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Trump issues White House invitation to families of the two National Guard members who were shot

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President Donald Trump on Sunday said he has invited the family of a National Guard member fatally shot last week to the White House. He mentioned that he spoke to her parents, who were “devastated” by the tragedy.

U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died following a shooting incident on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Her colleague, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who was seriously injured in the same event, remained in critical condition. The president said he has discussed a White House visit for the parents of both members of the West Virginia National Guard.

“I said, ‘When you’re ready, because that’s a tough thing, come to the White House. We’re going to honor Sarah,” Trump told reporters. “And likewise with Andrew, recover or not.”

In recent days, local vigils in West Virginia have honored the soldiers, including one held Saturday evening at Webster County High School, where Beckstrom attended classes.

“Sarah was the kind of student that teachers hoped for. She carried herself with quiet strength, a contagious smile, and a positive energy that lifted people around her,” said Gabriel Markle, the school’s principal. “She was sweet, caring and always willing to help others.”

Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard as part of Trump’s aggressive crime-fighting plan that federalized the D.C. police force.

A 29-year-old Afghan national faces one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed in connection with the shooting. This incident prompted the Trump administration to halt all asylum decisions and pause issuing visas for people traveling on Afghan passports.

Funeral arrangements had not been finalized for Beckstrom, according to Cathy Pettry, owner of Dodd & Reed Funeral Home in Webster Springs. Pettry stated on Saturday that her funeral home has been in contact with Beckstrom’s family about the services.

At the vigil, the hometown crowd, seated in bleachers and folding chairs, lit candles while listening to speeches from clergy and West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, who said he visited Wolfe’s family earlier in the day.

Wolfe, of Martinsburg, entered service in February 2019. He graduated from Musselman High School in 2019, according to Berkeley County Schools. He remained hospitalized and “fighting for his life,” Morrisey said during an interview the following day on Fox News Channel’s “The Sunday Briefing.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi also told “Fox News Sunday” that she planned to meet with Wolfe’s family.

Morrisey called it a challenging time for the state. Referring to Beckstrom as a “favorite daughter of Webster County,” he shared that he quickly learned about her reputation as someone with a big heart who loved to serve others.

Beckstrom, from Summersville, graduated in June 2023 and enlisted in the National Guard that same month. She served with distinction as a military police officer, according to the West Virginia National Guard.

“She had a lot of kindness and she certainly had courage,” Morrisey told the crowd during Saturday’s vigil. “Though her life lasted far too short, she has left a mark that’s going to last forever.”

AP writer Josh Boak contributed to this report from West Palm Beach, Florida.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/30/trump-white-house-invitation-national-guard-members/

Trump Calls for ‘All Necessary Measures’ After National Guard Shooting

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President Donald Trump said everyone who arrived in the U. S. from Afghanistan under the Biden administration must be “reexamined” in light of the Wednesday shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members who were deployed to Washington, D. C. Why It Matters Thousands of Afghans arrived in the United States after the Islamist Taliban recaptured the country in 2021, as U. S. forces were withdrawing after two decades of the “war against terrorism” launched after the 9/11 attack on the United States. Many of the new arrivals had worked with U. S. troops during their two-decade presence in Afghanistan, as interpreters, fixers and in other support capacities, and as a result, faced persecution from the Taliban after they defeated a U. S.-backed Afghan government and seized control of the country. What To Know The suspect in the shooting of the two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday has been identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, multiple law enforcement sources told the media. Lakanwal, who they say entered the U. S. in 2021, was shot, wounded and arrested. Trump, in a video address on Wednesday night, referred to Afghanistan as “a hellhole on earth” and said “nobody knew who was coming in” to the United States after the Taliban victory in 2021. “This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation,” Trump said, referring to the Wednesday shooting. “We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from the country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country. If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” the president added. Trump said the shooting suspect’s “status was extended under legislation signed by President Biden,” who Trump said let in 20 million “unknown and unfettered” foreigners. In May 2022, months after the fall of Kabul, then Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas had designated Afghans eligible for temporary protected status (TPS), granting those in the U. S. without legal status protections from deportation and offering work authorization so they could earn a living. Some 8, 200 Afghans have benefited from TPS, per National Immigration Forum estimates. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced on May 12, 2025, that TPS would be terminated for Afghans, saying that Homeland Security had reviewed conditions in Afghanistan with the help of interagency partners, and determined conditions had improved enough to revoke the temporary protections. The United Nations and multiple humanitarian organizations still report that Afghanistan is volatile, and that Afghans who fled could likely be targeted upon their return. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans remain scattered in other countries, where they are also seeking asylum. What People Are Saying Trump, in his address: “We’re not going to put up with these kinds of assaults on law and order by people who shouldn’t even be in our country.” Nasirullah Safi, who worked as an interpreter for the U. S. military for a decade before migrating to the U. S. in 2016 under a Special Immigrant Visa program, to Newsweek in May: “The war has never been ended for these incredible men and women who supported Americans there. It continues, and if they get deported, and if you send them back to the country that’s run by a bunch of lunatics, by the Taliban, no doubt that those people would get killed.” What Happens Next Trump gave no details about how or when the reexamination of Afghan immigrants would be carried out. Investigators have not determined a motive for the Wednesday shooting in Washington.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-calls-for-all-necessary-measures-after-national-guard-shooting-11118211

President Trump EXPLODES On Nasty New York Times ‘Reporter’ After Catching Her Spreading Crazy Health Rumors About Him

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President Trump has shown remarkable energy for years despite his age, but that is not stopping fake news hacks from spreading loony health rumors about him after ignoring an actual vegetable for four years. New York Times ‘reporter’ Katie Rogers published a piece Tuesday evening alleging that Trump’s age is catching up with him, claiming “Americans see him a lot less than they used to.” “He starts around noon, his days are shorter, and he’s traveling less than he did in his 1st term,” Rogers claimed. Rogers also alleged that Trump had been ‘dozing off’ during recent public events and being secretive about medical procedures he’s had. At the same time, she also reminded readers that Trump mocked Biden’s actual lack of energy and propensity to sleep on the job while his handlers ran the country. She even implied that Trump may be on Ozempic, noting that the President had lost weight despite supposedly not exercising and eating a lot of fast food. He does not get regular exercise, in part because he has a long-held theory that people are born with a finite amount of energy and that vigorous activity can deplete that reserve, like a battery. He enjoys red meat and is known to eat McDonald’s by the sackful. According to his physician, however, he has lost weight. In 2020, Mr. Trump tipped the scales at 244 pounds, a weight formally deemed obese for his 6-foot-3 frame. This year, Mr. Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, said in a summary of the president’s health that he weighed 224 pounds. Mr. Trump frequently muses about the effectiveness of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic he refers to them as the “fat drug” and talks about people he knows who have taken the medications, but his physician has not said if he takes one of the drugs himself. The purpose of the hit piece was to portray Trump as a washed-up old man and a dishonest hypocrite. Of course, we all know how the corporate media covered up the truth about Joe Biden’s health during his four years in power. Trump did not take these ridiculous rumors lying down and absolutely went off on Truth Social. “The Creeps at the Failing New York Times are at it again,” Trump wrote. “I won the 2024 Presidential Election in a Landslide, winning all Seven Swing States, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College by a lot. I won our Nation’s Districts by 2750 to 550, a complete wipeout.” “I settled 8 Wars, have 48 New Stock Market Highs, our Economy is Great, and our Country is RESPECTED AGAIN all over the World, respected like never before. The last Administration had the Highest Inflation in history I have already brought that down to normal, and prices, including groceries, are coming down,” he added. “To do this requires a lot of Work and Energy, and I have never worked so hard in my life. Yet despite all of this the Radical Left Lunatics in the soon to fold New York Times did a hit piece on me that I am perhaps losing my Energy, despite facts that show the exact opposite.” “They know this is wrong, as is almost everything that they write about me, including election results, ALL PURPOSELY NEGATIVE. This cheap “RAG” is truly an “ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.” Trump then blasted Rogers on a personal level, calling her ‘ugly’ inside and out. “The writer of the story, Katie Rogers, who is assigned to write only bad things about me, is a third-rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out,” Trump said. “Despite all of this, I have my highest Poll Numbers, ever, and with record setting investment being made in America, they should only go up. ” “There will be a day when I run low on Energy, it happens to everyone, but with a PERFECT PHYSICAL EXAM AND A COMPREHENSIVE COGNITIVE TEST (“That was aced”) JUST RECENTLY TAKEN, it certainly is not now!” “GOD BLESS AMERICA & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/11/president-trump-explodes-nasty-new-york-times-reporter/

Rush Hour 4 Is Happening: Here’s What Trump Has To Do With It

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Rush Hour 4 has moved from years of uncertainty to active development, driven in part by a request from President Donald Trump that reignited studio interest in the long-running franchise. Paramount is now set to distribute the film. The project brings together returning stars, a controversial director and a studio system reshaped by new ownership. A Franchise Revived Through Presidential Influence Reports state that Paramount agreed to distribute Rush Hour 4 after Trump personally asked the studio to revive the series. According to Semafor, it played a role in the decision to push the project forward. Trump’s involvement has added an unexpected political thread to a film franchise previously known only as a comedic action series. Brett Ratner will return to direct the fourth instalment after a prolonged absence from feature films. His last major release was the 2014 action film Hercules, led by Dwayne Johnson. Ratner’s career slowed in 2017 following allegations connected to the #MeToo movement, though he has remained active through other projects. His relationship with the Trump family strengthened during the production of Melania, a documentary about the former First Lady. Amazon reportedly paid £31. 5 million (approximately $40 million) for the rights to release that project. This connection placed Ratner in proximity to the administration during a period in which Rush Hour 4 was being reconsidered. Paramount’s Role and the Film’s New Structure Paramount’s involvement in Rush Hour 4 is limited to distribution, with the studio being paid a flat fee to release the film theatrically. It will not be responsible for the cost of production or marketing, making the arrangement lower risk than a traditional studio-funded release. Warner Bros., through its New Line label, released the original Rush Hour in 1998 and the sequels in 2001 and 2007. Under the new agreement, Warner Bros. will receive first-dollar gross, meaning it will collect a percentage of box office revenue before costs are repaid. Multiple distributors were approached after Warner Bros. allowed the producers and Ratner to explore new partners. Many reportedly declined due to Ratner’s involvement, which made Paramount’s agreement more unusual given the broader industry reluctance. A Legacy of Commercial Success The franchise has been a substantial box office performer. The first Rush Hour, centred on two police officers teaming up to rescue a diplomat’s daughter, earned £192 million (approximately $244 million) worldwide. The sequels strengthened the franchise with £273 million (approximately $347 million) for Rush Hour 2 and £203 million (approximately $258 million) for Rush Hour 3. These successes came during a period when comedy-driven action films were dominant in cinemas. Since then, comedies have declined significantly at the box office, raising questions about how Rush Hour 4 will perform in a market that now favours large-scale franchise films and major action releases. Jackie Chan, whose physicality shaped the tone of the earlier films, is now 71. Chris Tucker has not led a film since Rush Hour 3 in 2007. Studio Ambitions and Trump’s Connection to Paramount Leadership Paramount’s chairman and CEO, David Ellison, is the son of Larry Ellison, known for being one of Trump’s most prominent financial supporters. Trump has publicly praised Ellison’s leadership, adding another layer of connection between the former President and the film’s development. The timeline for Rush Hour 4 remains unclear, but its path to production has already set it apart from its predecessors, shaped by political influence, shifting studio priorities and the return of key figures not seen together on a major film in more than a decade.
https://www.ibtimes.com/rush-hour-4-happening-heres-what-trump-has-do-it-3791383

Pentagon threatens to court martial former NASA astronaut

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The US Department of Defense on Monday announced it was launching an investigation into a Democratic senator who had participating in a video warning active-duty troops to not follow illegal orders given by President Donald Trump. In a social media post, the DoD said it had “received serious allegations of misconduct” against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a retired US Navy captain who was one of several Democrats with backgrounds in national defense to speak out against the president potentially giving unlawful orders that pit the US military against American civilians. As a result of the investigation, the DoD said that Kelly could be recalled to active duty to face potential court-martial proceedings for violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). “All servicemembers are reminded that they have a legal obligation under the UCMJ to obey lawful orders and that orders are presumed to be lawful,” the DoD said. “A servicemember’s personal philosophy does not justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.” In addition to Kelly, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-Penn.), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Md.), and Jason Crow (D-Colo.) appeared in the video. In a follow-up social media post, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attacked the Democrats in the video as the “seditious six” and said that Kelly had been singled out for investigation because he was the only member who was still subject to UCMJ given his status as a retired Naval officer. “As was announced, the Department is reviewing his statements and actions, which were addressed directly to all troops while explicitly using his rank and service affiliation-lending the appearance of authority to his words,” wrote Hegseth. “Kelly’s conduct brings discredit upon the armed forces and will be addressed appropriately.” Trump has been calling for the prosecution of the six Democrats who appeared in the video for the last several days, and he even went so far as to say in one Truth Social post they deserve to be executed for “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” Shortly after the Pentagon announced its investigation into Kelly, he responded with a lengthy social media post in which he defended his service record and vowed not to back down despite threats from the Trump administration. “If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work,” he said. “I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”.
https://www.alternet.org/pentagon-threatens-to-court-martial-former-astronaut/

White House Scraps DOGE: The Bizarre Subscriptions and Weird Overseas Contracts Draining Public Funds

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The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, launched with fanfare as a flagship initiative of Donald Trump’s second term, has quietly been disbanded, eight months before its scheduled end. Meant to streamline federal agencies and cut waste, DOGE instead became synonymous with confusion, strange overseas contracts, and massive public spending that delivered little measurable savings. DOGE’s Short-Lived Ambitions and Rapid Rise Created in January, DOGE made a dramatic entrance into Washington with a promise to shrink federal agencies and redirect resources toward Trump priorities. It gained early attention for aggressive budget cuts, sudden layoffs, and the unusual spectacle of staff sleeping at headquarters to execute the mandate. Despite the publicity, the Office of Personnel Management has since absorbed many of DOGE’s functions. Scott Kupor, OPM Director, confirmed the department no longer exists as a centralised entity. Documents reviewed by Reuters indicate that at least two DOGE employees moved to the newly established National Design Studio, an office tasked with redesigning federal websites under the leadership of Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia. Former DOGE staffers reportedly feared legal repercussions from the abrupt job cuts and radical reforms, further clouding the agency’s legacy. By May, over 200, 000 federal workers had been laid off or taken buyouts, with claims of billions in supposed savings remaining unverified due to a lack of transparent accounting. Questionable Contracts and Overseas Spending DOGE’s termination also revealed some puzzling contract choices. In a recent tweet, the department announced that nine days of audits had resulted in 78 terminated or descoped contracts with a ceiling value of £1. 6 billion ($1. 9 billion), claiming £283 million ($335 million) in savings. Among the contracts cut were a £508, 000 ($616,000) HHS IT subscription for social media monitoring, a £158, 000 ($191, 000) USAGM broadcasting deal for operations in Ethiopia, and a £3. 6 million ($4. 3 million) IRS IT project to support Inflation Reduction Act transformation. Many observers questioned the purpose of these contracts in the first place and why taxpayer dollars were committed without public oversight. Additionally, the Trump administration confirmed that millions of taxpayer dollars had been used to fund subscriptions to media outlets such as Politico. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, ‘The more than eight million taxpayer dollars that have gone to essentially subsidising subscriptions to Politico on the American taxpayer’s dime will no longer be happening.’ Conservative circles immediately seized on these revelations, digging through USAspending. gov for further examples of government-paid media subscriptions. Media Reactions and Public Backlash The programme attracted widespread criticism for targeting government transparency. Elon Musk, who once lauded the department, described DOGE as ‘transparent’ despite reports that agents often refused to identify themselves and slashed agency budgets without consultation. Analysts highlighted that the costs of operating DOGE, combined with its questionable contracts, far outweighed any purported savings. Some estimates suggest hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars were impacted, while certain essential government services and public health initiatives were disrupted. Former employees and insiders suggested Musk later regretted some of the decisions, attributing mismanagement to the chaotic environment and high-stakes political pressure. The Legacy of DOGE and the Road Ahead With DOGE now officially disbanded, the Department of Government Efficiency will be remembered more for its bewildering mix of bizarre subscriptions, overseas contracts, and controversial job cuts than for delivering any meaningful cost reductions. Questions remain about who authorised the original £1. 6 billion ($1. 9 billion) expenditure and whether accountability measures will ever be implemented. As OPM takes over remaining functions, Washington faces the challenge of reconciling the disruption left in DOGE’s wake. The episode is a reminder that efficiency is not simply a policy goal; it is a meticulous, fully accountable process. Otherwise, even well-intentioned reforms can spiral into expensive, chaotic, and controversial initiatives.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/white-house-scraps-doge-bizarre-subscriptions-weird-overseas-contracts-draining-public-funds-1757557

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/