Evening Brief: SNAP Food Aid Resumes, Man Charged in UK Train Stabbing, Ukraine Receives More US-Made Patriot Systems

  Courts in Tennessee, West Virginia Hear Challenges to Trump’s National Guard Deployments Courts in Tennessee and West Virginia heard arguments Monday challenging the legality of National Guard deployments ordered under President Donald Trump’s directive to send troops into Democratic-led cities. In Tennessee, Democratic officials argued that Governor Bill Lee lacked the authority to deploy 150 Guard members to patrol Memphis without legislative approval, claiming such action is only allowed during rebellion or invasion. The state countered that the governor has broad power to determine when Guard activation is necessary. The troops, part of Trump’s “Memphis Safe Task Force,” have been assisting law enforcement since October 10, but do not have arrest powers. In West Virginia, a civic group sued Governor Patrick Morrisey for deploying 300 Guard members to Washington, D.C., in August, asserting that state law only allows out-of-state deployments for emergencies, such as natural disasters. The governor’s office argued the move was lawful under federal authority. The case will continue on November 10. U.S. National Guard is on the move. Deploying critical infrastructure to secure our borders, protect our communities, and achieve 100% operational control. pic.twitter.com/pg0d97ctED — Chief Michael W. Banks (@USBPChief) October 30, 2025 Trump’s August executive order declared a “crime emergency” in the capital, prompting deployments of over 2,000 Guard members from multiple states despite federal data showing crime at a 30-year low. A separate federal case in D.C. is also seeking the removal of the troops.   Trump Administration Removes FHFA Watchdog Amid Political Targeting Allegations The Trump administration has removed Joe Allen, acting inspector general of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), in a move that sources say follows his efforts to share information with federal prosecutors. Allen’s ouster comes as FHFA Director Bill Pulte, a vocal Trump ally, leads investigations and public accusations against perceived political opponents, including New York Attorney General Letitia James. Allen, a 40-year Justice Department veteran who became acting inspector general in April 2025, was dismissed after providing materials to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The FHFA’s website now lists his position as vacant. Pulte has previously bypassed the inspector general’s office and fired dozens of staff at Fannie Mae. What happened to the inspector general at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the agency run by Trump loyalist Bill Pulte that’s manufacturing pretexts for prosecutions of Trump’s enemies? Seems plausible this might have something to do with how corrupt all that has gotten: pic.twitter.com/Gu44XFAzS0 — Greg Sargent (@GregTSargent) November 3, 2025 The firing is part of a broader pattern under Trump, whose administration has removed or reassigned about two dozen federal watchdogs and defunded the group that oversees them. Senator Elizabeth Warren called for accountability from Pulte, saying he “has some answering to do.”   Microsoft to Ship 60,000 Nvidia AI Chips to UAE Under US-Approved Deal Microsoft announced Monday that it will ship more than 60,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips, including the new GB300 Grace Blackwell models, to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under licenses approved by the US Commerce Department. The deal, which includes strict security safeguards, is part of Microsoft’s $15.2 billion investment in UAE technology and follows the country’s pledge to invest $1.4 trillion in US energy and AI projects. Microsoft said it has secured U.S. approval to ship the latest Nvidia artificial-intelligence chips to the United Arab Emirates https://t.co/6W9BO7q30A — The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 3, 2025 The announcement contrasts with President Donald Trump’s comments in a CBS’s 60 Minutes interview Sunday, where he said the US would not allow exports of Nvidia’s most advanced chips outside the country. Microsoft said the UAE-based chips will support AI development using models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and other providers. The UAE already hosts more than 21,000 Nvidia GPUs approved under the Biden administration, and officials have described the new agreement as a “gold standard” for securing AI technologies, data, and access.   Man Charged With Attempted Murder Over UK Train Stabbing That Injured 11 British police charged 32-year-old Anthony Williams on Monday with 10 counts of attempted murder after a stabbing spree on a train traveling from Doncaster to London left 11 people injured. Authorities said Williams may also be linked to two earlier knife attacks within 24 hours, including one at a London station and another in Peterborough. Police are not treating the incident as terrorism and are not seeking other suspects. Williams, a British citizen from Peterborough, appeared briefly in court and was ordered held until December 1. The charges include assaulting a police officer during his arrest. The attack caused panic among passengers as victims tried to flee the assailant. One of the most seriously injured, a train staff member, remains in critical but stable condition. Anthony Williams, 32, has appeared in court charged with 11 counts of attempted murder over the mass stabbing. He is also the suspect in another attack hours earlier at a London station. 🔗 Read more: https://t.co/jHQK5C2xiS pic.twitter.com/vJWzzD9yuz — Sky News (@SkyNews) November 3, 2025 Police arrested Williams after diverting the train to Huntingdon, where he was detained within minutes. Authorities have since increased security at major train stations but rejected calls for airport-style screening, citing practicality. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has pledged to curb knife crime, which accounts for nearly half of United Kingdom homicides despite recent declines in incidents and fatalities.   Ukraine Receives More US-Made Patriot Systems as Russia Steps Up Drone Attacks Ukraine has received additional US-made Patriot air defense systems from Germany to strengthen defenses against Russia’s ongoing missile and drone attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over the weekend. The new deliveries come as Russian drones struck residential areas in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region overnight, killing one man and injuring five family members, including two children. Zelenskyy thanked Germany and Chancellor Friedrich Merz for the Patriots, calling for more systems to protect cities and infrastructure. Berlin confirmed it has provided Ukraine with more Patriot systems than any other country and continues supplying shorter-range air defense weapons. NATO allies are coordinating further military aid, though the Trump administration has halted US arms deliveries. Ukraine received two new Patriot air defense systems from Germany, fulfilling earlier pledges. 📸 Dutch-supplied MIM-104 Patriot PAC-2 system from Ukraine’s 208th Air Defense Brigade. pic.twitter.com/tAlUfU1KZm — Clash Report (@clashreport) November 2, 2025 Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 12 missiles and 138 drones overnight, targeting energy sites and civilian areas. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces hit Russia’s Saratov oil refinery—Kyiv’s fourth strike on the facility in seven weeks—as part of efforts to cripple Moscow’s energy industry. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine is boosting domestic drone production, aiming to produce up to 800 interceptor drones daily by month’s end.   Belgium Probes Suspected Spy Drones Over Base Housing US Nuclear Weapons Belgium’s Defense Minister Theo Francken said Monday that a series of unidentified drone flights over the weekend near the Kleine Brogel Air Base, where US nuclear weapons are stored, appeared to be part of a coordinated spying operation. Francken told public broadcaster RTBF that the flights occurred in two phases — first using small drones to test Belgian security radio frequencies, followed by larger drones to “destabilize the area and people.” He said the drones’ operators showed technical sophistication, noting that they switched frequencies to evade jamming systems, something “an amateur doesn’t know how to do.” The defense minister ruled out a prank and said it remains unclear who was behind the operation, though he acknowledged having “a few ideas.” Belgian officials reported unidentified drone incursions near the Kleine Brogel Air Base in Belgium from October 31 to November 2. (4/7) pic.twitter.com/fBxG5SGsSL — Critical Threats (@criticalthreats) November 3, 2025 Francken said Belgium lacked proper air defense systems to counter such threats and criticized past inaction, adding that shooting down drones outside the base is difficult due to safety and legal risks. The incidents follow a string of unexplained drone flights across Europe, including near military and civilian sites in Germany, Denmark, Estonia, and Poland.   Romania, Rheinmetall to Build a Gunpowder Plant to Boost Europe’s Defense Romania signed an agreement Monday with German defense firm Rheinmetall to build a 535 million-euro ($616 million) gunpowder factory in the central town of Victoria, aiming to strengthen Europe’s defense industry amid heightened tensions with Russia. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said construction will begin in 2026, take three years, and create about 700 jobs. Romania plans to fund part of its contribution through the European SAFE (SAFE | Security Action for Europe) mechanism for defense readiness. Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said the plant will make Romania a key producer of ammunition powder “needed worldwide and especially in Europe,” integrating the country more deeply into NATO and the European defense network. ▶️ Important progress on strategic bottleneck: Rheinmetall and Romania jointly produce propellant powder Read online: https://t.co/4gh6vm2Fkt pic.twitter.com/MWzPXc7k80 — Rheinmetall (@RheinmetallAG) November 3, 2025 Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Romania has taken a larger role in NATO operations, including donating a Patriot missile system to Kyiv and hosting an international F-16 pilot training center.   Israel Returns 45 Palestinian Bodies After Hamas Hands Over Three Israeli Hostage Remains Israel on Monday transferred the bodies of 45 Palestinians to Gaza, one day after militants returned the remains of three Israeli soldiers killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack. The exchange, facilitated by the Red Cross, marks another step in the fragile US-brokered ceasefire that has paused the deadliest conflict between Israel and Hamas. Since the truce began on October 10, militants have released 20 hostage remains, while Israel has returned 270 Palestinian bodies under a 15-to-1 exchange ratio. The Gaza Health Ministry said only 78 of the returned bodies have been identified due to a lack of DNA testing equipment. The three Israeli soldiers — Capt. Omer Neutra, Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel, and Col. Assaf Hamami — were confirmed dead after being abducted during the 2023 attack. Neutra’s parents thanked US officials and Israeli troops for securing his return but did not mention Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reflecting growing frustration among hostage families. Hamas handed over the remains of three of 11 deceased hostages still sought by Israel, with international teams aiding the search for the remaining bodies https://t.co/eFJYbkPSdP pic.twitter.com/EEP5bX8IJ7 — Reuters (@Reuters) November 3, 2025 Separately, Israel was shaken by the arrest of former military legal chief Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi and ex-prosecutor Col. Matan Solomesh over an alleged video leak showing soldiers assaulting a Palestinian detainee. Meanwhile, two Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank amid ongoing violence. In humanitarian developments, the United Kingdom announced an additional 6 million pounds ($7.9 million) in Gaza aid and urged faster access for relief efforts, while Gaza health officials launched a vaccination drive targeting 40,000 young children left unprotected during the war.   Hegseth Visits Korean DMZ Ahead of Talks on Troop Role and Regional Strategy US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Monday as part of his South Korea trip ahead of high-level talks on reshaping the role of US troops stationed there. Meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, Hegseth’s visit underscored what Ahn called the “strength of the South Korea-US alliance” and their shared defense posture against North Korea. I visited the DMZ with my ROK counterpart, Minister Ahn, to meet the brave troops of the U.S., ROK, and UN Command that maintain the military armistice on the Peninsula. Our forces remain ready to support President Trump’s efforts to bring lasting peace through strength. pic.twitter.com/Uy6gab0zwl — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 3, 2025 On Tuesday, the two will hold the annual Security Consultative Meeting to discuss defense readiness, cyber and missile cooperation, and regional security amid rising Chinese and North Korean threats. Washington is considering a more flexible role for its 28,500 troops in South Korea to allow for wider operations across Asia, including potential missions related to Taiwan and the South China Sea — a proposal Seoul has resisted. South Korea, meanwhile, plans a significant defense budget increase in 2026, partly in response to President Donald Trump’s calls for allies to contribute more toward hosting US forces. Both nations’ military chiefs reaffirmed cooperation with regional allies to maintain Indo-Pacific stability amid what they called a “complex and unstable” security environment.   US Ramps Up F-16 Production for Taiwan as Weapon Deliveries Face Delays Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Monday that the United States is expediting production of 66 F-16V fighter jets after delays caused by production line relocations and supply-chain disruptions pushed deliveries beyond the original 2026 deadline. Contractors are now operating 20-hour shifts to meet the schedule, with 50 aircraft on the production line and 10 expected to undergo flight tests this year. Defense Minister Wellington Koo told lawmakers that Washington and Taipei are working closely to minimize delays. The ministry also reported that delivery of 24 MK-48 torpedoes and advanced AGM-154C glide bombs, both made by US defense contractors, has been postponed to between 2026 and 2028 due to manufacturing and supply issues. US working overtime to speed up delayed F-16 deliveries, Taiwan says https://t.co/mSl1GBjyIk https://t.co/mSl1GBjyIk — Reuters (@Reuters) November 3, 2025 However, delivery of the US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) rocket systems is ahead of schedule, with all 29 units expected to arrive by late 2026 instead of 2027. Taiwan, facing growing military pressure from China, relies heavily on US arms sales to modernize its defense capabilities.   Sources: News Agencies