Foreign
US Govt Shutdown Looms As Trump, Musk Kill Funding Deal
The United States was staring down the barrel of a holiday-period government shutdown Thursday after a late-hour intervention by Donald Trump and Elon Musk threatened efforts in Congress to keep the lights on through the New Year.
The money authorized by lawmakers to run federal agencies is set to expire Friday night, and party leaders had agreed on a stopgap bill — known as a “continuing resolution” (CR) — to keep operations functioning.
Debt hawks in the House of Representatives baulked at what they considered an overstuffed package full of “pork” — spending that has nothing to do with the point of the bill — but it still looked like it might pass a floor vote.
Then Musk, the world’s richest man and President-elect Trump’s incoming “efficiency czar,” bombarded his 208 million followers on X with posts trashing the text, many making false or misleading claims.
Twelve hours after Musk’s first tweet, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance effectively torpedoed the bill, releasing a statement attacking the add-ons and demanding out of the blue that it include an increase in the country’s debt limit.
Negotiating increases in permitted federal borrowing levels — and then writing and voting on legislation in both chambers on Congress — usually takes weeks, and government functions are due to begin winding up at midnight going into Saturday.
The debacle offered a preview of the chaos that Democrats say will attend Trump’s second term in office and prompted questions over why a tech billionaire who is a private, unelected citizen was able to plunge Congress into crisis.
“It’s weird to think that Elon Musk will end up having paid far less for the United States Government than he did for Twitter,” prominent conservative lawyer and Trump critic George Conway posted.
– Unpaid workers –
A shutdown would cause the closure of federal agencies and national parks, limiting public services and furloughing potentially hundreds of thousands of workers without pay over Christmas.
As time ran short, House Republicans and Democrats gathered separately to begin the seemingly impossible task of coming up with a Plan B with just hours to spare.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson was being criticized from all sides for having misjudged his own members’ tolerance for the bill’s spiraling costs, and for allowing himself to have been blindsided by Musk and Trump.
He is expected to introduce a slimmed-down funding patch, attaching a borrowing limit and removing most of the add-ons.
But Democrats, who control the Senate, have little political incentive to help Republicans and say they will only vote for the agreed package, meaning Trump’s party will have to go it alone.
This is something the fractious, divided party — which can afford to lose only a handful of members in any House vote — has not managed in any major bill in this Congress.
Asked if Democrats would support a pared-back bill with an extended borrowing cap, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries offered little hope that he would bail Johnson out.
He said talk of dealing with the debt limit was “premature.”
“House Democrats are going to continue to fight for families, farmers and the future of working-class Americans. And in order to do that, the best path forward is the bipartisan agreement that we negotiated,” he told reporters.
Trouble with the bill began during the negotiations, as Republican leaders demanded billions of dollars in economic aid to farmers, prompting Democrats to start making their own requests.
While voicing frustration over spending levels, Trump’s main objection was that Congress was leaving him to handle a debt-limit increase — invariably a contentious, time-consuming fight — rather than including it in the text.
He said Wednesday that “everything should be done, and fully negotiated” before he takes office.
But conservatives are generally against increasing the country’s massive borrowing — currently standing at $36.2 trillion — and multiple Republicans have never voted for a hike.
The Biden administration estimates that the debt limit won’t actually be reached until the summer of 2025 and Republicans had been planning to handle an extension as part of other legislation.
The disarray jeopardizes $100 billion in disaster relief in the bill to help Americans hit by two devastating hurricanes in the fall, as well as $30 billion in aid for farmers.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has accused Russia of ongoing hostilities, stating that since the beginning of April, Russia has launched nearly 2,800 aerial bombs, over 1,400 Shahed drones, and approximately 60 missiles at Ukraine.
Zelensky’s statement, released on Monday, reads, “Currently, 38 people are receiving treatment inmedical facilities in Sumy following yesterday’s Russian ballistic strike — among them, 9 children. Eleven people, including 3 children, are in critical condition.”
“Every effort is being made to provide them with maximum assistance. Yesterday’s strike alone claimed 34 lives and left 119 people injured. Tragically, 2 children were killed, and another 15 were wounded.”
“Another 7 people were injured overnight in Odesa during a ‘Shahed’ drone attack. Last night, the Russians also struck Slovyansk, Uman, Kharkiv, Beryslav, and other cities and villages.”
“All the damaged sites are civilian: apartment buildings, stores, a car service station.”
“I thank all the services and everyone involved in rescuing people and defending lives. Russian terror continues every day and night. Since the beginning of April alone, the Russian army has used nearly 2800 aerial bombs, over 1400 attack drones — most of them ‘Shaheds’ — and nearly 60 missiles of various types, including ballistic ones.”
“Only real pressure on Russia can stop this. Tangible sanctions are needed against the sectors that finance Russia’s killing machine. The one who brought the war must be stopped and held accountable for what they have done; that is only fair,” Zelensky said.
In an earlier statement yesterday, Zelensky urged the world not to remain silent in the face of Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine: “As of now, 31 people are known to have been killed in Sumy by the Russian ballistic missile strike. Among those killed were two children. My condolences to the families and loved ones… More than 84 people have been wounded, including 10 children. All of them are receiving the necessary assistance.”
“It is crucial that the world does not stay silent or indifferent. Russian strikes deserve nothing but condemnation. There must be pressure on Russia to end the war and guarantee security for people. Without truly strong pressure, without sufficient support for Ukraine, Russia will continue dragging this war out.”
Zelensky also accused Russia of rejecting a potential peace opportunity involving U.S. President Donald Trump.
“It’s now the second month that Putin has been ignoring the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire. Unfortunately, there in Moscow they are convinced they can keep killing with impunity. Action is needed to change this situation.”
World leaders have condemned the latest wave of Russian attacks and pledged solidarity with Ukraine.
On Saturday, top diplomats from Russia and Ukraine traded accusations over breaches of a tentative ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States. The deal aimed to halt attacks on critical energy infrastructure, signaling an attempt to ease tensions in the third year of the war.
However, Sunday’s strike underscored the fragility of such negotiations and the continued toll on Ukrainian civilians.
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and millions displaced, with no comprehensive peace agreement in sight.
International observers have raised concerns that the missile strike may constitute a violation of international humanitarian law.
Sumy, located near Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia, has faced repeated assaults since the war began but had seen a relative lull in recent months. Sunday’s bombing marks one of the deadliest strikes in the region in over a year.
Ukrainian officials have called on allies to increase military aid and intensify sanctions on Russia, warning that continued attacks on civilian areas threaten any hope for a negotiated resolution to the war.
By Francesca Hangeior
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a new rule requiring all foreign nationals who stay in the country for more than 30 days to register with the federal government.
The directive, introduced this week, is one of the strictest immigration measures in recent years.
In a post titled “Message to Illegal Aliens” and tagged to President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the agency stated,
“Foreign nationals present in the U.S. longer than 30 days must register with the federal government. Failure to comply is a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment. @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem have a clear message to Illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW and self-deport.”
Foreign nationals present in the U.S. longer than 30 days must register with the federal government. Failure to comply is a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment. @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem have a clear message to Illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW and self-deport. pic.twitter.com/FrsAQtUA7H
Non-compliance could lead to daily fines of $998, heavier penalties for those who promise to leave but don’t, imprisonment, and permanent bans from re-entry.
DHS warned that delaying registration will increase penalties and reduce the chances of returning legally.
“The longer you wait, the higher the penalty, and the slimmer your chances of returning,” the department said.
The agency also introduced a “safe exit” provision for undocumented individuals who choose to leave voluntarily.
Those who self-deport may be allowed to select their departure flight, keep their earnings if they haven’t committed any crimes, apply for subsidized travel if they can’t afford it, and stay eligible for future immigration pathways.
While the rule doesn’t currently apply to individuals on valid visas like H-1B or F-1, DHS emphasized that once a visa becomes invalid—due to expiration, job loss, or program termination—the individual is considered “unlawfully present” and subject to the same penalties.
Maintaining legal status, the agency noted, is more critical than ever.
By Francesca Hangeior
A Swiss citizen has been kidnapped in Niger, Switzerland’s foreign ministry told AFP, confirming information published by a Nigerien media outlet.
The foreign ministry said it had been “informed of the kidnapping of a Swiss citizen in Niger.
“The Swiss diplomatic mission in Niamey is in contact with the local authorities. Clarifications are under way.”
The governor of the Nigerien state of Agadez, General Ibra Boulama Issa, said the abduction happened in Agadez city, where an Austrian woman was kidnapped three months ago.
The general said “a foreign woman… of Swiss nationality” had been taken from her home there late Sunday.
In a statement, he also referenced the January 11 kidnapping of the Austrian.
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