🗞️Trump meets with Zelenskyy at the White House

October 17th, 2025

What happened today 🇺🇸,

• President Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the White House where Zelenskyy sought additional American military aid, including long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles…Trump expressed cautious consideration and highlighted efforts to bring about diplomatic progress, Zelenskyy emphasized the critical importance of military support to defend Ukraine against intensified Russian attacks

• President Trump said he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in two weeks to address escalating trade tensions…Trump acknowledged these tariffs are not sustainable long-term but expressed optimism about negotiations and emphasized the importance of achieving a fair trade deal with China…read more here 

• The U.S. military conducted its sixth drone strike on a suspected Venezuelan drug smuggling vessel in international Caribbean waters, resulting in at least two survivors who were rescued and taken into U.S. Navy custody…this marks the first known case of survivors from these strikes

• President Trump has commuted the prison sentence of former Congressman George Santos, who was serving over seven years for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and related offenses

• John Bolton, former national security adviser, pleaded not guilty to 18 federal charges alleging he mishandled classified national defense information…he claims the indictment is politically motivated and vows to defend his conduct in court

• The Trump administration has paused more than $11 billion in infrastructure spending on lower-priority projects managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, primarily affecting cities such as New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Baltimore

• Louisiana resident, Mahmoud Amin Ya'qub al-Muhtadi, has been charged by U.S. federal prosecutors for allegedly participating in the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023…he was residing in Lafayette, Louisiana, working in a local restaurant when arrested

• DOW up .52% / S&P up .53%

• Prince Andrew has decided to give up his royal title the Duke of York effective immediately, after conversations with King Charles III and family members…he stated that the ongoing allegations against him, particularly related to his association with Jeffrey Epstein, have become a distraction to the royal family’s work even though he continues to deny all accusations

• Russia has reportedly asked Elon Musk and his The Boring Company to help build a $65 billion undersea rail tunnel linking Russia's Far East and Alaska beneath the Bering Strait

Bonus: A look at the percentage of Americans in each state that are on Social Security

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