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Morning Brief: Trump Signs Funding Bill to End Shutdown, Russian Foreign Minister Urges US Restraint on Ukraine

BY Guy D. McCardle

Trump ends the record shutdown, Lavrov warns US on Ukraine, Myanmar rearms. Here’s your Thursday Morning Brief rundown, November 13, 2025.

US President Donald Trump signs a funding bill in the Oval Office late Wednesday. (Image via @WhiteHouse/X)

Good morning! It’s Thursday, November 13, 2025. Washington reopens after a record 43-day shutdown as Trump signs the funding bill. A Chicago judge orders mass immigration detainee releases, while Florida readies its 16th execution under DeSantis. The Pentagon sends prototype missile defenses to Guam, Lavrov warns the US on Ukraine, and Myanmar expands its air fleet with Russian and Chinese aircraft ahead of elections.

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Trump Signs Funding Bill to End Record 43-Day Government Shutdown

US President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill late Wednesday, ending a 43-day shutdown that left federal employees without pay, disrupted travel and food assistance programs, and deepened partisan divides in Washington.

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The shutdown, the longest in US history, stemmed from a standoff between Republicans and Democrats over extending enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which were excluded from the final bill.

The House passed the measure 222-209 hours before Trump’s signing, following Senate approval earlier in the week. The legislation funds three annual spending bills and extends overall government funding through January 30. It reverses Trump administration firings made during the shutdown, guarantees back pay for furloughed workers, and secures funding for food assistance and security for lawmakers and justices.

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Democrats criticized the bill for omitting the health care subsidy extension, warning millions could lose coverage or face doubled premiums next year. Republicans pledged a December vote on the issue but argued pandemic-era subsidies should expire.

The shutdown’s end brought relief to hundreds of thousands of federal workers but left unresolved divisions over health care funding ahead of the midterm elections.

 

Judge Signals Release of Hundreds Detained in Chicago-Area Immigration Crackdown

A federal judge in Chicago indicated Wednesday that hundreds of immigrants detained during the Trump administration’s crackdown could soon be released on bond while awaiting immigration hearings.

US District Judge Jeffrey Cummings said he would order the release of 13 detainees and directed federal attorneys to review a list of 615 others held in jails and federal facilities to determine if they qualify for alternatives to detention, such as ankle monitors, under a 2022 consent decree limiting warrantless Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests. He also temporarily paused deportations for those who might be eligible.

Attorneys representing detainees called the decision a victory and accused ICE of violating the consent decree by arresting individuals without proper documentation.

Judge Cummings cited examples of people being detained at work, on walks, or in drive-thru lines, questioning whether any qualified as “the worst of the worst.” Justice Department lawyers argued some detainees pose public safety risks.

The Department of Homeland Security criticized the ruling, calling Cummings an “activist judge” and warning that mass releases could endanger Americans.

The consent decree, extended through February, applies nationwide but primarily affects six Midwest states under ICE’s Chicago field office.

 

Democrats Release Epstein Emails Mentioning Trump, White House Calls Leak a Smear

Newly released emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate show Epstein writing in 2019 that US President Donald Trump “knew about the girls,” though the context remains unclear.

The emails, made public Wednesday by House Democrats, also include a 2011 message in which Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump had spent time at his home with Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers.

Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and has said he ended their friendship years before Epstein’s 2019 death in jail.

Giuffre, who died earlier this year, consistently maintained that Trump was never involved in Epstein’s misconduct and described him in her memoir as courteous during their only meeting at Mar-a-Lago, where she worked as a spa attendant.

Republicans accused Democrats of selectively leaking the emails to smear Trump, with the White House calling the disclosures a political distraction. Additional emails released by Republicans from the same batch include Epstein’s critical comments about Trump’s rise in politics.

Maxwell, serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, told Justice Department investigators she never saw Trump behave inappropriately.

The release revives scrutiny of Trump’s past ties to Epstein, though no evidence links him to Epstein’s crimes.

 

Florida to Execute Former Marine for 1979 Murder in Record Year for DeSantis

Bryan Frederick Jennings, a 66-year-old former Marine convicted of killing 6-year-old Rebecca Kunash in 1979, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection Thursday evening at Florida State Prison. His execution will mark the 16th under Governor Ron DeSantis, setting a state record for the most executions in a single year.

The US Supreme Court denied Jennings’ final appeal on Wednesday.

Jennings was convicted three times for the crime after earlier verdicts were overturned on appeal. Prosecutors said he abducted, raped, and fatally assaulted the child before drowning her in a canal near her home in Brevard County. His fingerprints, shoe prints, and wet clothes tied him to the crime.

DeSantis has defended the pace of executions, saying it delivers long-delayed justice to victims’ families.

Critics, including anti-death penalty advocates, argue the system has become politicized, citing Jennings’ lack of legal counsel for months and the absence of a clemency review since 1988.

Following Jennings, Florida plans two more executions this year, which would bring the total to 18.

 

Pentagon Sends Prototype Missile Defense Gear to Guam Ahead of $8 Billion System Build

The Pentagon has deployed prototype missile defense equipment to Guam as part of preparations for an $8 billion Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense System, an Army official confirmed this week.

Jeannie Sommer of the Army’s Program Executive Office Missiles and Space said the gear, also sent to South Korea, was delivered last fiscal year to allow soldiers to train and provide feedback before full-scale construction begins next year.

The system will integrate the Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System with the Navy’s Aegis Combat System to provide 360-degree protection against cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missiles. It will feature radars, sensors, launchers, and interceptors across multiple sites on the island, which is home to major US military bases including Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam.

Sommer said early field testing on Guam accelerates development by collecting real-world feedback from troops. The first operational capabilities are expected in 2027, with full functionality achieved a few years later.

The project, seen as vital to deterring potential Chinese aggression toward Taiwan, will reduce reliance on destroyers currently tasked with defending the island.

 

Seven Rescued, 42 Presumed Dead in Shipwreck Off Libyan Coast

The United Nations said Wednesday that 42 migrants are missing and presumed dead after their boat capsized off Libya’s coast last week.

The vessel, carrying 49 people, departed from Zuwara on November 3 but overturned six hours later after its engine failed amid rough seas. Seven survivors—four from Sudan, two from Nigeria, and one from Cameroon—were rescued six days later near the Al Buri oil field and taken to Tripoli for medical care, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The missing include 29 Sudanese, eight Somalis, three Cameroonians, and two Nigerians.

The IOM said more than 1,000 migrants have died on the central Mediterranean route this year, calling for stronger regional cooperation, safer migration pathways, and improved rescue operations. The UN refugee agency estimates that over 1,700 people have died or gone missing across the Mediterranean and Atlantic routes in 2024.

In response to rising deaths, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced it is resuming rescue operations in the central Mediterranean with a new vessel, Oyvon, to assist migrants fleeing Libya’s detention and abuse.

 

Lavrov Urges US Restraint on Ukraine, Accuses Europe of Sabotaging Peace Efforts

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published Wednesday that Moscow hopes Washington avoids actions that could escalate the war in Ukraine.

Lavrov praised US President Donald Trump for pursuing dialogue with Russia and showing an understanding of Moscow’s stance on NATO expansion, which he said has long been a key security concern for President Vladimir Putin.

Lavrov’s remarks, released by Russia’s state news agency TASS after Italy’s Corriere della Sera declined to publish the interview, also accused Europe of undermining US-led peace efforts through sanctions and what he called “Russophobic frenzy.” He claimed European nations are preparing for a wider war against Russia while suffering economic fallout from their own punitive measures.

Trump and Putin met in Alaska in August, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lavrov in October about a potential summit, though Trump later canceled the plan.

Trump has supported an immediate ceasefire based on current battle lines, while Moscow demands further Ukrainian territorial concessions. Meanwhile, the European Union recently approved its 19th sanctions package against Russia and continues to discuss new funding measures for Kyiv.

 

Myanmar Adds Russian Helicopters, Chinese Planes to Air Force Ahead of Elections

Myanmar’s military government has added three Russian Mi-38T helicopters and two Chinese Y-8 transport aircraft to its air force, defying international sanctions and expanding its combat capabilities as the country’s civil war intensifies.

The aircraft, commissioned on November 7 in Naypyitaw, are intended to strengthen troop transport and airspace control, according to military statements.

Analysts say the new equipment underscores the Tatmadaw’s reliance on Russia and China, which continue to supply arms despite global pressure to halt weapons sales.

The acquisitions come as the military prepares for national elections on December 28, which opponents have dismissed as illegitimate with Aung San Suu Kyi imprisoned and her party banned.

The Tatmadaw has recently recaptured several towns in northern Shan state and central Myanmar with the help of Chinese mediation and increased air power. Despite losing significant territory to pro-democracy and ethnic resistance groups since the 2021 coup, the junta has regained momentum through intensified airstrikes and new foreign-supplied weaponry.

 

Sources: News Agencies

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