[CRAIG NIGRELLI]
GOOD MORNING
I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI
IT’S TUESDAY MAY 20TH, 2025
AND THESE ARE YOUR UNBIASED UPDATES:
PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS HE ASKED RUSSIA’S VLADIMIR PUTIN, POINT-BLANK, ON THE PHONE – WHEN IS THE BLOODSHED, GOING TO STOP IN UKRAINE? PUTIN’S REACTION, WHERE PEACE TALKS MIGHT TAKE PLACE AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
AND — CHAOS OUTSIDE AN ICE DETENTION FACILITY IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY LEADS TO CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST A CONGRESSWOMAN, WHILE ANOTHER HIGH-PROFILE LAWMAKER IS NOW OFF THE HOOK .
RUSSIA AND UKRAINE LAUNCH DRONE ATTACKS AFTER TALKS WITH TRUMP
AS A CEASEFIRE REMAINS ELUSIVE, BOTH RUSSIA AND UKRAINE LAUNCHED DRONE ATTACKS OVERNIGHT
UKRAINE’S MILITARY SAYS RUSSIA FIRED MORE THAN 100 DRONES
THE UKRAINIAN AIR FORCE CLAIMS IT SHOW DOWN 93 OF THEM
THE ATTACKS COME JUST HOURS AFTER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN SPOKE BY PHONE FOR NEARLY TWO HOURS … PART OF DONALD TRUMP’S LATEST PUSH TO BROKER A CEASEFIRE IN THE WAR THAT’S NOW INTO ITS FOURTH YEAR
THERE WAS NO BREAKTHROUGH
BUT TRUMP SAYS VIA TRUTH SOCIAL THAT CEASEFIRE TALKS SHOULD BEGIN “IMMEDIATELY” FOLLOWING HIS CALLS WITH BOTH PUTIN AND UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS IN THE OVAL OFFICE, PRESIDENT TRUMP ACKNOWLEDGED THE COMPLEXITY OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT INSISTED PROGRESS IS STILL POSSIBLE
I THINK SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN. IT’S VERY BIG EGO INVOLVED, I’LL TELL YOU. BIG EGOS INVOLVED. BUT I THINK SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IF IT DOESN’T I’LL JUST BACK AWAY, AND THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP GOING. AGAIN, THIS IS A EUROPEAN SITUATION. IT SHOULD HAVE REMAINED A EUROPEAN SITUATION.
PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO SAID HE PRESSED PUTIN DIRECTLY DURING THEIR CALL
I SAID, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO END THIS, VLADIMIR? I’VE KNOWN HIM FOR A LONG TIME NOW. I SAID, WHEN ARE WE GONNA END THIS BLOODSHED, THIS BLOOD BATH? IT’S A BLOOD BATH. AND I DO BELIEVE HE WANTS TO END IT.”
THE PRESIDENT ALSO TOLD REPORTERS THE VATICAN HAS SHOWN INTEREST IN HOSTING NEGOTIATIONS, THOUGH THERE’S BEEN NO OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION OF TALKS SO FAR.
DESPITE HIS REPEATED PROMISE AND EFFORTS TO END THE WAR QUICKLY, THE PATH FORWARD REMAINS UNCERTAIN… WITH NO CONCRETE AGREEMENTS IN PLACE YET.
TRUMP TO PUSH FOR “BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL” ON CAPITOL HILL THIS MORNING
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS HEADING TO CAPITOL HILL THIS MORNING… TRYING TO CLOSE THE DEAL ON WHAT HE’S CALLING HIS BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL
… BUT BEHIND THE SCENES?
HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE DEEPLY DIVIDED.
AND TRUMP’S PITCH COMES AT A MAKE OR BREAK MOMENT FOR HIS SIGNATURE TAX AND SPENDING PLAN.
THE 3-TRILLION PACKAGE INCLUDES SWEEPING TAX CUTS, MEDICAID WORK REQUIREMENTS AND BIG ROLLBACKS TO CLEAN ENERGY INCENTIVES
… BUT IT’S ALSO DRAWING FIRE FROM ALL SIDES
HARDLINE CONSERVATIVES SAY THE CUTS DO NOT GO FAR ENOUGH
… MODERATES ARE PUSHING BACK ON PROPOSALS THAT WOULD SLASH FOOD AID AND HEALTH BENEFITS
SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON IS TRYING TO THREAD THE NEEDLE, BUT THE CLOCK IS TICKING
A KEY COMMITTEE VOTE IS SET FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, OR 1 A-M EASTERN… AND A FULL HOUSE VOTE COULD COME AS EARLY AS TOMORROW AFTERNOON,.
TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO RALLY THE GOP CONFERENCE THIS MORNING… URGING THEM TO QUOTE “STOP STALLING AND GET IT DONE.”
DEM. REP. CHARGED WITH ASSAULT OVER ICE INCIDENT
THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS FILED FEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN LAMONICA MCIVER… ACCUSING HER OF ASSAULTING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS DURING A RECENT VISIT TO AN ICE FACILITY IN NEWARK
ACTING U-S ATTORNEY FOR NEW JERSEY ALINA HABBA ANNOUNCED THE CHARGES MONDAY ON X … SAYING MCIVER IS ACCUSED OF “ASSAULTING, IMPEDING AND INTERFERING” WITH ICE OFFICERS EARLIER THIS MONTH
MCIVER RESPONDED IN A STATEMENT… CALLING THE CHARGES QUOTE “PURELY POLITICAL”… SHE SAYS THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT IN COURT
THE CONGRESSWOMAN WAS ARRESTED LAST MONTH ALONGSIDE FELLOW DEMOCRAT, NEWARK MAYOR RAS BARAKA, WHO IS CURRENTLY RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.
THE TWO WERE VISITING THE DETENTION CENTER AS PART OF WHAT THEY DESCRIBED AS OFFICIAL FEDERAL OVERSIGHT, ARRIVING AS PROTESTS WERE HAPPENING OUTSIDE.
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS HAVE DROPPED CHARGES AGAINST BARAKA. HE HAS SINCE SAID HE EXPECTS MCIVER WILL ALSO BE VINDICATED.
MCIVER CLAIMS ICE AGENTS WERE THE AGGRESSORS AND SAYS MEMBERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC DELEGATION WERE ASSAULTED DURING THE VISIT.
SUPREME COURT ALLOWS TRUMP ADMIN. TO REMOVE TPS PROTECTIONS FOR 350K VENEZUELANS
THE U.S. SUPREME COURT IS ALLOWING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ENDING TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR AN ESTIMATED 350-THOUSAND VENEZUELANS LIVING IN THE U-S
CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS SAY THE DECISION PUTS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AT RISK OF DEPORTATION, MANY OF WHOM FLED ECONOMIC COLLAPSE AND POLITICAL UNREST IN VENEZUELA
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAD EXTENDED T-P-S PROTECTIONS FOR VENEZUELANS IN 2023, CITING DANGEROUS CONDITIONS BACK HOME
THE HIGH COURT’S UNSIGNED ORDER **REVERSES** A LOWER COURT RULING THAT HAD TEMPORARILY BLOCKED THE ROLLBACK.
THE FEDERAL JUDGE HAD ALLOWED T-P-S PROTECTIONS TO REMAIN IN PLACE, AT LEAST UNTIL A BROADER LEGAL CHALLENGE PLAYED OUT
T-P-S ALLOWS PEOPLE ALREADY IN THE U-S TO LIVE AND WORK LEGALLY IF THEIR HOME COUNTRY IS DEEMED UNSAFE DUE TO NATURAL DISASTERS, CONFLICT, OR HUMANITARIAN CRISES.
IN VENEZUELA’S CASE, THE COUNTRY REMAINS MIRED IN SKYROCKETING INFLATION, POLITICAL CRACKDOWNS, AND WHAT INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS SAY WAS A FRAUDULENT ELECTION LAST YEAR
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN ACTIVELY TRYING TO DEPORT MEMBERS OF THE VENEZUELAN GANG TREN DE ARAGUA OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, SENDING HUNDREDS OF SUSPECTED MEMBERS TO A PRISON IN EL SALVADOR. THEIR FLIGHTS BACK TO VENEZUELA HOWEVER, HAVE BEEN TIED UP IN COURT.
‘ORIGINAL SIN’ HITS BOOK STORES TODAY
NOW TO A TIMELY RELEASE.
JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER THE COUNTRY LEARNED THAT FORMER PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS AN AGGRESSIVE FORM OF PROSTATE CANCER, THE BOOK ORIGINAL SIN. PRESIDENT BIDEN’S DECLINE, ITS COVER-UP, AND HIS DECISION TO RUN AGAIN IS HITTING STORE SHELVES THIS MORNING.
THE AUTHORS, CNN’S JAKE TAPPER AND ALEX THOMPSON FROM AXIOS CLAIM THERE WERE TWO VERSIONS OF PRESIDENT BIDEN : ONE THAT THE PUBLIC SAW; THE OTHER THAT WAS QUOTE “NON-FUNCTIONING” BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
NPR IS REPORTING THAT BIDEN’S AIDES TRIED TO SHIELD HIS COGNITIVE DECLINE FROM THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC… LIMITING ACCESS AND AVOIDING TOUGH QUESTIONS
THE BOOK SITES AN UNNAMED DEMOCRAT AS SAYING EVEN BEFORE THE 2020 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, IT WAS QUOTE” LIKE WATCHING GRANDPA WHO SHOULDN’T BE DRIVING.”
THE BOOK ALSO ARGUES THE MEDIA FAILED TO PRESS HARD ENOUGH… ESPECIALLY AS SIGNS OF DECLINE BECAME MORE VISIBLE.
SOME REPUBLICANS ARE NOW CALLING IT A COVER-UP
FRANK SESNO/FORMER CNN ANCHOR, JOURNALISM PROCESSOR: ” I THINK WHAT THERE WAS NOT WAS VERY CLEAR VIGILANT, TOUGH QUESTIONING AND COVERAGE ABOUT WHAT EVERYBODY COULD SEE.”
ACCORDING TO THE LOS ANGELES TIMES REVIEW, BIDEN WAS ONE OF FIVE STAFFERS RUNNING THE COUNTRY … DESCRIBING HIM AS A SYMBOLIC SENIOR FIGURE
THE AUTHORS WRITE THAT THE “ORIGINAL SIN” WAS BIDEN’S EFFORTS TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION IN 2024, WHILE TRYING TO CONCEAL HIS DECLINE.
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS BEGIN TONIGHT
NO LEBRON JAMES FOR THE LAKERS, NO STEPH CURRY FOR THE WARRIORS SO WHO IS GOING TO EMERGE AS THE KEY SUPERSTAR TO CARRY HIS TEAM TO THE NBA TITLE THIS YEAR? PERHAPS WE ARE ABOUT TO FIND OUT.
THE CONFERENCE FINALS GET UNDERWAY TONIGHT AS THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER – WHO BLEW ON THE NUGGETS ON SUNDAY – TAKE ON THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES IN GAME ONE OF THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRACKET, TOMORROW THE NEW YORK KNICKS TAKE ON THE INDIANA PACERS. THE KNICKS ARE THE TALK OF THE TOWN IN THE BIG APPLE AFTER KNOCKING OFF THE BOSTON CELTICS. THEIR STAR IS JALEN BRUNSON.
THESE ARE YOUR UNBIASED UPDATES FOR THIS TUESDAY, MAY 20TH.
WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.
FOR ALL OF US HERE AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS — I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI. HAVE A GREAT DAY
