The governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago remain resolute in their commitment to protect their communities despite President Donald Trump’s threats to imprison them for resisting his plan to send National Guard troops for immigration enforcement in Chicago. Trump’s recent social media post marks another instance in his campaign to penalize those opposing him politically.
The announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize is approaching, while Trump claims recognition for certain significant foreign policy actions. However, seasoned Nobel observers contend that Trump’s chances are slim, as the Norwegian Nobel Committee usually emphasizes lasting peace, the enhancement of global unity, and the patient efforts of institutions promoting these ideals.
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Frustrated lawmakers say lack of trust makes ending the shutdown harder
A president intent on extending his influence beyond the executive. A Republican-led Congress reluctant to challenge him openly. A minority party exploring avenues to resist.
This scenario has resulted in a deadlock in Washington, now on the ninth day of a government shutdown. Some lawmakers, expressing their dissatisfaction, are striving for progress without the typical reliance on mutual trust necessary for reaching bipartisan agreements.
Lawmakers are gathering in dinners, discussions, and private meetings to devise a solution to the deadlock that has closed government offices and jeopardized the pay of numerous federal workers. Nonetheless, the relationship between political parties remains severely fractured.
“We’re in an environment where we need more than a handshake,” said Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat
▶ Read more about lawmakers’ frustrations over the shutdown
Trump was nominated before. Experts say a Nobel Peace Prize win is unlikely this year
Trump’s bid to win the Nobel Peace Prize has drawn added attention to the annual guessing game over who its next laureate will be.
Despite high-profile nominations and some noteworthy foreign policy actions that he has credited to himself, seasoned Nobel watchers still view Trump’s chances as distant.
Experts say the Norwegian Nobel Committee typically focuses on the durability of peace, the promotion of international fraternity and the quiet work of institutions that strengthen those goals. Trump’s own record might even work against him, they said, citing his apparent disdain for multilateral institutions and his disregard for global climate change concerns.
Still, the U.S. leader has repeatedly sought the Nobel spotlight since his first term, most recently telling United Nations delegates late last month, “everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize.”
A person cannot nominate themselves.
▶ Read more about this year’s prize
Trump has yet to provide Congress hard evidence that targeted boats carried drugs, officials say
The Trump administration has yet to provide underlying evidence to lawmakers proving that alleged drug-smuggling boats targeted by the U.S. military in a series of fatal strikes were in fact carrying narcotics, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
As bipartisan frustration with the strikes mounts, the Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday voted down a war powers resolution that would have required the president to seek authorization from Congress before further military strikes on the cartels.
The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly about the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the administration has only pointed to unclassified video clips of the strikes posted on social media by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and has yet to produce “hard evidence” that the vessels were carrying drugs.
The administration has not explained why it has blown up vessels in some cases, while carrying out the typical practice of stopping boats and seizing drugs at other times, one of the officials said.
▶ Read more about the lack of evidence supporting deadly strikes on Caribbean boaters
Trump says Illinois governor and Chicago mayor opposing his deployments should be jailed
Trump on Wednesday said the Illinois governor and Chicago mayor should be jailed as they oppose his deployment of National Guard troops for his immigration and crime crackdown in the nation’s third-largest city. The officials said they would not be deterred.
He made the comment in a social media post, the latest example of his brazen calls for his Democratic opponents to be prosecuted or locked up.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, when asked what crimes the president believed Pritzker and Johnson had committed, failed to identify any, but she said they “have blood on their hands” and pointed to Chicago Police Department reports that at least five people were killed and 25 shot over the weekend.
National Guard troops from Texas are positioned outside Chicago, despite a lawsuit by the state and city to block the deployment.
The troops’ mission is not clear, but the Trump administration has undertaken an aggressive immigration enforcement operation in Chicago.
▶ Read more about Trump’s comments
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