique view of everyday American life. “Before the sun rises, you’re serving hot coffee to construction workers, nurses and police officers on the way to the job,” he said. “In the evening, you stand ready with the fast dinner and the smile for busy moms and their children as they race from school to soccer practice. And late at night your lights are on, and the only one still glowing when the long haul trucker pulls up for a good meal and the best Coca-Cola in America.” Trump also mentioned his preferred menu item, saying, “I like the fish,” in reference to McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich. He added, “You could do a little bit more tartar sauce.” WATCH:.
https://www.lifezette.com/2025/11/trump-promises-lower-prices-while-taking-aim-at-inflation-at-mcdonalds-event-watch/