November 26

Vance and Second Lady Serve Thanksgiving Meal to Soldiers at Fort Campbell

Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance served Thanksgiving meals to soldiers at Fort Campbell, Kentucky on Nov. 26, 2025. The vice president's Thanksgiving visit to a military installation is a recurring administration tradition; Fort Campbell straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee border and is home to the 101st Airborne Division, one of the Army's largest and most deployed units.

Georgia prosecutor drops Trump election interference charges, citing federal jurisdiction

Peter Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia, dismissed the historic RICO racketeering case against Trump and 18 co-defendants for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Skandalakis cited constitutional questions, Supremacy Clause concerns, and the complexity of federal jurisdiction as reasons the case belonged in federal court, not Georgia state court. The dismissal ended the last remaining criminal case against Trump.

Former CIA contractor Rahmanullah Lakanwal shoots two National Guard members near the White House, killing one

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who served in a CIA-backed "Zero Unit" paramilitary force and was resettled in the US in September 2021, shot two West Virginia National Guard members near Farragut West metro station in Washington DC, two blocks from the White House. Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died two days later; Spc. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remained critical. Lakanwal drove cross-country before the attack and pled not guilty December 2.

FBI investigates six Democratic lawmakers who filmed video telling troops they can refuse illegal orders

The FBI sought interviews with six Democratic lawmakers — Senators Mark Kelly (AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (MI), and Representatives Jason Crow (CO), Chris DeLuzio (PA), Chrissy Houlahan (PA), and Maggie Goodlander (NH) — who posted a November 18 video reminding military members they are not required to follow illegal orders. All six are military veterans or former intelligence officials. The lawmakers called the FBI inquiry political intimidation by Trump.

UN says Gaza reconstruction will cost $70B over decades

The UN Development Programme, World Bank, and EU jointly revised their Gaza reconstruction estimate to $70 billion, up from $50 billion earlier in 2025. Approximately $20 billion is needed in the first three years. An estimated 55 million tons of rubble must be cleared. Full reconstruction could take decades given the scale of destruction.

HUD Rule Change Slashes Permanent Housing Funding Share From 90% to 30%, Triggering Multi-State Lawsuit

The Trump administration's new HUD Continuum of Care rules dramatically restructured funding allocations, cutting the share available for permanent supportive housing from 90% to 30% of grant awards. This forced providers to redirect funds toward shelters and transitional housing. Twenty states sued in federal court in Rhode Island, arguing the reallocation violated statutory requirements and would displace an estimated 170,000 people from stable housing.

Witkoff Transcript Reveals Coaching Russian Envoy on Ukraine Peace Terms

Leaked transcript of a 5-minute October 14 call showed Trump envoy Steve Witkoff advising Putin's top foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov how to approach Trump on Ukraine peace terms — suggesting Putin congratulate Trump on the Gaza deal and arrange a Trump-Putin call before Zelensky's White House visit. Trump called it "standard" negotiating procedure.

Trump Commutes Sentence of GPB Capital Fraud Defendant David Gentile

Trump commuted the seven-year sentence of David Gentile on November 26, 2025, co-founder of GPB Capital Holdings. Gentile was convicted of orchestrating a Ponzi-style fraud that defrauded approximately 17,000 retail investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars by paying false dividends from investor principal rather than business revenue. The commutation reduced his sentence without erasing his fraud conviction.

SEIU California President David Huerta Pleads Not Guilty to Obstructing ICE Raid in Los Angeles

David Huerta, president of SEIU California, entered a not guilty plea to a federal misdemeanor charge of obstructing a federal officer stemming from his June 6, 2025 arrest during an ICE enforcement action at a downtown Los Angeles garment warehouse. Prosecutors had earlier dropped a felony charge in October. Huerta, a U.S. citizen, allegedly pushed back against an officer who physically moved him. Labor leaders called the prosecution political retaliation. Trial was set for January 20, 2026.

20 States Sue Trump HUD Over $4 Billion Cuts to Permanent Supportive Housing

A coalition of 19 attorneys general and two governors sued the Trump administration to block nearly $4 billion in changes to HUD's Continuum of Care program. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, challenged new conditions requiring providers to recognize only two genders, mandate services as a condition of housing, and penalize localities without strict anti-homeless laws. States estimated 170,000 people could lose permanent supportive housing.

Supreme Court Sets January 2026 Arguments for Trump v. Cook Federal Reserve Firing Case

The Supreme Court confirmed oral arguments for January 21, 2026 in Trump v. Cook (25A312), the case testing whether President Trump can fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. SCOTUS had already temporarily blocked Cook's removal in October 2025. The case centers on whether the Federal Reserve Act's "for cause" removal protection is constitutional, and whether pre-appointment conduct (mortgage fraud allegations) qualifies as cause for removal.

DOJ Admits DHS Secretary Noem Personally Decided to Deport Venezuelans to El Salvador's CECOT Prison

In a November 26 court filing responding to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's criminal contempt inquiry, the DOJ admitted that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem personally approved the deportation of Venezuelan men to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison, knowing of Judge Boasberg's March 15 restraining order. The admission revived contempt proceedings and led to orders that the US must facilitate return or provide due process hearings for the deportees.

Medicare Announces Negotiated Lower Prices for 15 Drugs Including Ozempic

The Trump administration announced negotiated prices for 15 Medicare Part D drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act, including a 71% price cut for Ozempic/Wegovy (from $959 to $274/month). Discounts range 38–84% off 2024 list prices. If in effect in 2024, Medicare would have saved ~$12B and patients ~$685M out-of-pocket. Prices take effect January 2027.

ICE Detains University of Oklahoma Professor Vahid Abedini Despite Valid H-1B Visa

ICE detained Vahid Abedini, the Farzaneh Family Assistant Professor of Iranian Studies at the University of Oklahoma's Boren College of International Studies, as he boarded a flight to Washington DC for a Middle East Studies Association conference. Abedini held a valid H-1B work visa. He was held for approximately two days before being released, after DHS confirmed the detention to Newsweek. The arrest raised alarms about ICE targeting legal visa holders.