Live updates: Trump vows to pull Israel support if it annexes West Bank; Russian oil sector hit with fresh U.S. sanctions
The Senate voted on whether to take up a bill to pay federal workers who haven't been furloughed during the government shutdown.
What to know today
- WEST BANK ANNEXATION: President Donald Trump said in an interview with Time magazine last week that Israel "would lose all of its support from the United States" if it annexed the already occupied West Bank. He spoke before Israel's parliament voted for an effective annexation of the Palestinian territory.
- VANCE INSULTED: As he left Israel for Washington, Vice President JD Vance called the Israeli Knesset’s vote on the West Bank annexation a “very stupid political stunt” and an “insult” to him. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in the country and is meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- RUSSIA SANCTIONS: Russia reacted with outrage today to new U.S. sanctions on its oil sector, which the Treasury Department imposed yesterday in a bid to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
- GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: The Senate voted this afternoon on whether to take up a Republican bill that would pay federal workers who haven’t been furloughed during the government shutdown. The procedural vote, which required 60 votes for the legislation to advance, failed 54-45.
Trump directs Pete Hegseth to inform Congress about targeting drug traffickers on land
Trump said today that his administration will inform Congress about targeting drug runners on land, adding that the United States plans to kill people “who are bringing drugs into our country.”
After he touted recent military strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats as a massive success, Trump said, “The land is going to be next.”
“We may go to the Senate and we may go to the Congress and tell them about it. But I can’t imagine they’d have any problem with it,” Trump said at a White House roundtable for his homeland security task forces, which included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Trump then directed Hegseth to make it happen.
"Pete, you go to Congress, you tell them about it. What are they going to say, 'Gee, we don’t want to stop drugs pouring in?’” he said.
He later added “we will go” to Congress.
Here’s the list of donors paying for Trump’s new White House ballroom
The East Wing of the White House was fully demolished today, a White House official said, as construction pushes forward to build Trump’s new ballroom.
The project is a significant expansion from what Trump said over the summer.
“It won’t interfere with the current building,” Trump said on July 31. “It’ll be near it, but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.”
Trump said yesterday that the project would cost roughly $300 million, paid for by donors, including him. He has also said it will hold up to 999 people.
Federal worker jobless claims surged to more than 10,000 last week
Federal government workers filed 10,026 initial jobless claims in the week that ended Saturday, according to Labor Department data released tonight. The data comes by way of the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees program.
That’s significantly higher than roughly 7,200 initial claims federal workers in the program filed in the week that ended Oct. 11, about 3,300.
While the government remains closed, the Labor Department and the Bureau of Labor Statistics are not publishing most key datasets and economic releases. The data in today’s Labor Department file comes from the states.
The data released today does not appear to include “continuing claims” data for only federal government employees, so it does not appear to be possible to determine how many total federal government workers are on the program now.
In addition, some data from Colorado, Massachusetts, Tennessee and the U.S. Virgin Islands was not made available in today’s dataset, so the total number could be higher.
Senate Democrats tread lightly on Maine primary as new poll shows Platner leading Mills
The Democratic primary in one of the most important Senate races of the 2026 cycle has been jolted by two recent events: the entry of two-term governor and establishment favorite Janet Mills and the rapid-fire revelations about Graham Platner, a first-time candidate undergoing a public vetting after getting national attention.
Despite his recent controversy, a rare poll of the Maine race shows Platner trouncing Mills by 34 points. The survey, conducted by the University of New Hampshire, found Platner leading Mills 58% to 24% among likely primary voters, with 14% undecided. It was conducted from Oct. 16 to Oct. 21, amid revelations of inflammatory online posts by Platner but before he said he covered up a tattoo after his campaign was informed it resembled a Nazi symbol.
None of that has changed the dynamics among their would-be Democratic colleagues in the Senate, at least for now.
B-1 bombers flew near Venezuela today
Two B-1 bombers flew from the United States to about 50 miles from the coast of Venezuela today, according to a defense official and flight tracker data for the aircraft.
The flights were a show of presence, the official said.
Trump was asked about the flights today and called the reporting false, though it was unclear whether he was denying the flights themselves or whether they were meant to increase pressure.
Jacqueline Kennedy Garden torn up as part of East Wing demolition
The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, which used to sit south of the East Colonnade, was torn up as part of the East Wing demolition this week to build Trump’s massive new ballroom, according to a White House official.
It’s unclear how many of the plants, trees and shrubbery the White House was able to preserve, but an effort to do so is underway, the official said. Last month, White House officials said the National Park Service would work to possibly relocate some of the greenery affected by the overall construction to a nursery for potential replanting.
The garden was designed by Rachel Lambert Mellon, according to the National Park Service. She was also key in redesigning the Rose Garden, which started during the Kennedy administration and was finished during the Johnson administration. First lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson formally dedicated the garden to Jackie Kennedy in 1965.
The National Park Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Letitia James' attorneys want Trump officials and prosecutor Lindsey Halligan to stop talking publicly about her case
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ defense team asked a federal judge to enforce rules prohibiting the government’s “extra judicial disclosures and statements” in the criminal case against her.
“What precipitates this motion now is a digital messaging exchange that occurred after the government brought charges, between purported interim U.S. Attorney Halligan and Anna Bower, a senior journalist for Lawfare, published on Monday, October 20, 2025,” attorneys for James wrote in a court filing today.
Lawfare senior editor Anna Bower published several text message conversations she had over the messaging app Signal with Halligan, the acting U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, about James' case, which involves mortgage fraud charges. James has denied wrongdoing.
Halligan reportedly texted Bower: “You’re assuming exculpatory evidence without knowing what you’re talking about. It’s just bizarre to me. If you have any questions, before you report, feel free to reach out to me. But jumping to conclusions does your credibility no good.”
James' attorneys said they wanted a judge to stop what they called a “stunning disclosure of internal government information.”
“In order to ensure a fair trial and impartial proceedings for Attorney General James, we respectfully seek the Court’s intervention to prevent any further disclosures by government attorneys and agents of investigative and case materials, and statements to the media and public, concerning this case and any parties or witnesses,” they wrote.
James' attorneys also filed a notice saying they intend to file a motion at her arraignment tomorrow to dismiss the indictment, citing what they characterized as Halligan's “unlawful appointment.”
Attorneys for former FBI Director James Comey filed a similar motion against Halligan in his case. The court has not ruled on that motion.
Democrats grapple with concerns about Black voter turnout in New Jersey
As Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill stood in the middle of the street in Newark’s West Ward on Sunday afternoon, she made it clear that voters there could be decisive in this year’s race for governor.
“New Jersey is a blue state. And so all we have to do is get everybody to the polls, because when we vote, we win,” Sherrill, who is in her fourth term, told her supporters as they prepared to knock on doors in her race against Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
Sherrill repeated, “When we vote …”
This time the crowd finished her sentence: “We win!”
Sherrill’s message underscored how her path to victory relies on turning out the Democratic Party’s core supporters, including in the West Ward, a predominantly Black community in the state’s largest city.
But concerns about Black voter support and engagement have lingered among Democrats in New Jersey and nationally following Trump’s victory last year. Trump lost the state but made significant gains compared with his 2016 and 2020 results, particularly among voters of color in the state’s urban areas.
Trump says 'I hope' it's true that a grand jury is looking into charges into Sen. Adam Schiff
Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to comment when they were asked about reports that a grand jury is looking into charging Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., with mortgage fraud.
"I would just say Adam Schiff is one of the lowest forms of scum I’ve ever dealt with," Trump said. "He’s a horrible human being, a very dishonest person."
Trump added: "I have no idea what’s going on. You tell me that he’s gonna be indicted, I don’t know. You could ask Pam." The he turned to Bondi, who declined to comment.
"By the way, I hope it’s true," Trump added later. "But I don’t know anything about it."
Schiff's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski on East Wing demolition: 'The optics are bad'
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, says she agrees that the optics of demolishing the East Wing of the White House are bad while the government is shut down.
“The optics are bad, it looks like, you know, people are saying, ‘Oh, the government’s being destroyed,’" she said. "Well, now it looks like the White House is physically being destroyed."
Murkowski said she could hear the excavator’s “digging and clawing” when she attended the Senate Republican lunch at the White House on Tuesday.
“As an American who kind of feels like the White House is the people’s house, kind of like, oh, did everybody weigh in? We know that everybody didn’t weigh in,” she said. “I’m certainly hearing about it from Alaskans who are saying, what did we — when did we decide that we needed a bigger ballroom?”
Trump says he doesn't need declaration of war to strike boats: 'We’re going to kill them'
Trump was pressed at an event at the White House about whether he'd ask Congress for a declaration of war to continue striking boats that his administration alleges are bringing drugs into the United States.
"Well, I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war," he told reporters. "I think we’re just gonna kill people that are bringing drugs into our country."
"We’re going to kill them," he added. "They’re going to be, like, dead."
The Adam Schiff criminal probe has stalled, sources say
The federal mortgage fraud investigation against Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., one of Trump’s chief political foes, has stalled, according to four people familiar with the investigation.
After months of investigating, the federal prosecutors in Maryland leading the probe have not produced enough evidence to bring charges, these people said.
One of the sources, a federal law enforcement official, said the investigation “came to a standstill.”
Kelly Hayes, the U.S. attorney overseeing the investigation, met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche this week and asked him how to proceed, according to three people with knowledge of the meeting. The decision out of that meeting was for Hayes to pursue more evidence, and the case remains ongoing, those people said.
Trump, Hegseth threaten to 'hunt' and 'kill' more alleged drug-carrying boats
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth touted recent lethal strikes on boats that they allege are carrying drugs to the United States as a successful way to deter alleged drug traffickers from entering the country.
"We will find you, we will map your networks, we will hunt you down, and we will kill you," Hegseth said. "And you’ve seen that evidence in the maritime domain, whether it’s in the Caribbean or in the Pacific with the last two strikes. We know exactly who these people are. We know what networks they work with, what foreign terrorist organizations they’re a part of; we know where they’re going, where they originated from, what they’re carrying."
He reiterated the point later, saying, "We will track them, we will map them, we will network them, and we will hunt them and kill them, because they’re trying to and they are killing and poisoning the American people."
He added, "We have all the license necessary, all the authorities necessary, to take these kinetic strikes, and we’ll continue to take them."
Trump also touted his administration's decision to strike the boats instead of capturing the alleged drug traffickers on board, telling reporters, "But we’ve been capturing these boats for years, and they get back into the system, they do it again and again and again, and they don’t fear that, they have no fear."
Trump says he'll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this weekend
During a roundtable discussion at the White House, Trump previewed his trip to Asia this weekend, saying, "I’m leaving tomorrow for some very big meetings, including with the president of China, where I think we’re going to come out very well and everyone’s going to be very happy."
Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a news conference that Trump would leave for his Asia trip tomorrow night. She also said he would meet with the prime ministers of Malaysia and Japan and the president of South Korea while he is in Asia.
Trump explains his decision to keep National Guard out of San Francisco, for now
Trump this afternoon explained his decision to hold off on sending National Guard troops to San Francisco.
"Maybe you heard, we were going to do a big surge in San Francisco, but I got a great call from some incredible people, some friends — very successful people," Trump said at the White House, referring to several tech CEOs based in California.
"They said: 'We’re working really, really hard with the mayor, we are making progress. Would it be possible for you to hold off the surge?' And I had four or five calls, and I think they’re making progress of their own," Trump said, adding later, "They’re doing a good job, so we are holding off that surge, everybody."
He also said San Francisco "was a great, great city and has the potential to be a great city again."
Demolition crew finishes tearing down White House’s East Wing for a new ballroom
The East Wing of the White House has now been demolished as construction crews turn their attention to debris removal, a White House official said.
Almost all of the East Terrace, the colonnade that connected the White House main building to the outer East Wing structure, has also been torn down.
The East Terrace contained the White House movie theater, which will be rebuilt eventually, the official said.
Administration officials said yesterday that the demolition work to pave the way for Trump’s planned ballroom would be completed “within days.”
White House defends destruction of East Wing to make way for Trump's ballroom
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the demolition of the White House's East Wing to make way for Trump's ballroom at the news briefing today.
“With any construction project, there are changes over time as you assess what the project is going to look like, and we’ll continue to keep you apprised of all of those changes," Leavitt said.
A reporter noted that the White House said it didn't submit plans for the ballroom to the National Capital Planning Commission. Asked whether the president can tear down anything he wants without any oversight, Leavitt said the commission has "ruled consistently, their general counsel has said, when it comes to phase one of this project, the tearing down of the current East Wing structure, a submission is not required legally for that."
Asked why the White House didn't inform the public that the entire East Wing would have to be demolished after Trump claimed the existing structure wouldn't be touched, Leavitt said the situation changed.
"The plans changed when the president heard counsel from the architects and the construction companies who said that in order for this East Wing to be modern and beautiful for many, many years to come, for it to be a truly strong and stable structure, this phase one that we’re now in was necessary," she said.
White House warns of flight delays, funding lapse for SNAP benefits if government doesn't reopen
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned at the press briefing that if the government doesn't reopen soon, there could be significant flight delays during the holiday season and a funding lapse for SNAP benefits.
"If the Democrats continue to keep the government closed, we fear there will be significant flight delays, disruptions, and cancellations in major airports across the country this holiday season," she told reporters. "If Democrats continue to shut down the government, they will also be shutting down American air travel."
She said the White House is in touch with air traffic controllers and airline associations about the possible issue.
Leavitt added, "If Democrats continue to hold Americans hostage, there will not be enough funds to provide SNAP benefits for more than 40 million Americans on Nov. 1. That is next week. Democrats are solely responsible for all of this unnecessary pain."
Andrew Cuomo says ‘that’s another problem’ when radio host says Zohran Mamdani would cheer a terror attack
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo appeared to laugh briefly and agree with a radio host who said during an interview yesterday that Zohran Mamdani would be “cheering” if “another 9/11” happened on his watch.
During an appearance on Sid Rosenberg’s “Sid & Friends In The Morning,” a radio show on WABC, New York City mayoral hopeful Cuomo lambasted Mamdani for lacking experience. Cuomo said the 34-year-old state assemblyman, the Democratic nominee and front-runner in the mayoral race, doesn’t have a track record of dealing with the type of crises that executive officers like mayors and governors face — and have faced in the past.
“That job is a scary job. You wake up as mayor, you wake up as governor, any morning there’s a prison uprising, there was just a mass shooting, there’s Legionnaires’ disease, there’s gonna be a fiscal collapse, Wall Street’s moving to doubt, any given morning there’s a crisis,” Cuomo said in the interview. “And people’s lives are at stake — God forbid another 9/11, can you imagine Mamdani in the seat?”
At this point, Rosenberg jumped in, replying: “I could, he’d be cheering,” with a laugh.
Trump pardons convicted founder of crypto exchange Binance
Trump signed a pardon yesterday for convicted crypto executive Changpeng Zhao, who founded the Binance crypto exchange, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
“President Trump exercised his constitutional authority by issuing a pardon for Mr. Zhao, who was prosecuted by the Biden Administration in their war on cryptocurrency,” Leavitt said. “In their desire to punish the cryptocurrency industry, the Biden Administration pursued Mr. Zhao despite no allegations of fraud or identifiable victims.”
Zhao was sentenced to four months in prison after reaching a deal with the Justice Department to plead guilty to charges of enabling money laundering at Binance, which he ran at the time. The U.S. also ordered Binance to pay more than $4 billion in fines and forfeiture, while Zhao agreed to pay $50 million in fines.
House Democrats to return to Washington for in-person meetings
House Democrats will return to D.C. next week, starting with an in-person caucus meeting on Tuesday, according to two sources familiar with the plans.
The House was last in session on Sept. 19, and Speaker Mike Johnson has said the chamber will only return after the government reopens. House Democratic leaders have routinely asked their caucus to be in D.C. during most of the shutdown, though this week they remained in their districts.
House GOP leaders have not brought their members back since the shutdown began, opting instead for conference calls.
U.S. carries out deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in Pacific
The Trump administration announced the U.S. military carried out a new wave of deadly airstrikes on alleged drug smuggling boats yesterday, this time in the eastern Pacific. NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez reports for "TODAY."
Senate Democrats to submit motion to pay federal workers who are furloughed and not furloughed
Senate Democrats, who are expected to reject a Republican bill later today that would pay federal workers who haven’t been furloughed, will present their own motion in an attempt to pay both furloughed and unfurloughed federal workers during the government shutdown and block the Trump administration from initiating more mass firings.
Democrats plan to present a motion to pass the bill unanimously. The motion is expected to fail as any senator can object to it.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams backs Andrew Cuomo in the race to succeed him
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is set to endorse former Gov. Andrew Cuomo ahead of the city’s mayoral election in November.
Todd Shapiro, a spokesperson for Adams, confirmed the news in a statement to NBC New York, “As spokesman for Mayor Eric Adams, I can confirm that the Mayor will endorse former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for mayor and intends to campaign alongside him. The time and locations for their joint appearances are currently being finalized.”
Cuomo and Adams, both longtime Democrats, each ran as third-party candidates in the general election against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a state legislator. But Adams dropped out of the race last month, saying in a nearly 9-minute video posted on X that he didn’t see a path to victory in this race.
Fred Daibes hired lobbying firm with ties to Trump
Records show developer Fred Daibes, who was jailed for bribing former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez with gold bars, hired a lobbying firm with close ties to Trump in an apparent attempt to get out of prison. WNBC’s Jonathan Dienst has the details.
Senate to vote on government worker pay as shutdown continues
The Senate will vote just after noon on whether to take up a Republican bill that would pay federal workers who haven't been furloughed during the government shutdown.
The procedural move needs 60 votes for approval, meaning it would require some Democratic support and currently is expected to fail.
Democrats have expressed concerns that the measure could give the Trump administration some leeway to decide who does or doesn't get paid or a provide it with a justification for not paying furloughed workers after the shutdown ends.
Referring to Trump, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said of the bill, “If you criticize him, you’re not essential, you don’t get paid. If you kiss his ass, you’ll be essential and you get paid. Once you give him the power to decide not only who shows up to work, but also who gets paid, it is a massive additional power, massive additional leverage that he has, and an opportunity for endless corruption.”
Russia furious as Trump sanctions target the heart of Putin’s war economy
Russia reacted with outrage today after the United States sanctioned its two largest oil companies, the first economic punishments slapped on Moscow by Trump during his second term.
Experts said it remains to be seen, however, the extent to which this move may damage the Russian economy or Vladimir Putin’s war machine as Trump hopes to pressure Moscow to halt its assault on Ukraine.
As U.S. rivalry intensifies, China pledges to advance self-reliance in science and tech
China’s Communist Party elite vowed today to build a modern industrial system and make more efforts to achieve technology self-reliance, which it sees as key to bolstering its position in its intensifying rivalry with the United States.
As expected, the Party’s Central Committee also promised more efforts to expand domestic demand and improve people’s livelihoods — long-standing goals that in recent years have been little more than an afterthought as China prioritized manufacturing and investment.
Trump says Israel would 'lose all of its support' from U.S. if it annexes the West Bank
Trump said in an interview with Time magazine last week that if Israel annexes the West Bank, it would "lose all of its support from the United States."
"It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries," the president said in the interview, which was published today. "It will not happen. Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened."
Trump's comments came before the Knesset voted yesterday to advance a bill to annex the already occupied Palestinian territory.
The president also said during the interview that he plans to visit the Gaza Strip, though he didn't provide any details.
Vance slams Israeli parliament's vote to annex the West Bank
Before leaving Israel today, Vice President JD Vance condemned the Knesset's vote yesterday to advance a bill to annex the already occupied West Bank.
"That was weird. I was sort of confused by that," Vance told reporters, adding that he had been told the move by Israel's parliament amounted to "a symbolic vote."
"Somebody told me that it was a political stunt, that it had no practical significance, it was purely symbolic," Vance said. "I mean, look, if it was a political stunt, it was a very stupid political stunt, and I personally take some insult to it."
"The West Bank is not going to be annexed by Israel," Vance continued. "The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel. That will continue to be our policy, and if people want to take symbolic votes, they can do that, but we certainly weren’t happy about it.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, told reporters before he left for Israel last night that the vote could jeopardize the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Author Michael Wolff sues Melania Trump over Jeffrey Epstein threat
Author Michael Wolff has sued first lady Melania Trump, charging that she threatened a $1 billion legal action against him to stop him from reporting and writing about her alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
“Mrs. Trump’s claims are made for the sole purpose of harassing, intimidating, punishing or otherwise maliciously inhibiting Mr. Wolff’s free exercise of speech,” said the suit, which was filed Tuesday in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan.
Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo trade insults in final NYC mayoral debate
Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo clashed last night in the final New York mayoral debate, which put on full display their personal animosity and their array of disagreements over both city and national issues.
Throughout the 90-minute debate, Cuomo — the former Democratic governor running as an independent — called Mamdani, 34, a state assemblyman, a “kid” who would get knocked “on his tuchus” by Trump, a “great actor” and a “divisive force in New York” who brings “toxic energy for New York.”
Rubio warns Israel’s moves toward West Bank annexation could imperil peace talks
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the Israeli parliament’s moves toward annexing the already occupied West Bank could imperil Trump‘s plan to end the conflict in Gaza.
Rubio was speaking before heading to Israel to help oversee efforts to maintain the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas, and push forward peace talks on the next stages of the deal. He’s the latest senior U.S. official to do so after a flare-up in violence raised fears the truce could collapse.
U.S. sanctions Russia’s two largest oil companies
The Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s oil sector after Trump confirmed that a planned meeting with President Vladimir Putin to discuss Russia’s war with Ukraine was off.
“Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement yesterday. “Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine. Treasury is prepared to take further action if necessary to support President Trump’s effort to end yet another war. We encourage our allies to join us in and adhere to these sanctions.”