{"id":1451,"date":"2025-10-30T09:51:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T10:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/?p=1451"},"modified":"2025-11-03T09:10:48","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T09:10:48","slug":"trump-chinas-xi-reach-agreement-on-tariffs-rare-earths-in-wide-ranging-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/30\/trump-chinas-xi-reach-agreement-on-tariffs-rare-earths-in-wide-ranging-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump, China&#039;s Xi reach agreement on tariffs, rare earths in wide-ranging meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Morning Report is The Hill&#8217;s a.m. newsletter. <a href=\"http:\/\/thehill.com\/signup\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"thehill.com\/signup\">Subscribe here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In today&#8217;s issue:<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa Trump hails &#8216;truly great&#8217; Xi meeting<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa&nbsp;Signs of life on ending shutdown<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa&nbsp;MTG irks Republican colleagues&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa Far-right gets setback in Dutch elections&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"sailthru_shortcode\">\n<div class=\"sailthru-signup-widget sailthru-signup-display-area sailthru-signup-hill-position-main\">\n\t\t<span class=\"sailthru-signup-widget-close\"><a href=\"#sailthru-signup-widget\">Close<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sailthru_form\">\n<div class=\"sailthru-signup-success-message\">\n<div class=\"icon\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"thanks\">Thank you for signing up!<\/p>\n<p class=\"watch\">Subscribe to more newsletters <a href=\"http:\/\/nxslink.thehill.com\/join\/7aa\/signup\">here<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"sailthru-subscribe-grid-display\">\n<div class=\"sailthru-signup-display-message-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"sailthru-signup-display-logo\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"sailthru-signup-display-message\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>The latest in politics and policy.<br \/>\nDirect to your inbox.<br \/>\nSign up for the Morning Report newsletter<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"sailthru_form_input form-group\">\n<div class=\"sailthru-add-subscriber-errors\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"input-group-btn\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"sailthru-signup-display-button\" type=\"submit\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\tif ( window.checkSizeClasses &amp;&amp; window.checkSizeClasses instanceof Function) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\twindow.checkSizeClasses();<br \/>\n\t\t\t}<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>President Trump<\/strong>&nbsp;said he and Chinese President&nbsp;<strong>Xi Jinping&nbsp;<\/strong>agreed on a wide range of subjects during their much-anticipated meeting Thursday, including the key issues of tariffs and access to rare earth materials.<\/p>\n<p>It was their first face-to-face meeting in six years, going back to Trump&#8217;s first term. Their relationship has been rocky at times as they\u2019ve been critical of one another, only to later cool tensions as leaders of the world&#8217;s two biggest superpowers.<\/p>\n<p>The conference in South Korea came at the end of Trump\u2019s Asia tour, in which he also traveled to Malaysia and Japan.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what to know from the meeting:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Trump hails &#8216;truly great&#8217; Xi meeting<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The president said in a <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115462098072054944\">post on Truth Social<\/a> following the meeting that the &#8220;enormous respect&#8221; the two countries have for each other will only be enhanced based on what happened during his meeting.<\/p>\n<p>He said Xi authorized China to purchase &#8220;massive amounts of Soybeans, Sorghum, and other Farm products&#8221; that will support U.S. farmers. China had been boycotting these products in protest of the tariffs Trump had placed on the country.<\/p>\n<p>Trump said Beijing agreed to a one-year pause on new restrictions it enacted earlier this month on the export of rare earth materials and critical minerals, which has been the source of significant tension between Trump and China.<\/p>\n<p>The pause is another win for Trump on this issue as he has prioritized it since China put the restrictions in place. He signed several deals earlier in the trip with Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Japan to&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/5573672-trump-signs-asian-trade-mineral-deals\/\">gain U.S. access<\/a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/5575798-trump-signs-critical-minerals-deal-japan\/\">these materials<\/a> in response to China&#8217;s earlier action.<\/p>\n<p>Trump said on Truth Social that Xi also agreed for China to help stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>The president said he would accordingly cut in half the 20 percent tariffs he had imposed to pressure China to take more action to address fentanyl trafficking. That will bring overall tariffs on Chinese goods down from 57 percent to about 47 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Trump said China would also start &#8220;the process of purchasing American Energy,&#8221; and a &#8220;large scale transaction&#8221; may happen on the purchase of oil and gas from Alaska. He said the countries&#8217; energy teams would be meeting to try to reach a deal.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting with Xi concluded after <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/5580450-trump-xi-south-korea\/\">less than two hours<\/a>, with the two leaders having a cordial exchange before Xi got into a car and Trump made his way to Air Force One to return to the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>The leaders seem likely to meet again, as a Chinese readout of the meeting stated that Trump would travel to China next year and Trump invited Xi to visit the U.S.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shadow of Trump&#8217;s nuclear announcement<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The meeting began shortly after Trump made news by directing the Pentagon to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/defense\/5580424-trump-directs-pentagon-to-start-testing-nuclear-weapons\/\">resume testing nuclear weapons<\/a>&nbsp;on an equal basis to Russia and China.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately,&#8221;<\/em>&nbsp;he&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115460423936412555\">said on Truth Social<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The renewal of nuclear weapons testing would end a more than three-decade hiatus on tests that started in 1992, just one year after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.<\/p>\n<p>Trump ignored a question from a reporter about the move while meeting with Xi.<\/p>\n<p>A recent Russian test of a nuclear-capable cruise missile received international condemnation, including from Trump, who called it &#8220;inappropriate&#8221; as he&#8217;s trying to reach a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Trump touted the &#8220;complete update and renovation&#8221; of existing nuclear weapons that he conducted during his first term. He said he &#8220;hated&#8221; to do it but had no choice.<\/p>\n<p>China has built up its nuclear arsenal in recent years, reaching&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fas.org\/publication\/nuclear-notebook-china-2025\/\">about 600 warheads<\/a>&nbsp;this year, but it conducted its last nuclear test in 1996. Russia&#8217;s test of a nuclear-capable missile didn&#8217;t include a detonation.<\/p>\n<p>But the announcement could signal a return to an arms race and heightened tensions around nuclear weapons that hasn&#8217;t been seen in years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other issues left alone<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Trump and Xi did not announce any major breakthroughs on other issues that received heightened attention heading into the meeting.<\/p>\n<p>That includes the finalization of the sale of TikTok, which Trump has prioritized and suggested was close. The status of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as Chinese territory but the U.S. considers to be ambiguous, was also viewed as a key topic potentially for the agenda.<\/p>\n<p>Trump also didn&#8217;t make any announcement regarding the issue of Americans being unjustly detained in China. As many as 200 U.S. citizens are thought to be unjustly held.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of the meeting, Republicans hawkish on China urged Trump to press Xi on releasing Americans unjustly detained and ending&nbsp;religious persecution of civil society activists, The Hill\u2019s&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/5579605-republicans-urge-trump-xi-prisoners\/\">Laura Kelly reported<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Trump also left for Washington without meeting North Korean leader <strong>Kim Jong Un <\/strong>on the trip, as had been speculated. Trump expressed openness to meeting with Kim while in Asia, but nothing was ultimately scheduled.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The president commented on the conflict between North and South Korea, telling the South Korean prime minister that ending the standoff is \u201ccommon sense.\u201d But he said his and Kim\u2019s schedules didn\u2019t line up.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Despite the lack of developments on these issues, Trump declared the multi-country trip a success.<\/p>\n<p>He also took a shot at Senate Minority Leader <strong>Chuck Schumer<\/strong>&nbsp;(D-N.Y.) for&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.democrats.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-donald-trump-selling-out-the-american-people-through-failed-trade-negotiations-with-china-announcing-democrats-will-force-more-votes-to-end-trumps-disastrous-trade-war\">calling<\/a> Trump&#8217;s Asia trip a &#8220;total dud.&#8221; The president called Schumer&#8217;s comments &#8220;almost treasonous&#8221; on Truth Social.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;Worked really hard, 24\/7, took in Trillions of Dollars, and Chuck Schumer said trip was &#8216;a total dud,&#8217; even though he knows it was a spectacular success,&#8221; <\/em>Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115462006949579771\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-10-30\/chinese-markets-under-pressure-as-xi-trump-meet-lacks-surprises?embedded-checkout=true\">Bloomberg<\/a>:&nbsp;<em>&#8220;Chinese markets under pressure as Xi-Trump meeting lacks surprise.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u25aa&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/global-markets-view-europe-2025-10-30\/\">Reuters<\/a>:&nbsp;<em>Trump-Xi meeting cools tensions.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Follow The Hill&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/?p=5579438\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">live coverage of the day here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NEW THIS A.M.:<\/strong>&nbsp;Democratic Rep. <strong>Mikie Sherrill<\/strong> (N.J.) and Republican <strong>Jack Ciattarelli<\/strong> are <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/?p=5579199\">essentially tied in the latest poll<\/a> of the New Jersey gubernatorial race released this morning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The survey from Emerson College Polling\/PIX11\/The Hill showed Sherrill leading by 1 point, 49 percent support to 48 percent, with 2 percent of respondents undecided. The 3-point margin of error means statistically the candidates are even.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sherrill\u2019s lead grows to 2 points when undecided respondents are asked which candidate they\u2019re leaning toward, still within the margin of error.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The margin is closer than Sherrill\u2019s lead of roughly 5 points in the <a href=\"https:\/\/polls.decisiondeskhq.com\/averages\/general-ballot-test\/2025-nj-governor\/new-jersey\/lv-rv-adults\">Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) polling average<\/a>, but it points to the increasingly competitive nature of the race as it comes down to the wire.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ciattarelli is trying to pull off an upset in the Garden State, building off his narrow 3-point loss in the governor\u2019s race to Gov. <strong>Phil Murphy<\/strong> (D) four years ago. Ciattarelli outperformed polls that year to make it a much closer race than anticipated.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The polls for this year\u2019s race are closer than at this point in 2021, but Ciattarelli will still need to outperform again to pull off a win.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, in the Big Apple, Democratic nominee <strong>Zohran Mamdani <\/strong>holds a comfortable <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/?p=5579248\">25-point lead<\/a> over <strong>Andrew Cuomo<\/strong>, who\u2019s running as an independent, in New York City\u2019s mayoral race. Mamdani draws 50 percent support to Cuomo&#8217;s 25 percent while Republican <strong>Curtis Sliwa<\/strong> gets 21 percent and 4 percent say they&#8217;re undecided.<\/p>\n<p>The poll, also from Emerson, PIX11 and The Hill, is an improvement for Mamdani from the survey last month, which had him leading by 15 points. It further demonstrates the likelihood that Mamdani is on his way to being elected mayor of the country\u2019s largest city next week.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Hill\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/5580078-progressives-democratic-party-mamdani-ocasio-cortez\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Niall Stanage reports<\/a> how the race has become a microcosm of the internal struggles within the Democratic Party, including between the progressive and moderate wings and between the establishment and outsiders.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Wednesday also marked the last weekly snapshot from DDHQ of the year\u2019s key races ahead of Election Day on Tuesday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Other than the New Jersey and New York City races, the DDHQ tracker shows former Rep. <strong>Abigail Spanberger<\/strong> (D) in a <a href=\"https:\/\/polls.decisiondeskhq.com\/averages\/general-ballot-test\/2025-virginia-governor\/virginia\/lv-rv-adults\">strong position to win<\/a> the Virginia gubernatorial race next week over Virginia Lt. Gov. <strong>Winsome Earle-Sears<\/strong> (R). Spanberger leads by almost 8 points on average.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Virginia Attorney General <strong>Jason Miyares<\/strong> (R) leads Democratic candidate <strong>Jay Jones<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/polls.decisiondeskhq.com\/averages\/general-ballot-test\/2025-virginia-attorney-general\/virginia\/lv-rv-adults\">by 3 points<\/a> in the competitive race, which for the past month has been dominated by the texts that Jones sent in 2022 wishing for violence against a political opponent.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In California, Democrats are feeling optimistic about a ballot measure being voted on next week on whether the state Legislature should be able to redraw its congressional map. The measure, proposed by Gov. <strong>Gavin Newsom<\/strong> (D) in response to Republican efforts to redraw congressional lines, could add up to five additional Democratic seats in the House in next year\u2019s midterms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A new tracker for the proposal, known as Proposition 50, shows <a href=\"https:\/\/polls.decisiondeskhq.com\/averages\/general-ballot-test\/2025-ca-proposition-50\/california\/lv-rv-adults\">almost a 20-point advantage<\/a> for those in favor of the measure compared with those opposed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/10\/29\/nyregion\/nyc-immigrant-mayors-mamdani.html\">The New York Times<\/a>: <em>Mamdani wouldn\u2019t be New York City\u2019s first immigrant mayor.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/election\/new-jersey-governor-race-fundraising-20251029.html\">Philadelphia Inquirer<\/a>: <em>\u201cNew Jersey gubernatorial hopefuls rely on a small slice of the state for cash.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3 Things to Know Today<\/h2>\n<p>1. <strong>The Supreme Court requested additional information<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/regulation\/court-battles\/5579726-supreme-court-trump-national-guard-chicago-request\/?tbref=hp\">before it decides<\/a> whether Trump can deploy the National Guard in Chicago. This suggests a ruling may still be weeks away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>2. <strong>Nvidia became the first company<\/strong> in the world to <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/technology\/5578624-nvidia-first-5-trillion-company\/\">reach a $5 trillion valuation<\/a>, just months after it became the first to reach $4 trillion. The chipmaker has seen a meteoric rise with the rapid growth of AI.<\/p>\n<p>3. <strong>A jury has convicted an Illinois sheriff\u2019s deputy<\/strong> of <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/sean-grayson-sonya-massey-trial-34a5cb31ad44c6243d17cc4f598a9d5c\">second-degree murder<\/a> in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 for help last year.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leading the Day<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Leading-Schumer_102925_AP_Scott-Applewhite.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5580095\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) expresses his frustration as he criticizes Republicans for their healthcare policies, at a news conference on day 29 of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 29, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>SOME SHUTDOWN MOVEMENT<\/strong>: After weeks of almost no movement on any issue related to the government shutdown, lawmakers are starting to get serious about bringing it to an end.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader <strong>John Thune<\/strong> (R-S.D.) said he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/10\/29\/congress\/angry-john-thune-democrats-00628293\">expects to engage<\/a> \u201cpretty soon\u201d with a group of rank-and-file Senate Democrats about ending the shutdown. Meanwhile, Democrats are showing some signs of willingness to support measures to reduce the hurt while the shutdown is ongoing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have said they\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5576960-federal-workers-pay-during-shutdown\/\">open to a proposal<\/a> from Wisconsin Sen. <strong>Ron Johnson<\/strong> (R) to pay all federal workers, including those furloughed and deemed essential, during the shutdown. One caveat is that it wouldn\u2019t restrict Trump\u2019s ability to continue layoffs during the shutdown.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have said they need time to review it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Schumer also said <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5579847-senate-snap-wic-funding\/\">Democrats would support<\/a> a bill proposed by Sen. <strong>Josh Hawley<\/strong> (R-Mo.) to continue to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amid the shutdown. Timing is particularly key for that bill as those receiving benefits through the program are due to receive them for November on Saturday, but funding hasn\u2019t been provided for the program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Still, Democrats also introduced their <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5579092-democrats-republicans-snap-funding-bills\/\">own competing bill<\/a> to fund SNAP, leading Thune to <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5579827-thune-blasts-democrats-snap\/\">rail against<\/a> his Democratic colleagues on the Senate floor.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThis isn\u2019t a political game,\u201d <\/em>Thune said. <em>\u201cThese are real people\u2019s lives that we\u2019re talking about. And you all just figured out 29 days in that, \u2018Oh, there might be some consequences. There are people who\u2019ll run out of money?\u2019\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it won\u2019t use reserve funds to continue providing benefits for the 40 million Americans who use SNAP, as the funds should only be used in cases of natural disasters and not government shutdowns.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The bills under consideration show how Democrats are wobbling a bit in the face of increased pressure to end the shutdown after almost a month, The Hill\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5577883-senate-democrats-government-shutdown-pressure\/\">Alexander Bolton reports<\/a>. They show how Democrats are looking to ease the pain of the funding lapse, which is set to affect even more Americans starting in November, without a clear end.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Hill\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/5579889-government-shutdown-americans-pain\/\">Sudiksha Kochi reports<\/a> on six ways the shutdown could get worse for Americans without government intervention.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But a continuing resolution to end the funding lapse still seems elusive, as even these proposals under consideration are just measures to reduce the pain of the shutdown but not end it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Bolton reports how Republicans and Democrats are each looking for offramps to end the stalemate as soon as next week but are unsure of how to do it. But one thing that is certain is that fatigue with the shutdown is only growing by the day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/10\/29\/us\/politics\/democrats-republicans-shutdown-impasse.html\">The New York Times<\/a>: <em>\u201cWhat can break the shutdown impasse?\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>FED LOWERS INTEREST RATES<\/strong>: The Federal Reserve <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/business\/5579280-federal-reserve-cuts-interest-rates\/\">lowered interest rates<\/a> for the second consecutive time Wednesday, despite a lack of data about the state of the jobs market amid the shutdown.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Fed lowered rates by a quarter point, down to a range of 3.75 to 4 percent, marking its second interest rate cut this year. The agency had maintained steady rates for most of the year, despite pressure from the president, as inflation continued to be higher than the Fed&#8217;s target.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As inflation eased and the job market weakened, the Fed shifted last month to reduce interest rates for the first time in 2025. Officials suggested in projections at the time that they would cut rates at least one more time this year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But this time is a bit different from September with the Bureau of Labor Statistics mostly shuttered because of the shutdown. That means the Fed had no federal jobs report for October to work off of, causing it to have a less clear view&nbsp;of where the economy currently stands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But the Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed panel responsible for monetary policy, relied on a patchwork of private sector data, a delayed consumer price index and the Fed\u2019s regular surveys of businesses and nonprofits for insight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The decision to cut rates still didn\u2019t come as a surprise for Wall Street traders and analysts, despite the lack of a jobs report.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cAlthough some important federal government data have been delayed due to the shutdown, the public and private-sector data that have remained available suggests that the outlook for employment and inflation has not changed much since our meeting in September,\u201d<\/em> Federal Reserve Chair&nbsp;<strong>Jerome Powell<\/strong> told reporters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/10\/29\/fed-rate-decision-october-2025.html\">CNBC<\/a>: <em>Powell raises doubts about cutting rates at next meeting.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SUSPENDED<\/strong>: Two federal prosecutors were <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/regulation\/court-battles\/5579424-doj-prosecutors-jan-6-mob-trump\/\">suspended hours after<\/a> filing a sentencing memo describing Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack defendents as a &#8220;mob of rioters.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Multiple outlets reported that Assistant U.S. Attorneys <strong>Carlos Valdivia<\/strong> and <strong>Samuel White<\/strong> were told Wednesday that they were suspended and were locked out of their government devices. It came after they filed a memo recommending a 27-month sentence for <strong>Taylor Taranto<\/strong>, who with other Jan. 6 defendents received a pardon earlier this year from Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Taranto is set to be sentenced on Friday for unrelated crimes, including threatening the National Institute of Standards and Technology and driving through former <strong>President&nbsp;Obama<\/strong>\u2019s neighborhood with a van containing firearms and munition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The prosecutors only discussed the Jan. 6 attack in a few lines of their 14-page sentencing memo, saying that a \u201cmob of rioters\u201d attacked the Capitol and Taranto was accused of participating in the \u201criot\u201d by entering the Capitol. The memo also included the signature of Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney <strong>Jeanine Pirro<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWhile we don\u2019t comment on personnel decisions, we want to make very clear that we take violence and threats of violence against law enforcement, current or former government officials extremely seriously,\u201d<\/em> Pirro said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/10\/29\/jan-6-prosecutors-case-leave-00627086\">statement<\/a> reported by multiple media outlets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The suspensions appear to mark the latest example of the administration reframing the events of the Jan. 6 attack. The president and other allies have repeatedly downplayed the violence of the day, with Trump having called it a \u201cday of love\u201d during the 2024 campaign.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Justice Department has also conducted a purge of prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MELISSA DEATH TOLL RISES<\/strong>: The death toll from Hurricane Melissa is rising as the storm <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/hurricane-melissa-cuba-jamaica-flooding-winds-275a4d2d41a0ff3f382053865eefe295\">continues to move<\/a> through the Caribbean.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Dozens are dead in Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti amid widespread destruction. The storm hit Jamaica first as a rare Category 5 hurricane, causing life-threatening storm surge and dangerous flooding.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At least 25 people have been killed and 18 are missing in Haiti, according to the country\u2019s Civil Protection Agency. Twenty of those killed lived in a southern coastal town where flooding caused homes to collapse.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At least eight people have been killed in Jamaica.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The storm moved through Cuba and the Bahamas and is now on track to reach Bermuda before going back out into the Atlantic Ocean. It has weakened but is still expected to bring strong winds, rain and storm surge.<\/p>\n<p>Relief efforts have already started in Jamaica with the storm passed, but more than three-quarters of the island nation lost electricity. A mayor of a coastal town said \u201ccatastrophic is a mild term based on what we are observing.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Secretary of State <strong>Marco Rubio<\/strong> said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecRubio\/status\/1983569250729009269\">post<\/a> on the social platform X that the U.S. would send rescue and response teams along with supplies to the affected areas. He said the U.S. is in close contact with the governments of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/10\/28\/weather\/hurricane-melissa-caribbean-photos-video.html\">The New York Times<\/a>: <em>\u201cScenes from the Caribbean, as Hurricane Melissa hits.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/weather\/hurricanes\/hurricane-melissa-new-normal-major-hurricanes-rcna240312\">NBC News<\/a>: <em>Melissa shows troubling pattern for major hurricanes.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Zoom In<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Zoom-In-MTG_030425_AP_Alex-Brandon.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5580092\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) arrives before President Donald addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, March 4, 2025. (Alex Brandon, Associated Press)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>MTG A THORN IN GOP\u2019S SIDE<\/strong>: Rep. <strong>Marjorie Taylor Greene<\/strong> (R-Ga.) is increasingly frustrating some of her Republican colleagues as she\u2019s been outspoken in criticizing her own party over its strategy during the shutdown and for other moves.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Greene has split from most of the House Republican Conference in being one of a few Republicans to sign a discharge petition to require a vote on the House floor to release the files related to <strong>Jeffrey Epstein<\/strong>, an issue that House GOP leadership has sought to tamp down.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019s also been increasingly critical of Republicans as the shutdown has continued. Most recently, she <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/5577071-greene-johnson-health-care-plans-shutdown\/\">criticized<\/a> House Speaker <strong>Mike Johnson<\/strong> (R-La.) for not offering details of an alternative health care plan that he said Republicans are working on. She also slammed Johnson for his decision to keep the House out of session for weeks while the shutdown has dragged on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cJohnson said he\u2019s got ideas and pages of policy ideas and committees of jurisdiction are working on it, but he refused to give one policy proposal to our GOP conference on our own conference call,\u201d<\/em> Greene said on X.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cApparently I have to go into a SCIF to find out the Republican healthcare plan!!!\u201d<\/em> she added, referring to a secure area used to review classified material.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier on, she broke with Republicans in calling Israel\u2019s conduct of the war in Gaza a \u201cgenocide.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sen. <strong>Ted Cruz<\/strong> (R-Texas) brushed off Greene\u2019s comments on Wednesday, telling CNBC\u2019s \u201cSquawk Box\u201d that <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5578793-ted-cruz-marjorie-taylor-greene\/\">people shouldn\u2019t listen<\/a> to Greene. He also suggested that Greene has shifted leftward politically.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It came after Ohio Sen. <strong>Bernie Moreno<\/strong> (R) called on Greene to <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5578461-aca-subsidies-gop-debate\/\">stop her public criticism<\/a> of Johnson. He said she should \u201cpresent an option\u201d rather than simply \u201ccriticize what other people are doing.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And Johnson himself also voiced exasperation earlier this month after Greene accused him of \u201chypocrisy\u201d for his handling of controversy surrounding Rep. <strong>Cory Mills<\/strong> (R-Fla.).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI try not to react to what Marjorie Taylor Greene says every day,\u201d <\/em>Johnson <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/5560535-mike-johnson-marjorie-taylor-greene\/\">said<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Greene has <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/5550346-marjori-taylor-greene-split-republicans\/\">defended herself<\/a> against the criticism, insisting that she hasn\u2019t changed, even as several of her colleagues say they\u2019ve been thrown off by her positions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To be sure, Greene is still one of Trump\u2019s most passionate supporters and still demonstrates herself as a true believer in his MAGA and America First agenda. But the split from other Republicans in Congress is still notable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI am 100 percent the same person today as I was when I ran for Congress,\u201d <\/em>Greene said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/10\/29\/marjorie-taylor-greene-shutdown-attacks-00628195\">Politico<\/a>: <em>Republicans are growing tired of Greene\u2019s shutdown attacks.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/atlanta\/news\/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-urges-gop-to-go-nuclear-slams-partys-lack-of-health-care-plan-amid-shutdown-fight\/\">CBS News<\/a>: <em>Greene calls for Senate Republicans to go nuclear to end shutdown.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Elsewhere<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Elsewhere-Wilders_102925_AP_Peter-Dejong.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5580093\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders arrives at a polling station during general elections in The Hague, Netherlands, Oct. 29, 2025. (Peter Dejong, Associated Press)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>WILDERS&#8217;S SETBACK:<\/strong> Dutch far-right leader <strong>Geert Wilders<\/strong>\u2019s party sustained notable losses in the Netherlands\u2019s general election, though the race to lead a governing coalition in the Dutch Parliament seems up in the air.<\/p>\n<p>Wilders&#8217;s right-wing populist Party for Freedom and the centrist Democrats 66 (D66) party appear to have tied with each party winning 26 seats each in the Dutch House of Representatives. The party that wins the most seats generally has the first opportunity to form a governing coalition, but what happens from here is unclear as no Dutch election has previously ended with two parties tied for the lead.<\/p>\n<p>Wilders said his party should play a role in forming a coalition if it is the largest in Parliament.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cAs long as there\u2019s no 100% clarity on this, no D66 scout can get started. We will do everything we can to prevent this,\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;he said.<\/p>\n<p>A scout is an official that a winning party appoints to look into forming a governing coalition, The Associated Press reported.<\/p>\n<p>Final results may not be clear for a few days. But regardless of where the final numbers end up, Wilders\u2019s party had a disappointing performance, while the centrist D66 saw major gains.<\/p>\n<p>If this holds, it would be a major blow to Wilders after his party pulled off an upset in the 2023 elections to become the largest party in the country\u2019s House of Representatives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That was the first time the Party for Freedom had won the most seats. While it was still well short of a majority in the House, the party\u2019s victory helped shift the Dutch government considerably to the right.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Wilders had earlier on acknowledged the disappointing performance for his Party for Freedom.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThe voter has spoken. We had hoped for a different outcome but we kept our backs straight. We are more determined to fight than ever and still the second and perhaps even largest party of the Netherlands,\u201d<\/em> Wilders said in a <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/geertwilderspvv\/status\/1983632865285042293\">post<\/a> on X.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u25aa <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cpwvy4w875vo\">BBC<\/a>: <em>Centrists head for shock victory in Dutch election<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opinion<\/h2>\n<p><strong>FCC should free broadcasters from old, arbitrary restraints on ownership<\/strong>, former GOP Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), Greg Walden (Ore.) and Fred Upton (Mich.)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnxslink.thehill.com%2Fclick%2F42251950.14002%2FaHR0cHM6Ly90aGVoaWxsLmNvbS9vcGluaW9uL3RlY2hub2xvZ3kvNTU3NTg3NC1mY2Mtc2hvdWxkLWZyZWUtYnJvYWRjYXN0ZXJzLWZyb20tb2xkLWFyYml0cmFyeS1yZXN0cmFpbnRzLW9uLW93bmVyc2hpcC8%2F622f96e38f7ffb67ee5072aaBe92b3281&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cjbyrnes%40nexstar.tv%7Cb579402f29ad4cf3827608de17a19310%7C9e5488e2e83844f6886cc7608242767e%7C0%7C0%7C638974179928365400%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=xAUeGWntNbKnrynLj5t%2F2Mi6QrF4IeMeKIy5X2IKuY8%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">write in The Hill<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why we\u2019re forcing Senate votes on Trump\u2019s tariffs<\/strong>, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnxslink.thehill.com%2Fclick%2F42251950.14002%2FaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL29waW5pb25zLzIwMjUvMTAvMjkva2FpbmUtcGF1bC1zZW5hdGUtdm90ZXMtdHJ1bXAtdGFyaWZmcy8%2F622f96e38f7ffb67ee5072aaB45d67db7&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cjbyrnes%40nexstar.tv%7Cb579402f29ad4cf3827608de17a19310%7C9e5488e2e83844f6886cc7608242767e%7C0%7C0%7C638974179928382638%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=%2FwsJhBy%2FAIm%2FROa7UrNPjsxkuXlgVVxuRWt3f5nb428%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">write in The Washington Post<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Closer<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Quiz-Halloween_102025_AP_Michael-Conroy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5580090\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Halloween candy is displayed in a grocery store in Carmel, Ind., on Oct. 20, 2025. (Michael Conroy, Associated Press)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>And finally \u2026 <\/em>It\u2019s Thursday, which means it\u2019s time for our weekly Morning Report Quiz!&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Halloween is almost upon us, so this week will test your knowledge with this spooky-themed quiz.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to email your responses to jgans@thehill.com \u2014 please add \u201cQuiz\u201d to your subject line. Winners who submit correct answers will receive deserved newsletter fame on Friday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>What is the name of the ancient Celtic festival that is considered the origin of Halloween?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1. Dia de los Muertos<\/p>\n<p>2. Samhain<\/p>\n<p>3. All Saints\u2019 Day<\/p>\n<p>4. Saturnalia<\/p>\n<p>How many seeds does the average pumpkin have?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1. 100<\/p>\n<p>2. 500<\/p>\n<p>3. 1,000<\/p>\n<p>4. 1,250<\/p>\n<p>How many movies have there been in the \u201cHalloween\u201d film franchise?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1. 8<\/p>\n<p>2. 10<\/p>\n<p>3. 13<\/p>\n<p>4. 16<\/p>\n<p>What is the most popular Halloween candy in the U.S., according to both DoorDash and Instacart?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1. M&amp;M\u2019s<\/p>\n<p>2. Hershey\u2019s chocolate bar<\/p>\n<p>3. KitKat<\/p>\n<p>4. Reese\u2019s peanut butter cup<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Morning Report is The Hill&#8217;s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. In today&#8217;s issue: \u25aa Trump hails &#8216;truly great&#8217; Xi ...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1451"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1457,"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451\/revisions\/1457"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}