The Latest: Trump to meet with Asian leaders

Audio By Carbonatix

President Donald Trump is going to Asia to promote an epic financial windfall — at least $900 billion in investments for U.S. factories, a natural gas pipeline and other projects.

Japan and South Korea made those commitments in August as they sought to get Trump to ratchet down his planned tariff rates from 25% to 15%. But as the U.S. president departs Friday night, the pledges remain more of a loose end than money in the bank.

Japan pledged $550 billion, but wants its investments to benefit Japanese companies. South Korea offered $350 billion — but wants a swap line for U.S. dollars, funded through loan guarantees, or else the commitment could sink its own economy. Trump hopes the investments will demonstrate America’s strength before his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The Latest:

The top Democrats on congressional intelligence committees are demanding information about the Trump administration’s escalating strikes on drug-running vessels, which have killed at least 43 people.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut and Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia wrote to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard Friday asking about the intelligence service’s role in the strikes.

In the letter to Gabbard the lawmakers wrote that the administration is withholding important information about the strikes and their effects, including the evidence that prompted the strikes and the justification for lethal force.

“Please tell us in writing whether IC (intelligence community) attorneys have independently analyzed the legality of these strikes and the potential for legal repercussions for IC personnel who support them,” the lawmakers wrote.

Gabbard’s office did not immediately respond to the letter.

The drumbeat of deadly strikes on the alleged drug boats and the tough talk from Trump about a possible land incursion into Venezuela are widely viewed in Congress, on both sides of the political aisle, as a potential escalation of military involvement in the region.

Ahead of Friday’s announcement that the U.S. military is sending an aircraft carrier to the waters off South America, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said there is a growing concern on both sides of the political aisle over the Pentagon’s lack of transparency to Congress.

“Who are these people, what’s the plan?” Smith told AP in an interview late Thursday. “They’re basically saying: Drug dealers, we killed them, trust us, end of story.”

Smith said, “It has the whiff of extrajudicial killings.”

In the Senate, a bipartisan war powers resolution led by Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine that would block military action in Venezuela is heading toward a vote in coming weeks.

Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says his office launched an investigation of China’s implementation of the trade deal struck about six years ago during the first Trump administration, when Beijing agreed to buy more U.S. farm goods and other products.

The deal, often called the Phase One Agreement, stalled when the COVID-19 pandemic started. The announcement by Greer came on the same day Trump is scheduled to embark on a trip to Asia, where he said he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping about trade issues.

Beijing says Xi will travel to South Korea but has yet to confirm a meeting with Trump. Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade official, said Washington, by taking this move, might be seeking new leverage over Beijing in trade negotiations.

The president, along with first lady Melania Trump, will host a trick-or-treat on the South Lawn of the White House next week.

The event will be held Oct. 30, once Trump returns from a three-country visit to Asia.

The first lady’s office says thousands of children and their parents will attend, including military families, law enforcement families, foster and adoptive families, and administration officials with children.

The Trumps will hand out “commemorative candies,” the first lady’s office said, as Halloween tunes play in the background and the U.S Postal Service hosts a “BE BEST” postcard station for children.

The Associated Press first reported Friday that the Department of Justice is planning to monitor polling sites in Passaic County, New Jersey, and five counties in southern and central California: Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside and Fresno in next month’s off-year elections. The goal, according to the DOJ, is “to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.”

Democrats in both states criticized the action.

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin called the move “highly inappropriate” and said the DOJ “has not even attempted to identify a legitimate basis for its actions.”

And Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, said in a statement that “No amount of election interference by the California Republican Party is going to silence the voices of California voters.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the leaders meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation grouping in Gyeongju, South Korea, next week.

The announcement, however, didn’t confirm a meeting with Trump, who is leaving Washington on Friday for his Asia trip, where he says he will meet the Chinese leader over trade issues.

Beijing said Xi also would pay a state visit to South Korea.

A spokesperson for Ontario’s premier says the ad that prompted Trump to announce he’s ending all trade negotiations with Canada will run during Game 1 of the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers series on Friday night.

The Ontario government has said it would pay about $75 million Canadian ($54 million U.S.) for the ads to air across multiple American television stations. They use audio and video of former President Ronald Reagan speaking about tariffs in 1987.

The Pentagon’s announcement came after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military has conducted its 10th strike on a suspected drug-running boat.

He blamed the Tren de Aragua gang for operating the vessel and leaving six people dead in the Caribbean Sea.

In a social media post, Hegseth said the strike occurred overnight, and it marks the second time the Trump administration has tied one of its operations to the gang that originated in a Venezuelan prison.

The pace of the strikes has quickened in recent days from one every few weeks when they first began to three this week, killing a total of at least 43 people since September.

Republican Laura Swett is the new chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas and other energy infrastructure.

Swett, a lawyer, replaces Democrat David Rosner, who led the panel the past two months. Rosner remains on the five-member commission, which now includes three Republicans and two Democrats.

The Senate confirmed Swett and fellow Republican David LaCerte to the energy panel earlier this month. LaCerte has served as White House liaison and senior adviser in the Office of Personnel Management, prompting concerns from Democrats about his independence.

Swett’s appointment comes as the Trump administration seeks to boost fossil fuels and data center development. She said in a statement that she looks forward to continuing the commission’s “crucial mission of ensuring reliable and affordable energy for all consumers.”

Gary Peters of Michigan is calling for an investigation of the Department of Homeland Security’s purchase of two Coast Guard planes.

The department purchased the fixed-wing aircraft on Oct. 17, according to a listing in the Federal Procurement Data System which details federal contracts. The two aircraft were purchased by the Coast Guard, which falls under Homeland Security.

The listing didn’t give a specific reason for the purchase, but historically the department has used Coast Guard planes to transport the secretary and other senior Homeland Security officials.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the purchases during a news conference this week, saying they were to replace 25-year old Coast Guard planes and that Congress had appropriated the money.

Peters is the ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

The New York attorney general addressed a crowd of supporters after appearing in court in Virginia and pleading not guilty.

James thanked the people who had gathered outside the courthouse and who chanted “we stand with Tish!”

She said the justice system had been weaponized. It “has been used as a tool of revenge, and a weapon against those individuals who simply did their job and who stood up for the rule of law,” she told the crowd.

The House Democratic leader is urging the Trump administration to deploy a $5 billion emergency contingency fund to ensure that food assistance for millions of Americans continues on Nov. 1

The fate of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is becoming a deep concern as it gets closer to Nov. 1, when the benefits could dry up without either a resolution of the federal government shutdown or other action.

Jeffries was asked Friday at a Capitol press conference if he was confident that SNAP recipients would be able to continue to access their benefits. He said the administration has the resources to ensure than not a single American goes hungry on Nov. 1.

He accused Republicans of “trying to weaponize hunger” and called it unconscionable.

It would be the first time on record that the government did not issue the monthly inflation report, which provides crucial pricing data that is closely watched by financial markets and the Federal Reserve.

“Because surveyors cannot deploy to the field, the White House has learned there will likely NOT be an inflation release next month for the first time in history,” the Trump administration said in an email.

The announcement follows Friday’s release of September inflation data, which showed prices ticked higher but not by as much as many economists expected. The Fed is likely to cut its key interest rate next month as it grows more concerned about sluggish hiring than inflation.

“Stay tuned,” the House minority leader and Brooklyn native says.

Jeffries had said he would announce his position before early voting begins, and New Yorkers head to the polls starting Saturday. “I have not refused to endorse. I have refused to articulate my position, and I will momentarily at some point in advance of early voting,” Jeffries reiterated to reporters.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has become a lightning rod in national politics. But Jeffries resisted claims that his abstention from endorsing Mamdani is dividing his party. Democrats are “as unified as I’ve seen us throughout the entirety of this year” ahead of elections in Virginia, New Jersey and California, Jeffries said.

The New York attorney general pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal charges accusing her of lying on mortgage papers to secure favorable loan terms in a case pushed by Trump.

Her lawyers have already signaled they will challenge the appointment of the U.S. attorney who brought the indictment after the resignation of Erik Siebert, longtime prosecutor who resisted Trump administration pressure to bring charges. Siebert was replaced with Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide and former Trump lawyer who had never previously served as a federal prosecutor and presented James’ case to the grand jury herself.

James’ lawyers asked the judge to prohibit prosecutors from disclosing information from the case outside court, citing the revelation that Halligan used an encrypted messaging platform to contact a reporter from Lawfare, who then published her texts about the case. “The exchange was a stunning disclosure of internal government information,” lawyers for James wrote.

Letitia James is set to make her first court appearance on Friday. She’s the third Trump adversary to face a judge on federal charges in recent weeks.

James was indicted on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in connection with the 2020 purchase in Norfolk, Virginia, of a home where her relatives have lived. The charges came shortly after the Trump publicly called on the Justice Department to take action against James and other political foes.

James, a Democrat who has sued Trump and his administration dozens of times, has denied wrongdoing and decried the indictment as “nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.”

▶ Read more about the Trump administration’s case against James

“Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and this Department of Justice is committed to upholding the highest standards of election integrity,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement to The Associated Press.

The federal election observers will monitor the states’ off-year elections following requests from state Republican parties, at sites in Passaic County, New Jersey, and five counties in southern and central California: Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside and Fresno.

Election monitoring is a routine function of the Justice Department, but California and New Jersey are holding elections with national consequences on Nov. 4. New Jersey’s open seat for governor has attracted major spending by both parties, and California’s special election enables voters to approve or reject a redrawing of the state’s congressional map to counter Republican gerrymandering efforts elsewhere ahead of the 2026 midterms.

▶ Read more about the Trump administration’s election monitoring efforts

U.S. stocks are heading for records on Friday after an update on inflation came in a bit less painful than feared.

The S&P 500 rose 0.9% and was on track to top its all-time high, which was set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 411 points, or 0.9%, as of 10:15 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.2% higher. Both were also rising toward records.

The inflation data could mean less pain for lower- and middle-income households struggling with still-high increases in prices every month. Even more importantly for Wall Street, it could also clear the way for the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates in hopes of giving a boost to the slowing job market.

Marco Rubio’s visit Friday of the center in Israel is the latest by a top U.S. official as the Trump administration works to set up an international security force to maintain the tenuous truce between Israel and Hamas.

Around 200 U.S. troops are working alongside the Israeli military and delegations from other countries at the center for civilian and military coordination, planning Gaza’s stabilization and reconstruction. On Friday, an Associated Press reporter saw international personnel there with flags from Cyprus, Greece, France, Germany, Australia and Canada.

“I think we have a lot to be proud of in the first 10 days, 11 days, 12 days of implementation, where we have faced real challenges along the way,” said Rubio.

Rubio named the U.S. ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, to lead the civilian side, while the center’s top military official is Adm. Brad Cooper of the U.S. Central Command.

The U.S. military has conducted its 10th strike on a suspected drug-running boat, killing six more people in the Caribbean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday.

Hegseth blamed Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. In a 20-second black and white video of the strike posted to social media, a small boat can be seen apparently sitting motionless on the water when a long thin projectile descends on it, triggering an explosion.

Trump said Thursday he isn’t planning to ask Congress to issue a declaration of war against the cartels: “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK? We’re going to kill them, you know? They’re going to be like, dead.”

▶ Read more about the U.S. military’s deadly strikes on South American boats

“The Ontario ad does not misrepresent President Reagan’s anti-tariff radio address in any respect whatsoever. It is a direct replay of his radio address, formatted for a one minute ad,” said Jason Kenney, who served in former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet.

“Everything that Reagan said in his pro-free trade April, 1987 radio message is consistent with the ad. In fact, everything he ever said about trade, before and after becoming President, is consistent with his principled opposition to tariffs,” Kenney added in a social media post Friday.

Kenney also took aim at the Reagan foundation.

“They know perfectly well that the Ontario ad captures precisely President Reagan’s opposition to tariffs, and support for free trade. But it is obvious that the Foundation now has gormless leadership which is easily intimidated by a call from the White House, yet another sign of the hugely corrosive influence of Trump on the American conservative movement.”

Hillary Clinton’s Onward Together PAC is leveraging Trump’s demolition of the White House East Wing into a fundraising opportunity ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, selling hats and stickers with the message: “Not His House. Our House.”

“If you’re hopping mad about Trump destroying the White House, we’ve got a new hat or sticker for you,” the 2016 Democratic nominee against Trump posted Friday on Instagram. “Your purchase supports progressive groups working to build a fairer, more inclusive America for everyone — and win elections!”

Onward Together PAC says it has contributed nearly $1 million to more than 225 candidates since 2017, the majority of them women, and that 62% have won their races.

The hat sells for $35. The sticker sells for $8. The merchandise also features an image of the iconic North Portico of the White House, facing Pennsylvania Avenue.

That television ad that the provincial government of Ontario sponsored, showing President Reagan’s opposition to tariffs? It’s airing across the United States.

Ontario bought more than $275,000 of ad reservations for the spot to air in 198 of the nation’s 210 media markets this month, according to data from the nonpartisan media tracking firm AdImpact.

The vast majority of markets saw the ad once. It was broadcast most frequently in the New York market, with more than 530 airings, followed by Washington, D.C., at around 280. The only other markets with more than 100 airings were those around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and West Palm Beach, Florida.

Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia rounded out the markets with at least 10 airings.

Video showed what appeared to be a U-Haul truck trying to back into the base in Alameda. The truck drove away and no Coast Guard personnel were hurt after the shots were fired at about 10 p.m. Thursday, the Coast Guard posted on X.

“Coast Guard personnel issued multiple verbal commands to stop the vehicle, the driver failed to comply and proceeded to put the vehicle in reverse,” the statement said. “When the vehicle’s actions posed a direct threat to the safety of Coast Guard and security personnel, law enforcement officers discharged several rounds of live fire.”

The Coast Guard said the FBI was investigating. The FBI and U-Haul did not immediately respond to emails seeking further information.

A crowd had gathered earlier Thursday to protest a planned surge of federal agents, which Trump called off after hearing from several billionaires and San Francisco’s mayor.

The former Justice Department special counsel says he’s ready to testify before Congress in an open hearing, responding to Republicans’ demands that he answer for investigations he led into Trump’s storage of classified documents and attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

A letter to both the House and Senate committee overseeing the Justice Department from Smith’s attorneys says that “Mr. Smith steadfastly adhered to established legal standards and Department of Justice guidelines.”

Smith is essentially daring Republicans and the Justice Department to allow him to speak openly.

He has come under scrutiny from GOP lawmakers after the FBI revealed that his investigation analyzed phone records for a handful of lawmakers as part of the investigation into Trump’s attempt to overturn the presidential election.

In cutting off trade talks with Canada, Trump cited the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute’s claim that an ad sponsored by the province of Ontario misrepresented the 40th U.S. president’s remarks on tariffs.

The foundation in Simi Valley, Calif., is perhaps best known for maintaining the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, which has the plane Reagan used as Air Force One on display and has hosted GOP presidential primary debates.

Its board includes longtime Republican Party stalwarts such as former Trump Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who resigned after the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol, and former House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose free-market philosophy often clashes with Trump’s protectionist tendencies.

Another board member is Lachlan Murdoch, the son of Rupert who is executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corporation. The board is chaired by Fred Ryan, the former publisher and CEO of The Washington Post.

Many Hispanic voters were motivated by economic concerns in last year’s presidential election. A new AP-NORC poll shows that despite Trump’s promises of economic revitalization, they continue to feel higher financial stress than Americans more broadly.

“Now it’s like, OK, you’re in office. I’m still getting done dirty at the grocery store. I’m still spending an insane amount of money,” said Alejandro Ochoa, 30, a warehouse worker in Adelanto, California, who said she voted for Trump in 2024.

According to the survey, 65% of Hispanic adults say the cost of groceries is a “major” source of stress in their lives right now, compared to 54% of Americans overall. And 61% of Hispanic adults say this about the cost of housing, compared to 45% of Americans overall.

The new AP-NORC poll also finds that Hispanic adults are slightly less likely to approve of Trump’s handling of immigration and the economy than they were earlier in the year.

In March, 41% of Hispanic adults approved of the way Trump was handling his job as president, but now that has fallen to 27%.

The poll found particularly high levels of financial stress among Hispanic adults, compared to Americans overall, and Latino communities have also been a target of the president’s aggressive immigration tactics. Some see the two issues as linked. Trump’s attacks on immigration have affected low-wage and high-skilled workers alike, at a moment when the economy is already uncertain because of his erratic trade policies.