• Asylum policy at SCOTUS: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider the Trump administration’s challenge to a Ninth Circuit order on immigrants seeking asylum. In Noem v. Al Otro Lado, the administration is requesting a clarification on what constitutes “arrival in the United States” with regard to federal asylum law. During the 2016-2018 migrant surge, the Trump administration implemented a metering system for noncitizens that limited and delayed the number of asylum-seekers at U.S. ports of entry. After an immigrants’ rights group sued, a panel of the Ninth Circuit ruled that this metering was unlawful, citing the “arrival in the United States” notation, which it broadened to include asylum-seekers at the border but not actually within U.S. territory. The Trump administration argues that the Ninth Circuit’s interpretation undercuts the executive branch’s authority to regulate immigration and control the nation’s borders.

• Comey to receive grand jury records: The Justice Department has been ordered to hand over grand jury material to former FBI Director James Comey, the defendant in the case. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick of Eastern Virginia ruled that the DOJ’s mishandling of evidence and potential misstatements from lead prosecutor Lindsey Halligan are enough to break the secrecy that usually surrounds grand jury proceedings. Some of the “profound investigative missteps” appear to include the DOJ’s reliance on evidence from 2019 and 2020 warrants that were part of a different investigation, which may have violated the Fourth Amendment. Halligan was appointed to the case in an apparent attempt to prosecute Comey before the statute of limitations expired, despite her lack of prior prosecutorial experience. Those hoping for someone to be held accountable for the political persecution of Donald Trump may be disappointed in this case.

• Acting FEMA administrator bolts: After just six months on the job, Federal Emergency Management Agency Acting Administrator David Richardson has tendered his resignation. Richardson took over leadership of FEMA after former Administrator Cameron Hamilton criticized the Trump administration over its desire to eliminate the federal agency and relegate disaster response authority to the states. Richardson came under criticism following his slow response to the severe and deadly flash flooding in Texas in July, during which he was reportedly unreachable in the early hours as the devastation unfolded. He also appeared unaware that the U.S. has a hurricane season, which was later passed off as him simply joking. Current FEMA Chief of Staff Karen Henderson will take over as the agency’s acting administrator on December 1.

• Judge blocks National Guard in Memphis: A Nashville-area judge ruled against President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Memphis on Monday. Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal’s decision states that Gov. Bill Lee cannot deploy the Tennessee National Guard in this case due to a lack of rebellion, invasion, or action from state lawmakers. Moskal delayed the enforcement of her decision for five days to give the government a chance to appeal. The Memphis Safe Task Force, of which the National Guard is a part, has made more than 2,500 arrests, many on outstanding warrants, since deployment began.

• Trump, the UN, and Gaza: The UN did the unexpected on Monday and endorsed President Trump’s proposal for peace in Gaza. The Security Council, with Russia and China abstaining, approved the 20-point peace plan for Gaza, including the “BOARD OF PEACE” to be chaired by Trump himself. The most salient feature of the approved plan is the creation of a security force to enter Gaza and disarm Hamas. The decision comes on the heels of Hamas’s statement Monday morning opposing the “disarmament of Gaza.” With Arab and Muslim countries signaling willingness to contribute troops to the security force, it seems that Hamas will be given little choice about the matter. Meanwhile, the rebuilding of Gaza is underway, with makeshift schools opening in the strip after many were destroyed due to Hamas’s use of school buildings as rocket launch sites.

• Working with the Saudis: U.S.-Saudi relations have long been complex, but recent developments suggest that deeper, more friendly relations may become the norm. Donald Trump was welcomed to Saudi Arabia in May with rarely seen pomp and ceremony, including an honor guard with golden swords. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House today gives Trump the chance to return the favor with a military flyover. On Monday, Trump confirmed that he has approved the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia. F-35 sales have usually been limited in that region to Israel, which raises concerns about degrading Israel’s military edge. On the other hand, the sale of advanced stealth fighters would give the U.S. significant leverage to secure the normalization of Saudi-Israeli relations and possibly a Saudi entry into the Abraham Accords.

• Sen. Cassidy floats pre-funding HSAs: Despite the government shutdown being over, the reason Democrats shut it down in the first place — the expiration of enhanced ObamaCare subsidies — has not been resolved, as premium costs are set to increase significantly. To address this reality, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy is floating an alternative plan to take the $23 billion that the Democrats wanted to use to extend the enhanced subsidies in 2026 and instead pre-fund tax-exempt Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Cassidy further explained, “Who would not want to spend 100% of the dollars on the patient choosing the healthcare she wants, as opposed to 100% going to insurance companies and only 80% being spent on healthcare?” Cassidy’s plan would eliminate the “medical loss ratio” rule under ObamaCare and allow consumers to use HSAs to pay deductibles and other out-of-pocket medical costs.

• Universities report 17% drop in foreign students: On Monday, the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit that represents more than half of the nation’s international students, released a report observing that the number of new foreign students enrolled in American universities dropped by 17%. This significant decline corresponds with the Trump administration’s crackdown on temporary visas. Of the schools reporting declines in new foreign student enrollment, 96% cited visa applications and travel restrictions as a contributing factor. The overall number of foreign students enrolled in American universities dropped by 1% this fall, the first decline since the COVID pandemic. Foreign students are a source of revenue for the American economy, generating an estimated $43 billion during the 2023-2024 school year. This likely explains in part why Donald Trump wants to increase the number of Chinese student visas to 600,000.

• Judge says NY can ban ICE from making courthouse arrests: Judge Mae D'Agostino, an Obama appointee, released a decision allowing New York to enforce its law blocking ICE from making arrests at state courthouses. “New York is not attempting to regulate federal agents, and it is not prohibiting the federal government from enforcing immigration law,” she wrote. “Rather, it is simply defining, as a proprietor, what activities are not permissible in state-owned facilities.” The state instituted the Protect Our Courts Act in 2020 in response to Trump’s push for immigration enforcement. It states that one cannot be arrested as a party, witness, or someone with a close relationship to a party or witness without a judicial warrant. Since illegal immigration is a civil offense, a judicial warrant is unavailable. The judge said that ICE is taking advantage of the efforts of New York law enforcement to make their own arrests.

Headlines

• Princeton professor resigns from Heritage board (Inside Higher Ed)

• Jeffrey Epstein was texting with Democrat during congressional hearing, helping to build case against Trump (Not the Bee)

• Majority of Democrats admit “extreme political rhetoric” played important role in Charlie Kirk assassination (Daily Caller)

• Hamas’s popularity is rising again in Gaza amid ceasefire — despite public executions (NY Post)

• 25 schoolgirls abducted after high school attack in Nigeria (CBS News)

• Humor: 8 ways Trump is exactly like Moses (Babylon Bee)

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