Trump Talks to the World
Ukraine. Palestine. Tariffs. Peace-keeping costs. Shopping at Costco.
Presidents, prime ministers, and top diplomats from across the globe have much to talk about while they’re in New York for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. President Donald Trump will address the gathering this morning.
World leaders will be listening for new details, if any, on the administration’s willingness to pressure Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine; on Gaza; on the change in US policy toward humanitarian aid; and on the cut in US payments that has caused financial struggles for the UN itself.
A few details to know:
- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will be attending in person, and the Security Council is to meet on Ukraine today.
- France recognized Palestine as an independent state and, along with Saudi Arabia, co-chaired a conference about a two-state solution.
- The Trump administration refused to provide a visa to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to join the meeting in person, so the General Assembly set up video participation for him. Read More
And that shopping reference wasn’t a typo. The Trump administration said that while Iranian officials are here for the UN meetings, they will have to get the US government’s permission before they can shop at wholesale club stores or if they want to buy any luxury goods.
Also Read:
- Trump’s Plane Diplomacy Comes to NY as Leaders Arrive for UN
- Trump Deserves Nobel If Rwanda Conflict Ends, Congo Head Says
Planning for a Shutdown Negotiation
While Trump’s in New York, minority-party congressional leaders have a small window to prepare for a meeting about keeping the government open once the fiscal calendar turns over next week.
Our team’s reporting that a meeting between top Democrats and Trump is set up for Thursday. A White House spokesperson declined to comment.
Republicans want a mostly bare-bones extension of current law and funding through Nov. 21. Democrats are demanding an add-on to block a scheduled increase in insurance costs because an Obamacare subsidy is about to expire. They also want to reverse GOP cuts to Medicaid and to restrict the administration’s ability to refuse to spend congressionally appropriated money on medical research and other initiatives. Read More
Special Election
Speaking of congressional leaders, after today they’ll have new math to work with. There’s a special election in a strongly Democratic district in Arizona, and political pros are preparing for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to have a smaller GOP edge. This could give wavering Republicans extra clout on tough votes.
The shoo-in candidate is Adelita Grijalva (D), a former Tucson school board member and county supervisor. She’s also the daughter of the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D), whose death left the vacancy being filled in today’s election.
Read more in her interview with Greg Giroux.
About That Pain Reliever
The Trump administration is linking acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, to autism and urging pregnant women to largely avoid the medication, although decades of scientific research has not identified a single cause for autism. It’s the latest example of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Trump upending health guidance and practices based on science that isn’t widely embraced by the medical community, Rachel Cohrs Zhang and Madison Muller report. Tylenol-maker Kenvue said “independent, sound science” shows taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. Read More
Also Read:
- Is Autism Linked to Tylenol? What the Research Says: QuickTake
- Trump Tylenol Claim Risks Misleading Mothers, Scientist Says
- UK Tells Patients ‘Don’t Pay Attention’ to Trump on Tylenol
Eye on the Economy
We’ll hear more today from the people who help determine what Americans pay to borrow money for home mortgages and businesses.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is to give his views on the economic outlook when he talks to the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce in Rhode Island. Webcast Link
We’ll also hear from Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman, who’s scheduled to speak at the Kentucky Bankers Association Convention, and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic, who’s to participate in a live podcast interview. Listen here
The newest Fed decision-maker, Governor Stephen Miran, gave his first policy speech yesterday. He laid out a plan for aggressively lowering interest rates — a stance that’s exactly what Trump wants while at odds with most of his fellow policymakers. Read More
Also Read:
- Inflation Is Worse Than the CPI Shows, Says Ex US Comptroller
- China Floods the World With Cheap Exports After Trump’s Tariffs
- Birth Control Among US Therapies Most at Risk From 250% Tariffs
Latest on $100,000 Visas
After a whiplashy day in which the administration partially walked back its bombshell plan to charge $100,000 for applications for H-1B work visas by saying the fees probably wouldn’t apply to doctors, we’ll help you get caught up:
- Oma Seddiq and Andrew Kreighbaum report that small companies that rely on specialized labor may not be able to absorb the extra costs.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a face-to-face with the external affairs minister of India, the country with the largest number of H-1B visas.
Also Read: Why Trump Is Charging a $100,000 Fee for H-1B Visas
Before You Go
Can He Do That?: Now that Disney is allowing ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ to go back on the air, you may have questions about the president’s power over TV licenses. This explainer could help: How FCC’s Powers Loomed Over Kimmel Affair
Trump Court Victory: Trump is getting the Supreme Court review he asked for in a case that could topple a 90-year-old precedent and put the White House in control of federal agencies that have long been independent. The justices said they’ll consider whether FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter can be fired despite a law that says commissioners can be removed only for specified reasons. Read More
Trump Court Losses: University of California researchers won a new court injunction preventing the National Institutes of Health and the Departments of Defense and Transportation from cutting millions in federal research grants, Isaiah Poritz reports. Read More
And in another case, a court said a wind farm that’s 80% complete can resume construction while the case proceeds against the Trump administration’s stop-work order. Read More
Add Us To Your Inbox
Sign up here to get Starting Line for free on weekday mornings.
To contact the reporter on this story:
To contact the editors responsible for this story: