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President Donald Trump on Monday introduced a $12 billion federal assistance package aimed at helping American farmers absorb the financial blow of the prolonged trade conflict with China. Trump announced the initiative during a White House event joined by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers, and farmers from across the country.

Trump said the program will be funded through tariff revenue, arguing that “This money would not be possible without tariffs.” He added that “This relief will provide much-needed certainty to farmers as they get this year’s harvest to market and look ahead to next year’s crops,” noting that the support is also intended to ease food costs for consumers.

During Monday’s event, Rollins and Bessent emphasized the administration’s promise to strengthen the agricultural sector. Rollins said $1 billion would be held back to ensure assistance reaches specialty crop producers as well. She argued that farmers are still recovering from the “Biden years,” claiming Trump’s trade approach is creating new market opportunities despite the turbulence caused by tariffs.

According to administration officials, roughly $11 billion will be directed to crop producers through one-time payments under the Department of Agriculture’s Farmer Bridge Assistance program. The remaining funds will support farmers not covered under the main program. Rollins said payments will begin rolling out in the coming weeks and must be distributed by Feb. 28, 2026.

The announcement follows steep losses in U.S. soybean sales after China halted purchases in retaliation for U.S. tariffs. China—historically the largest buyer of American soybeans—had resumed limited purchases under a preliminary trade understanding reached in October. The White House previously said the agreement would lead to at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybean purchases in the last two months of 2025, but analysts have warned that imports may fall short of normal levels.

Farmers nationwide have reported tightening margins as they contend with low crop prices, high input costs, and the ongoing fallout from the trade war. Prices for corn, soybeans, and cotton have fallen over the past two years, while some growers say they continue to face significant financial strain. Bessent said U.S. soybean prices have risen as much as 15% since the October agreement, adding that China is buying in a “perfect cadence.”

The administration began exploring farm relief as early as October, with initial estimates suggesting more than $10 billion in potential support. Those discussions were stalled by a 43-day government shutdown.

Alongside the aid announcement, Trump pledged to ease environmental rules for agricultural machinery manufacturers, saying federal regulations “don’t do a damn thing except make it complicated,” and warned companies to lower equipment prices once those restrictions are lifted. Trump said Monday that he expects China to buy “even more than he promised to do,” while administration officials insisted Beijing remains on track to meet its commitments. The White House says the new aid program is designed to stabilize farmers until markets more fully recover.

China’s reengagement with U.S. agriculture follows a period in which Beijing looked to suppliers in Argentina and Brazil. In October, the Treasury Department announced a $20 billion currency swap agreement with Argentina, a move some U.S. farmers criticized as giving an advantage to foreign competitors. Bessent later said Treasury made a profit on the swaps, though that provided little reassurance to growers awaiting long-promised federal support.

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Alina Habba, the former personal attorney to Donald Trump who was appointed earlier this year to serve as acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, announced Monday that she is resigning. The move from Habba follows a decisive federal appeals court ruling that found she had been installed in the role without proper legal authority.

In a statement posted to X, Habba wrote that “as a result of the Third Circuit’s ruling, and to protect the stability and integrity of the office which I love, I have decided to step down in my role as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey,” adding later, “do not mistake compliance for surrender.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed she had accepted Habba’s resignation, saying the appeals court’s decision had made it “untenable for her to effectively run her office.” Bondi, who criticized the ruling, said Habba will continue serving as a “senior advisor to the Attorney General for U.S. Attorneys” and that the Justice Department intends to appeal the decision. She added that Habba hopes to return to the job if the ruling is overturned.

Habba’s departure ends a months-long dispute over whether she could legally lead the New Jersey office without Senate confirmation. The controversy began in August, when a federal judge ruled she was serving “without lawful authority,” a decision upheld unanimously last week by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Although Bondi attempted to keep her in place by designating her a “Special Attorney to the Attorney General,” the courts’ findings continued to cast doubt on her authority, prompting delays in several proceedings.

Before her appointment, Habba represented Trump in high-profile civil and defamation cases. Her legal work has drawn increasing scrutiny: last month, a federal appeals court upheld a $1 million sanction against her and Trump for filing a frivolous lawsuit targeting former FBI Director James Comey and Hillary Clinton.

The administration’s broader effort to place Trump-aligned attorneys in top federal prosecutor roles has faced repeated setbacks. Judges across multiple jurisdictions have rejected similar appointments, including the recent removal of Lindsey Halligan—another Trump ally—from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Virginia. That ruling also led to the dismissal of criminal cases involving Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, and a grand jury last week declined to revive the James case.

Tensions escalated further on Monday when Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a joint statement rebuking judges who questioned Halligan’s authority, accusing them of “engaging in an unconscionable campaign of bias and hostility.” The statement said that “Lindsey and our attorneys are simply doing their jobs: advocating for the Department of Justice’s positions while following guidance from the Office of Legal Counsel. They do not deserve to have their reputations questioned in court for ethically advocating on behalf of their client. This Department of Justice has no tolerance for undemocratic judicial activism.”

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A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Justice Department from accessing or using materials taken from a longtime associate of ex-FBI Director James Comey, adding a significant hurdle as prosecutors consider reviving a dismissed criminal case.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued the emergency order Saturday in response to a lawsuit brought by Columbia law professor Daniel Richman, a close friend and former attorney for Comey. Richman argues the government violated his Fourth Amendment rights by holding on to—and continuing to search—a full copy of his computer despite the limits of earlier warrants.

In her four-page ruling, Kollar-Kotelly wrote that “Richman is likely to succeed on the merits of his claim that the government has violated his Fourth Amendment right … by retaining a complete copy of all files on his personal computer … and searching that image without a warrant.” She instructed prosecutors to “identify, segregate, and secure” the data, bar access without court approval, and comply with her directives by Monday morning. The order is in effect through Dec. 12 unless modified.

Richman’s devices were imaged under warrants obtained between 2017 and 2020 during a separate leak inquiry opened after President Donald Trump fired Comey. That investigation ended in 2021 with no charges, but according to both Richman’s lawsuit and court filings reviewed by Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick, the government appeared to have kept the full computer image instead of only the material authorized under the warrants. Fitzpatrick warned last month that prosecutors conducting this year’s renewed investigation into Comey seemed to have accessed that data again—this time without obtaining a new warrant—potentially exposing attorney-client communications and other protected material.

The DOJ’s first indictment accused Comey of misleading and obstructing Congress regarding whether he had authorized Richman to share information with reporters. That case collapsed in late November when U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie dismissed it without prejudice after finding that lead prosecutor Lindsey Halligan’s appointment was “invalid.”  The Justice Department had since signaled plans to pursue another indictment, reportedly within weeks, prompting Richman’s emergency request to block any further use of the seized materials. Prosecutors must now respond to his lawsuit by Tuesday, while the restraining order prevents the department from touching the data until at least Friday unless the judge lifts it.

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President Trump is sharply criticizing Rep. Henry Cuellar, expressing anger that the Texas Democrat chose to run for Congress again under his party’s banner just days after receiving a presidential pardon that cleared him and his wife, Imelda, of federal bribery and related charges. Cuellar formally filed for reelection soon after the pardon was issued last week, ending speculation that he might switch parties after years as one of the House’s more conservative Democrats.

Trump’s frustration was evident in a post on Truth Social, where he wrote that shortly after granting clemency, Cuellar announced he would be “‘running’ for Congress again… as a Democrat, continuing to work with the same Radical Left Scum that just weeks before wanted him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in Prison – And probably still do!” The president went on to denounce “Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henry’s daughters, will not like,” before adding, “Oh’ well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!”

Speaking Sunday on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, Cuellar defended both his decision to run again and his longstanding party affiliation. Citing the late President Lyndon Johnson, he said, “I’m an American, I’m a Texan, and I’m a Democrat, in that order.” He added that “anybody that puts party before their country is doing a disservice to their country.”

Cuellar told reporters last week that “nothing has changed” about his political identity following the pardon, and described himself as a “conservative Democrat” who intends to work with the president where possible: “If I can work and find common ground, then I certainly want to do that.” He said he prayed that morning for Trump and his family, explaining, “if the president succeeds, the country succeeds.”

Cuellar and his wife were indicted in May 2024 on 14 federal counts, accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from an Azerbaijan state-run energy firm and a Mexican bank in exchange for actions benefitting both entities. Two counts related to foreign-agent registration were dismissed months later. The couple pleaded not guilty. A separate House Ethics Committee inquiry remains open.

The Justice Department originally alleged that Cuellar agreed to influence legislation and deliver a favorable congressional speech. Cuellar has maintained his innocence, insisting prosecutors tried — unsuccessfully — to ensnare him in a sting operation.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that the case stemmed from Cuellar’s vocal opposition to President Biden’s border policies. In Sunday’s post, he argued that Democrats “mercilessly went after Henry with everything they had!” and sought to “destroy him, his lovely wife, his two young daughters, and anyone close to them.”

He said his decision to pardon Cuellar was influenced by a letter from the congressman’s daughters, Christina and Catherine, who urged him to “show mercy and compassion to our parents.” In that letter — which Trump reposted — they cited their father’s willingness to “speak his mind” about border security.

Despite Trump’s public rebuke, Cuellar reiterated that he intends to work with the administration, expressing interest in meeting border officials and saying, “I’d love to sit down and see where we can find common ground.”

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Federal authorities have arrested a Virginia man linked to the pipe bombs left outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters on the night of Jan. 5, 2021 — devices discovered the following afternoon as the Capitol came under assault. The arrest, confirmed by multiple law enforcement sources including CNN, marks a major turning point in a case that has challenged investigators for nearly five years.

The suspect has been identified as 30-year-old Brian Cole Jr. of Woodbridge, Virginia. He was taken into custody Thursday morning and charged with transporting an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials, according to charging documents filed Thursday afternoon. Attorney General Pam Bondi credited investigators and prosecutors for “sifting through evidence that had been sitting at the FBI,” adding that “this investigation is ongoing. As we speak, search warrants are being executed, and there could be more charges to come.”

The bombs — constructed from short galvanized pipes packed with homemade black powder, wires, metal clips, and fitted with kitchen timers — were placed outside both party headquarters roughly 15 hours before they were found. Investigators have long warned the devices were fully capable of causing “serious injury or death.” Their discovery prompted a swift police response just minutes before rioters began overwhelming security lines at the U.S. Capitol.

Surveillance footage released over the years showed a hooded figure in a mask and Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers with a yellow logo. Investigators noted what appeared to be an unusual or pronounced gait, but the lack of clearer identifiers hampered progress even after more than 1,000 interviews, a review of tens of thousands of video files, and more than 600 public tips. At times, the FBI could not even determine the suspect’s gender. The reward for information eventually climbed to $500,000.

The bomb at the DNC was discovered after former Vice President Kamala Harris had arrived at the building. A Homeland Security inspector general’s report later revealed that Harris entered via a ramp within 20 feet of the device and remained inside for about 1 hour and 40 minutes before it was found and she was evacuated. The bomb’s placement was roughly nine feet from the building’s exterior wall.

The extended mystery caused some political commentators claimed the lack of an arrest suggested deliberate concealment, including assertions that “there is a massive cover-up” or that the incident was “an inside job.” The theories persisted even after the FBI publicly debunked claims that the bombs had been planted by a former Capitol Police officer.

Despite the challenges, federal investigators continued to treat the case as a priority. Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who had previously amplified theories about the incident before joining the bureau, said in May that the investigation had received “additional resources and investigative attention,” with weekly briefings and renewed analytical reviews of earlier work.

Political leaders responded to Thursday’s arrest with relief. DNC Chair Ken Martin said, “We are grateful to the law enforcement officers who have dedicated years to investigating the pipe bombs… Those responsible for this horrific act must be brought to justice.” Former prosecutors involved in Jan. 6-related cases echoed that sentiment, calling the arrest a testament to the persistence of career FBI agents and federal attorneys.

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President Donald Trump’s name has been added to the sign on the United States Institute of Peace headquarters in downtown D.C., above the existing building name.

Workers early Wednesday affixed large silver letters reading “Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace” to the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the U.S. Institute of Peace, a move that formalizes President Donald Trump’s decision to rename the organization after himself, while attempting to dismantle it.

The State Department’s X account shared a photo of the new facade on Wednesday in a post that called Trump “the greatest dealmaker in our nation’s history,“ an apparent reference to his work to end multiple conflicts around the world. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X about the name change that “President Trump will be remembered by history as the President of Peace. It’s time our State Department display that.”

Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for Trump, confirmed the new name to multiple outlets, describing the original institute as “a bloated, useless entity that blew $50 million per year while delivering no peace.” She said the updated title is “beautifully and aptly named after a president who ended eight wars in less than a year” and claimed the building will now serve as a reminder of what, in her words, strong leadership can achieve for global security.

The rebranding caps months of turmoil inside the institution. Earlier this year, the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency—led by former adviser Elon Musk—swept out the non-profit’s president, nearly all employees, and most members of its 12-seat board. Although Congress established the USIP in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan to promote conflict resolution and support peacebuilding, its fate has been uncertain since the takeover.

Legal uncertainty continues to surround the institute. A federal judge ruled in May that the mass personnel overhaul was “effectuated by illegally installed leaders who lacked legal authority to take these actions, which must therefore be declared null and void.” However, Judge Beryl Howell declined to issue an order halting the administration’s control, noting the organization’s unusual status as a congressionally created but independently operated body. In June, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit paused a lower-court ruling that had blocked the administration from dismantling the USIP during ongoing litigation. The panel wrote that “The President faces irreparable harm from not being able to fully exercise his executive powers,” and suggested the government may ultimately succeed in arguing that the institute’s structure is unconstitutional because of its board’s removal protections. A full hearing on the issue has since been delayed, and the building has been moved under the control of the General Services Administration.

Former staff and board members remain sharply critical, with their attorney, George Foote, stating that the name change “adds insult to injury,” stressing that a judge has already deemed the takeover unlawful—even if that ruling is on hold during appeal. Foote said: “The rightful owners will ultimately prevail and will restore the U.S. Institute of Peace and the building to their statutory purposes.”

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