Nation and World Politics
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Veteran defense lawyer turned judge oversees case against ex-FBI Director Comey
Oct 08, 2025 8:21 am - Michael Nachmanoff has built a quiet reputation in the federal courthouse in northern Virginia — a onetime public defender turned judge known for methodical preparation and a cool temperament. On Wednesday, he finds himself at the center of a political storm: presiding over the Justice Department’s prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey.
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Israel and Hamas agree to ‘first phase’ of plan to end fighting and release hostages, Trump says
Oct 08, 2025 8:16 am - Israel and Hamas have agreed to pause fighting in Gaza and release at least some hostages and prisoners in an agreement that was put forward by the Trump administration and would represent the biggest breakthrough in months in the devastating two-year-old war.
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A combative Bondi clashes with senators on Epstein, cases against Trump foes
Oct 07, 2025 9:10 pm - Attorney General Pam Bondi repeatedly deflected questions as she sought during a combative congressional hearing on Tuesday to defend herself against growing criticism that she's turning the law enforcement agency into a weapon to seek vengeance against President Donald Trump’s political opponents.
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Trump hints at health care deal to end shutdown, but key hurdles remain
Oct 07, 2025 8:56 pm - President Donald Trump’s pledge Monday that he is open to a health care compromise that could end the government shutdown has Democrats keen to make a deal — and conservatives eager to blow it up.“I’d like to see a deal made for great health care,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, responding to questions about Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. He later wrote on his Truth Social platform that no deal would be possible until Democrats agree to end the shutdown, which Democrats say they will not do without an agreement on the subsidies.
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ICE kept most offices open in shutdown — but not the one inspecting detention centers
Oct 07, 2025 8:49 pm - The Trump administration has said immigration enforcement will “remain unchanged” through the government shutdown. Officers continue to arrest migrants; detention centers remain fully operational; and the government issued new contracts for additional migrant holding facilities just last week.
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Furloughed workers not guaranteed back pay after shutdown, OMB claims
Oct 07, 2025 8:10 pm - Furloughed federal workers are not entitled to automatic back pay after the government shutdown ends, the Trump administration’s budget office claimed in a new draft memo obtained by The Washington Post, ratcheting up tensions in Washington over the week-long closure.
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Supreme Court seems skeptical about state bans on ‘conversion therapy’ for LBGTQ+ kids
Oct 07, 2025 4:43 pm - A majority of Supreme Court justices on Tuesday seemed likely to side with a Christian counselor challenging bans on LGBTQ+ “conversion therapy” for kids as a violation of her First Amendment rights.
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A judge has blocked a Trump administration effort to change teen pregnancy prevention programs
Oct 07, 2025 4:32 pm - A judge Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from requiring recipients of federal teen pregnancy prevention grants to comply with Trump's orders aimed at curtailing “radical indoctrination” and “gender ideology."
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Texas National Guard troops mobilize in Chicago regionOct 07, 2025 10:57 am - Trump muses about invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow the military to take on policing duties. Pritzker suggests militarization could skew midterms.
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Judge refuses to immediately block National Guard deployment to Illinois
Oct 07, 2025 10:13 am - National Guard troops could hit Chicago’s streets as soon as today after a federal judge refused a plea from Illinois’ attorneys to immediately block a deployment they labeled “illegal, dangerous and unconstitutional” in a highly anticipated lawsuit Monday.