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John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s former national security advisor, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland this week. 

Also, a federal judge in San Francisco halted the mass layoffs of federal workers by the Trump administration.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is now in its second week, as both sides hand over hostages and return the bodies of those captured during the conflict.

The United States continues to destroy boats off the coast of Venezuela as part of a supposed campaign against drug cartels.

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The News Roundup For October 17, 2025

The Trump administration has decimated the Department of Education with staffing cuts.

Now, the latest round of layoffs all but wipes out the Office of Special Education Programs. So, what does that mean for the millions of kids who rely on these services?

We sit down to talk about how Education Department cuts will affect children with disabilities.

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What Department of Education Cuts Mean For Special Education

Last month, the Trump administration started blowing up boats off the coast of Venezuela, calling it part of an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. The White House’s so-called “war on cartels” is increasingly centered on Venezuela, not Mexico or Haiti, where most of these organizations actually operate.

The president is linking these cartels to the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The South American strong man has indicated he’s ready to declare a state of emergency in his country if things progress much further.

So, are these actions about drugs, or are they really about regime change?

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Why is the Trump administration blowing up Venezuelan boats?

As part of a special issue this November, The Atlantic tasked writers and historians with looking at the country’s founding era to find out what America’s political thinkers valued at its beginning.

The goal is to remind people in the U.S. about the abstract ideas enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other important revolutionary documents. And, how reconnecting with those ideals might help us as we struggle to keep American democracy together 250 years later.

We discuss this edition of The Atlantic with two of its contributing writers, hear about why the founding of the country is relevant today, and where we might be going next.

And we want to hear from you. How would you fill in the blanks for these four statements?

1. “At the founding of the United States, some of the country’s most important political values were BLANK.”

2. “After 250 years of U.S. history, I would describe the country’s *track record* of following through on those values and ideals as BLANK.”

3. “Right now, an outside observer would likely look at our politics and say we value BLANK.”

4. “When it comes to the United States as a country over the next decade or the next century, I want to see BLANK.”

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The Atlantic Celebrates America’s 250th Birthday

President Donald Trump promised to crackdown on immigration in Democratic-led cities using aggressive tactics like detaining people based on their race and deploying the National Guard to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

He deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. this summer. He launched an ICE operation in Boston.

Now, he’s escalating his crackdowns in Chicago and Portland.ICE has made more than 1,000 arrests in Chicago according to the Department of Homeland Security since it began what it’s calling “Operation Midway Blitz” last month.

Nearly half of the FBI agents working in major U.S. offices have been reassigned to immigration enforcement, according to newly released bureau data. What does this radical shift in law enforcement priorities mean for the cities at the center of the president’s crackdown — and for the country more broadly?

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'If You Can Keep It': The ICE Crackdowns in Chicago and Portland

President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act this week. 

He continues to clash with state and municipal authorities over the limits of his abilities to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into American cities.

Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are eyeing their Democratic counterparts, looking for someone from the opposition to join them in voting for a bill that would reopen the government, more than a week into a shutdown.

Former FBI Director James Comey was arraigned this week, pleading not guilty on Wednesday to charges that he lied to Congress, and saying he would move to have a court dismiss the case.

Meanwhile, the first phase of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas was agreed to this week. But questions remain over how both parties will move forward with the details of the agreement.

Despite a friendly summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump in Alaska in August, the Russian government is claiming that any headway made during that meeting has largely been undone.

And after just 28 days, Sébastien Lecornu’s time as France’s prime minister came to an end this week. He’s President Macron’s fifth government leader to head for the exit in less than two years.

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The News Roundup For October 10, 2025

It’s been two years since Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and seized more than 250 hostages from inside Israel.

More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory war. On Monday, Israeli and Hamas negotiators met in Egypt to discuss President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza.

Over the weekend, thousands of Israeli citizens took to the streets in Tel Aviv in support of a deal to release the hostages and end the war in Gaza.

What do we know about the U.S.-backed plan to end the war in Gaza? And what does this plan mean for Israelis and Palestinians two years into this conflict? 

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The US-Backed Plan To End The War In Gaza

The Supreme Court begins its new term this week.

It’s agreed to hear cases on several hot button issues like tariffs, trans athletes in sports, and the use of presidential power.

The rulings could change constitutional precedent as we know it. What’s at stake in these cases?

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The Supreme Court, Presidential Power, And Constitutional Precedent

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined some stark changes to the U.S. military’s policies and norms at last week’s gathering of its top brass.

From new standards that question the fitness of women in combat roles, to deploying the military to U.S. cities, the White House is outlining a new vision for the armed forces. It’s also looking to eliminate existing channels to report abuse and harassment within the ranks and implement random polygraph tests.

We talk through all these changes, how they affect our troops, and what they mean for civilians.

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'If You Can Keep It': Trump’s New Vision For The Military

After Congress failed to reach an agreement to keep the doors in Washington open, the government has shut down. 

This comes as tens of thousands of federal workers are set to exit the federal payroll due to firings and deferred buyout agreements.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called all military generals to Quantico, Virginia, to listen to an address about his vision for the armed forces.

President Donald Trump said he plans on sending troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents working there.

Meanwhile, overseas, President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a 20-point plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza.

Following multiple Russian incursions into NATO airspace, the alliance has stepped up its drone defense, with Ukraine sharing its expertise with Denmark.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is ready to declare a state of emergency, as the U.S. military builds up presence in the Caribbean.

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The News Roundup For October 3, 2025

2024 was, in many ways, a year of elections. 

Both home and abroad.President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in November. He won a second term in office and will be headed back to Washington come January. 

Across the globe, an election took place in India in seven stages starting in the spring and ending in June. Voters in Pakistan and Indonesia also went to the polls. European governments in France, Slovakia, the U.K. all saw switch ups. Germany, a financial powerhouse in the E.U., called a snap election for early 2025.

We discuss the democratic elections around the world and what the outcomes reflect when it comes to the wishes of voters.

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How Democracies Fared Around The World In 2024

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