[CRAIG NIGRELLI]
GOOD MORNING
I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI
IT’S WEDNESDAY MAY 14TH, 2025 AND
AND THESE ARE YOUR UNBIASED UPDATES:
DAY TWO OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S STATE VISIT TO THE MIDDLE EAST , THE GCC SUMMIT. IT COMES WITH A SURPRISE SIT-DOWN WITH A FORMER ENEMY.
THE PRESIDENT OFFERS AN OLIVE BRANCH AND CHANCE FOR A NEW BEGINNING FOR SYRIA.
ALSO – A HIGH PROFILE CASE THAT MANY ACROSS THE NATION ARE WATCHING. THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS. THIS MORNING THE MEN CONVICTED OF KILLING THEIR PARENTS DECADES AGO, HAVE A CHANCE FOR FREEDOM. WHAT THE JUDGE DECIDED, HOW RELATIVES OF MEN FEEL ABOUT IT AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
L3: TRUMP LIFTS SANCTIONS ON SYRIA IN EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH SAUDI ARABIA
AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO THE MIDDLE EAST TODAY — HE HELD AN UNEXPECTED MEETING WITH SYRIA’S NEW PRESIDENT IN SAUDI ARABIA BEFORE MOVING ON TO QATAR FOR THE NEXT LEG OF HIS TRIP. THE SYRIAN LEADER PREVIOUSLY HAD TIES TO THE TERROR GROUP AL-QAAIDA. U-S FORCES AT ONE POINT, HELD HIM INTO CUSTODY IN IRAQ. BUT NOW PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS HE WANTS TO GIVE SYRIA, A CHANCE AT PEACE.
IT COMES AFTER THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED OVERNIGHT- DURING A SPEECH AT THE U-S/SAUDI ARABIA INVESTMENT CONFERENCE — THE U-S IS LIFTING SANCTIONS AGAINST SYRIA, IN AN EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH SAUDI ARABIA.
“OH WHAT I DO FOR THE CROWN PRINCE. (LAUGHTER) THE SANCTIONS WERE BRUTAL AND CRIPPLING AND SERVED AS AN IMPORTANT, REALLY AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION NEVERTHELESS, AT THE TIME. BUT NOW IT’S THEIR TIME TO SHINE. IT’S THEIR TIME TO SHINE. WE’RE TAKING THEM ALL OFF, AND THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE, I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE, BASED ON THE PEOPLE AND THE SPIRIT AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT I’M HEARING ABOUT. SO I SAY, GOOD LUCK, SYRIA, SHOW US SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL LIKE THEY’VE DONE, FRANKLY, IN SAUDI ARABIA.”
DONALD TRUMP’S MEETING WITH SYRIA’S INTERIM PRESIDENT, AHMAD AL-SHARAA WAS THE FIRST ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS’ LEADERS IN 25 YEARS.
THE U-S ONCE OFFERED 10 MILLION DOLLARS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT AL-SHARAA’S WHEREABOUTS BECAUSE OF HIS LINKS TO AL-QAIDA.
HE CAME TO POWER AFTER LEADING THE COUP AND OVERTHROW OF PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD IN DECEMBER. HE BECAME PRESIDENT IN JANUARY.
IN ADDITION TO LIFTING SANCTIONS ON SYRIA, PRESIDENT TRUMP AND SAUDI ARABIAN CROWN PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN ALSO ANNOUNCED MULTIPLE ECONOMIC AND DEFENSE AGREEMENTS.
NOW IT’S ON TO QATAR FOR THE PRESIDENT — AND THE VISIT COMES AMID CONTROVERSY, AS THE COUNTRY IS SET TO GIFT TRUMP A LUXURY JET… TO BE USED AS AIR FORCE ONE.
REPORTS INDICATE ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI SIGNED OFF ON THE DEAL — SAYING IT DOES NOT VIOLATE FEDERAL LAW.
CRITICS ARGUE IT VIOLATES THE EMOLUMENTS CLAUSE — WHICH PROHIBITS ANYONE IN GOVERNMENT FROM ACCEPTING A GIFT FROM ANY “KING, PRINCE OR FOREIGN STATE,” WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL CONSENT.
IN RESPONSE, SENATE MINORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER SAYS HE HAS PLACED A HOLD ON ALL DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE POLITICAL NOMINEES — AND WON’T RELEASE IT UNTIL BONDI EXPLAINS HER REASONING FOR SAYING THAT ACCEPTING THE JET DOES NOT VIOLATE FEDERAL LAW.
ONCE THE JET IS DONE BEING USED AS AIR FORCE ONE, THE PLAN IS TO TRANSFER IT TO THE TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY FOUNDATION AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP LEAVES OFFICE.
L3: AT LEAST 60 KILLED IN RENEWED ISRAELI STRIKES ON GAZA
AT LEAST 22 CHILDREN WERE KILLED IN GAZA EARLY WEDNESDAY IN A SERIES OF ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES ACROSS GAZA — ACCORDING TO LOCAL HOSPITALS AND HEALTH OFFICIALS.
GAZA’S HEALTH MINISTRY SAYS THE STRIKES KILLED AT LEAST 60 PEOPLE IN TOTAL.
THE STRIKES COME A DAY AFTER HAMAS RELEASED AN ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE IN A DEAL BROKERED BY THE UNITED STATES.
ISRAEL HAD PAUSED MILITARY ACTIVITY BRIEFLY FOR THE RELEASE OF EDAN ALEXANDER. BUT THE ATTACKS PICKED BACK UP, ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER ALEXANDER LEFT THE TERRITORY.
ON TUESDAY, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAID THERE IS QUOTE “NO WAY” ISRAEL WILL HALT ITS WAR IN GAZA UNTIL THE MILITANT GROUP HAMAS HAS BEEN COMPLETELY ROOTED OUT.
L3: FEDERAL JUDGE RULES TRUMP ADMIN CAN USE ALIEN ENEMIES ACT TO DEPORT SUSPECTED GANG MEMBERS
A VICTORY FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WHEN IT COMES TO DEPORTING SUSPECTED MEMBERS OF THE VENEZUELAN GANG: TREN DE ARAGUA.
A FEDERAL JUDGE IN PENNSYLVANIA RULED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CAN USE THE ALIEN ENEMIES ACT TO DEPORT THE REPUTED GANG MEMBERS, WHO ARE IN THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY.
IT APPEARS TO BE A THE FIRST TIME A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS OKAYED THE TRUMP POLICY OF CALLING TREN DE ARAGUA A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AND INVOKING THE WARTIME LAW TO DO DEPORT SUSPECTED MEMBERS.
THE JUDGE ALSO ORDERED THE ADMINISTRATION TO GIVE THEM, 21 DAYS NOTICE INSTEAD OF 12, BEFORE THEIR REMOVAL.
THE RULING DID NOT SAY WHETHER DONALD TRUMP CAN USE INVOKE THE ALIEN ENEMIES ACT TO DEPORT MIGRANTS WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OF A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION NOR DID THE JUDGE WEIGH IN THE QUESTION OF WHETHER MEMBERS OF OTHER SUSPECTED GANGS, COULD BE REMOVED UNDER THE SAME TERMS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP ISSUED THE PROCLAMATION IN MARCH, SAYING THAT TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS HAD INVADED THE UNITED STATES.
HE THEN BEGAN DEPORTING SUSPECTED MEMBERS TO A PRISON IN EL SALVADOR.
ALSO ON TUESDAY, A FEDERAL JUDGE IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS BARRED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM USING THE SAME ALIEN ENEMIES ACT TO DEPORT PEOPLE IN THAT REGION OF THE COUNTRY.
LAST MONTH, FEDERAL AGENTS ARRESTED NEARLY FOUR DOZEN SUSPECTED MEMBERS OF TREN DE ARAGUA, IN A DRUG RAID NEAR AUSTIN.
L3: WISCONSIN JUDGE INDICTED ON FEDERAL CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY HELPING MAN EVADE IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES
A FEDERAL GRAND JURY HAS INDICTED A WISCONSIN JUDGE — ACCUSING HER OF HELPING A MIGRANT EVADE IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES.
FEDERAL AGENTS ARRESTED Milwaukee County Circuit Judge HANNAH DUGAN LAST MONTH AT THE COURTHOUSE WHERE SHE WORKS. THEY SAY SHE OBSTRUCTED GOVERNMENT AGENTS, WHO WERE SEEKING TO DETAIN AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT, BY HELPING THE MAN AND HIS LAWYER, SLIP OUT THE BACK WAY OF THE MILWAUKEE COURTHOUSE THROUGH A JURY DOOR, TYPICALLY RESERVED FOR COURT STAFF, JURIES AND IN-CUSTODY DEFENDANTS.
DUGAN IS CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTING OR IMPEDING A PROCEEDING BEFORE A DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND CONCEALING AN INDIVIDUAL TO PREVENT HIS DISCOVERY AND ARREST. FEDERAL AUTHORITIES EVENTUALLY CAUGHT THE SUSPECT, OUTSIDE AFTER A FOOT CHASE DOWN THE STREET.
THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR THE COUNTS, THE JUDGE NOW FACES, IS A TOTAL OF 6 YEARS IN PRISON AS WELL AS FINES.
DUGAN IS SCHEDULED TO ENTER HER PLEA THURSDAY MORNING.
L3: MENENDEZ BROTHERS RESENTENCED IN PARENTS’ SLAYING, NOW ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE
A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN A HIGH-PROFILE DOUBLE MURDER IN LOS ANGELES THAT HAPPENED DECADES AGO.
A JUDGE IN LOS ANGELES HAS REDUCED THE SENTENCES FOR LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ TO 50 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON.
THEY ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE.
THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS SHOT AND KILLED THEIR WEALTHY PARENTS IN THEIR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOME IN AUGUST OF 1989.
A COURT LATER SENTENCED THEM TO LIFE IN PRISON, WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE.
THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS HAVE LONG CLAIMED THEIR FATHER SEXUALLY ABUSED, THEIR MOTHER WAS COMPLICIT AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE KILLINGS. THERE HAVE BEEN MOVIES AND A DOCUMENTARY MADE ABOUT THE MURDERS AND THE BROTHERS HAVE DEVELOPED A FOLLOWING.
A COUSIN TESTIFIED ON TUESDAY, THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS HAVE LEARNED THE ERROR OF THEIR WAYS, BEEN COMPLETELY REHABILITATED IN PRISON AND DESERVE TO BE RELEASED TO THEIR RELATIVES, WHO WOULD GLADLY TAKE THEM IN.
HOWEVER, THE PROSECUTOR ARGUED THE BROTHERS, NOW IN THEIR 50’S, HAVE STUCK TO AN ABSURD CLAIM AS THE MOTIVE FOR THE MURDERS.
STILL, THEY NOW HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. THE CASE IS IN THE HANDS OF THE CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL AND GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM.
A HEARING, IN FRONT OF THE PAROLE BOARD, IS SET FOR JUNE 13TH.
L3: MLB LIFTS BAN FOR PETE ROSE AND OTHERS, PAVING THE WAY TO HALL OF FAME
FINALLY THIS MORNING — BASEBALL LEGENDS PETE ROSE, “SHOELESS” JOE JACKSON AND 15 OTHERS — BANNED BY BASEBALL OVER THE YEARS FOR GAMBLING AND OTHER INFRACTIONS — ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR THE HALL OF FAME.
M-L-B COMMISSIONER ROB MANFRED posthumously reinstated ALL 17 MEN TUESDAY.
STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS SPORTS REPORTER CHRIS FRANCIS EXPLAINS WHAT LED TO THE DECISION.
THESE ARE YOUR UNBIASED UPDATES FOR THIS WEDNESDAY.
WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.
FOR ALL OF US HERE AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS — I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
