Friday, November 21 | By Cate Martel |
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Happy Friday! Who's planning to see Wicked: For Good this weekend?! |
Trump hosts Mamdani White House gives Ukraine new deadline Johnson, Thune out of sync DOJ says grand jury reviewed Comey charges
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Is it too late to install that UFC ring early?: |
Alex Brandon, Associated Press; Yuki Iwamura, Associated Press pool |
President Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani are meeting for the first time today. This could go one of several directions: They play relatively nice: A meeting between the president and leader of the country's largest city is a mayoral tradition, Mamdani's spokesperson said ahead of the sit-down. Trump and Mamdani have some similarities. They're both charmers and New Yorkers. The president has reportedly complimented the mayor-elect in private, calling him "slick" and a "good talker." Despite their wildly different worldviews, there may be some shared respect for the power and influence each has triggered in their respective political movements. Things blow up: The two men are polar opposites in political worldviews, backgrounds, age and more, and have each pointedly attacked the other. Trump referred to Mamdani as a "communist" when he announced this meeting. He's also threatened to yank federal funding for New York City if Mamdani became the next mayor. However, The Hill's Niall Stanage points out that federal funds only cover roughly 6 percent of the city's budget, so that threat may not be as potent as Trump intended. Trump could also threaten to send in the National Guard or other federal troops to the city, which would trigger a political war between the two. They find some common ground: The issue of affordability was salient for both men's elections and could be a key focus in the meeting, despite their differing views on tactics. Mamdani said Thursday he planned to discuss public safety, inflation and the cost of living during the meeting. 📸 Mamdani posted a selfie from his flight 📝 Five things to watch |
The ball's in Ukraine's court at the moment: |
The Trump administration is ramping up its efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine — reportedly giving Ukraine a 28-point peace plan that caught Ukraine's supporters in Washington off guard. The plan was reportedly negotiated by Steve Witkoff, Trump's top envoy for peace negotiations, and a top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. What's in the plan?: "The U.S. proposals include territorial concessions, a cap on the size of Ukraine's active-duty military and other provisions that Zelensky has previously rejected." (The Wall Street Journal) 🔎 Read the full proposal, obtained by The Associated Press Trump indicated this morning that he will give Ukraine until Thanksgiving to agree to it. What does Ukrainian President Zelensky think about it?: He said in a video today he has a difficult choice. "Now is one of the most difficult moments in our history," Zelensky said. "Now Ukraine may find itself facing a very difficult choice. Either loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner." 💬 Follow today's live blog |
It's not looking great for ObamaCare subsidies next year…: |
"Prospects look dim for Congress to agree to an extension of ObamaCare's enhanced subsidies, as Republicans run headlong toward a December cliff without a clear plan to break their fall," reports The Hill's Nathaniel Weixel. How so?: "GOP leaders are trying to coalesce around a unified path on health care, but it's looking increasingly likely the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) enhanced subsidies are not going to be part of it." What changed this week?: "President Trump told Congress on Tuesday not to 'waste your time and energy' on extending the subsidies, and two Republican senators have competing plans they both say deliver exactly what Trump wants." Letting the subsidies expire is a risky game for the GOP: "A growing number of conservative groups and pollsters have been warning Republicans about the political dangers of letting the subsidies expire, and some lawmakers are taking those warnings to heart." Read more: 'GOP barrels toward ObamaCare cliff as prospects dim for subsidy extensions' |
There's some tension between Johnson and Thune: |
"Friction is emerging in the once-unified GOP relationship between Speaker Mike Johnson (La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.)," report The Hill's Emily Brooks, Al Weaver and Sudiksha Kochi. How so?: "The two congressional leaders have been visibly out of sync in recent days on a bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and on an electronic records seizure law that could enrich senators while drawing a hostile reaction from many House Republicans." How the tensions are affecting business on Capitol Hill: "The dynamic is bringing classic House-Senate tensions out into the open, and it's putting the Speaker in a position of having to defer to the upper chamber — even though it is Johnson who has a more publicly close relationship with President Trump." Let's not forget: Johnson and Thune have several key issues coming up and will need to work together. Think: the expiring ObamaCare subsidies, the National Defense Authorization Act and the January government funding deadline. Read their reporting: 'GOP leaders Mike Johnson, John Thune fall out of sync on Epstein, Arctic Frost' |
'Reverse, reverse, Cha cha now y'all': |
The Justice Department has reversed itself, alleging the full grand jury *did* review the final indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. What was the reversal: Just a day ago, lead prosecutor Lindsey Halligan told the judge that all jurors did not see the final revised document with Comey's charges. 💡 Keep in mind: Halligan has never led a criminal prosecution. This misstep could undermine the case against Comey. Meanwhile, Comey's defense team has tried to have the case dismissed. Read more |
Headline that gave me an 'oh, yikes' moment:
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The Washington Post published a report on Thursday that the "U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols." What the report said: "Instead, the Coast Guard will classify the Nazi-era insignia as 'potentially divisive' under its new guidelines. The policy, set to take effect Dec. 15, similarly downgrades the classification of nooses and the Confederate flag, though display of the latter remains banned, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post." Key line from the story: "Subsequent to publication, Coast Guard spokeswoman Jennifer Plozai said by phone that the service disagreed with The Post's reporting but intended to look into the policy changes." The U.S. Coast Guard publicly denied the reporting, calling it "categorically false." The Department of Homeland Security then released a memorandum stating the Coast Guard "does not tolerate the display of divisive or hate symbols and flags." The Post reported late Thursday on a new order again classifying swastikas and nooses as hate symbols. |
— The FAA is giving $10,000 bonuses to air traffic controllers who had perfect attendance during the 43-day government shutdown. |
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The House is in. The Senate is out. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EST) |
3 p.m. Trump meets with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office. |
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🥘 Celebrate: Today is National Stuffing Day and National Gingerbread Cookie Day! 🌡️ To quote 'Mean Girls,' 'There's a 30 percent chance that it's already raining': NOAA released its weather predictions for the 2025-26 winter. What to expect |
📺 Miss yesterday's newsletter? Catch up with a 1-minute video. |
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