Trump also noted that China had committed to buying $40bn in American soybeans. \u201cI asked president Xi if he could even up it, and I think he\u2019ll do that,\u201d the president added.<\/p>\n
The package comes as farmers \u2013\u00a0some of Trump\u2019s most loyal supporters \u2013 have expressed frustration at the rising costs associated with the president\u2019s sweeping tariffs, and the repercussions of escalating trade tensions with China.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.53 EST<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Closing summary<\/p>\n Our live coverage is ending for the day. Thanks for reading along with us. Here is a summary of the key developments from today:<\/p>\n The US supreme court appeared poised to back the Trump administration\u2019s argument that the president should be able to fire independent board members that for almost a century have been protected from presidential interference. The court heard arguments concerning the legality of Donald Trump\u2019s firing of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) member and appeared to be split down partisan lines in favor of a historic expansion of executive power, with the conservatives \u2013 including the sometimes swing vote of Justice Amy Coney Barrett \u2013 seeming to side with the administration. More here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Israeli operatives are conducting widespread surveillance of US forces and allies stationed at a new US base in the country\u2019s south, according to sources briefed on disputes about open and covert recordings of meetings and discussions. The scale of intelligence gathering at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) prompted the US commander of the base, Lt Gen Patrick Frank, to summon an Israeli counterpart for a meeting to tell him that \u201crecording has to stop here\u201d. More here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Donald Trump announced $12bn in economic assistance to farmers, which he said would be drawn from tariff revenue. \u201cThis relief will provide much-needed certainty to farmers as they get this year\u2019s harvest to market and look ahead to next year\u2019s crops, and it\u2019ll help them continue their efforts to lower food prices for American families,\u201d Trump said during a roundtable discussion of American agriculture. More here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Donald Trump\u2019s former lawyer Alina Habba announced on social media she is resigning as top federal prosecutor in New Jersey. Habba\u2019s resignation came after district and appellate court rulings found that she was unlawfully serving in the role, a powerful post charged with enforcing federal criminal and civil law. More here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, stated repeatedly in 2016 on Fox News that US service members should refuse \u201cunlawful\u201d orders from a potential president Trump \u2013 exactly the position he called \u201cdespicable\u201d when Democratic lawmakers said it last month. The debate about whether US soldiers should refuse illegal orders is now at the center of a fiery political dispute over the US killings of alleged drug traffickers in boats off the coast of Venezuela and Colombia. More here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Immigration agents appeared on Sunday at the Texas home of the family of Any Lucia L\u00f3pez Belloza, the 19-year-old college student who was recently deported to Honduras while on her way to visit them for Thanksgiving, her family reportedly said<\/a>.<\/p>\n L\u00f3pez Belloza, who attended Babson College in Massachusetts, was detained<\/a> on 20 November at Boston airport while she was on her way to surprise her family in Austin, Texas, for the holiday. Within 48 hours she was deported to Honduras, a country she left at age seven<\/a> when her family came to the US.<\/p>\n Her father and the family\u2019s lawyer told the New York Times<\/a> that on Sunday immigration agents appeared at their family home in Austin. Her father, Francis L\u00f3pez, said immigration agents arrived in three unmarked vehicles. One agent, wearing a green vest marked \u201cERO\u201d (Enforcement and Removal Operations), reportedly rushed toward him as he washed his car.<\/p>\n L\u00f3pez said he ran into his backyard and closed a gate, but the agent forced it open and entered the yard. L\u00f3pez said he then went inside his house and locked the back door. After about two hours, the agents left, without ever knocking on the door or attempting to communicate with the family, he said.<\/p>\n Read the full story here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.25 EST<\/p>\n Twelve FBI agents who were fired earlier this year<\/a> for kneeling during racial justice protests in 2020 are suing the bureau and its director, Kash Patel, alleging unlawful retaliation.<\/p>\n Agents were assigned to patrol Washington DC<\/a> during a period of civil unrest prompted by George Floyd\u2019s death, the lawsuit says. The agents, who lacked protective gear and extensive training in crowd control, became outnumbered by aggressive crowds they encountered and decided to kneel to the ground in an effort to defuse the tension, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n The tactic worked, and the crowds dispersed; no shots were fired, and the agents \u201csaved American lives\u201d that day, reads the suit.<\/p>\n The agents said their decision, days after Floyd\u2019s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, has been misinterpreted as a political expression.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.26 EST<\/p>\n Edward Helmore<\/p>\n The Brazilian-born mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt\u2019s nephew \u2013 who was recently detained by US immigration authorities \u2013 has rejected the Trump administration\u2019s characterizations of her as an absentee parent.<\/p>\n Bruna Ferreira, who was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in November during a traffic stop in Massachusetts and was being held at a Louisiana detention center, said in an interview with the Washington Post<\/a> that the White House\u2019s statements that she had never lived with her son or spoken with Leavitt \u201cin many years\u201d were incorrect.<\/p>\n Ferreira, 33, had a relationship with Leavitt\u2019s brother, 35-year-old Michael Leavitt. They had a son, Michael Leavitt Jr, now aged 11.<\/p>\n She said she was offended by the White House\u2019s characterizations, calling them \u201cdisgusting\u201d. She said she takes her son to Dave & Buster\u2019s, a food and video games chain; ferries him to school, cheers at sports games; and fills his bedroom with \u201ceverything a young boy needs\u201d.<\/p>\n Read the full story here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.27 EST<\/p>\n The creator of the ICEBlock app, Joshua Aaron, is suing<\/a> the Trump administration, alleging it abused government power and infringed on his free speech by asking Apple to remove ICEBlock<\/a> from the App Store.<\/p>\n Aaron said that ICEBlock, which uses crowdsourcing to flag sightings of US immigration agents, represents constitutionally protected speech.<\/p>\n Aaron \u201cbelieves that speech about publicly observed law and immigration enforcement activity \u2013 the expression enabled by ICEBlock \u2013 lies at the heart of the interests the first amendment was intended to protect\u201d, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n The app, first launched in April, allows users to alert others when they see ICE agents within a 5-mile radius of their current location. In June, Kristi Noem, the US homeland security secretary, said the app and its founder were \u201cobstructing justice\u201d.<\/p>\n ICEBlock had more than 1 million users at the time of its removal, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.43 EST<\/p>\n The South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace condemned House Republican leadership in an opinion piece<\/a> published in the New York Times on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cI came to Congress five years ago believing I could make a difference for my constituents, for South Carolina and for a country I love deeply. I was the first woman to graduate from the Citadel\u2019s Corps of Cadets. I don\u2019t scare easily,\u201d Mace said.<\/p>\n She added: \u201cBut I\u2019ve learned that the system in the House promotes control by party leaders over accountability and achievement. No one can be held responsible for inaction, so far too little gets done. The obstacles to achieving almost anything are enough to make any member who came to Washington with noble intentions ask: Why am I even here?\u201d<\/p>\n Mace, who represents the state\u2019s first congressional district, is running for governor.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.44 EST<\/p>\n Jeremy Barr<\/p>\n David Ellison\u2019s Paramount Skydance is not giving up in its aggressive campaign to acquire Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), launching a hostile bid for the entertainment company despite the announcement on Friday that Netflix had agreed to buy its studio and streaming operation.<\/p>\n Netflix\u2019s bid for WBD\u2019s storied Hollywood movie studio, as well as its premier HBO cable network, valued the company at $82.7bn. But it did not agree to acquire WBD\u2019s traditional television assets, including the news network CNN and the Discovery channel.<\/p>\n Paramount\u2019s all-cash tender offer sent directly to shareholders on Monday morning would be for the entire company, and puts a total enterprise value of $108.4bn on WBD, a major premium to its stock price.<\/p>\n In making its case to shareholders, Paramount claimed its acquisition of the company provides significantly better value for shareholders, and would be much likelier to survive regulatory scrutiny. WBD said it would \u201ccarefully review and consider\u201d the bid, and advise its shareholders on how to respond within two weeks.<\/p>\n David Ellison and his father, the billionaire tech mogul Larry Ellison, whose family is financially backing the offer, are both friendly with the Trump administration, which had previously indicated that it supported a Paramount purchase of WBD. Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, had even had early conversations<\/a> with a senior Trump aide about what changes he might want to see at CNN.<\/p>\n Read the full story:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump threatened to add an extra 5% tariff on Mexico, alleging the country violated a water-sharing treaty.<\/p>\n \u201cThe U.S needs Mexico to release 200,000 acre-feet of water before December 31st, and the rest must come soon after. As of now, Mexico is not responding, and it is very unfair to our U.S. Farmers who deserve this much needed water,\u201d Trump said on Monday.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cThat is why I have authorized documentation to impose a 5% Tariff on Mexico if this water isn\u2019t released, IMMEDIATELY. The longer Mexico takes to release the water, the more our Farmers are hurt. Mexico has an obligation to FIX THIS NOW.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.18 EST<\/p>\n Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, was asked to clarify the funding source for the $12bn farm aid package announced earlier today, to which she replied that the money will be coming from Commodity Credit Corporation funds.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are using CCC funds, so we have set aside 12bn,\u201d Rollins told reporters on Monday. \u201cWe had to, kind of, you know, move some things around, but we\u2019ve got that 12bn set aside. 11bn announced today, 1bn we\u2019re holding back for specialty crops, but as the president said today, he\u2019s open to more.\u201d<\/p>\n Her remarks come after the administration announced one-time payments directed toward crop farmers in bridge payments.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s statement on the aid reads: \u201cThe $12bn in farmer bridge payments, including those provided through the FBA Program, are authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and will be administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA).\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a018.15 EST<\/p>\n Trump says the \u200b\u200bUS will allow Nvidia H200 chip shipments to China<\/p>\n President Donald Trump will allow the chipmaker Nvidia to sell its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, according to a post<\/a> on Truth Social.<\/p>\n \u201cI have informed President Xi, of China, that the United States will allow NVIDIA to ship its H200 products to approved customers in China, and other Countries, under conditions that allow for continued strong National Security,\u201d Trump wrote on Monday. \u201cPresident Xi responded positively!\u201d<\/p>\n Trump said the commerce department was finalizing details of the arrangement and the same approach would apply to other AI chip firms such as Advanced Micro Devices and Intel.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will protect National Security, create American Jobs, and keep America\u2019s lead in AI,\u201d Trump wrote. \u201cNVIDIA\u2019s U.S. Customers are already moving forward with their incredible, highly advanced Blackwell chips, and soon, Rubin, neither of which are part of this deal.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Transportation secretary announces $1bn in grants for airports to improve experiences for families<\/p>\n Transportation secretary Sean Duffy said earlier today that he wants airlines and airports to offer travelers healthier food options, exercise equipment and family-friendly features like playspaces and nursing facilities.<\/p>\n To do so, he announced<\/a>\u201c$1bn in funding for grant programs to make the experience better in airports\u201d.<\/p>\n Duffy said that he had reached out to a majority of major US airline CEOs asking them what they could do to improve the experience.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to hearing back from airlines on what they have in their future plans to improve the experience when we get on their airplanes and fly safely through the national airspace,\u201d Duffy said at Reagan National airport in Washington DC<\/a>.<\/p>\n Last month, Duffy asked airlines to add healthier options and remove salty pretzels and calorie-laden cookies. Duffy also urged airports to add more dedicated spaces for young children and exercise equipment and to boost places for mothers to nurse their children.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.35 EST<\/p>\n Lawmakers could withhold a quarter of defense secretary Pete Hegseth\u2019s travel budget unless he provides unedited videos of military strikes on boats in the southern Caribbean and eastern Pacific, Politico reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n The demand was subtly tucked into the final draft of the annual defense policy bill<\/a>, which calls for \u201cunedited video of strikes conducted against designated terrorist organizations in the area of responsibility of the United States Southern Command\u201d to the House and Senate armed services committees.<\/p>\n Members of Congress have been demanding more information for weeks about the administration\u2019s plans for Venezuela.<\/p>\n Donald Trump has said he has no problem releasing the video. But, despite the president\u2019s statement, Hegseth did not commit to doing so over the weekend.<\/p>\n Since August, the Trump administration<\/a> has put a $50m bounty on the Venezuelan president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u2019s head, launched the biggest naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, and carried out a series of deadly airstrikes on alleged drug boats that have killed more than 80 people.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.25 EST<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been speaking with Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, about today\u2019s supreme court arguments. He notes that while the court may side with the administration in Slaughter\u2019s case, they \u201cmight not do that in a sweeping way, and take each independent agency as it comes to them\u201d.<\/p>\n Tobias added that the justices seemed to acknowledge that the Federal Reserve \u201cdeserves unique treatment\u201d, which is relevant in the case of governor Lisa Cook \u2013\u00a0who the president sought to fire this year. The supreme court said that Cook could remain on the Fed board while they prepare to hear her case in January.<\/p>\n Slaughter\u2019s removal, and today\u2019s arguments, ultimately \u201cundermines\u201d Congress as a co-equal branch of government, according to Tobias. \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re having a wholesale end of the modern administrative state, but each one of these is hopefully going to be taken up on its own merits,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n As reported earlier, Crockett entered the Senate race in Texas after former Democratic representative Colin Allred announced he was dropping out.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what the former Dallas congressman said in a statement<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past few days, I\u2019ve come to believe that a bruising Senate Democratic primary and runoff would prevent the Democratic party from going into this critical election unified against the danger posed to our communities and our constitution by Donald Trump<\/a> and one of his Republican bootlickers Paxton, Cornyn, or Hunt. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve made the difficult decision to end my campaign for the US Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n Allred also expressed that he is \u201cnowhere near done serving my community and our state\u201d and that he is running in the new 33rd District, a Democratic seat that was redrawn by a Republican-led redistricting effort.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 33rd district was racially gerrymandered by Trump in an effort to further rig our democracy but it\u2019s also the community where I grew up attending public schools and watching my mom struggle to pay for our groceries … It\u2019s the community where I was raised, and where Aly and I are now raising our two boys. It is my home,\u201d Allred said.<\/p>\n Colin Allred speaks to the media with members of the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington DC, on 12 January 2022. (Graeme Sloan\/Sipa USA) Photograph: Sipa US\/AlamyShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.02 EST<\/p>\n Lucy Campbell<\/p>\n Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas filed to run for US Senate, a move expected to shake up the race after rising to fame amid her fierce clashes with Republicans, especially during Texas\u2019 controversial mid-decade redistricting effort.<\/p>\n Crockett, one of Congress\u2019 most outspoken Democrats, entered the race on the final day of qualifying in Texas. The 44-year-old is running for the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn, who is seeking reelection in the GOP-dominated state.<\/p>\n Crockett\u2019s announcement came hours after former representative Colin Allred ended his own campaign for the Democratic nomination in favor of attempting a House comeback bid.<\/p>\n She faces a 3 March primary against Democratic state representative James Talarico, a former teacher with a rising national profile fueled by viral social media posts challenging Republican policies such as private school vouchers and requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms.<\/p>\n Read the full story here:<\/p>\n![\"Anna](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Anna_Betts.png\")
Anna Betts<\/p>\n![\"Shrai](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Shrai_Popat.png\")
Shrai Popat<\/p>\n