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: Last week, Taiwan President William Lai unveiled a massive $40 billion supplemental defense procurement proposal, casting it as proof that the independently ruled, democratic island is serious about countering escalating military pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC has not governed Taiwan for even a single day but claims it as its territory.

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that, ‘We welcome Taiwan’s announcement of a new $40 billion special defense procurement budget. Consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act and more than 45 years of commitment across multiple U.S. Administrations, the United States supports Taiwan’s acquisition of critical defense capabilities, commensurate with the threat it faces.’ 

The spokesperson also commended Taipei, ‘We also welcome the Lai administration’s recent commitments to increase defense spending to at least 3% of GDP by 2026 and 5% of GDP by 2030, which demonstrates resolve to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities.’

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) – the de facto American embassy – responded very positively almost immediately after Lai’s proposal was announced. Courtney Donovan Smith, a political columnist for the Taipei Times, told Fox News Digital that the strong support from AIT, ‘Amounts to a public American stamp of approval.’

A day after Lai’s announcement, Taiwan’s Defense Minister, Wellington Koo, told the media that preliminary talks have already been held with the United States about the kinds of weapons it wants to buy as part of this budget that would run from 2026 to 2033. But Koo said he could not make any details of discussions public until Congress receives a formal notification.

Yet some in Taiwan expressed concern that the language from the administration was somewhat understated, and didn’t come from senior-enough officials. 

Those worried about what they perceive as a muted tone from the Trump administration wondered if the timing could be sensitive, coming shortly after President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to a trade deal, and just days after Xi phoned Trump to reiterate Beijing’s claims over Taiwan, claims the U.S. ‘acknowledges’ but does not accept.

Even so, Taipei-based political risk analyst and Tamkang University assistant professor Ross Feingold told Fox News Digital that U.S. support fundamentally has not shifted and that when it comes to U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, ‘If Taiwan is a willing buyer, the Trump administration is likely to be a willing seller.’

Also causing distress to the fragile egos of China’s communist leaders is Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a conservative who became Japan’s first female prime minister in October. She appeared to break long-standing Japanese strategic ambiguity over Taiwan when, asked on Nov. 7 in parliament whether a Chinese attack on Taiwan would qualify as ‘a situation threatening Japan’s survival.’

Takaichi didn’t deflect with a ‘I don’t comment on hypotheticals.’ Instead, she said, ‘If there are battleships and the use of force, no matter how you think about it, it could constitute a survival-threatening situation.’

Under Japan’s 2015 security law, that designation could allow Japanese military action in defense of an ally.

China predictably lashed out, immediately calling her remarks ‘egregious.’ A Chinese diplomat in Osaka escalated further, reposting coverage on X with a threat-like warning: ‘The dirty head that sticks itself in must be cut off.’

Kerry K. Gershaneck, a visiting scholar at National Chengchi University and a former U.S. Marine counterintelligence officer, told Fox News Digital that the U.S. needed to clearly denounce China for threats against Japan and the Japanese prime minister. Gershaneck warned that Asian allies remember past U.S. abandonment’ under what he called the ‘do not provoke China!’ policy of the Obama administration. ‘Unless high-level Washington officials signal stronger support, he said, ‘the Trump 47 administration risks going down in history as Barack Hussein Obama’s third term.’

Feingold noted that while Takaichi’s stance was enthusiastically received in Taiwan, the excitement ‘was unsustainable and not based on a formal policy decision by Japan to defend Taiwan.’

Following reports that President Trump phoned the Japanese prime minister and requested that she dial down talk about Taiwan, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru issued a strong denial, saying Trump did not advise Takaichi to ‘temper the tone of her comments about Taiwan.’

While the geopolitical shifts grabbed headlines, Lai’s real challenge is domestic. Taiwan has a single-chamber legislature, and Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party does not have a majority.

Cheng Li-wun, the new chair of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), campaigned against boosting defense spending to 5% of GDP and has repeatedly argued Taiwan is ‘not an ATM’ for ‘unreasonable’ military budgets. The KMT supports renewed engagement with Beijing and acceptance of the ‘1992 Consensus,’ a proposed framework that allows both sides to claim there is ‘one China’ while interpreting the meaning differently. Lai rejects that position entirely, calling it a path toward subordination to China.

Bryce Barros, associate fellow at GLOBSEC and a former U.S. Senate national security advisor, told Fox News Digital that there are serious hurdles. ‘Opposition leaders have cited cuts to other essential services like healthcare, lack of details on how the budget will be paid for and concerns over more hostilities with China,’ he said. But Barros said the head of the de facto American embassy has called for bipartisan support for the bill, and he noted Lai needs only six opposition defections for the vote to pass.

Analysts also stress the proposal is not solely for U.S. weapons. Lai wants major investment in domestic defense manufacturing, including a ‘dome’ anti-missile system, which could help blunt accusations of excessive spending to curry favor with Washington. But the plan still faces a volatile parliament and certain retaliation from China.

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In March, President Donald Trump announced the Air Force’s new F-47 stealth fighter, built by Boeing.  So where is the Navy’s secret new carrier plane?

Fifteen years ago, the U.S. Navy read the signals from China and secretly started development of a long-range, stealthy plane to launch from aircraft carriers.  The Navy’s newest bird is more like a fighter-bomber, with the AI smarts to lead drones into combat and enough range to scare China.

Today that plane – known only as F/A-XX or fighter attack, experimental – is ready to go. Both Boeing and Northrop Grumman have flown test planes. Their prototypes are waiting in the wings; or rather, in discreet guarded hangars, most likely in Missouri and Florida. 

Yet, for some reason, the Pentagon isn’t in the mood to make the ‘downselect’ purchase decision. The delay is shocking and dangerous.

Congress wants the Navy plane so much they added nearly $1 billion to the budget to accelerate F/A-XX. ‘The U.S. Navy needs sixth-generation fighters. I’m concerned that any hesitancy on our part to proceed with the planned procurement of the sixth-gen fighters for the Navy will leave us dangerously outmatched in a China fight,’ Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., the head of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, said on May 14. 

Of course, U.S. Navy F/A-18EFs have pounded Middle East targets during various air campaigns for almost three decades.  Just look at the damage they did to Houthi missile sites and weapons caches in Yemen during Operation Rough Rider this past spring.  But for the fierce fighting scenarios of the Pacific, the Navy pilots that fly from aircraft carriers need a new plane. 

All that President Trump has to do now is take this opportunity to pick the best plane for the Navy.

Here are six things to know about the Navy’s secretive project.

The Navy has not let us see photographs of the F/A-XX, obviously. Tantalizing concept art released over the summer reveals a smooth stealth shape, with a cockpit canopy similar to the F-35.  The diamond or delta-wing shape provides lift and range, especially at higher cruise altitudes. 

  In April, the Navy announced F/A-XX would have at least 25% more range than current fighters.  The range could be up to 1,000 miles, according to a top analyst’s estimate. Add in air refueling, longer-range missiles, and you have the ability to take the fight all across the Pacific.  I can tell you this: the Navy has been short of a true long-range fighter since the retirements of the A-6 Intruder and the F-14 Tomcat of TOPGUN fame, so range is a priority.

  While the F-35C excels with just one engine, the Navy preference has always been for two engines, due to all that flying over water. You won’t see the engines because they are tucked inside the plane to diminish heat signature. U.S. engine technology is far ahead of China’s, in areas like thermal management and overall thrust. 

Early stealth aircraft like the SR-71, F-117 and the B-2 sported flat black coatings to help absorb radar waves.  The current trend in stealth materials is an avian grey, like the B-21 Raider bomber now in production.  Fortunately, the U.S. is the world leader in aerospace-grade carbon fiber composites.

  Expect an impressive bomb bay for internal carriage of long-range missiles.  Current fighters like the Superhornet hang missiles from hard points under the wings.  To achieve stealth, the FA-XX will follow the path of the F-35C, and tuck missiles inside.  Sawtooth bomb bay doors help maintain the aircraft’s stealth profile.

Part of the Navy’s plan is to stock carriers with drone refuelers like the new MQ-25 Stingray to accompany the F/A-XX on its stealthy missions.  Since you ask, no, drones cannot do it all.  Naval strike demands payload to carry heavy bombs and missiles.  Plus, it turns out a pilot is pretty useful. The FA-XX can also control wingmen drones in the battlespace. With FA/XX, the Navy can target enemy ships, land bases, and radar sites.

Trump certainly understands the value of stealth after the B-2 bomber’s obliteration of Iran’s nuclear sites.  It’s unclear whether anyone has laid out for the president just how a massive risk the Pentagon is taking with naval aviation by slowing down F/A-XX.

Please note that China flew a stealthy demonstrator designed for carrier landings over a year ago.  On Nov. 7, China commissioned its third carrier, the Fujian, and is laying modules for a fourth carrier — designed to be bigger than the USS Gerald R. Ford and to run on nuclear power for the first time. In a few years, China may have six of its own carriers. That’s a serious threat.

Put simply, the Navy must have this long-range, stealthy fighter. The idea is to pair the FA/XX with long-range missiles so the carrier airwing regains the long-range punch they will need to maneuver and strike against China in the Pacific.

No one wants to say this, but without FA-XX, the carrier mission may diminish in the future.    

It’s past time for President Trump to make a decision. 

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On about two dozen occasions, the Supreme Court had to step in during President Trump’s second term because many inferior courts refused to accept that he is the president. The justices must do so again, after lower courts invalidated the appointments of acting U.S. attorneys Alina Habba of the District of New Jersey and Lindsey Halligan of the Eastern District of Virginia.

The Senate has a tradition that is over a century old called the blue slip. Home-state senators have an extraordinary power: the ability to veto U.S. marshals, U.S. attorneys and U.S. district judges. In order for nominees to proceed, home-state senators must return a blue slip approving the nominations. Senators will never let this power go, so administrations have to bear the consequences. In New Jersey, leftist Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim have refused to allow the nomination of Alina Habba to serve as U.S. attorney. Likewise, in Virginia, their fellow leftist Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner will not acquiesce to the nomination of Lindsey Halligan to serve as U.S. attorney. As such, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Habba and Halligan to 120-day terms to serve on an interim basis, as 28 U.S.C. § 546 allows. Halligan replaced another interim prosecutor, Eric Siebert, who departed shortly before his 120 days lapsed.

After 120 days have expired, leftists asserted that Bondi can make no more appointments; only district judges can. The Executive Branch, this argument goes, has no say whatsoever after 120 days. This result would lead to a scheme where leftist senators can block President Trump’s nominees. Then, courts composed mostly of leftist judges in these blue states can install leftist puppet U.S. attorneys, and the Executive Branch must grin and bear it, just as with the blue slip process.

The 120-day limit first appeared in a statute in 1986. During the years of Presidents Clinton and Bush, attorneys general made successive 120-day appointments under the statutory scheme in effect from 1986-2006, the same scheme as today. Yet, Clinton Judge Cameron Currie of South Carolina did not view this historical evidence as persuasive when she invalidated Halligan’s appointment. Halligan secured indictments against New York Attorney General Letitia James for mortgage fraud and former FBI Director James Comey for false statements to and obstruction of Congress concerning the Russiagate hoax.

Those indictments are, for the moment, invalid. Currie’s opinion drips with disdain for Halligan, noting Halligan’s lack of prosecutorial experience. This issue is irrelevant to the legal question. Halligan, under Currie’s analysis, could have had three decades of prosecutorial experience, and her appointment would still have violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause. Currie also quoted another irrelevant piece of evidence: President Trump’s social media post demanding Bondi move faster on prosecutions. Whether Halligan’s appointment is valid has nothing to do with that post. Its inclusion thus has no valid legal purpose.

The Appointments Clause vests appointment power in a president, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for principal officers. Congress can also require the advice and consent process to apply to inferior officers, and it did so with respect to U.S. attorneys. As such, presidents nominate U.S. attorneys, and the Senate confirms them. When there are vacancies, attorneys general can fill them for 120 days at a time, and a separate part of Section 546 allows for district courts to make appointments after the 120 days have expired. The Constitution grants department heads and courts the power to appoint inferior officers. District judges, for example, appoint magistrate judges.

Section 546 does not vest the authority to appoint U.S. attorneys exclusively in district courts. Under the reading of the judges who have invalidated the appointments of Habba and Halligan, President Trump’s attorney general could not make a 120-day appointment, either. The text of Section 546 does not specify a 120-day appointment per president. When one president’s attorney general makes a 120-day appointment, these judges absurdly prevent any future president’s attorney general from doing so in that district. District judges, therefore, have all the power until the Senate confirms a nominee one of these years or decades.

Fortunately, the issue now is ripe for Supreme Court review. This week, a Third Circuit panel ruled that Habba’s appointment is invalid. The justices should decide the cases together, even though the Fourth Circuit has not ruled on the Halligan appeal. There is only one circuit with all states that have Republican senators: the Fifth. This district court control could continue into the terms of a President Vance.

The easiest way to correct the lower court’s error is for the Supreme Court to hold that Section 546 allows attorneys general to make more than one 120-day appointment. Alternatively, the justices could hold that Section 546’s stripping of appointment power from the Executive Branch with respect to its officials violates the separation of powers.

In the face of immense criticism from Democrat politicians, the leftist media, and academic elites, the justices have intervened time and again to thwart unlawful interference by resistance lower courts. Because of the Supreme Court’s intervention on issues ranging from the ability to fire Executive Branch employees to the ability of the president to revoke temporary protected status from illegal immigrants, President Trump has been able to do his job far more effectively.

Bondi, Solicitor General John Sauer, and their team of stellar lawyers have amassed a success rate of over 90% at the Supreme Court. The justices must restore Habba and Halligan to preserve the separation of powers and prevent U.S. attorneys from being servants of district courts instead of presidents.

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Starbucks will pay about $35 million to more than 15,000 New York City workers to settle claims it denied them stable schedules and arbitrarily cut their hours, city officials announced Monday.

The company will also pay $3.4 million in civil penalties under the agreement with the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. It also agrees to comply with the city’s Fair Workweek law going forward.

A company spokeswoman said Starbucks is committed to operating responsibly and in compliance with all applicable local laws and regulations in every market where it does business, but also noted the complexities of the city’s law.

“This (law) is notoriously challenging to manage and this isn’t just a Starbucks issue, nearly every retailer in the city faces these roadblocks,” spokeswoman Jaci Anderson said.

Most of the affected employees who held hourly positions will receive $50 for each week worked from July 2021 through July 2024, the department said. Workers who experienced a violation after that may be eligible for compensation by filing a complaint with the department.

The $38.9 million settlement also guarantees employees laid off during recent store closings in the city will get the chance for reinstatement at other company locations.

The city began investigating in 2022 after receiving dozens of worker complaints against several Starbucks locations, and eventually expanded its investigation to the hundreds of stores in the city. The probe found most Starbucks employees never got regular schedules and the company routinely reduced employees’ hours by more than 15%, making it difficult for staffers to know their regular weekly earnings and plan other commitments, such as child care, education or other jobs.

The company also routinely denied workers the chance to pick up extra shifts, leaving them involuntarily in part-time status, according to the city.

Starbucks Workers United members and supporters picket outside a Starbucks in New York on Nov. 21.Michael Nagle / Bloomberg via Getty Images

The agreement with New York comes as Starbucks’ union continues a nationwide strike at dozens of locations that began last month. The number of affected stores and the strike’s impact remain in dispute by the two sides.

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Apple’s top artificial intelligence executive is stepping down and will retire in 2026, the company announced Monday.

John Giannandrea had been at Apple since 2018, where his official title was senior vice president for machine learning and AI strategy.

He will be replaced by Amar Subramanya, who comes to Apple after a brief stint as corporate vice president of AI at Microsoft and more than a decade at Google.

Subramanya will report to one of CEO Tim Cook’s deputies, Craig Federighi, rather than to Cook directly, as Giannandrea had.

‘AI has long been central to Apple’s strategy, and we are pleased to welcome Amar to Craig’s leadership team and to bring his extraordinary AI expertise to Apple,’ Cook said Monday.

The abrupt change at a company known for its careful succession planning highlights Apple’s challenge as it tries to compete with top AI developers such as Google, ChatGPT owner OpenAI, Meta and Microsoft.

Earlier this year, Apple delayed the release of an upgraded version of Siri with AI powered features. At the time, it said it was going to ‘take us longer than we thought’ to develop the new version.

The company said it anticipated rolling out new features ‘in the coming year,’ but it has not offered any more specifics.

‘We’re making good progress on it, and, as we’ve shared, we expect to release it next year,’ Cook said on the company’s quarterly earnings call in late October.

“With Apple Intelligence, we’ve introduced dozens of new features that are powerful, intuitive, private and deeply integrated into the things people do every day,” Cook said on the Oct. 30 call

The company is targeting the spring to release the upgraded Siri, Bloomberg News recently reported.

When a user grants permission, Siri can tap into ChatGPT’s broad world knowledge and present an answer directly.Apple

While Apple’s iOS and macOS are integrated with ChatGPT, those features are somewhat limited.

In recent weeks, Apple has reportedly neared deals to integrate with Google’s Gemini, as well as AI models from Perplexity and Anthropic.

Apple introduced Apple Intelligence on June 10, 2024.Apple

Apple’s stock has also felt the effect of what some perceive to be its lagging AI services.

This year, Apple shares have returned 13%, which tops both Amazon and Microsoft. But shares of Oracle have popped 20%, Nvidia has surged 34%, and Google parent company Alphabet has soared 65%.

Still, Apple remains the world’s second-largest publicly traded company, with a market value of $4.2 trillion, behind only Nvidia.

Overall, the S&P 500 has risen almost 16% this year.

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An unlikely alliance in the House of Representatives is seeking to reform the U.S. criminal justice system.

The House is expected to consider a bill this week that would force the federal government to create a vast database of existing federal criminal laws and regulations, which its supporters hope will be a stepping stone to cutting down what they see as an exceedingly cumbersome bureaucratic web.

The bill is being led by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, with support from Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Lucy McBath, D-Ga., and Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.

It’s not often that progressives can be seen teaming up with members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, but concerns like government overreach have been known to bring together unusual coalitions within Congress.

‘This, for me, was driven by the fact that I think we have far too many federal crimes and that the American people often don’t know what they are,’ Roy told Fox News Digital. ‘There’s lots of different ways in which you can be criminally liable for something you don’t even know about, and that’s insane.’

The Texas Republican said crimes like assaults, stabbings and thefts were ‘basic, Ten Commandments–like laws’ that necessarily carried penalties — but he argued there were thousands more rules, including dictating regulatory violations, that posed issues for everyday Americans.

‘There are all sorts of regulatory things under the [Environmental Protection Agency] that frankly make criminals out of Americans by virtue of just how they engage.  It might be a farmer just using their land or range or whatever. And suddenly they are a criminal,’ he said.

‘I mean, there’s been people who have gone to jail for violations of, essentially, what was regulations — maybe those are all extensions off of some statute way back when, but when you have a generic statute on environmental protection that then turns into a thousand different codes that if you break, you’re somehow violating law, that’s a big problem.’

Biggs complained of the lack of accounting for regulatory offenses Americans are accused of in a statement earlier this year.

‘We have a duty to protect Americans’ right to liberty, and this begins with scaling down the massive overreach in federal criminal offenses,’ Biggs said.

McBath said the bill means, ‘Americans will no longer have to fear being excessively punished, and criminal justice professionals can better protect the public.’

In addition to creating the new database, the bill would also direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report how many cases have been prosecuted under each offense over the last 15 years.

It could get a vote in the House as soon as Monday evening, though it’s possible consideration is pushed until later this week.

While bipartisan cooperation is rare in the current Congress, Roy has been known to reach across the aisle on key issues before. He and several other Republicans are working with Democrats on legislation to ban stock trading for Capitol Hill lawmakers.

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Tensions between NATO and Russia sharpened Monday after the alliance’s top military commander said member states are considering whether they must become ‘more aggressive’ in confronting Moscow’s hybrid threat campaign.

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chairman of NATO’s military committee, told the Financial Times the alliance is evaluating if it should be ‘proactive instead of reactive,’ including the possibility of ‘preemptive’ cyber or sabotage operations.

Dragone said such actions could still fall under defensive doctrine, saying, ‘It is further away from our normal way of thinking or behavior.’

Dragone pointed to the Baltic Sentry mission, launched this year to counter Russian-linked sabotage at sea, saying that ‘from the beginning of Baltic Sentry, nothing has happened. So this means that this deterrence is working.’

He added: ‘Being more aggressive compared with the aggressivity of our counterpart could be an option, but Dragone also admitted that NATO and its members had much more limits than our counterpart because of ethics, because of law, because of jurisdiction. It is an issue. I don’t want to say it’s a loser position, but it is a harder position than our counterpart’s.’

Moscow immediately pushed back. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called Dragone’s comments ‘an extremely irresponsible step’ and accused NATO of signaling it is willing ‘to move toward escalation,’ according to Russian state media.

Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition and a former senior State Department and official at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, told Fox News Digital that, ‘Given Russia’s unilateral invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the idea that Russia is warning about NATO being irresponsible is laughable. Putin has been given numerous opportunities to end the war peacefully and has refused them all because of his own expansionist goals. NATO is simply reacting to his aggression.’

‘Regarding U.S. involvement,’ she explained, ‘Article 5 merely states that an attack on one is an attack on all. NATO adopting a more assertive position does not obligate the U.S. to do the same. We are only required to take ‘such action as [we] deem necessary’ – and that, only in the case of an attack on a NATO state.’

General Bruce Carlson, U.S. Air Force (ret.) and former director of the National Reconnaissance Office, told Fox News Digital, ‘Let’s not forget it’s Russia who is conducting preemptive military action in Europe with the sole intention of invading and occupying another sovereign nation’s territory by force.’ 

Carlson added, ‘Putin only understands one thing and that’s power. No one has strengthened NATO more than President Trump, and it is critical that we use every lever possible to push Russia to the negotiating table to achieve a lasting and sustainable peace deal that protects Ukraine’s sovereignty and defends U.S. national security interests.’

The warnings come amid a steady drumbeat of Russian-linked activity that NATO officials say falls under hybrid warfare. The alliance says it faces daily cyberattacks that can be traced to Moscow, alongside information operations, migration pressure, and repeated targeting of critical infrastructure.

A series of sabotage incidents in late 2024 triggered a major NATO review. Several undersea data cables and a key power link were damaged that November and December, including on Dec. 25. Prosecutors in Finland accused the crew of a Cook Islands–flagged tanker of dragging an anchor for more than 50 miles and severing infrastructure, though a Finnish court later dismissed the case, ruling national law did not apply.

More recently, roughly 20 drones crossed into NATO member Poland in September, prompting Warsaw to trigger Article 4 consultations. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at the time it was ‘the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II,’ while Moscow denied targeting Polish territory.

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President Donald Trump described it as ‘very important’ that ‘nothing’ transpire to derail Syria’s transformation ‘into a prosperous state.’

The commander-in-chief’s cryptic comments come days after Israel engaged in an operation in Syria.

‘The United States is very satisfied with the results displayed, through hard work and determination, in the Country of Syria. We are doing everything within our power to make sure the Government of Syria continues to do what was intended, which is substantial, in order to build a true and prosperous Country. One of the things that has helped them greatly was my termination of very strong and biting sanctions — I believe this was truly appreciated by Syria, its Leadership, and its People!’ the president said in the Truth Social post.

‘It is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous State. The new President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is working diligently to make sure good things happen, and that both Syria and Israel will have a long and prosperous relationship together. This is a historic opportunity, and adds to the SUCCESS, already attained, for PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST!’ Trump added.

The IDF noted last week that troops were wounded during action in Syria.

A post on X explained that ‘IDF troops conducted an operation to apprehend suspects from the Jaama Islamiya terrorist organization operating in the Beit Jinn area of southern Syria. During the activity, several armed terrorists opened fire at the troops. IDF soldiers responded with live fire, supported by aerial assistance.’

‘As a result of the incident, several reservists were injured and were evacuated to the hospital to receive medical treatment. The operation concluded with all suspects apprehended and several terrorists eliminated,’ the IDF post noted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump spoke on Monday.

‘The two leaders stressed the importance and obligation of disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, and discussed expanding the peace agreements,’ the office of the prime minister noted on X. ‘US President Trump invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to a meeting at the White House in the near future,’ another post added.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released details on President Donald Trump’s MRI scan that was conducted in October, reading the results of the examination during Monday’s press briefing that showed he was in good health. 

Trump’s health has fallen under increasing scrutiny from the media in recent months, including when it was revealed that Trump underwent a second routine physical for the year in October, which included an MRI scan. Leavitt reported the medical imaging procedure found Trump as healthy. 

‘As part of President Trump’s comprehensive executive physical advanced imaging was performed because men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health,’ Leavitt read from the report Monday. 

‘The purpose of this imaging is preventative to identify any issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure the president maintains long-term vitality and function,’ Leavitt continued. ‘President Trump’s cardiovascular imaging was perfectly normal. No evidence of arterial narrowing impairing blood flow or abnormalities in the heart or major vessels. The heart chambers are normal in size, the vessel walls appear smooth and healthy, and there are no signs of inflammation or clotting. Overall, his cardiovascular system shows excellent health.’ 

Trump is the oldest man to be inaugurated president, with the media increasingly turning their attention to the president’s health after repeated photos since February show bruising on Trump’s hand, while photos from July showed the president with swollen legs. 

Leavitt, as well as Trump, repeatedly have brushed off questions and concern surrounding his health, pointing to physical examinations in April, and then again in October, that found the president ‘remains in excellent health.’

‘His abdominal imaging is also perfectly normal. All major organs appear very healthy and well perfused,’ Leavitt continued Monday of Trump’s MRI. ‘Everything evaluated is functioning within normal limits with no acute or chronic concerns. In summary, this level of detailed assessment is standard for an executive physical at President Trump’s age and confirms that he remains in excellent overall health.’ 

‘Again, we will provide that to you,’ she added. ‘I think that’s quite a bit of detail. And in the effort of transparency, the president promised it last night and we have delivered today.’ 

Trump was questioned about the MRI Sunday evening, saying he would release the report while underscoring it was ‘perfect’ and adding that it did not focus on scanning his brain. 

‘If they want to release it, it’s OK with me to release it,’ Trump said. ‘It’s perfect.’ 

‘If you want to have it released, I’ll release it,’ he continued. 

Media concern over Trump’s health follows the current White House’s repeated criticisms of journalists over their lack of reporting on then-President Joe Biden’s mental acuity and physical fitness when he served in the Oval Office. 

The media did not have a large focus on Biden’s health until the election cycle, when he was pressed to drop out his re-election effort to retain the White House as political allies called on him to pass the torch to a younger generation. Biden ultimately dropped out of the race in July 2024. 

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the Trump administration is ‘actively re-examining’ all the Afghan nationals who entered the United States during former President Joe Biden’s administration.

‘Any individual who threatens our national security or our citizenry will be subject to removal,’ Leavitt told reporters during a White House press briefing. ‘President Trump has already permanently paused the migration of foreign nationals from third world countries that pose a very high risk to the United States. For too long, past American presidents supported self-destruction, self-destructive immigration policies that allowed foreigners who outright hate our country and have no interest in assimilating into our culture.’

The announcement comes after the death of 20-year-old National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom, who was allegedly shot in the nation’s capital last week by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. 

A second National Guardsman, 24-year-old Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, is still in the hospital and fighting for his life.

President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday that the Wolfe family are ‘unbelievably great people’ who want the public to pray for their son.

‘Sarah and Andrew are heroes, and we will never forget their sacrifice. That means ensuring the monster responsible for this atrocity is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and faces the most severe punishment possible. It also means reckoning with why this atrocity was allowed to happen in the first place, so that it may never occur again,’ said Leavitt.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services also announced Friday that the federal agency would conduct a reexamination of all green card holders from so-called countries of concern.

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