The longest government shutdown in history is now over, but not for long. It’s just another in a long series of band-aid fixes to keep the government going for a few more months without a real budget. Most of the compromises agreed upon will only last through the end of January, and then the failure to enact a budget due to the two-party stalemate will clutter the congressional agenda all over again. The most interesting observation behind the actions and motives of the eight Democrats that finally agreed to this compromise over the objections of the Senate “supreme minority leader” Chuck Schumer was by Utah Representative Blake Moore. You’ll enjoy reading his comments in this week’s brief. To receive a free, one-time sample of the Brief, along with options on how to subscribe, click on Request a sample on the left.
Federal government agencies terminated and descoped 67 wasteful contracts over the past five days, which had a ceiling value of $1.4 billion, while saving $648 million in taxpayer funds, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced in an X post on Nov. 8.
The lead up to a Turning Point USA event on Monday night at UC Berkeley was filled with violence and mayhem, as aggressive protesters banged against barriers, set off a smoke grenade, and screamed at attendees waiting in line as law enforcement worked to keep things from spiraling into uncontrolled chaos.
Launched in 2012, Archive.today functions similarly to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine but with key differences.
Trump’s attorneys told the Supreme Court that the case against him contained multiple flaws related to evidence.
Aluminum prices in the U.S. climbed to new record highs on Monday as domestic inventories tightened sharply, driven by the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs designed to bolster and revitalize America’s industrial base.
The search for alternative oil supplies follows the Trump administration’s decision last month to sanction Rosneft and Lukoil, which together account for half of Russia’s oil exports and a significant portion of Indian imports from the country. The sanctions ignited a rush to secure supplies ahead of the entry into effect of the sanctions, on November 21, while oil buyers look for loopholes to keep their access to discounted Russian crude.
Penstone’s comments struck a chord as he recalled the sacrifices made by countless servicemen. “I can see in my mind’s eye, rows and rows of white stones, of all the hundreds of my friends...for what?” he asked, revealing a deep sense of regret about the direction his country has taken. He harshly criticized the current state of affairs, asserting, “The sacrifice wasn’t worth the result that it is now.” His statement reflects a broader concern among veterans who witness significant changes in societal values and governance. Penstone’s sentiments resonate amid growing frustrations over issues such as immigration and free speech.
Also announced as part of the deal, the Senate will vote on a so-called “minibus” appropriations package to fund several sectors of the government for a full year. This minibus package would include three of the 12 government appropriations bills that need to be passed annually. Failure to pass one or all of these bills before the funding deadline results in a partial or complete government shutdown.
The case concerns a challenge to a federal law barring states from accepting mailed ballots after Election Day.
There are two candidates so far running for Pelosi’s seat: California state Sen. Scott Wiener and Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Trump called Pelosi’s retirement “a great thing for America.”
Fox News also reports that up to 30 grand jury subpoenas are anticipated to be served on former government officials involved in “Spygate” and/or “Russiagate.”
According to the company, the same thermal power plants that had been restored after attacks in 2024 were struck again, with multiple Russian drones targeting them "each minute" overnight on Nov. 8. Ukrainian forces downed 406 out of the 458 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Russia also launched 45 cruise and ballistic missiles, nine of which were downed, the statement said.
"Russian strikes once again targeted people's everyday life. They deprived communities of power, water and heating, destroyed critical infrastructure, and damaged railway networks," Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said in the aftermath. Emergency management crews are working overtime to restore power to the impacted grids, but this has been a growing problem as badly needed parts are hard to constantly replace after years of accumulated damage.
According to the investigation, former U.S. Capitol Police officer, Shauni Rae Kerkhoff, is a high-probability match to the unidentified pipe-bomb suspect seen on surveillance video on Jan. 5, 2021. Kerkhoff, who served four and a half years on the Capitol Police force before leaving in mid-2021 for a security position later described by the CIA as “campus security,” was matched through a forensic gait-analysis software tool that compared her stride to the suspect’s.
The resolution, sponsored by the United States, was adopted via 14 votes in favor and an abstention by China. It removes Ahmed al-Sharaa—previously known as Mohammed al-Jolani—leader of political and military group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and Interior Minister Anas Khattab from sanctions aimed at ISIS and al-Qaida associates.
Despite a recent U.S.-China agreement pausing some restrictions for a year, insiders say broader export controls remain in place. General licenses are expected to be harder to obtain for buyers linked to defense or sensitive sectors. Since April, EU firms have filed roughly 2,000 applications, with just over half approved.
“The U.S. had conducted over 1,000 nuclear tests,” Erath said Monday in an interview with Defense News. “We had all the data necessary to know how nuclear weapons work, to verify that U.S. nuclear weapons would work, and other people didn’t. So by stopping testing when we did, we sort of locked in an advantage in knowledge that persists to this day.”
“What Prop 50 does is it temporarily takes away the power from the independent redistricting commission to draw up congressional districts so the Legislature can do it, and they’re going to use that power to redraw the congressional districts,” von Spakovsky told The Daily Signal.
On TPUSA, Owens says Kirk raised internal concerns about finances a week before he was killed. She cites an internal memo dated September 2 in which Kirk named fundraiser Justin Strife chief operating officer and empowered him to lead a small “Doge” (efficiency) initiative. According to the memo Owens read aloud, the team’s mandate was to make TPUSA “more efficient,” “more cost-effective,” align goals with metrics, and “reshape company culture.” Owens frames this as Kirk preparing a mini-audit to examine where money was going and, she adds, where it was coming from. She says multiple insiders have since contacted her with tips about vendors, contracting practices, and potential conflicts, and she claims outside journalists have engaged forensic accountants to review TPUSA finances.
Thousands of cases of illegal benefit use were found, and dozens were arrested for SNAP fraud.
The justices asked questions about how much power Trump had under an emergency powers law to impose tariffs.
Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2E systems were recently delivered to Caracas by Il-76 transport aircraft, a Russian lawmaker claims.
“In 3 RED districts in Cumberland County, NJ, the machines are down. On the phone w/ legal right now,” he wrote: Other conservatives on the social media platform highlighted the news and urged people not to skip out on voting.
Proposition 50, which could position Democrats to gain five congressional seats, was the only item on Californian’s ballots during the Nov. 4 special election.
Some said the wins in largely Democratic states are not surprising, while others said it was a referendum on the Trump administration’s performance.
Democrats have used the government shutdown to push for the restoration of taxpayer-funded health insurance subsidies for illegal aliens. That funding stream was terminated when Republicans delivered working families tax cuts that include no tax on tips, overtime, and Social Security as well as major health care reforms earlier this year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already acknowledged that Ukraine’s situation in Pokrovsk is extremely difficult, and that Russians have infiltrated the town, but he has also denied that the city had fallen into Russian hands.
Sky News reports a man in his mid-30s carried out multiple deliberate vehicle ramming attacks on pedestrians and cyclists on Wednesday morning on Île d'Oléron, a French island off the Atlantic coast.
Allowing mercury in vaccines while calling it dangerous in batteries and makeup is a ‘double standard,’ he said.
The broadcast trimmed Trump’s remarks to make it seem he said he would walk to the Capitol with his supporters to “fight, fight like hell.” In reality, Trump said he would walk to the Capitol to “cheer on” lawmakers opposing the certification. The “fight like hell” line came nearly an hour later, long after he vowed to head to the Capitol. Worse still, Trump had explicitly called on his supporters to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”