President Donald Trump 's face-to-face high-stakes summit with President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday could determine the fate of European security as well as the trajectory of the war in Ukraine. The exclusion of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy already deals a heavy blow to the West’s policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
Washington, D.C.'s police department now potentially in open conflict with federal forces over the terms of Trump’s takeover of security in the nation's capital, with the DEA administrator now named “emergency police chief,” a declaration that city leaders say has no basis in law. The attorney general's declaration came after a dispute over how much help police would provide in arresting immigrants.
The Latest:
Macron and Zelenskyy huddled ahead of the Alaska summit
The office of President Emmanuel Macron says the French leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke Thursday and again Friday before the Trump-Putin summit. The two have agreed to meet each other after the U.S.-Russia summit, when “it will be most useful and effective.”
The brief readout of the exchanges didn’t detail any specifics of what Macron and Zelenskyy discussed.
Several Cabinet members will accompany Trump on Air Force One
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the Trump administration officials joining the president for his flight to Alaska.
Trump will also be accompanied on Air Force One by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and top White House aides, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Monica Crowley, a former Fox News commentator serving as Trump’s chief of protocol, also are making the trip.
The Washington police department seeks to assure its citizens
With the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department potentially in open conflict with the federal government over the terms of Trump’s departmental takeover, the police department is looking to address public concerns.
“What’s most important for our community to know is that MPD remains committed to delivering high-quality police service and ensuring the safety of everyone in our city,” a Friday morning statement from an MPD spokesperson.
The city appears poised to fight back against the federal takeover, particularly Thursday’s attempt by Attorney General Pam Bondi to install DEA chief Terry Cole as “emergency police commissioner.”
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued a declaration that Bondi’s order was “unlawful” and the MPD was under no obligation to comply.
Trump: ‘HIGH STAKES!!!’
Trump made his first public comments on the day as he prepares to meet with Putin.
“HIGH STAKES!!!” he posted on Truth Social as his motorcade idled outside the White House shortly after sunrise in Washington.
He left the White House for Joint Base Andrews, the home base for Air Force One, at 7:32 a.m. ET.
It’s a cool and rainy day in Anchorage
An early morning rain storm hit Anchorage, Alaska, just before 3 a.m. on Friday, and the streets leading to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson were sopping wet. The temperature was hovering right about 53° F early Friday morning.
Media from all over the world have descended on Anchorage for the top-level summit.
There was not much activity outside the base’s main gate early Friday morning except for media setting up for the day or sending live images back to the networks.
Eyeing Texas, California will hold vote on partisan redistricting
Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a Nov. 4 special election as the state moves toward redrawing congressional maps in an attempt to pick up five more Democratic seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.
The move is in direct response to a Republican-led effort in Texas pushed by Trump, as his party seeks to maintain its slim House majority after the midterm elections.
Judge rules against Trump’s efforts to end DEI programs
U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher in Maryland ruled that the Education Department violated the law when it threatened to cut federal funding from educational institutions that continued with diversity initiatives.
The case centers on two Education Department memos ordering schools and universities to end all “race-based decision-making” or face penalties up to a total loss of federal funding.
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