November 24, 2025: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Why Dems are bullish in Texas — with or without a redraw

The fate of the map Texas Republicans drew in the hopes of tipping next year’s midterm elections in their favor is still up in the air after a back-and-forth week of court decisions. But Democrats in the state aren’t holding their breath to find out: Instead, they’re positively bullish about their chances — on Republicans’ terms or not. “I think you’re going to see South Texas turn completely blue next cycle,” Rep. Vicente Gonzalez — the South Texas Democrat who represents one of the gerrymandered districts that rank among the GOP’s top targets — told Playbook in an exclusive interview. “We believe, like, on Latino buyer’s remorse alone, we can flip these seats,” said one national Democratic strategist granted anonymity to speak freely.

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Those Latino voters — many of whom broke for President Donald Trump in 2024 — are the key. “If they were that confident that Latino voters were going to stay with them in the midterms, they wouldn’t have taken 60,000 Latinos out of my congressional district,” Gonzalez said. He’s confident he can keep his seat — even if he’s running within the GOP’s lines: “This is just such a bad year for them.” When Trump launched the call heard ’round Truth Social supporting plans for Texas to redraw its maps, the GOP’s gambit quickly revealed plans to cement the significant inroads the party made with Latinos in the Rio Grande Valley. It laid bare just how pivotal the coalition was to the margins of MAGA’s victory in 2024. And it singled out three majority Latino South Texas districts — the 15th, 28th and Gonzalez’s 34th — as prime pickup targets. To Gonzalez, it’s not hard to see why the GOP is so eager to seize an opportunity in his district. “I still believe that especially Tejano Latinos are more conservative and are more likely to vote split-ticket, and more likely to vote Republican than other places in the state,” he told Playbook. His district is 77 percent Latino — it voted for Trump by over 10 points last year, but also reelected Gonzalez over his Republican challenger Mayra Flores.

CIA in Mexico raised concerns about Crenshaw to Langley

CIA officials in Mexico City sent a cable to the agency’s headquarters in Langley, Va., alarmed at Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s (R-Texas) behavior during a congressional delegation meeting in August, according to multiple sources in the administration, intelligence community and on Capitol Hill. CIA officials raised concerns about Crenshaw’s seemingly unprofessional behavior linked to drinking and decorum in the presence of the Mexican officials, according to these sources. Crenshaw was in Mexico in August as part of his role as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee’s cartel task force. He no longer chairs that task force, which has since been disbanded. The CIA declined to comment for the record. The meeting also included Democratic Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.). Crenshaw took part in a toast that included crude language, which made women in the room uncomfortable, according to multiple sources.

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We reported last week that Speaker Mike Johnson and House Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) banned Crenshaw from taxpayer-funded congressional delegation travel for 90 days after the incident. Crenshaw also gave up his role as chair of the cartel task force. Crawford wanted to remove Crenshaw from the Intelligence Committee, but Johnson vetoed that effort. Crawford was also aiming to strip Crenshaw of his subcommittee chairmanship overseeing defense intelligence. Crenshaw still holds that position. A spokesman from Crenshaw sent this statement: “Anyone shocked by guys in uniform making a crass joke over a toast has never spent more than five minutes around the military. The only story here is a pathetic political hit job.” Johnson, who kept Crenshaw on the House Intelligence Committee against the chair’s wishes, sent a statement in support of the Texas Republican. Crenshaw had tweeted the statement Saturday evening. “Dan Crenshaw has always been and still is our point man in Congress when it comes to addressing the threat of the drug cartels. His insights and expertise in these and other matters regarding intelligence and national security are invaluable. As a former Navy SEAL, he has earned his large platform. Despite recent media attacks by his political opponents, we know Dan, we stand by his record, and we have full confidence he will continue to deliver results.”

DOGE ‘doesn’t exist’ with eight months left on its charter

U.S. President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency has disbanded with eight months left to its mandate, ending an initiative launched with fanfare as a symbol of Trump’s pledge to slash the government’s size but which critics say delivered few measurable savings. “That doesn’t exist,” Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told Reuters earlier this month when asked about DOGE’s status. It is no longer a “centralized entity,” Kupor added, in the first public comments from the Trump administration on the end of DOGE.

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The agency, set up in January, made dramatic forays across Washington in the early months of Trump’s second term to rapidly shrink federal agencies, cut their budgets or redirect their work to Trump priorities. The OPM, the federal government’s human resources office, has since taken over many of DOGE’s functions, according to Kupor and documents reviewed by Reuters. At least two prominent DOGE employees are now involved with the National Design Studio, a new body created through an executive order signed by Trump in August. That body is headed by Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb, and Trump’s order directed him to beautify government websites. Gebbia was part of billionaire Elon Musk’s DOGE team while DOGE employee Edward Coristine, nicknamed “Big Balls,” encouraged followers on his X account to apply to join. The fading away of DOGE is in sharp contrast to the government-wide effort over months to draw attention to it, with Trump, his advisers and cabinet secretaries posting about it on social media.

How the U.S. economy became hooked on AI spending

The turbulence that hit stocks tied to artificial intelligence last week highlights a broader risk to the economy. Growth has become so dependent on AI-related investment and wealth that if the boom turns to bust, it could take the broader economy with it. Business investment in artificial intelligence might have accounted for as much as half of the growth in gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, in the first six months of the year. Rising AI stocks are also boosting household wealth, leading to more consumer spending, especially in recent months. “It’s certainly plausible that the economy would already be in a recession” without the AI boom, said Peter Berezin, chief global strategist at BCA Research. Take away AI spending, and the economy looks in worse shape. Although job growth was higher than expected in September, job creation has nonetheless slowed this year and the unemployment rate is inching up.

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Private business investment excluding AI-related categories is mostly flat since 2019, according to Deutsche Bank. Outside of data centers, other commercial construction, such as shopping centers or office buildings, is down. That makes the economy more dependent on AI. “It’s the only source of investment right now,” said Stephen Juneau, an economist at Bank of America. Bank of America estimates that just four companies—Microsoft, Amazon.com, Alphabet and Meta Platforms—will make $344 billion in capital expenditures this year (equivalent to roughly 1.1% of GDP), up from $228 billion last year. Barclays estimates that investment in software, computer equipment and data centers boosted GDP growth by around 1 percentage point annualized in the first half of 2025. AI explained much, though not all, of that.

State Stories

Texas National Guard troops ordered to return home sometime this week

Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that Texas National Guard troops who were deployed to Illinois in October have been ordered to return back to the Lone Star State before Thanksgiving. The governor confirmed the development in an exclusive interview with Nexstar during a campaign event in San Marcos on Saturday afternoon. “They’ve already been ordered to return before Thanksgiving,” Abbott said when asked about the future of Troops in Illinois.

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Two-hundred Texas National Guard troops landed in Illinois back on Oct. 7 after Abbott authorized the mobilization of 400 troops to help protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The U.S. Northern Command said those 200 Texas Troops would be conducting “demobilization activities” in Chicago. Legal experts told Nexstar at the time that while deployments of this nature are common, they’re typically accompanied by either an invitation of the state’s Governor. In this case, the Trump administration deploying Texas’s National Guard to Illinois — where Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Illinois, actively rejected their presence — was unprecedented. A legal battle over the deployment of the troops to Chicago lead to a federal court ruling the Troops could not be activated, but they could remain in the state. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and last week both sides of the case filed what is expected to be their final briefs before the high court issues its ruling.

GOP Rep. McCaul says he would advise Ukraine not to sign Trump's current peace plan

Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Sunday he would advise against Ukraine signing the peace proposal that President Donald Trump has offered to end its war with Russia unless more "ironclad" security guarantees are written into the agreement. "Without that, I would not advise Ukraine to sign this. They can't sign an agreement like Budapest and then allow Russia to invade again," McCaul told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. Peace talks continue as American officials are meeting on Sunday with a Ukrainian delegation in Geneva.

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The latest proposal, which was presented to Kyiv Thursday, was drafted by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff with input from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the White House. But it was done in coordination with Moscow and includes conditions that are widely seen as being in Russia’s favor, prompting concerns within Ukraine and Europe that it would effectively be a capitulation. Among the concessions Ukraine is being asked to make in this proposal: limiting its military to 600,000 personnel, agreeing to never join NATO, and forcing Kyiv to give up territory in the east, including areas not yet occupied by Russia. McCaul, a top member and former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he believes there's "flexibility" in Trump's 28-point plan and that his Thursday deadline for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a decision or risk losing American support to end Russia's nearly four-year war in shouldn't be a "take it or leave it" situation.

Austin firefighter contract vote delayed due to budget concerns over union petition measure

City Council's vote on a tentative labor agreement between Austin and the local firefighters' union was delayed over concerns of possible financial impacts from a separate ballot measure the union released this fall, after the proposed deal was reached.The city formally asked the Austin Firefighters Association to restart negotiations Nov. 19, and Austin leaders now won't consider or approve a new contract until the union responds. Months of labor negotiations this year led to both sides reaching the tentative agreement over a new four-year contract Sept. 26. At that time, City Manager T.C. Broadnax and AFA President Bob Nicks said they were pleased to arrive at a deal to: Increase firefighter pay annually, including a larger pay scale adjustment in the first year with higher entry-level wages to help with recruitment, implement the "Austin Schedule," reducing weekly work hours under a one-day-on, three-days-off, two-days-on, three-days-off model—making Austin the first large Texas city to use that format and allow new hiring and promotional processes.

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The tentative agreement, publicly released in October and estimated to cost more than $60 million over its term, didn't affect the city's current four-person staffing standard for fire engines in line with state and national best practices. That staffing requirement was set by council members in 2018 and the ordinance remains in effect today.Weeks after the agreement was reached, the AFA announced it was petitioning to get a charter amendment for four-person staffing on the May 2026 election ballot. While council members can pass or amend local ordinances, amendments to the foundational city charter are permanent unless voters approve a change. The city's current agreement with the AFA expired Sept. 30, days after the tentative new deal was announced. The AFA announced the petition campaign mid-October, while final adoption of the new agreement by both AFA membership and city officials was planned in November. Nicks reported more than 70% of AFA, representing most of AFD's sworn force, had voted to pass the contract as of Nov. 19.

Texas’ most famous actor just inked a voice deal with an AI company. Not everyone is happy about it

On Nov. 11, dozens of cultural figures, tech luminaries and finance titans gathered for an inaugural summit held by ElevenLabs, an AI company that focuses on voice generation. ElevenLabs is based in New York and London, and the summit was held in San Francisco, but the biggest story to come out of the event had a distinctly Texan bent: ElevenLabs revealed that Matthew McConaughey, the A-list Hollywood star who grew up in Uvalde and Longview and lives in Austin, is both an investor in the AI company and has also signed a deal that allows the company to utilize his voice. While the agreement amounted to a PR coup for the startup AI voice company — and perhaps a smart business move for McConaughey — it also set off alarm bells among industry workers, including in North Texas, who are already concerned about the broad direction of AI.

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“My knee jerk reaction is ‘Yikes!’, because when will it stop?” said Tina Parker, a veteran North Texas-based actor who serves as co-artistic director at Kitchen Dog Theater. “Our profession — what makes it so great is that it’s real people. It’s real emotion. That’s what it’s based in, right? Whether it’s film or theater or whatever.” Under the deal, McConaughey’s voice likeness will actually be speaking en español: In a video that played at the summit, the actor said that his personal newsletter is expanding with a Spanish version powered by the AI company. Upcoming content from the weekly newsletter, “Lyrics of Livin’,” will be available in McConaughey’s voice, speaking in Spanish via ElevenLabs’ technology. “When I first met Matthew, I was struck by how genuinely he connected with our vision and what we’re trying to do,” Mati Staniszewski, the tech company’s CEO and co-founder, said in a statement. “He wasn’t just excited by the tech — he understood what we’re aiming to achieve creatively.”

Texas State upholds firing of professor over speech at socialist conference

Texas State University System regents on Thursday upheld the termination of Professor Tom Alter, who was fired from Texas State University in September for remarks at a revolutionary socialism conference that garnered conservative outrage on X. The university had already upheld the firing in October despite pressure from protesters to restore his employment and a court order to reinstate him until he underwent Texas State’s internal due process procedures.

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President Kelly Damphousse fired Alter for “conduct that advocates for inciting violence” on Sept. 10, hours after conservative watchdog outlet Texas Scorecard posted a story about Alter’s remarks, which a conservative activist had posted on X. Alter can be heard in the video discussing the importance of organized resistance, saying “without organization, how can anyone expect to overthrow the most bloodthirsty, profit-driven, mad organization in the history of the world, that of the U.S. government?” He told the American-Statesman in a previous interview that he was attending the conference as a private citizen, never discusses his political opinions in class, and believes his termination was politically motivated. Just a day before his termination, Texas A&M University professor Melissa McCoul was fired at the governor’s urging for speaking about gender identity in a children’s literature course. McCoul had subject expertise in both areas.

Leaders urge transparency, not denial, in Texas’ literacy fight

A resistance to airing low reading proficiency rates among some school leaders and trustees is prolonging the literacy crisis, according to education advocates. The reading problem in Texas can be confronted only through transparency, engaged parents and a knowledgeable community, speakers said during a Nov. 15 panel at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. Persistent grassroots activism, committed policymakers and aggressive press coverage are essential, they said. “Democracy can fix hard problems, but it can’t fix a problem it doesn’t know,” said Pete Geren, CEO of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation and former congressman and U.S. Army secretary.

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The issue is clear in Fort Worth where the Richardson Foundation has funded polls and campaigns to raise awareness, Geren said. About 1 in 3 third graders in Fort Worth ISD, the city’s largest school district, aren’t reading proficiently. That makes it statistically likely they won’t be prepared for life after high school. A 2024 poll by the Fort Worth Education Partnership found nearly all parents in Tarrant County believed their kids were reading on level. As a result, the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, Parent Pass and The Miles Foundation launched Go Beyond Grades, a campaign that wants to better inform parents about their students’ academic standing and equip them with resources to help. The campaign partnered with Tarrant County school districts, including FWISD, as well as cities and community groups.

'ShamWow' guy files to run for Congress in Texas as Republican candidate

You’ll be saying "WOW." Famous infomercial pitchman Offer Vince Shlomi – better known as the "ShamWow guy" who advertised the super-absorbent towel on late-night TV – has filed to run for Congress in Texas as a Republican, according to state election records. The filing, received Friday, was submitted under the name Offer Vince "ShamWow" Shlomi. Shlomi told Fox News Digital in an interview Sunday that his decision to run for office was ultimately motivated by a desire to "destroy wokeism" and as a tribute to the late Charlie Kirk, whom he called the original "woke buster." He added that the "political infighting in the country" eventually inspired him to seek office and "make America happy."

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The 61-year-old Israeli-American entrepreneur is aiming to unseat Congressman John Carter, R-Texas, the 84-year-old incumbent who is seeking re-election in the district. Carter's turf includes the northern Austin suburbs, Temple and Fort Hood. Shlomi is now one of at least five candidates aiming to compete in the primary for Texas’ 31st Congressional District – a reliably red stronghold. Shlomi, president and CEO of the TV marketing company Square One Entertainment, skyrocketed to pop-culture fame in the 2000s with his high-energy pitch videos that helped make the super-absorbent "ShamWow" towel a household name. His rise to fame, however, was accompanied by several high-profile controversies – including allegations of harassment and physical altercations – before he eventually stepped out of the spotlight in recent years and reportedly worked to clean up his image.

Deputy publisher Leona Allen Ford is departing The Dallas Morning News

Leona Allen Ford is looking forward to starting a new gig. But the 61-year-old deputy publisher of The Dallas Morning News is going to take her sweet time figuring out what best fits her next chapter goals. “I want to take a moment and think through what makes sense for me,” Allen Ford said. “I still want to have fun. I still want to feel like I’m contributing and having an impact. There are a number of options on the table in that regard. I’m excited about the opportunity to explore them.” Allen Ford, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is currently responsible for all human resources functions and is chief talent and diversity officer for The Dallas Morning News and Medium Giant, its company’s marketing services agency. “I’m super proud of our recruiting, leadership development,” Allen Ford said, “and how we’ve ensured that the people we hire are representative of the communities that we serve with accurate storytelling, and at the same time, bring a culture of fun into the building.”

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In September, Hearst completed its purchase of DallasNews Corporation, which was controlled by the George Bannerman Dealey family for nearly 140 years. Certain key jobs are being consolidated. Allen Ford’s senior-level HR position was one of them. Her last day at The News will be Dec. 1. She would have celebrated her 31st company anniversary on Dec. 24. “Even though I’m leaving, I believe the Hearst merger will be good for The Morning News because it will make our journalism sustainable,” Allen Ford said. “I want this paper and its people to succeed, and I will be rooting for them.” Robert W. Decherd, great-grandson of Dealey, played a pivotal role in the deal with Hearst. He has been a steadfast supporter of Allen Ford, sponsoring her for The News’ leadership program in 1996. “Leona brings to bear a combination of innate abilities and remarkable instincts on how she manages people and activities in the world of journalism. That is an especially important combination because there are so many competing forces at work,” said Decherd, who is no longer associated with the newspaper.

Why Luke Wilson is in the middle of a legal slugfest involving AT&T, T-Mobile

Two telecom titans are duking it out in courts of law and public opinion, and a Hollywood star is at the heart of the fight. Late last month, AT&T filed suit against the National Advertising Division (NAD), seeking legal approval for the right to speak publicly about T-Mobile’s marketing claims that the Dallas-based telecom company has blasted as “misleading.” The lawsuit came after the NAD demanded AT&T remove its new advertising campaign from an Oct. 23 ad titled “This Ain’t Our First Rodeo,” starring Dallas native Luke Wilson. Currently, AT&T is in the midst of a broad-based image campaign designed to promote itself as “the best overall wireless network.” The case’s outcome could set a precedent for how watchdog findings impact advertising campaigns, how far a company can go in referencing them — and if doing so falls under protected speech.

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The campaign calls out T-Mobile’s marketing record, noting the Better Business Bureau has asked the company to change its advertising more than 16 times in the past four years, due to misleading or unsubstantiated claims. Meanwhile, AT&T has had about 5 such complaints from the BBB in the same time frame. In addition, the NAD issued its own press release, stating AT&T has violated NAD procedures. In the complaint document courtesy of AT&T, the carrier says this has “influenced multiple TV networks to pause running AT&T’s advertisements.” Since the ads aired, the NAD has sent out a cease-and-desist letter to AT&T pertaining to the campaign — with T-Mobile’s new CEO having joined the war of words. In a recent interview with Yahoo Finance, Srini Gopalan said AT&T appeared on the defensive “because of some of the pressure they’re under.”

Webb County judge calls reported complaint against him a ‘smear campaign’

Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina is speaking out on a complaint reportedly filed before the upcoming 2026 elections. In a statement made on social media, the Webb County judge said that the complaint filed in relation to the exploratory committee he launched over the summer is a smear campaign against him. Tijerina had announced over the summer that he was considering a run for the 28th congressional district in Texas as a Republican. His statement goes on to claim the complaint was part of an effort from a Democratic congressional campaign committee. KGNS has not independently verified the complaint at this time; however, the judge says he is complying with all federal and state regulations that cover exploratory activities and that he has not crossed any legal boundaries. As of now, Tano Tijerina has not announced an official run for congressional office.

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Texas, Arch Manning keep CFP hopes alive: 'All eyes will be on us'

If you thought Texas' blowout loss at Georgia served as a playoff extinction-level event, you're confusing this 12-team bracket with a beauty contest. It's not. At the tail end of the bracket, it could be much more of a they'd-do-in-a-pinch type of affair. If the selection committee finds itself in a pinch in a couple of weeks, facing a dearth of beauties, well, Texas still lurks. And if the Longhorns don't look like a grand prize, just knock back a six-pack and flip on game film of this 52-37 rout of Arkansas. This didn't look half bad. Let's not turn this result into more than it is. This win serves as a blowout of a bad team, an opponent with an interim coach, a rival that lost to playoff-bound Notre Dame by 43 points.

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But, the Razorbacks have had a way about hanging close against SEC opponents, before ultimately losing, and Texas changed the script by burying the Hogs. “The season’s not done," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said afterward on ABC. "You never know what can happen.” Arch Manning shined to the tune of 389 passing yards and four touchdowns. Must be the glasses. Or, must be the continued improvement of a first-year starter. Don't take this as me stumping for Texas' playoff bona fides. I had an eyewitness view of the Longhorns' fourth-quarter meltdown in Athens, Georgia. Sarkisian did my job for me when he called his team's disintegration against Georgia "a disaster." Couldn't have said it any better. The Longhorns did not resemble a playoff team that night, much as it did not in a loss at Florida or in white-knuckle victories at Kentucky and Mississippi State. Texas languishes on the road. It's pretty good at home, and it boasts wins against Oklahoma and Vanderbilt, a pair of top-15 teams.

From vaccines to gender: How Christian 'momfluencers' from Texas and beyond are reshaping the American right

Years before she became a homeschool influencer in western Arkansas, Taylor Moran was a liberal Dallas mom who voted for Bernie Sanders. But when the pandemic hit, Moran, now 34, was struck by the government’s inability to provide for her family. “It was a lot of rules, a lot of hysteria, a lot of things that didn’t make sense,” Moran told RNS. In early 2021, after what she described as an “overnight spiritual experience,” Moran embraced Christianity and moved her family to rural Arkansas. As her faith grew, so did her skepticism of the pharmaceutical industry, rigid school curriculums and gender as a construct. Today, while her social media content isn’t overtly political or religious, her convictions surface in posts about organic whole foods, her family’s nature school and how to raise sons.

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“I hear it’s hard to be a man right now — but I *know* it’s hard to be a boy,” she wrote in an October Instagram post. The accompanying video features her young sons running barefoot through the woods, whittling, and bounding over hay bales. “There’s this widespread cultural effort to erase boyhood, to pretend there’s nothing different about it, nothing special about it.” In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many American mothers like Moran began to question the institutions they had once trusted to uphold their lives. Into that vacuum stepped conservative Christian women influencers — like political commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, Make America Healthy Again pioneer Alex Clark, and anti-trans activist Riley Gaines Barker — who blend religion, polished aesthetics and personal stories to build trust on issues from food dyes and vaccines to transgender athletes and immigration. By appealing to maternal concerns about what kids eat or learn and offering a sense of clarity, community and stability, they’re creating an on-ramp for conservative political engagement that many of them frame as part of a spiritual war. Stuckey, for one, is clear that she believes demonic forces are at play in battles over abortion and “gender ideology.” Since 2018, Stuckey, 33, has offered Scripture-fused conservative commentary on her enormously popular “Relatable” podcast. Though her political takes are no more subtle than her male counterparts’, her upbeat, measured tone, understated makeup and lifestyle-brand partnerships are designed to appeal to millennial women. And during the pandemic, Stuckey told RNS, she began to notice a deeper need among her audience.

UT regents considering new site for MD Anderson hospital campus

The University of Texas Board of Regents is considering changing the site for the future UT Austin academic medical campus. Previously, university leadership had announced that the development, which is set to include an MD Anderson Cancer Center location and an additional university medical tower, would be built at the site of the former Frank Erwin Center off I-35 in downtown Austin. Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT Board of Regents, announced the potential change at a meeting Thursday, calling the medical campus "one of the biggest projects of this generation." “We're not just building an integrated academic medical center," he said. "We're building a district for the future. For that reason, we're looking at a larger site.”

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The board is eying an unspecified, undeveloped UT-owned property north of UT Austin's main campus and near the Domain. Eltife said there had a been "a lot of discussion" about the project with both UT Austin President Jim Davis and Peter Pisters, the president of MD Anderson Cancer Center. Eltife said a design team would analyze the North Austin site to see if it “makes more sense” for the project. The Erwin Center site also remains under consideration. A UT representative said the timeline for the project remains the same, with construction anticipated to begin in 2026 and an opening expected by 2030.

National Stories

U.S., Ukraine agree to change draft of peace plan that appeased Russia

U.S. and Ukrainian officials said Sunday that they made progress in Geneva working through a new version of a controversial plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine ahead of a Thanksgiving deadline imposed by the United States, while President Donald Trump faced mounting criticism from lawmakers and his own base over the proposal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is leading the U.S. delegation, sought to downplay widespread claims that the plan was originally written by the Russian side. The leaked draft ignores many of Kyiv’s red lines: It would force Ukraine to shrink its army, give up land that Russia hasn’t managed to grab in nearly four years of war and would bar the presence of NATO troops, among other concessions. But U.S. officials said the draft agreement has since been revised. Rubio told reporters in Geneva that the initial plan was an early document that had received “input from both sides.”

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The talks with Ukrainians on Sunday were the most positive so far, Rubio said, but he declined to describe more details, citing the ongoing nature of negotiations. “This is a living, breathing document. Every day, with input, it changes,” he said. The top U.S. diplomat also de-emphasized the Thanksgiving deadline, suggesting more negotiations could be ahead. More talks are planned for this week, but details have not been released. “The deadline is that we want to get this down as soon as possible,” Rubio said. “We’d love it to be Thursday. The important point today is that we have made substantial progress.” U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who helped negotiate a ceasefire deal in Gaza, and Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll joined Rubio as they met with the Ukrainian delegation.

How Democrats are building their own digital media army

Donald Trump’s victory last November devastated the Democratic Party. But it may have also invigorated its new media strategy. As Trump and his allies prepared to retake the White House and supercharge its briefing room into an influence operation, Democrats realized they needed to throw out their old media playbook and get serious about finding their own personalities to help them reach a broader swath of voters. Candidates got the message. In the months since, it has become nearly impossible to attend a Democratic political event without encountering a “creator hour,” an influencer briefing or a lineup of one-on-one interviews with Substackers and independent podcasters. State Rep. James Talarico, the most talked-about Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Texas, dedicated the majority of his campaign launch day here to new-media figures.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom, widely seen as a top 2028 presidential contender, spent 45 minutes fielding questions from influencers amid his final push for a major ballot initiative. When Zohran Mamdani won the New York mayor’s race this month, he briefed creators before delivering his victory speech. The effort has swept across every corner of the party. Former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, a 68-year-old pillar of the establishment, sat down with liberal influencer Brian Tyler Cohen to kick off his Senate campaign. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, 61, appeared on Substack Live to discuss gun violence after right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk was fatally shot. “There’s definitely been a shift,” with Democrats willingness to engage, said Jennifer Welch of the “I’ve Had It” podcast. The show has amassed 1.4 million YouTube followers. Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan, a pair of Oklahomans, boost liberals while irreverently skewering fellow Democrats for being too rehearsed and cautious.

Patel under scrutiny for use of SWAT teams to protect his girlfriend

When Alexis Wilkins, an aspiring country singer dating the F.B.I. director, Kash Patel, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Atlanta in the spring, she arrived with a formidable protective posse — a SWAT team from the bureau’s local field office. The two agents, members of a specialized unit trained to storm barricaded buildings and rescue hostages, had been sent there on Mr. Patel’s orders. But seeing that the event at the Georgia World Congress Center had been secured, and that Ms. Wilkins was in no apparent danger, they left before the event was over, according to six people with knowledge of the incident. She noticed. So did her boyfriend. Soon after, Mr. Patel ripped into the team’s commander, saying that his girlfriend had been left without taxpayer-funded defenders, and slamming what he saw as failure to communicate their movements up the chain of command during her time on the convention floor — where she sang and chatted with attendees, the people said.

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He was concerned that Ms. Wilkins, a high-profile conservative, might be attacked by people who had threatened her online. Mr. Patel’s heavy use of taxpayer-funded resources during his first nine months on the job has contributed to growing questions inside the administration about whether it exceeds the bounds of standard practice. This includes an intense use of security to protect himself and his girlfriend. He has also used a government jet for some of his recreational travel, such as a golf trip with buddies to a private resort in Scotland over the summer. Directors must fly on government aircraft for their travel because of required access to secure communications equipment. But using government jets for business trips, or to return home if they have left settled lives in other parts of the country to serve in Washington, requires planning and coordination. Government security protection for Ms. Wilkins to attend events or performances has drawn particular attention, including criticism from some of the same right-wing online personalities who supported his efforts to shake up the bureau.

Kyrsten Sinema is ready for her MAHA turn

Kyrsten Sinema’s old enemies on the left better brace themselves: The former senator is now embracing psychedelics and cozying up to MAHA. After infuriating progressives time and again for stonewalling their priorities, the Arizona Democrat-turned-Independent decided not to seek reelection last year and instead became a senior adviser at the law and lobbying firm Hogan Lovells. She’s since taken up the cause of psychedelic medicine — pro bono, she says. Her drug of choice? Ibogaine, a psychedelic derived from an African shrub, and which she went down to Mexico to try for herself. She and other advocates want ibogaine studied in state-funded clinical trials and eventually hope to win Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug as a mental health treatment. And she thinks now is their chance with President Donald Trump in office.

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“We are in this magical, unique time,” Sinema said of Trump’s health department, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime believer in psychedelics’ potential to help people, particularly veterans, with illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Sinema was making her remarks earlier this month before roughly 200 attendees at a conference of Americans for Ibogaine, a group co-founded by Rick Perry, the former Texas GOP governor who has made psychedelic medicine advocacy his life’s work after leaving government. Advocates have had some recent success. Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill in June that secured $50 million in state funding for ibogaine research. In Arizona, Sinema successfully lobbied Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs to include $5 million in ibogaine research funding in the state’s budget.

Trump isn’t first president to try to break up ED

Last week, the Trump administration announced it was moving a raft of Congressionally required Education Department programs to other federal departments—effectively undermining Congress’s aim 46 years ago when it created the department. It’s a move that has some scholars who’ve studied the history of federal education policy scratching their heads, including about how it relates to the administration’s mantra of “returning education to the states.” They don’t know exactly what the ramifications of this decoupling will be. Some say it could waste time or reduce efficiency—or worse. They also see Trump’s efforts as the latest chapter in a more than 200-year debate over the federal role in education, including whether to create an Education Department, what should be in it and whether to dismantle it again. There was a version as far back as 1867, established and swiftly eliminated amid civil and states’ rights arguments that continued through the 20th century Civil Rights Era to the 1979 creation of the modern Education Department and into today. This happened while the government got more involved in education in response to the country’s competition with the Soviet Union and now China.

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Both Democrats and Republicans have pushed for and against creating the department. After President Jimmy Carter re-established it, Reagan campaigned to destroy it. Then the 1983 “A Nation at Risk” report on issues in U.S. schools appeared to sap that effort, and Reagan’s fellow Republican George W. Bush embraced a strong federal role in “education reform” with the bipartisan No Child Left Behind legislation. Obama carried on the bipartisan K-12 reform movement, then he and Congress undercut it with new legislation, and the push lost steam. But, along the way, Congress has passed more legislation increasing federal regulation of education, including Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Now Trump—despite pushing other, sweeping education overhauls—is trying to again disband the department, though Congress is unlikely to back him. It’s unclear whether it would reduce the federal government’s role in education anyway. “A lot of the federal government’s role is tied up in existing legislation,” said Michael Steudeman, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences at Pennsylvania State University. He said that “legally, it has certain things that it’s charged to do that—Education Department or no—still will need to happen.” Steudeman, who studies education policy rhetoric, said dismantling it again is “going to be a very complicated reorganization to accomplish a symbolic goal.” But he also said he thinks the “symbolic leadership role” the department represents “has been really effective and influential over the years.”

Aftermath of Chicago's intense immigration crackdown leaves lawsuits, investigations and anxiety

Chicago has entered what many consider a new uneasy phase of a Trump administration immigration crackdown that has already led to thousands of arrests. While a U.S. Border Patrol commander known for leading intense and controversial surges moved on to North Carolina, federal agents are still arresting immigrants across the nation’s third-largest city and suburbs. A growing number of lawsuits stemming from the crackdown are winding through the courts. Authorities are investigating agents’ actions, including a fatal shooting. Activists say they are not letting their guard down in case things ramp up again, while many residents in the Democratic stronghold where few welcomed the crackdown remain anxious. “I feel a sense of paranoia over when they might be back,” said Santani Silva, an employee at a vintage store in the predominantly Mexican neighborhood of Pilsen. “People are still afraid.”

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Thousands of arrests by Trump's crime-fighting task force in Memphis strain crowded jail and courts

A task force ordered by President Donald Trump to combat crime in Memphis, Tennessee, has made thousands of arrests, compounding strains on the busy local court system and an already overcrowded jail in ways that concerned officials say will last months or even years as cases play out. Since late September, hundreds of federal, state and local law enforcement personnel tied to the Memphis Safe Task Force have made traffic stops, served warrants and searched for fugitives in the city of about 610,000 people. More than 2,800 people have been arrested and more than 28,000 traffic citations have been issued, data provided by the task force and Memphis police shows. The task force, which includes National Guard troops, is supported by Republican Gov. Bill Lee and others who hope the surge reduces crime in a city that has grappled with violent crime, including nearly 300 homicides last year and nearly 400 in 2023.

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From 2018 to 2024, homicides in Memphis increased 33% and aggravated assaults rose 41%, according to AH Datalytics, which tracks crimes across the country using local law enforcement data for its Real-Time Crime Index. But AH Datalytics reported those numbers were down 20% during the first nine months of this year, even before the task force got to work. Opponents of the task force in majority-Black Memphis say it targets minorities and intimidates law-abiding Latinos, some of whom have skipped work and changed social habits, such as avoiding going to church or restaurants, fearing they will be harassed and unfairly detained. Statistics released at the end of October showed 319 arrests so far on administrative warrants, which deal with immigration-related issues. The effects have rippled beyond the streets, into the aging criminal courthouse and the troubled jail. Officials are concerned about long waits in traffic court causing people to miss work and packed criminal court dockets forcing inmates to spend extra days waiting for bail hearings.

Copyright November 24, 2025, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved