{"id":8365,"date":"2025-12-17T00:15:41","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T00:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/12\/17\/live-updates-trump-bans-travel-from-5-more-countries-imposes-new-limits-on-others-ap-news\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T00:15:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T00:15:41","slug":"live-updates-trump-bans-travel-from-5-more-countries-imposes-new-limits-on-others-ap-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/12\/17\/live-updates-trump-bans-travel-from-5-more-countries-imposes-new-limits-on-others-ap-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Live updates: Trump bans travel from 5 more countries, imposes new limits on others &#8211; AP News"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"blogBody\">\n<p>President <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/span>\u2018s administration is <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-travel-ban-countries-immigration-visas-border-9dde0aecb3ffe418266700d9eefef937\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">expanding its travel ban<\/a><\/span> to include five more countries and impose new limits on others.<\/p>\n<p>This move Tuesday is part of ongoing efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for travel and immigration. The decision follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspect in the shooting of <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/immigration-border-trump-afghan-asylum-refugee-710973fb9bce4a83a9d979852865cdab\">two National Guard troops<\/a><\/span> over Thanksgiving weekend.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican administration announced it was expanding the list of countries whose citizens are banned from entering the U.S. to include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. The administration also fully restricted travel on people with Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents.<\/p>\n<p>In June, Trump announced that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions. The decision resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term.<\/p>\n<div data-module data-gtm-region=\"Other news we're following: White House chief of staff critiques Cabinet: In a series of interviews published by Vanity Fair, Susan Wiles criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, called Vice President JD Vance a \u201cconspiracy theorist\u201d and said Trump has \"an alcoholic's personality,\" all while broadly defended the president\u2019s aggressive administration. Wiles took to social media to decry the profile as \"a disingenuously framed hit piece\u201d but did not deny the quotations. US military says strikes on 3 boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean kill 8 people: The U.S. military said Monday that it attacked three boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean as scrutiny over the boat strikes is intensifying in Congress. The military said in a statement on social media that the strikes targeted \u201cdesignated terrorist organizations.\" Trump sues BBC for $10 billion: Trump filed a lawsuit Monday seeking $10 billion in damages from the BBC, accusing the British broadcaster of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices. The 33-page lawsuit accuses the BBC of broadcasting a \u201cfalse, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump,\u201d calling it \u201ca brazen attempt to interfere in and influence\u201d the 2024 U.S. presidential election.\" data-align-center>\n<p><b>Other news we\u2019re following: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul id=\"rte-bf0a1a92-da73-11f0-bce8-7977cbb845ad\">\n<li><b>White House chief of staff critiques Cabinet:<\/b> In <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-wiles-chief-staff-interview-cabinet-bondi-5c995a046318973b1a3dfe8ed89cf3cf\">a series of interviews<\/a><\/span> published by Vanity Fair, Susan Wiles criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi\u2019s handling of the <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/jeffrey-epstein\">Jeffrey Epstein<\/a><\/span> case, called Vice President JD Vance a \u201cconspiracy theorist\u201d and said Trump has \u201can alcoholic\u2019s personality,\u201d all while broadly defended the president\u2019s aggressive administration. <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/live\/donald-trump-news-updates-12-16-2025#0000019b-2790-d687-afbf-67b3f2b00000\">Wiles took to social media<\/a><\/span> to decry the profile as \u201ca disingenuously framed hit piece\u201d but did not deny the quotations.<\/li>\n<li><b>US military says strikes on 3 boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean kill 8 people: <\/b>The U.S. military said Monday that <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/boat-strikes-us-military-drugs-pacific-108d10bbd3d19c34b8959602222e22e6\">it attacked three boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean<\/a><\/span> as scrutiny over the boat strikes is intensifying in Congress. The military said in a statement on social media that the strikes targeted \u201cdesignated terrorist organizations.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><b>Trump sues BBC for $10 billion:<\/b> Trump <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-bbc-lawsuit-defamation-a9fd196c4f242decd8f28e8d0ce74442\">filed a lawsuit Monday seeking $10 billion in damages from the BBC<\/a><\/span>, accusing the British broadcaster of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices. The 33-page lawsuit accuses the BBC of broadcasting a \u201cfalse, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump,\u201d <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-bbc-lawsuit-defamation-a9fd196c4f242decd8f28e8d0ce74442\">calling it \u201ca brazen attempt to interfere in and influence\u201d the 2024 U.S. presidential election.<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">                      <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Trump orders blockade of oil tankers into Venezuela\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-2994-dfb0-a7ff-7ddea6f60000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765929547009\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-2994-dfb0-a7ff-7ddea6f60000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Trump orders blockade of oil tankers into Venezuela         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Trump says he is ordering a blockade of all \u201csanctioned oil tankers\u201d into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country\u2019s authoritarian leader Nicol\u00e1s Maduro.<\/p>\n<p>The move comes after U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela\u2019s coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region. In a post on social media Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"JUST IN: Trump says he is ordering a blockade of all \u2018sanctioned oil tankers\u2019 into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on Maduro\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-2994-d69d-affb-fdb7734a0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765929164806\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-2994-d69d-affb-fdb7734a0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             JUST IN: Trump says he is ordering a blockade of all \u2018sanctioned oil tankers\u2019 into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on Maduro         <\/h2>\n<p>                                        <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>CDC adopts recommendation to stop calling for all babies to get a hepatitis B shot at birth<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-296b-d5f3-af9f-3f7bc5b30000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765926596338&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-296b-d5f3-af9f-3f7bc5b30000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>CDC adopts recommendation to stop calling for all babies to get a hepatitis B shot at birth<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>U.S. health officials have decided to <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-rfk-gold-standard-science-research-autism-6e4c6bc2534252ab1e7add0942043778\">end the longstanding recommendation<\/a><\/span> that all U.S. babies get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they\u2019re born.<\/p>\n<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday adopted a federal advisory committee\u2019s recommendation for a birth dose of the vaccine only for babies whose mothers test positive for hepatitis B infection, and in cases where the mom wasn\u2019t tested.<\/p>\n<p>For other babies, it will be up to the parents and their doctors <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/acip\/meetings\/upcoming.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to decide<\/a><\/span> if a birth dose is appropriate. <\/p>\n<p>Many medical and public health leaders have decried the new recommendation, saying more babies will become ill.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Former NIH scientist sues the Trump administration over her firing\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-2925-d813-a99b-696de7140000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765922758548\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-2925-d813-a99b-696de7140000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Former NIH scientist sues the Trump administration over her firing         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>A former leading scientist at the National Institutes of Health sued the Trump administration Tuesday, saying she was illegally fired for warning that <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/alzheimers-treatment-prevention-amyloid-trump-0e824790486e06bcfbd5711df4abf0ba\">research cuts were endangering patients<\/a><\/span> and public health.<\/p>\n<p>The NIH has cut <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/nih-research-trump-cuts-dei-rfk-4fec9f308f3ff427185a12e88f260c81\">billions<\/a><\/span> of dollars in research projects since<span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/supreme-court-trump-nih-dei-320a6b3749bf56703b50739362d1238c\"> January<\/a><\/span>, including clinical trials testing treatments for cancer, brain diseases and other disorders that a recent report said impacted over <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/nih-funding-cuts-32b9b7bad01457a5412af26e394e3735\">74,000 people enrolled in the experiments<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, who led NIH\u2019s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was put on administrative leave last spring after challenging NIH officials about the cuts, including warning that some would endanger clinical trial participants.<\/p>\n<p>In September, Marrazzo filed a whistleblower complaint alleging retaliation. Weeks later she was fired by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Maryland.<\/p>\n<p>A Kennedy spokesperson declined comment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Federal judge inclined to deny preservationists\u2019 request to halt construction of<\/b> <b>Trump\u2019s White House ballroom<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2922-d69d-affb-fda7a9970000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765921923495&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2922-d69d-affb-fda7a9970000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Federal judge inclined to deny preservationists\u2019 request to halt construction of<\/b> <b>Trump\u2019s White House ballroom<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<div data-align-center>                      <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>              <a id=\"image-220000\"><\/a>                                      <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vistors to the Washington Monument look out towards the White House and the continuing contruction of the ballroom where the East Room once stood, Tuesday, Dec., 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/6e5f1f4\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5894x3929+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F9d%2Fcf%2F4df8a92244d8ad1835f1b5b19361%2Fap25350655143064.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>Vistors to the Washington Monument look out towards the White House and the continuing contruction of the ballroom where the East Room once stood, Tuesday, Dec., 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>Vistors to the Washington Monument look out towards the White House and the continuing contruction of the ballroom where the East Room once stood, Tuesday, Dec., 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                  <\/div>\n<p>U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon said he expects to issue his final decision in about a day.<\/p>\n<p>The Washington-based judge heard arguments Tuesday in a case brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The group went to court last week seeking to temporarily halt construction on grounds that the ballroom plans need to go through several independent reviews, including by Congress, before construction continues.<\/p>\n<p>A Justice Department attorney representing the administration said Trump isn\u2019t subject to the laws the Trust said he has failed to comply with.<br \/>The attorney also said construction work that\u2019s underway must continue due to national security.<\/p>\n<p>The judge said the Trust had failed to show \u201cirreparable harm\u201d would come from the project moving forward. He said he would schedule another hearing for January.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Faith leaders chain themselves to San Francisco federal courthouse in immigration protest\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-28ee-d813-a99b-69eeb9ea0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765921091025\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-28ee-d813-a99b-69eeb9ea0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Faith leaders chain themselves to San Francisco federal courthouse in immigration protest         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Dozens showed up and blocked the entrance to the courthouse Tuesday morning, resulting in multiple arrests, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. <\/p>\n<p>The protest was organized by local faith leaders, who donned robes and other religious wear and stood with arms linked for hours before federal agents ordered them to disperse.<\/p>\n<p>Firefighters had to cut the chains, and federal officers led protesters away in zip ties.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not clear how many were arrested. The Department of Homeland Security didn\u2019t immediately respond to questions about the protest. The scene was peaceful despite the arrest, and the courthouse was closed for the day.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Colleague at Milwaukee judge\u2019s trial says she was \u2018shocked\u2019 at her actions\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-28e1-d5f3-af9f-3ffb01f20000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765918290308\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-28e1-d5f3-af9f-3ffb01f20000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Colleague at Milwaukee judge\u2019s trial says she was \u2018shocked\u2019 at her actions         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<div data-align-center>                      <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>              <a id=\"image-440000\"><\/a>                                      <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"619\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"619\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"594\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"594\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"464\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"464\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"This courtroom sketch depicts Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in court, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis.  (Adela Tesnow via AP)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/f9ac5ac\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/4238x3280+0+0\/resize\/599x464!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fa0%2F05%2F7b79560d43cca10633a365b5f4d4%2Fap25350664025158.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>This courtroom sketch depicts Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in court, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Adela Tesnow via AP)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>This courtroom sketch depicts Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in court, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Adela Tesnow via AP)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                  <\/div>\n<p>A colleague of the <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/dugan-trump-immigrant-judge-trial-milwaukee-9c1f4d421a049fcb37a041007eb251d5\">Milwaukee judge<\/a><\/span> accused of helping an immigrant evade arrest is testifying at her criminal trial that she was shocked by her fellow judge\u2019s behavior.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudges shouldn\u2019t help defendants evade arrest,\u201d Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Kristela Cervera testified on Tuesday at Hannah Dugan\u2019s trial.<\/p>\n<p>The testimony on the second day of trial came after officers involved in the arrest told the jury that Dugan\u2019s behavior on April 18 made it more dangerous for them to do their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Dugan is on trial on charges of obstruction and concealment for her role in the incident.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Trump bans travel from these countries<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-28d4-d009-a79b-3cf7399c0000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765916860893&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-28d4-d009-a79b-3cf7399c0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Trump bans travel from these countries<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<ul id=\"rte-7d94dca2-dabc-11f0-9cfb-5df0aba2db13\">\n<li>Burkina Faso<\/li>\n<li>Mali<\/li>\n<li>Niger<\/li>\n<li>South Sudan<\/li>\n<li>Syria<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The administration also fully restricted travel on people with Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents.<\/p>\n<p>An additional 15 countries are also being added to the list of countries facing partial restrictions: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Trump expands travel ban, adding 5 more countries<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-28c1-d813-a99b-69ed14880000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765915986048&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-28c1-d813-a99b-69ed14880000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Trump expands travel ban, adding 5 more countries<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The administration announced it was adding Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria.<\/p>\n<p>The move Tuesday is part of ongoing efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for travel and immigration. The decision follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspect in the shooting of two National Guard troops over Thanksgiving weekend.<\/p>\n<p>In June, Trump announced that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions. At the time the ban included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen and heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.<\/p>\n<p><i>\u25b6 Read more on the expanded <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-travel-ban-countries-immigration-visas-border-9dde0aecb3ffe418266700d9eefef937\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>travel ban.<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"JUST IN: Trump administration expands travel ban to include 5 more countries and imposes new limits on others\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-28c0-d009-a79b-3cf770120000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765915298912\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-28c0-d009-a79b-3cf770120000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             JUST IN: Trump administration expands travel ban to include 5 more countries and imposes new limits on others         <\/h2>\n<p>                                        <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Trump will go to Delaware for the dignified transfer of the 2 National Guard members killed in Syria\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-28be-d69d-affb-fcbf3cb10000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765915256189\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-28be-d69d-affb-fcbf3cb10000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Trump will go to Delaware for the dignified transfer of the 2 National Guard members killed in Syria         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>President Trump is going to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for a dignified transfer for the two Iowa National Guard members killed in an attack in the Syrian desert.<\/p>\n<p>Trump will travel to Delaware on Wednesday. The ritual at Dover Air Force Base honors U.S. service members killed in action and is one of the most solemn duties undertaken by the commander in chief. Trump has called it \u201cthe toughest thing\u201d he has to do as president.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>States sue Trump administration over electric vehicle charger funding<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-28b6-dfb0-a7ff-7dfeefa90000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765914712786&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-28b6-dfb0-a7ff-7dfeefa90000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>States sue Trump administration over electric vehicle charger funding<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<div data-align-center>                      <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>              <a id=\"image-5b0000\"><\/a>                                      <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A Level 2 EV charger sits in a municipal lot Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in North Canaan, Conn. (AP Photo\/Heather Khalifa)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/d8102f7\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5725x3817+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F95%2F4a%2F741c953149538b8bd9f8d8833322%2Fap25310659355754.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>A Level 2 EV charger sits in a municipal lot Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in North Canaan, Conn. (AP Photo\/Heather Khalifa)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>A Level 2 EV charger sits in a municipal lot Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in North Canaan, Conn. (AP Photo\/Heather Khalifa)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                  <\/div>\n<p>Colorado, California and more than a dozen other Democratic-led states are seeking to restore about $3 billion for the buildout and repair of electric vehicle chargers.<\/p>\n<p>Congress approved the funding while President Joe Biden was in office, but the states said the Trump administration quietly refused to approve new money for the programs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe take seriously the need to improve our air quality, to make an energy transition and to address our climate challenges,\u201d said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat. \u201cThis administration seeking to undermine that is acting lawlessly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit comes months after a <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/lawsuit-ev-chargers-trump-washington-california-2a94e98f11d838f91ecf98cf2f939f01\">judge ordered<\/a><\/span> the Trump administration to release funding for electric vehicle charger buildout in more than a dozen states under a separate program.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Trump stands by Wiles and downplays her comments to Vanity Fair<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-289e-d5f3-af9f-3fbf0e820000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765913628444&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-289e-d5f3-af9f-3fbf0e820000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Trump stands by Wiles and downplays her comments to Vanity Fair<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Trump told the New York Post that he has a \u201cpossessive and addictive personality,\u201d downplaying his chief of staff\u2019s comment to Vanity Fair that he has an \u201calcoholic\u2019s personality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve said that many times about myself. I\u2019m fortunate I\u2019m not a drinker. If I did, I could very well, because I\u2019ve said that \u2014 what\u2019s the word? Not possessive \u2014 possessive and addictive type personality. Oh, I\u2019ve said it many times, many times before,\u201d Trump told the newspaper.<\/p>\n<p>Trump said he hadn\u2019t read the full report Vanity Report but endorsed Wiles\u2019 tenure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t read it, but I don\u2019t read Vanity Fair \u2014 but she\u2019s done a fantastic job,\u201d Trump said. Trump said he had his full confidence in Wiles. \u201cOh, she\u2019s fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Trump to discuss his agenda in Wednesday\u2019s address to the nation<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2888-d5f3-af9f-3fbb9f700000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765913003577&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2888-d5f3-af9f-3fbb9f700000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Trump to discuss his agenda in Wednesday\u2019s address to the nation<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the president will discuss what he accomplished this year, the first of his second term, and his plans for the next three years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a really good speech,\u201d she said at the White House.<\/p>\n<p>Leavitt said she had just come from the Oval Office, where she and Trump discussed the speech.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Trump says he will address the nation on Wednesday night<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2878-d813-a99b-697c17f30000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765910562912&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2878-d813-a99b-697c17f30000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Trump says he will address the nation on Wednesday night<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Trump announced his plans in a post on his social media site, saying he will speak live from the White House at 9 p.m. EST.<\/p>\n<p>He did not say what topics he planned to talk about.<\/p>\n<p>Trump closed the post with, \u201cIt has been a great year for our Country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Bondi defends Wiles after Vanity Fair report: \u2018We are united\u2019<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2866-deff-adbb-ebe7714d0000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765909449062&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2866-deff-adbb-ebe7714d0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Bondi defends Wiles after Vanity Fair report: \u2018We are united\u2019<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cMy dear friend (Susie Wiles) fights every day to advance President Trump\u2019s agenda \u2013 and she does so with grace, loyalty, and historic effectiveness,\u201d the attorney general wrote on social media. \u201cAny attempt to divide this administration will fail. Any attempt to undermine and downplay President Trump\u2019s monumental achievements will fail. We are family. We are united.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a Vanity Fair interview, Wiles criticized Bondi\u2019s handling of the release of information related to Jeffrey Epstein earlier this year. Wiles told the magazine that Bondi \u201cwhiffed on appreciating that that was the very targeted group that cared about\u201d the issue and criticized a White House event where gave some social media personalities were \u201cbinders full of nothingness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk. There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasn\u2019t on her desk,\u201d Wiles told the magazine.<\/p>\n<p>No administration official has disputed the quotes, though Wiles said her comments were \u201cdisingenuously framed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Schumer says Democrats have lawyers \u2018ready to go\u2019 ahead of deadline to release Epstein files\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-285d-dce3-a59b-2cdfdf3f0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765908896943\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-285d-dce3-a59b-2cdfdf3f0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Schumer says Democrats have lawyers \u2018ready to go\u2019 ahead of deadline to release Epstein files         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The Senate minority leader said Tuesday that Democrats \u201chave great lawyers who are ready to go\u201d ahead of the Dec. 19 deadline for the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n<p>Congress passed bipartisan legislation last month that is forcing the disclosure after Trump\u2019s administration had resisted doing so. But Schumer said they expect the Justice Department to \u201cdodge and delay\u201d in releasing the files or potentially redact important information. <\/p>\n<p>Democrats will \u201ctake every available step to ensure the administration fully complies with the law,\u201d Schumer said.<\/p>\n<p>He noted the bipartisan support for releasing the files. If the Trump administration tries to hide information, he said, public pressure will become \u201clouder and louder.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>An (almost) united front for Wiles from Trump\u2019s Cabinet<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2858-d009-a79b-3cffd5100000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765908541744&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2858-d009-a79b-3cffd5100000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>An (almost) united front for Wiles from Trump\u2019s Cabinet<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>After Vanity Fair published unusually candid quotes from Trump\u2019s chief of staff Susie Wiles, there was an outpouring of support from Trump\u2019s cabinet on social media &#8212; or most of it.<\/p>\n<p>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Wiles \u201can exceptional chief of staff.\u201d Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins defended Wiles as \u201cthe steady hand guiding this administration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Notably missing from the long list of accolade givers: Attorney General Pam Bondi, who Wiles said \u201ccompletely whiffed on appreciating that that was the very targeted group that cared about\u201d the release of Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Johnson misleads on Democratic claims about health care for immigrants<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2857-d687-afbf-6cf70b910000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765908466127&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2857-d687-afbf-6cf70b910000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Johnson misleads on Democratic claims about health care for immigrants<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The House speaker claimed Tuesday morning <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SpeakerJohnson\/status\/2000916108136653288\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on X<\/a><\/span> that California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted people in the U.S. illegally are receiving taxpayer-funded health care, something Democrats have frequently said is not occurring.<\/p>\n<p>But Johnson is conflating federally-funded health care with health care funded at the state level.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican posted a video that includes interview clips of himself and congressional Democrats speaking about the topic on major broadcast outlets. The video ends with a clip of Newsom\u2019s recent interview with The New York Times, in which he says he is \u201cproud\u201d of offering health care to Californians regardless of immigration status.<\/p>\n<p>But Medi-Cal, California\u2019s Medicaid health care program, is funded at the state level. The programs mentioned in the other clips throughout Johnson\u2019s video \u2014 Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act \u2014 are federally-funded programs. People in the U.S. illegally <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SpeakerJohnson\/status\/2000916108136653288\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">are not eligible<\/a><\/span> for any federal healthcare programs.<\/p>\n<p>Starting in 2015, California expanded access to Medi-Cal, the state\u2019s Medicaid health care program, to anyone regardless of immigration status. That\u2019s changing Jan. 1 when an <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dhcs.ca.gov\/keep-your-Medi-Cal\/Pages\/Medi-Cal-Immigrant-Eligibility-FAQs.aspx#:~:text=Starting%20on%20January%201%2C%202026%2C,coverage%20during%20your%20renewal%20month.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">enrollment freeze<\/a><\/span> for adults 19 years and older without a \u201csatisfactory immigration status\u201d will take effect.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Hegseth brings up Democrats\u2019 \u2018illegal orders\u2019 video during briefing, Kelly says<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2855-dd5c-a79f-6bf5cbae0000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765908350051&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2855-dd5c-a79f-6bf5cbae0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Hegseth brings up Democrats\u2019 \u2018illegal orders\u2019 video during briefing, Kelly says<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Sen. Mark Kelly told reporters Tuesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth broke from discussing boat strikes in a classified briefing with senators to make \u201cperformative\u201d talking points about the Pentagon\u2019s investigation into him.<\/p>\n<p>The Defense Department is investigating Kelly, a retired Navy pilot, for his participation in a video with other Democratic lawmakers urging troops to defy \u201cillegal orders.\u201d The Pentagon has suggested Kelly\u2019s statements interfered with service members\u2019 loyalty, morale and discipline.<\/p>\n<p>Kelly said he asked about boat strikes when Hegseth brought it up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe kind of walked in there with a little speech he wanted to give,\u201d Kelly said, adding that he wouldn\u2019t have wasted senators\u2019 time bringing up the matter, but Hegseth \u201cdidn\u2019t have a problem doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Illinois governor says Border Patrol \u2018deploying again\u2019 in Chicago<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2851-d009-a79b-3cf7a3da0000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765908073072&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2851-d009-a79b-3cf7a3da0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Illinois governor says Border Patrol \u2018deploying again\u2019 in Chicago<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Gov. JB Pritzker complained that he was not given notice that Bovino and additional Border Patrol agents were returning to the Chicago area on Tuesday and that he doesn\u2019t know how long they\u2019ll stay.<\/p>\n<p>Pritzker also called on Bovino to testify in front of an Illinois commission created in October to document misconduct by federal agents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m so proud of the people of Illinois, for doing as they have, which is to protect their neighborhoods and their neighbors, to do the right thing,\u201d Pritzker said Tuesday. \u201cAnd so, I think we\u2019re in a much better position.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, \u201cAs we said a month ago, we aren\u2019t leaving Chicago and operations are ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Prosecutors focus on Milwaukee judge\u2019s interaction with arresting officers<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-284b-d69d-affb-fcef7e510000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765907732985&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-284b-d69d-affb-fcef7e510000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Prosecutors focus on Milwaukee judge\u2019s interaction with arresting officers<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Prosecutors tried to paint a <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/dugan-trump-immigrant-judge-trial-milwaukee-9c1f4d421a049fcb37a041007eb251d5\">Milwaukee judge<\/a><\/span> as rudely approaching federal officers, making it more dangerous for them to do their jobs when she helped an immigrant escape authorities trying to arrest him.<\/p>\n<p>The second day of Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan\u2019s trial Tuesday has focused on her interactions with officers in the courthouse.<\/p>\n<p>FBI agent Phillip Jackling testified he was concerned that his team was divided when Dugan directed agents to speak with the chief judge.<\/p>\n<p>While they were in the judge\u2019s chambers, Jackling and another member of the arrest team testified, the man they came to apprehend walked out of the courtroom. Officers had to chase him down through traffic outside when they could have safely arrested him in the building, they testified.<br \/>Dugan\u2019s defense attorneys have suggested that agents could have arrested the suspect at any point.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Senior Border Patrol official Greg Bovino returns to Chicago<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2848-d009-a79b-3cff536c0000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765907455319&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2848-d009-a79b-3cff536c0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Senior Border Patrol official Greg Bovino returns to Chicago<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/chicago-illinois-ice-immigration-broadview-921c3ac8b1990ba32a65cdf99191ea85\">Bovino<\/a><\/span>, the face of the Trump administration\u2019s immigration crackdown, was photographed Tuesday in the predominantly Mexican American neighborhood of Little Village by the Chicago Sun-Times as neighbors and activists blew whistles and shouted.<\/p>\n<p><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/chicago-ice-immigration-broadview-lawsuit-4d9b14a2ed8e28d7a4b75e42bdd7ca8a\">Bovino<\/a><\/span> arrived in the Chicago area in September amid <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/arrests-chicago-immigration-investigation-0b1a1170f0ef26bd87608825f0cedbc3\">Operation Midway Blitz<\/a><\/span>, which has yielded thousands of arrests and fueled fear among immigrant communities. The operation has become known for its <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/chicago-ice-border-patrol-immigration-80e4a8c89850288e22cdc0b6b89d2c79\">aggressive tactics<\/a><\/span>, including the use of chemical munitions and car chases. Bovino left Chicago in November to lead immigration operations in <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/immigration-new-orleans-online-monitoring-b2c300245ea4ffbef335502245760a1d\">New Orleans<\/a><\/span> and <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/new-orleans-charlotte-immigration-arrests-trump-84bc76392705dad1ea7d1cfef29ec380\">North Carolina<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Democratic lawmaker warns of \u2018mission creep\u2019 with boat strikes<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2841-d5f3-af9f-3f7b70f40000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765906989449&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2841-d5f3-af9f-3f7b70f40000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Democratic lawmaker warns of \u2018mission creep\u2019 with boat strikes<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, a former Army Ranger and part of a group of six lawmakers in a video telling troops to defy unlawful orders, said he questions whether the use of the military is the right response to interdicting drug smugglers in the region.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have concerns about mission creep and how this can tumble out of control,\u201d Crow said, \u201cwhich is exactly why Congress needs to be consulted.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Speaker Johnson says the boat strikes are appropriate and necessary<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2831-dfb0-a7ff-7dfba8240000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765906933262&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2831-dfb0-a7ff-7dfba8240000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Speaker Johnson says the boat strikes are appropriate and necessary<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cThis is some exquisite intelligence that supports these actions,\u201d the Republican speaker said.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson gave brief remarks after Rubio and Hegseth spoke to House lawmakers in a classified briefing at the Capitol.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is certainly appropriate, it is necessary to protect the United States and our interests,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThat\u2019s what was presented today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The speaker acknowledged that lawmakers do have questions about the deadly military campaign, and he said he hopes those are being answered.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Vance defends Wiles after Vanity Fair story<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-282e-dfb0-a7ff-7dfe98970000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765905773367&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-282e-dfb0-a7ff-7dfe98970000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Vance defends Wiles after Vanity Fair story<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Vance says he\u2019s had some \u201cdisagreements\u201d with Wiles but agrees with her on most issues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve never seen her be disloyal to the president of the United States and that makes her the best White House chief of staff that the president could ask for,\u201d the vice president said in Allentown, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve never seen Susie Wiles say something to the president and then counteract him or say something behind the scenes,\u201d Vance said.<\/p>\n<p>Vance added that he thought the takeaway from the Vanity Fair report was clear: \u201cI hope that the lesson is we should be giving fewer interviews to mainstream media outlets.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Graham says US has authority to \u2018blow up\u2019 vessels off Venezuela<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-282d-d687-afbf-6cbfce870000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765905698202&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-282d-d687-afbf-6cbfce870000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Graham says US has authority to \u2018blow up\u2019 vessels off Venezuela<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt in my mind that we have the legal authority to blow up these boats,\u201d said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.<\/p>\n<p>Graham, however, said he remains concerned that Maduro will be allowed to remain in power despite the U.S. military build up and show of force in the region.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf he\u2019s still standing when this is over, this is a fatal major mistake to our standing in the world,\u201d Graham said.<\/p>\n<p>He said he did not get a good answer from the Trump administration officials about \u201cwhat happens next.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Rubio says \u2018highly successful\u2019 mission to counter drug flow off Venezuela is ongoing<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2823-db8e-a59b-3c2f65610000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765905019073&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2823-db8e-a59b-3c2f65610000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Rubio says \u2018highly successful\u2019 mission to counter drug flow off Venezuela is ongoing<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<div data-align-center>                      <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>              <a id=\"image-f30000\"><\/a>                                      <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives to brief members of Congress on military strikes near Venezuela, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/034fdd0\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/4694x3129+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fcd%2F66%2Fb2bbd7f94e2ca4f0f281bf233010%2Fap25350608859078.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives to brief members of Congress on military strikes near Venezuela, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives to brief members of Congress on military strikes near Venezuela, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                  <\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll continue to engage with Congress on this,\u201d the secretary of state said after briefing senators and making his way to the House.<\/p>\n<p>Rubio did not mention the boat strikes directly during his public remarks about what he called the \u201ccounter-drug mission.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said it is \u201cfocused on dismantling the infrastructure of these terrorist organizations that are operating in our hemisphere, undermining the security of Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rubio said, \u201cThis has been a highly successful mission that\u2019s ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Sen. Kelly says investigation over his remarks is part of an effort to silence dissent\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-281c-dd5c-a79f-6bfd566d0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765904841313\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-281c-dd5c-a79f-6bfd566d0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Sen. Kelly says investigation over his remarks is part of an effort to silence dissent         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona said the Pentagon\u2019s investigation of his remarks to troops about refusing unlawful orders is part of an effort to silence dissent within the ranks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is just about sending a message to retired service members, active duty service members, government employees \u2014 do not speak out against this president or there will be consequences,\u201d Kelly told reporters Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Kelly went on to say the Defense Department did not notify him of an investigation \u201cbecause &#8230; what they really care about is the public message.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-align-center>                      <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>              <a id=\"image-790000\"><\/a>                                      <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz, speaks to reporters near the Senate Subway stakeout, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo\/Kevin Wolf)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/cb739b2\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/8256x5504+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F60%2Ffb%2F1dce0f2844948bd3c9e06519ac1e%2Fap25338657730037.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz, speaks to reporters near the Senate Subway stakeout, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo\/Kevin Wolf)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz, speaks to reporters near the Senate Subway stakeout, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo\/Kevin Wolf)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                  <\/div>\n<p>The Pentagon confirmed late Monday that Hegseth\u2019s office escalated a preliminary review of Kelly to an official command investigation \u201cfor serious allegations of misconduct.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Command investigations are an incredibly common tool used by military officials to investigate allegations of wrongdoing that don\u2019t rise to the level of criminal charges.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Vance defends administration\u2019s economic policies<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-281c-d69d-affb-fcbf19ae0000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765904732644&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-281c-d69d-affb-fcbf19ae0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Vance defends administration\u2019s economic policies<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cWe are sick of rewarding companies that ship jobs overseas. We\u2019re going to reward companies that build jobs in America, and we\u2019re going to give Americans good wages to do it,\u201d the vice president told supporters at a Uline warehouse in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He was joined by Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and U.S. Rep. Ryan MacKenzie, R-Pa.<\/p>\n<p>Vance touted an \u201ceconomic comeback\u201d for the U.S. after this week\u2019s Bureau of Labor Statistics\u2019 jobs report found that the U.S. gained 64,000 jobs in November but lost 105,000 in October. The unemployment rate stands at 4.7%, the highest since 2021.<\/p>\n<p>He also denounced Democrats for attacking the administration on issues like inflation and blamed the previous administration for the country\u2019s economic woes. He added that it was unrealistic for critics to assume the administration can \u201cfix these problems in a single day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt takes a little bit of time to fix something that was so fundamentally broken,\u201d Vance told the crowd.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Sen. Adam Schiff will try to force Senate vote to release the boat strike video\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-2819-deff-adbb-ebbfdd630000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765904497747\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-2819-deff-adbb-ebbfdd630000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Sen. Adam Schiff will try to force Senate vote to release the boat strike video         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<div data-align-center>                      <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>              <a id=\"image-0f0000\"><\/a>                                      <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., arrives for a classified briefing about President Donald Trump's directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a ceasefire agreement, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite) ideas\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/33bdca7\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5000x3333+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F88%2F9f%2F6798a00d46479a59515278e294cd%2Fap25177673234183.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., arrives for a classified briefing about President Donald Trump\u2019s directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a ceasefire agreement, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite) ideas<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., arrives for a classified briefing about President Donald Trump\u2019s directed strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend and his announcement on Monday that the two countries had reached a ceasefire agreement, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite) ideas<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                  <\/div>\n<p>The Democratic senator from California said he\u2019ll be making a request on the floor of the Senate to unanimously release the boat strike video to the full Congress, and the American people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe public should see this,\u201d Schiff said after the closed-door briefing.<\/p>\n<p>He said he found the administration\u2019s \u201clegal explanations and the strategy explanations incoherent.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Hegseth says he won\u2019t publicly release video of boat strike that killed survivors\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-2816-d813-a99b-697e39980000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765904339072\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-2816-d813-a99b-697e39980000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Hegseth says he won\u2019t publicly release video of boat strike that killed survivors         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>He says members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee would have an opportunity this week to review the video, but did not say whether all members of Congress would be allowed to see it, even as a defense policy bill demands that it be released to Congress.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course we\u2019re not going to release a top secret, full, unedited video of that to the general public,\u201d Hegseth told reporters as he exited a closed-door briefing with senators.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Hegseth says full video of Sept. 2 strike against alleged drug boat to be released to lawmakers\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-27fb-deff-adbb-efff5ca40000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765904098745\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-27fb-deff-adbb-efff5ca40000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Hegseth says full video of Sept. 2 strike against alleged drug boat to be released to lawmakers         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Pentagon will release to select lawmakers the full, unedited video of a Sept. 2 second military strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat in the Caribbean that\u2019s been criticized because of a second-hit on the boat that killed two survivors of the original attack.<\/p>\n<p>After briefing senators with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the latest developments in the Trump administration\u2019s operations against narco-traffickers on Tuesday, Hegseth said the video would made available Wednesday to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees along with commentary from the Navy admiral who greenlit the strike. However, he said the video remains classified and would not be released to the general public or lawmakers without a role in Pentagon oversight.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re proud of what we\u2019re doing, able to lay it out very directly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Rubio said similar operations \u2014 there have now been 22 since the first on Sept. 2 \u2014 had been \u201chighly successful\u201d and would continue.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Schumer says Hegseth came \u2018empty handed\u2019 to boat strike briefing\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-280f-d009-a79b-3cff45e80000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765903801788\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-280f-d009-a79b-3cff45e80000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Schumer says Hegseth came \u2018empty handed\u2019 to boat strike briefing         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The Senate Democratic leader said Hegseth rebuffed his demand to make the unedited video of the Sept. 2 boat strike available to all senators, with an appropriate version available to the broader public.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they can\u2019t be transparent on this, how can you trust their transparency on all the other issues swirling about in the Caribbean?\u201d Sen. Chuck Schumer asked. \u201cThe administration came to this briefing empty handed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Schumer said he\u2019s seen the video of the follow-on boat strike that killed survivors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI saw it,\u201d Schumer said. \u201cIt was deeply troubling.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Rubio and Hegseth prepare to brief members of Congress\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-280b-db8e-a59b-3c2ff1760000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765903505373\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-280b-db8e-a59b-3c2ff1760000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Rubio and Hegseth prepare to brief members of Congress         <\/h2>\n<div data-align-fullwidth>                                   <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>                                              <picture data-crop=\"nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"1023\" height=\"682\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"1023\" height=\"682\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks to a secure room in the basement of the Capitol to brief senators on military strikes near Venezuela, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/e14a7b1\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5352x3568+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F64%2F08%2F2576064749b08b5d694c0a1c4896%2Fap25350544900130.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div>\n<p><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks to a secure room in the basement of the Capitol to brief senators on military strikes near Venezuela, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks to a secure room in the basement of the Capitol to brief senators on military strikes near Venezuela, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>  <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>                                              <picture data-crop=\"nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"1023\" height=\"682\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"1023\" height=\"682\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth walks to the auditorium to brief members of congress on military strikes near Venezuela at the Capitol, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/0cec7a6\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/4931x3287+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F2e%2F70%2Fe7a57437478aab7e2b5d2849641e%2Fap25350595663689.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div>\n<p><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth walks to the auditorium to brief members of congress on military strikes near Venezuela at the Capitol, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth walks to the auditorium to brief members of congress on military strikes near Venezuela at the Capitol, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                               <\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Trump administration designates another Latin American drug cartel a \u2018foreign terrorist organization\u2019\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-27ef-dd5c-a79f-67ef41680000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765902335998\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-27ef-dd5c-a79f-67ef41680000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Trump administration designates another Latin American drug cartel a \u2018foreign terrorist organization\u2019         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The designation imposes sanctions on the group and its members and opens the door to potential military or other action against it.<\/p>\n<p>The State Department said Tuesday that the Colombia-based Clan del Golfo had been listed as both a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist group, calling it \u201ca violent and powerful criminal organization with thousands of members.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe group\u2019s primary source of income is cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its violent activities. Clan del Golfo is responsible for terrorist attacks against public officials, law enforcement and military personnel, and civilians in Colombia,\u201d the department said.<\/p>\n<p>Since taking office in January, the administration has made similar designations for at least 13 groups in Latin America, including the similarly named Cartel del Golfo, and launched military strikes against more than 20 alleged narcotics transporting vessels.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Trump is silent so far on Wiles\u2019 Vanity Fair interviews\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-27d9-d5f3-af9f-3ffba5920000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765900385144\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-27d9-d5f3-af9f-3ffba5920000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Trump is silent so far on Wiles\u2019 Vanity Fair interviews         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>As of 10:45 a.m. in Washington, Trump had not weighed in on the explosive Vanity Fair piece featuring White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, even as West Wing figures defended her.<\/p>\n<p>Wiles herself called the two-part magazine profile, which featured months of her candid interviews, a \u201chit piece.\u201d She did not deny anything specific, including quotations attributed to her.<\/p>\n<p>Press secretary Karoline Leavitt followed with a defense, as did Russell Vought, the chief White House budget office who\u2019s shaping Trump\u2019s remake of the federal government.<\/p>\n<p>Vought on social media called Wiles \u201can exceptional chief of staff\u201d and said Trump\u2019s West Wing through two presidencies has \u201cnever worked this well or been more oriented towards accomplishing what he wants to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In Vanity Fair, Wiles described Vought as a \u201cright-wing absolute zealot,\u201d while praising him and several other hardline Trump lieutenants.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"White House chief of staff criticizes Bondi\u2019s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-27d6-d813-a99b-67fead230000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765900105458\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-27d6-d813-a99b-67fead230000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             White House chief of staff criticizes Bondi\u2019s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Susie Wiles sharply criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi\u2019s handling of the Epstein case and the public\u2019s expectations in the interview with Vanity Fair magazine that was released Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Wiles specifically mentioned earlier in the year when Bondi distributed binders to a group of political commentators that included no new information about Epstein. Wiles also raised the issue of Bondi suggesting that a list of Epstein\u2019s clients was on her desk and awaiting her review.<\/p>\n<div data-align-fullwidth>                                   <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>                                              <picture data-crop=\"nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"1023\" height=\"682\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"1023\" height=\"682\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks with reporters during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Nov. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein, File)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/f6fb776\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/4698x3132+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fb7%2F79%2F6bccb2fff16cc8ed14ca187dddeb%2F590eb7b7a4154592bc5e6ea29b9a4677\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div>\n<p><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks with reporters during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Nov. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein, File)<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks with reporters during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Nov. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein, File)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>  <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>                                              <picture data-crop=\"nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px)\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"1023\" height=\"682\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"1023\" height=\"682\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles waves after disembarking Air Force One, June 25, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/f3a36fc\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2004x1336+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F9f%2F7d%2F2057184b4c4faab63c6728842b4f%2F5ec178fda7074c2c961a403af51dfbfc\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div>\n<p><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles waves after disembarking Air Force One, June 25, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles waves after disembarking Air Force One, June 25, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                               <\/div>\n<p>\u201cI think she completely whiffed on appreciating that that was the very targeted group that cared about this,\u201d Wiles said of Bondi. \u201cFirst she gave them binders full of nothingness. And then she said that the witness list, or the client list, was on her desk. There is no client list, and it sure as hell wasn\u2019t on her desk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After Vanity Fair published the interview, Wiles criticized it as a \u201cdisingenuously framed hit piece\u201d on her, Trump, the White House staff and Cabinet. She did not deny any of the comments that were attributed to her.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Wiles, according to Vanity Fair, said Trump has \u2018an alcoholic\u2019s personality\u2019\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-27cc-d69d-affb-f7efef300000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765899933108\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-27cc-d69d-affb-f7efef300000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Wiles, according to Vanity Fair, said Trump has \u2018an alcoholic\u2019s personality\u2019         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Trump doesn\u2019t drink. But Susie Wiles, according to Vanity Fair magazine, says the president has \u201can alcoholic\u2019s personality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s among the many unvarnished thoughts attributed to Wiles in a series of interviews Vanity Fair featured Tuesday in a lengthy two-part profile of the White House chief of staff.<\/p>\n<p>Wiles has called the profile a \u201chit piece\u201d but has not denied any specifics.<\/p>\n<p>In one interview, Wiles says she recognizes characteristics in Trump that she saw in her father, sports broadcaster Pat Summerall, who was an alcoholic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHigh-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink. And so I\u2019m a little bit of an expert in big personalities,\u201d Wiles said, adding that Trump has \u201ca view that there\u2019s nothing he can\u2019t do. Nothing, zero, nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Karoline Leavitt joins Wiles in pushing back against Vanity Fair piece\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-27be-d5f3-af9f-3fbf9f7e0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765898499248\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-27be-d5f3-af9f-3fbf9f7e0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Karoline Leavitt joins Wiles in pushing back against Vanity Fair piece         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is defending chief of staff Susie Wiles after an <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-wiles-chief-staff-interview-cabinet-bondi-5c995a046318973b1a3dfe8ed89cf3cf\">explosive Vanity Fair piece<\/a><\/span> that featured months of Wiles\u2019 interviews with the magazine about Trump and his second presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Neither Wiles nor Leavitt are denying any specific claims or quotations in the piece. But their pushback shows an effort to blunt potential criticism of Wiles, who to this point has maintained a low profile despite her considerable influence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPresident Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie,\u201d Leavitt posted Tuesday on social media. \u201cThe entire Administration is grateful for her steady leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wiles managed Trump\u2019s 2024 campaign and then he tapped her as the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Trial of Milwaukee judge charged with helping immigrant escape federal authorities enters 2nd day\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-27ba-dce3-a59b-27fb5f010000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765898357791\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-27ba-dce3-a59b-27fb5f010000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Trial of Milwaukee judge charged with helping immigrant escape federal authorities enters 2nd day         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Prosecutors are trying to convince jurors that Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan knew what was at stake when she <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/dugan-wisconsin-judge-immigration-arrest-indicted-d7728c447ab11b02bd2767818aedc2db\">directed an immigrant to a private door<\/a><\/span> in the courthouse to evade agents.<\/p>\n<p>Jurors on Monday heard audio from the incident in which Judge Dugan told her court reporter, \u201cI\u2019ll get the heat,\u201d as they discussed who would assist Eduardo Flores-Ruiz.<\/p>\n<p>The prosecution continued its case Tuesday with cross examination of an FBI agent who was part of the arrest team.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Wiles pushes back at Vanity Fair story featuring her thoughts on Trump\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-2790-d687-afbf-67b3f2b00000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765898076407\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-2790-d687-afbf-67b3f2b00000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Wiles pushes back at Vanity Fair story featuring her thoughts on Trump         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<div data-align-center>                      <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>              <a id=\"image-130000\"><\/a>                                      <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles listens during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/65680a1\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5117x3411+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fd2%2F21%2F038a1cefbd9824bc0a711e7a9348%2Ffff0f745988b4889a401a827b400b572\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles listens during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles listens during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                  <\/div>\n<p>White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is blasting a Vanity Fair piece that featured months of interviews about Donald Trump and his second presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Wiles, in a social media post, called the two-part profile \u201ca disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history.\u201d Wiles did not deny any specific quotations attributed to her, including criticism of Attorney General Pam Bondi, calling Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy \u201cquirky Bobby,\u201d and saying Trump has \u201can alcoholic\u2019s personality.\u201d (The president does not drink.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSignificant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out,\u201d Wiles asserted without details.<\/p>\n<p>The first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, Wiles previously has kept a low profile despite her considerable influence.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Delayed jobs reports show more Americans struggling to find work\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-277f-deff-adbb-efffaf7f0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765894995740\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-277f-deff-adbb-efffaf7f0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Delayed jobs reports show more Americans struggling to find work         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The United States gained a decent 64,000 jobs in November but lost 105,000 in October as federal workers departed after cutbacks by the Trump administration, the government said Tuesday in delayed reports. And the unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, highest since 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Hiring has clearly lost momentum, hobbled by uncertainty over Trump\u2019s tariffs and the lingering effects of high interest rates the Federal Reserve engineered in 2022 and 2023 to rein in inflation.<\/p>\n<p>American companies are mostly holding onto the employees they have. But they\u2019re <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/jobs-hiring-economy-c48fd84dfaa71eee962feb3a88fd8575\">reluctant to hire new ones<\/a><\/span> as they struggle to assess how to use artificial intelligence and how to adjust to Trump\u2019s unpredictable policies, especially his double-digit taxes on imports from around the world.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more about how the <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/jobs-economy-trump-unemployment-federal-reserve-cf1280a8466d92fbbc1b5ace7b80bffc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>uncertainty leaves jobseekers struggling to even land interviews<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"US-led peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine appear to be picking up momentum\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-2774-d009-a79b-37f7a2dc0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765894233995\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-2774-d009-a79b-37f7a2dc0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             US-led peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine appear to be picking up momentum         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The Ukrainian president says proposals being <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-war-berlin-talks-zelenskyy-5b99faff949ee1ba6212433be2d54b88\">negotiated with U.S. officials<\/a><\/span> for a deal to end the fighting in Russia\u2019s <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/russia-ukraine\">nearly 4-year-old invasion<\/a><\/span> of his country could be finalized within days, after which American envoys will present them to the Kremlin before possible further meetings in the U.S. next weekend.<\/p>\n<p>A draft peace plan <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-war-putin-zelenskyy-trump-253ff2eb24b2dbd1b1b9d8a2ab20e913\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">discussed with the U.S.<\/a><\/span> during talks in Berlin on Monday is \u201cnot perfect\u201d but is \u201cvery workable,\u201d Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters, while cautioning that some key issues \u2014 notably what happens to Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces \u2014 remain unresolved.<\/p>\n<p>But as the spotlight shifts to Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin may balk at some of the proposals thrashed out by officials from Washington, Kyiv and Western Europe, including postwar <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-war-berlin-talks-zelenskyy-05c363add7a4a3583f3beada7b1fb775\">security guarantees<\/a><\/span> for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"Zelensky: \u2018We are very close\u2019 to a deal on security guarantees\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-277c-d813-a99b-677c2de60000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765894221650\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-277c-d813-a99b-677c2de60000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             Zelensky: \u2018We are very close\u2019 to a deal on security guarantees         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The security proposal discussed in Berlin will be based on Western help in keeping the Ukrainian army strong, an official from a NATO nation said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEuropeans will lead a multinational and multi-domain force to strengthen those troops and to secure Ukraine from the land, sea and air, and the U.S. will lead a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, with international participation,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n<p>Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated Tuesday that Russia wants a comprehensive peace deal, and that if Ukraine seeks \u201cmomentary, unsustainable solutions, we are unlikely to be ready to participate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want peace \u2014 we don\u2019t want a truce that would give Ukraine a respite and prepare for the continuation of the war,\u201d he told reporters. \u201cWe want to stop this war, achieve our goals, secure our interests, and guarantee peace in Europe for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"White House denies conflicts\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-2758-dd5c-a79f-67fd0f190000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765893153867\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-2758-dd5c-a79f-67fd0f190000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             White House denies conflicts         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cIt seems like another example of the pay-to-play administration,\u201d said Kedric Payne, who leads the ethics program at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center in Washington. \u201cThere is clearly a perception that in order to get favorable policies and acts from the administration, a company needs to provide a financial benefit to the president.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump Media did not respond to specific questions about the arrangement. \u201cNeither the President nor his family have ever engaged, or will ever engage, in conflicts of interest,\u201d White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>How a Trump Media deal with a crypto firm exposes potential conflicts of interest<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-274a-dd5c-a79f-67ef2b5a0000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765892778964&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-274a-dd5c-a79f-67ef2b5a0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>How a Trump Media deal with a crypto firm exposes potential conflicts of interest<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Crypto.com was under siege for more a year, told enforcement action was likely as part of an aggressive Biden administration <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/biden-cryptocurrency-executive-order-7af1d9bfda2d22046547fd9d51711ef5\">push to regulate<\/a><\/span> the cryptocurrency industry. Then Donald Trump <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2\">won the 2024 election<\/a><\/span>, and the company\u2019s legal peril dissipated.<\/p>\n<p>By August, Crypto.com announced it was plunging roughly $1 billion worth of assets into <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-media-crypto-treasury-cryptocom-cfb8da95070cad9678ff9597f1900791\">a venture with a new partner<\/a><\/span> \u2014 Trump\u2019s social media company, which had <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-media-truth-social-losses-c879294edc8d0297446a3a2f5499b8e3\">lost hundreds of millions of dollars<\/a><\/span> since its 2021 launch.<\/p>\n<p>Legal and ethics experts say Crypto.com\u2019s journey from investigative target to Trump business partner provides a case study of <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-businesses-trump-organization-white-house-conflicts-of-interest-b970b5681b27f86dcd461ff473be23fa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">conflicts of interest<\/a><\/span> as Trump family businesses enter lucrative arrangements with federally regulated companies, some of which have benefited from action taken by his administration.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more from <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-cryptocurrency-cryptocom-conflicts-of-interest-0fc877e023520b9cc261d6996fecd1e7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>the AP investigation into Trump\u2019s relationship with Crypto.com<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Hegseth and Rubio are expected back on Capitol Hill as questions mount over boat strikes<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2728-dce3-a59b-27ebac9b0000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765888700610&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2728-dce3-a59b-27ebac9b0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Hegseth and Rubio are expected back on Capitol Hill as questions mount over boat strikes<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>Hegseth, Rubio and others are set to brief members of the House and the Senate amid congressional investigations into <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/boat-strike-survivors-hegseth-congress-legal-details-ce16f4740841b2b5f2904588335a818e\">a military strike in September<\/a><\/span> that killed two survivors of an initial attack on a boat allegedly carrying cocaine in the Caribbean. Lawmakers have been examining the Sept. 2 attack as they sift through the rationale for a broader U.S. military buildup in the region that increasingly appears pointed at Venezuela.<\/p>\n<p>The closed-door sessions come as the U.S. is building up warships, flying fighter jets near Venezuelan airspace and <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-tanker-seized-venezuela-maduro-0a148ba01684fc6ce1a228dd276732c0\">seizing an oil tanker<\/a><\/span> as part of <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-boat-strikes-caribbean-military-venezuela-timeline-2dd9d16f4f74d9dfa4aca76d3123678d\">its campaign<\/a><\/span> against Venezuelan President <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nicolas-maduro\">Nicol\u00e1s Maduro<\/a><\/span>, who has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from office. Trump\u2019s Republican administration has not sought any authorization from Congress for action against Venezuela. But lawmakers objecting to the military incursions are pushing war powers resolutions toward potential voting this week.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/hegseth-venezuela-boat-strikes-trump-6eaa178757a39803f0d4b5324dd43c1f\"><i>about the briefing<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"<b>Trump administration says White House ballroom construction is a matter of national security<\/b>&#8221; data-post-id=&#8221;0000019b-2726-d813-a99b-676ea1d90000&#8243; data-posted-date-timestamp=&#8221;1765888533358&#8243; data-seconds-delta-text=&#8221;sec ago&#8221; data-minutes-delta-text=&#8221;min ago&#8221; data-hours-delta-text=&#8221;h ago&#8221;>              <a id=\"0000019b-2726-d813-a99b-676ea1d90000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             <b>Trump administration says White House ballroom construction is a matter of national security<\/b>         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<div data-align-center>                      <bsp-figure>     <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>              <a id=\"image-170000\"><\/a>                                      <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"  ><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Tuesday, Dec., 9, 2025, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo\/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)\"   fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/f613262\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/13043x8692+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fb9%2F77%2F8894a220b107e51f0d60d80c2578%2F30d860e2d557439fb184b42c088fc802\" loading=\"lazy\"> <\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Tuesday, Dec., 9, 2025, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo\/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>          <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                  <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                         <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                             <\/p>\n<p>Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Tuesday, Dec., 9, 2025, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo\/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)<\/p>\n<p>                         <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                     <\/div>\n<p>     <\/template>      <\/bsp-figure>                  <\/div>\n<p>The Trump administration said in a court filing Monday that the president\u2019s <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-ballroom-east-wing-white-house-844ddefd00c2323cf9419e5ba9635daf\">White House ballroom<\/a><\/span> construction project must continue for unexplained national security reasons and because a preservationists\u2019 organization that wants it stopped has no standing to sue.<\/p>\n<p>The filing was in response to a lawsuit filed last Friday by the <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-white-house-ballroom-sued-preservationists-76dc3bbea28257e79f8becd487d2c4d7\">National Trust for Historic Preservation<\/a><\/span> asking a federal judge to halt President Donald Trump\u2019s project until it goes through multiple independent reviews and a public comment period and wins approval from Congress.<\/p>\n<p>The administration\u2019s 36-page filing included a declaration from Matthew C. Quinn, deputy director of the U.S. Secret Service, the agency responsible for the security of the president and other high-ranking officials, that said more work on the site of the former <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-ballroom-white-house-east-wing-mclaurin-f3ca84b49843b3eb3c14ad6d48f117c3\">White House East Wing<\/a><\/span> is still needed to meet the agency\u2019s \u201csafety and security requirements.\u201d The filing did not explain the specific national security concerns; the administration has offered to share classified details with the judge in a private, in-person setting without the plaintiffs present.<\/p>\n<p>\u25b6 <i>Read more <\/i><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-white-house-ballroom-national-security-de9756118bbfca8f40af9cf89db6af5b\"><i>about the court filing<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>          <\/bsp-liveblog-post> <bsp-liveblog-post data-gtm-region=\"A timeline of Trump\u2019s fights with media, including the BBC and Jimmy Kimmel\" data-post-id=\"0000019b-2721-d5f3-af9f-3f3b95eb0000\" data-posted-date-timestamp=\"1765888399617\" data-seconds-delta-text=\"sec ago\" data-minutes-delta-text=\"min ago\" data-hours-delta-text=\"h ago\">              <a id=\"0000019b-2721-d5f3-af9f-3f3b95eb0000\"><\/a>                          <\/p>\n<h2>             A timeline of Trump\u2019s fights with media, including the BBC and Jimmy Kimmel         <\/h2>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>By <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/author\/bridget-brown\">BRIDGET BROWN<\/a>, <span>The Associated Press<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                                             <bsp-page-actions>                                 <\/bsp-page-actions>                                            <\/div>\n<p>                                  <\/bsp-liveblog-post>               <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Donald Trump\u2018s administration is expanding its travel ban to include five more countries and impose new limits on others. This move Tuesday is part of ongoing efforts to tighten U.S. entry standards for travel and immigration. The decision follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspect in the shooting of two National Guard troops [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8365"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8365\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}