Saturday, October 17, 2026

President Trump's executive order waiving sanctions under the Graham Act, signed late Friday, drew criticism Saturday from Democrats and some Republicans in Congress, who called the move harmful to Ukraine. Sen. Thomas Massie praised the decision. Ukrainian President Zelensky called it unfortunate, saying it would encourage Russia, but said Ukraine remains ready to negotiate. Trump told Congress the pause was in the national interest, without elaborating.

The federal budget deficit for the fiscal year that just ended reached nearly $2 trillion, the largest gap since 2021, Treasury figures show. Higher interest rates increased borrowing costs, while spending included outlays tied to the Iran war and tariff refunds. The total marks President Trump's first full fiscal year in his current term.

The Norte Fire, which began Friday near San Clemente, has grown rapidly amid strong Santa Ana winds, destroying multiple homes according to images released Saturday. It is one of 13 wildfires burning across California. Flames have engulfed coastal properties and prompted thousands of evacuations as fire crews continue working to contain the spreading blazes.

Katie Zacharia departed as White House press secretary, with her tenure described as under five days following media scrutiny of her credentials. Trump said he told her, "if I were you, I'd reconsider," adding she was treated "very, very unfairly" by the news media. Zacharia posted on X that "it was an honor" to work for Trump. She replaced Karoline Leavitt and has not announced her next role.

President Trump repeated warnings that California officials could face prosecution and imprisonment if the state includes mail-in ballots from over 200,000 people the federal government identified as potential noncitizens in its midterm count. The Justice Department has sued California, alleging it has not purged noncitizens from voter rolls. "They will all go to jail for a long period of time!!!" Trump wrote. No charges have been announced.

A three-judge D.C. Circuit panel appeared skeptical of the Justice Department's argument that the 1978 Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional. The case stems from accusations Trump violated the law by storing classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Federal attorneys argued presidents historically owned their records until Watergate-era changes; judges Patricia Millett and Cornelia Pillard questioned whether that position could endanger government record-keeping.

Elon Musk agreed to settle two lawsuits filed in the Western District of Texas over his America PAC's $1 million giveaways to battleground-state voters who signed a petition ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The suits had accused Musk of defrauding voters by predetermining winners of the giveaway. Court filings disclosing the settlements were published Thursday.

The Justice Department asked Judge Ana C. Reyes to recuse herself from a lawsuit over the removal of trees at a National Mall golf course in East Potomac Park. The move follows a Monday hearing where Reyes ordered senior Trump administration officials to testify about whether President Trump prompted the tree-cutting to rebuild the course. The DOJ accused her of 'egregious' conduct.

Election offices and congressional offices across the US received letters containing unknown substances this week, prompting a federal investigation that has expanded to include Republican targets. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Mike Rounds, Pete Ricketts, Tina Smith and Ted Cruz, plus more than 15 House members, reported their district or state offices received the mailings. The first incident was reported Thursday.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 131 people suspected of gang affiliation between October 4 and 10, including 22 linked to MS-13 and 13 to Tren de Aragua, the Department of Homeland Security said. DHS said ICE has made 12,018 gang-related arrests since President Trump took office in 2025. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin credited agents for the arrests in a statement.

Masked Israeli settlers attacked a group of European diplomats near the village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, Belgium's foreign minister said, breaking a diplomatic vehicle's window, witnesses said. It followed Friday's settler attacks on Palestinians harvesting olives across the West Bank, which beat residents and a foreign journalist. The incidents mark a second straight day of settler violence during the olive harvest season.

Pope Leo XIV, 71, left Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Saturday, four days after surgery that removed the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed lung adenocarcinoma. The Vatican said blood tests and a chest X-ray showed he was fit for discharge. He returned to the Vatican and is scheduled to lead the Angelus prayer from St. Peter's Square on Sunday. He also spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Alberta's conservative premier joined Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday in opposing separation, ahead of a referendum on whether Alberta should pursue a path toward independence from Canada. Carney called the referendum a dangerous gamble amid growing threats to Canada's sovereignty. More than 1 million people had already cast early ballots, with pollsters saying turnout may favor the "remain" side.

Pro-Western opposition parties won a majority of seats contested Saturday in elections for one-third of the Czech Senate, the upper house of Parliament. The result allows the current opposition to retain control of the chamber, while Prime Minister Andrej Babis's ruling ANO party lost ground.

Demonstrators protesting rising living costs and government budget cuts joined students in nationwide marches across France on Saturday, including in Paris and Marseille. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse hooded protesters throwing fireworks near Place de la République. The interior ministry reported assaults on police, looting and damage to public buildings. Macron earlier said young people's concerns were legitimate but being exploited for political purposes.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said Egypt's military stands ready to defend Saudi Arabia from escalating Houthi attacks and asked parliament to convene an emergency session to authorize such action if needed. The statement follows a strike on a Riyadh airport that killed 13 people, including an American, according to the New York Post. The Wall Street Journal reported Iran is providing the Houthis targeting and intelligence support.

Kenya's Health Ministry confirmed four new Ebola cases on Saturday, bringing the national total to seven, in the country's first recorded outbreak of the virus. Three of the new cases are health workers who had cared for Kenya's first confirmed patient.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has held power for over a decade, said his presidency will end in 2030 and pledged to respect constitutional term limits. He also outlined plans to prepare future leaders and is seeking parliamentary approval to help defend Saudi Arabia.