“I do believe we have the makings of a deal,” President Donald Trump said Sunday afternoon as he greeted Volodymyr Zelenskiy at Mar-a-Lago. After several hours of talks, including a call with European leaders, the two men emerged with Trump saying a final agreement may be weeks away.
There are “one or two very thorny issues,” the president said. “In a few weeks we will know, one way or another.”
Russia spent the weekend pounding Kyiv with hundreds of drones and missiles and carrying out a large strike on Kherson in Ukraine’s southeast. Parts of the capital were left without power.
Earlier Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Europe “the main obstacle to peace,” saying leaders there, along with Ukraine, had shown no readiness for constructive talks. Interfax reported that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov agreed that peace has become considerably closer, and said Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will talk by phone in the very near future.
You’ll no doubt remember that Hillary Clinton said she’d nominate Trump for a Nobel peace prize herself if he was able to secure peace in Ukraine that didn’t involve the surrender of territory to Russia.
And another peace deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump plan to meet today to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza amid concerns that regional fighting could resume.
Trump has been hearing complaints from Arab and Muslim partners about continuing Israeli military strikes in the war-shattered and now-divided Palestinian enclave, as well as in Lebanon and Syria. Israel says it’s fending off fresh threats by armed Islamist groups. Read More
One thing both of the deals have in common is Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The two men who helped get a ceasefire in Gaza are part of the small group seeking a solution in Ukraine (Zelenskiy called them out specifically in the post-meeting press conference).
A New Wave of AI Influencers on the Hill
Big lobbying firms are being joined by a handful of rising boutique shops — including an upstart run by a former Google executive and another led by a retired Virginia congressman — as the go-to players in the AI influence game on Capitol Hill, Kate Ackley and John Woolley report.
Like the emerging industry, lobbying on AI has created new leaders, upended others, and has many trying to get a toehold.
“If you’ve been doing any tech policy lobbying in the past, you’ve probably rebranded yourself as an AI lobbyist,” said Adam Kovacevich, founder and CEO of the tech lobbying group Chamber of Progress, where OpenAI and Apple are among the partner companies.
Also Read: How to Use AI for Annual Job Reviews While Reducing Bias Risks
Release the Railroad Merger Hounds!
What do two governors, a handful of US Representatives, and a Texas nonprofit devoted to neutering dogs have in common?
They all support an $85 billion railroad merger.
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are deploying some 2,000 elected officials, businesses, and civic groups in pursuit of a merger that would create the nation’s first transcontinental freight railroad, Zach Williams reports.
A template provided by the companies emphasizes four key phrases that are appearing in letters to the Surface Transportation Board signed by others. They promise “improved service reliability” and “reduced transit times” for shippers and consumers, and an “expanded reach” for businesses with “increased investment” in rail infrastructure.
The same phrases appear in letters submitted by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly (Kan.) and Republican Gov. Jeff Landry (La.), as well as state legislators from New York to Utah. US Reps. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) and Carol Miller (R-W.Va.) also provided letters, alongside special interests as far-flung as the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association and a Texas-based nonprofit called Barrio Dogs that’s devoted to spaying and neutering pets.
“UP is trying to game the system,” consultant Anthony Hatch, a longtime Wall Street consultant who now has an eponymous firm, said in an interview. “I don’t really blame them for it. This is a big deal and if this is how the rules are being played today, you can argue they’re not doing their fiduciary duty if they don’t.”
Winning the Hill
Jonathan Tamari gives us his take on how the key individuals in Congress performed in 2025 and who to watch in 2026. Read More
What Else We’re Reading
Embattled US Spy Law Up for Renewal Revives Call for Warrants
Congress’s work next year on renewing a contentious spy law will revive lawmakers’ calls for warrant requirements to protect Americans privacy.
SEC Prepares Plan to Curb Company Reporting, Investor Proposals
Companies aiming to report less information to their investors and more easily deflect shareholder proposals are likely to get help from the SEC in 2026.
Federal Judges Scold DOJ Lawyers Over Courtroom Conduct in 2025
Federal judges rebuked the Justice Department numerous times this year over its conduct, as they field hundreds of legal challenges to the Trump administration’s agenda.
Indiana, Kentucky, and Rhode Island Enforce New Privacy Laws
Broad privacy laws giving consumers control over their data go into effect in Kentucky, Indiana, and Rhode Island on Jan. 1, bringing the total number of states with comprehensive privacy laws to 19.
Patel Says FBI Headquarters to ‘Permanently Close’ With Move
FBI Director
Job Seekers Try Matching on Dating Apps to Score Interviews
Most people use dating apps to find love. Tiffany Chau used one to hunt for a
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