Trump pardons Giuliani and allies linked to efforts to overturn 2020 vote
The president has also on the weekend granted full pardons to dozens of allies accused of attempting to subvert the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.
The four-page list released from his administration runs to more than 70 people – including his former lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell and former chief of staff Mark Meadows. They’ve all been granted “full, complete and unconditional” pardons for their actions in relation to the 2020 vote.
They were accused of being involved in a scheme to alter slates of electors in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia and Michigan, which Biden won in 2020.
None of those on the list was ever charged on a federal level, but this directive could prevent future administrations from prosecuting.
Trump, in a proclamation dated on Friday, said the move would end “a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 presidential election and continue the process of national reconciliation”.
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Updated at 08.25 EST
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Donald Trump is in Washington today. At 11am ET, he’ll welcome Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House. This will be the first visit by a Syrian head of state since the country gained independence in 1946.
Trump has already listed several sanctions on Syria, and the leaders are set to discuss more about this in al-Sharaa’s meeting today. Currently the meeting is closed to the press, but we’ll let you know if that changes.
Later Trump will take part in the swearing-in of the US ambassador to India, Sergio Gor. As of now, the press can’t attend, but we’ll bring you the latest as we learn more.
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Short-term bill to resume government funding until end of January
Here’s some more detail on the bill that could resume government funding, although only until the end of January.
A handful of Democrats departed from the party line, to crank out a deal with the Republicans which would:
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Reverse firings of federal workers that the White House carried out after the shutdown began.
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Provide back pay for all federal employees including military personnel, border patrol agents and air-traffic controllers.
It’s believed that the Senate will try to circumvent usual procedural rules in the chamber today when they reconvene to get the bill passed quickly. Because it’s been amended, it will also need to go back to the lower house for passage before signoff by Trump.
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Updated at 08.06 EST
Flight cancellations on the rise due to shutdown
There’s been massive disruption to air travel in and out of the US due to the shutdown, where staff like air traffic controllers have been working without pay.
According to trackers, thousands of flights were cancelled on the weekend, with more than 10,000 delayed.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week warned it was reducing capacity by up to 10% at the nation’s 40 busiest airports because of the lack of workers. Some airports have seen controllers calling in sick or taking on second jobs to make ends meet.
Meanwhile Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said yesterday that if the shutdown continues, people might not even be able to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of the month.
Passengers in the security queue at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington last Friday. Photograph: M Scott Brauer/ZUMA Press Wire/ShutterstockShare
Trump pardons Giuliani and allies linked to efforts to overturn 2020 vote
The president has also on the weekend granted full pardons to dozens of allies accused of attempting to subvert the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.
The four-page list released from his administration runs to more than 70 people – including his former lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell and former chief of staff Mark Meadows. They’ve all been granted “full, complete and unconditional” pardons for their actions in relation to the 2020 vote.
They were accused of being involved in a scheme to alter slates of electors in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia and Michigan, which Biden won in 2020.
None of those on the list was ever charged on a federal level, but this directive could prevent future administrations from prosecuting.
Trump, in a proclamation dated on Friday, said the move would end “a grave national injustice perpetrated upon the American people following the 2020 presidential election and continue the process of national reconciliation”.
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Updated at 08.25 EST
Trump says shutdown end ‘very close’
President Trump last night also acknowledged the progress to reporters after arriving at the White House after a weekend at Mar-a-Lago.
“It looks like we’re getting very close to the shutdown ending.”
The president on the White House lawns last night Photograph: Shawn Thew/Pool/Shawn Thew – Pool/CNP/ShutterstockShare
Senators take major step towards ending shutdown
Good morning.
We may be closer to the end of the longest government shutdown in US history, after Democratic senators agreed to a deal with their counterparts across the aisle that cleared the way for a formal debate to resume funding to federal agencies.
The shutdown has gone on for more than 40 days now – affecting hundreds of thousands of federal workers and people who rely on programs like food aid.
Senators have agreed to a stopgap deal to fund the government through to January – more on that later – but on the process, it still needs to be passed in the Senate over the next two days, and then requires approval in the House of Representatives before landing on Donald Trump’s desk.
That may take a week or even longer. Still, it’s a step closer to relief.
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