{"id":369898,"date":"2025-11-10T20:01:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T20:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/369898\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T20:01:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T20:01:19","slug":"trump-hosts-syrian-president-ahmad-al-sharaa-at-the-white-house-in-first-of-its-kind-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/369898\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump hosts Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House in first-of-its-kind meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Donald Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa<\/a> after lifting sanctions imposed on Syria, which had been a pariah state for decades before rebel forces toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad<\/a> last December.<\/p>\n

Al-Sharaa \u2014 who once had ties to al-Qaida<\/a> and had a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head \u2014 was named interim leader<\/a> in January.<\/p>\n

Trump and al-Sharaa first met in May<\/a> in Saudi Arabia. Now, Al-Sharaa has become the first Syrian head of state to visit<\/a> the White House since the Middle Eastern country gained independence from France in 1946.<\/p>\n

His priorities include securing a permanent repeal of sanctions that punished Syria for widespread allegations of human rights abuses by Assad\u2019s government and security forces.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration also returned to the Supreme Court on Monday in a push to keep full payments in the SNAP federal food aid program frozen during the U.S. government shutdown<\/a>, leaving in limbo the federal aid that helps 42 million poor Americans buy groceries.<\/p>\n

The Latest:<\/p>\n

Senate Democrat questions Trump administration\u2019s $7.5M payment to Equatorial Guinea<\/p>\n

The Trump administration<\/a> made a $7.5 million payment to the government of Equatorial Guinea as it seeks to deport people to the West African country and draws closer to its heavily prosecuted leaders<\/a>, according to the top Democratic senator on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.<\/p>\n

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said in a letter sent Monday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press that \u201cthis highly unusual payment \u2014 to one of the most corrupt governments in the world \u2014 raises serious concerns over the responsible, transparent use of American taxpayer dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Shaheen said in her letter that the $7.5 million payment stood out because it would would \u201cfar exceed the amount of U.S. foreign assistance provided over the last 8 years combined\u201d to the country.<\/p>\n

The State Department declined to comment on the details of diplomatic communications.<\/p>\n

New Mexico legislators consider state funding of food assistance for months if needed<\/p>\n

New Mexico would backfill food assistance with state funding on a weekly basis past the end of the year in case SNAP federal food aid remains frozen or falters again, under a proposal from Democratic lawmakers at a special legislative session Monday.<\/p>\n

Leading legislators say the proposal would earmark nearly $200 million in possible food aid in case of continued interruptions in SNAP federal food aid, whether by court action or an extension of the federal shutdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not taking any chances,\u201d said Democratic state House Speaker Javier Mart\u00ednez of Albuquerque. \u201cThis is a backstop to make sure no New Mexican goes hungry over the next couple of months.\u201d<\/p>\n

In October, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham already used emergency orders to funnel $30 million in food aid onto EBT cards. New Mexico also paid out full monthly federal SNAP benefits on Saturday to residents who ordinarily receive that aid at the start of the month.<\/p>\n

Trump clemency recipient gets 27 months in prison for violations<\/p>\n

A convicted drug dealer granted clemency by President Donald Trump has been sent back to federal prison for violating the terms of his release after being charged with several new crimes.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Braun was sentenced Monday to 27 months behind bars.<\/p>\n

The Long Island man had been accused of swinging an IV pole at a hospital nurse and threatening to kill her, screaming at a member of his synagogue, groping his family\u2019s nanny and evading bridge tolls. He\u2019s been in jail since April.<\/p>\n

Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said she hoped Braun\u2019s \u201cexpressions of remorse\u201d and promises to \u201clead a law abiding life\u201d were in good faith, noting that many of the people who he had harmed have since forgiven him.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors had sought a five-year sentence, the maximum punishment allowed. Braun\u2019s lawyer argued that he should be released immediately.<\/p>\n

Tariff dividends paid annually would be twice as expensive as tariffs<\/p>\n

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that President Trump\u2019s plan to provide most Americans $2,000 funded from tariffs would cost roughly $600 billion and, if paid annually, would be twice as expensive as tariffs.<\/p>\n

\u201cCurrent tariffs have raised about $100 billion so far,\u201c said Matt Klucher, with CRFB, \u201cand will raise about $300 billion per year in the steady state.\u201d<\/p>\n

If paid annually, dividends would be twice as expensive as tariffs, he said.<\/p>\n

President Trump has floated the idea of $2,000 checks to all Americans except for \u201chigh-income people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaheen at odds with candidate daughter over shutdown<\/p>\n

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen\u2019s role in breaking the government shutdown stalemate puts her at odds with one of her daughters who is seeking election to the U.S. House next year.<\/p>\n

The New Hampshire senator who will be retiring<\/a> after three terms helped negotiate the compromise legislation<\/a> to end the shutdown. She prioritized extending subsidies for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act but settled for a pledge to hold a vote on the subsidies in December.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was the only deal on the table,\u201d she Sunday.<\/p>\n

Her daughter, Stefany, said Monday she would have voted no.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to both end this shutdown and extend the ACA tax credits. Otherwise, no deal,\u201d she said on social media.<\/p>\n

Stefany Shaheen is seeking the Democratic nomination in New Hampshire\u2019s 1st Congressional District.<\/p>\n

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries says he still supports Schumer<\/p>\n

The Senate Democratic leader has faced criticism from some progressives after several Senate Democrats sided with Republicans to begin reopening the government.<\/p>\n

But Jeffries said it was on those Democrats to explain their vote, and that he still supported Schumer as the party\u2019s leader in the Senate.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeader Schumer and Senate Democrats over the last seven weeks have waged a valiant fight,\u201d said Jeffries.<\/p>\n

In March, Jeffries declined to say whether he had confidence in Schumer after Schumer helped Republicans pass a funding bill.<\/p>\n

Jeffries says Democrats will continue fight on health care costs<\/p>\n

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries says that Democratic senators who voted to advance a government funding bill Sunday are \u201cgoing to have to explain themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the overwhelming majority of Senate Democrats continue to remain in the area fighting to fix our a broken health care system,\u201d Jeffries said.<\/p>\n

He is speaking to reporters as Congress inches closer to approving a bill that would reopen the federal government after a shutdown that has lasted nearly six weeks.<\/p>\n

Democrats had been insisting the bill include an extension of enhanced tax credits that makes health insurance coverage more affordable, but they were unsuccessful in including that demand.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs House Democrats, we know we\u2019re on the right side of this fight, the right side of the American people, and we\u2019re not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of the American people,\u201d Jeffries said.<\/p>\n

See how 8 Democrats explain why they voted with Republicans to end the shutdown<\/p>\n

Eight Democratic senators faced almost instant blowback from members of their own party as they voted<\/a> to allow the Senate to move forward on compromise legislation<\/a> that would reopen the government.<\/p>\n

Their decision Sunday night was labeled a \u201cbetrayal\u201d and \u201cpathetic\u201d by some of the most prominent voices in the Democratic Party. \u201cTo my mind, this was a very, very bad vote,\u201d said Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats.<\/p>\n

The group of defectors includes senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Dick Durbin of Illinois, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Angus King of Maine.<\/p>\n

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said Monday that they \u201cdecided to put principle over their personal politics.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read how they are explaining their votes<\/a><\/p>\n

Republican majority leader asks senators to allow a speedy final vote to reopen government<\/p>\n

Sen. John Thune is asking both Republican and Democratic colleagues to allow for quick passage of a bill to end the federal shutdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hoping that will be hours, not days,\u201d he said. \u201cThe American people have suffered for long enough. Let\u2019s not pointlessly drag this bill out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Senate voted Sunday night to advance the continuing resolution to fund the government through Jan. 30th. But it takes agreement from all senators to allow for a speedy final vote.<\/p>\n

Thune also told reporters he\u2019s confident that Trump would sign the bill once it reaches his desk.<\/p>\n

Wisconsin governor says Trump request to take back food money from the poor should be condemned<\/p>\n

Gov. Tony Evers on Monday wrote to the state\u2019s congressional delegation urging them to pressure the USDA to \u201cstop trying to take food out of the hands\u201d of SNAP recipients.<\/p>\n

The Democrat reiterated that Wisconsin will not \u201cundo\u201d its distribution of SNAP money as the Trump administration has asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a shocking and disturbing request\u2014and one that should be condemned by every person, regardless of their political beliefs or party,\u201d Evers wrote to the seven Republicans and three Democrats who represent the state. He called it \u201cdeeply troubling\u201d that Republicans have not joined Democrats in calling for full funding.<\/p>\n

Syria\u2019s president is at the White House for a historic meeting with Trump<\/p>\n

The meeting will be private and closed to press coverage, the White House said.<\/p>\n

The Vances visit soldiers at Walter Reed<\/p>\n

Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, on Monday met with wounded soldiers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ahead of Veterans Day. They also listened to medical providers about the soldiers\u2019 injuries and treatment plans, and handed out challenge coins while posing for photos.<\/p>\n

One Army sergeant they met lost his left leg during his second combat deployment. Impressed with how much the sergeant was deadlifting, the vice president joked that the visit was designed to shame him because of how strong the injured servicemembers were, despite their wounds.<\/p>\n

Vance served in the Marines, and he and Usha Vance headlined the Marine Corps\u2019 250th Birthday Ball over the weekend.<\/p>\n

White House: Senate action on shutdown a \u2018positive development\u2019<\/p>\n

The White House is calling the emerging agreement to reopen the federal government a \u201cpositive development.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to seeing it progress,\u201d said a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration\u2019s deliberations.<\/p>\n

Trump has not indicated whether he would sign the funding measure into law, and the White House official stopped short of saying the president would do so.<\/p>\n

\u2014 By Seung Min Kim<\/p>\n

US health officials will remove long-standing warning about risks of menopause drugs<\/p>\n

More than 20 hormone-based drugs used to treat hot flashes and other menopause symptoms will no longer carry a bold warning label about stroke, heart attack, dementia and other serious risks, the Food and Drug Administration announced Monday. <\/p>\n

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has called the current label outdated and unnecessary. Many doctors \u2014 and pharmaceutical companies \u2014 have called for removing or revising the label, which they say discourages prescriptions and scares off women who could benefit.<\/p>\n

But other experts have vigorously opposed making changes to the label without a careful, transparent process. They say the FDA should have convened its independent advisers to publicly consider any revisions.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more about the FDA\u2019s decision on menopause drug warning labels<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you can do if your air travel plans are disrupted due to FAA flight restrictions<\/p>\n