‘Substantial’ federal layoffs begin as Congress remains deadlocked over funding to end shutdown – live

9.52pm BST Criminal charges against John Bolton could be filed next week - report Federal prosecutors in Maryland could seek criminal charges next week against Donald Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton, the Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Carol Leonnig and her colleague Ken Dilanian report for MSNBC. A grand jury in Maryland has been hearing evidence for related to claims that Bolton, a former ally of Trump turned harsh critic, improperly kept classified national security information in his Maryland home. The journalists also report that Ed Martin, a Republican operative who served briefly as Trump’s acting US attorney in the District of Columbia now running the justice department’s “Weaponization Working Group,” has met multiple times with the Trump-appointed acting US attorney in Maryland, Kelly Hayes on the Bolton case. An indictment on Bolton for illegally retaining classified documents would be the third of a Trump critic in recent weeks, and would echo the indictment of New York’s attorney general, Tish James, in accusing critics of the president of committing crimes he was indicted for after his first term. 9.02pm BST I’ve been chatting to Jessica Roth, a former federal prosecutor in the southern district of New York, about the indictment of Letitia James. Roth said it was “extremely distressing” to see prosecutions brought against the president’s perceived political enemies. “I can’t say that I was surprised that the department [under attorney general Bondi] pursued these charges against Tish James,” she added. “That doesn’t lessen my distress … particularly in light of what had been longstanding department of justice policy not to pursue an indictment unless prosecutors were convinced that they would be able to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.” Lindsey Halligan, the handpicked and newly installed US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, has pursued the charges against James and former FBI director James Comey, and Roth notes that we could see a wider effort to bring charges against the president’s adversaries in districts throughout the country that are now run by Trump friendly prosecutors. Much like the charges brought against Comey, Roth underscored that the crimes that James is being accused of are very difficult to prove “even under the best stances” because they require proof of “criminal intent as opposed to an honest mistake or negligence”. 8.52pm BST Multiple agencies confirm reductions in force are under way The Guardian has independently confirmed that reductions in force (RIFs) are under way at the following departments and agencies: Department of Education Department of Health and Human Services Department of Homeland Security (specifically the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) Treasury Department Certain agencies haven’t immediately responded to the Guardian’s request for comment, but other outlets have reported layoffs are expected at the following: Environmental Protection Agency Department of Energy Department of Interior Department of Housing and Urban Development 8.44pm BST HHS confirms layoffs, saying department had become 'bloated bureaucracy' under Biden The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed to the Guardian that employees across “multiple divisions” have received reduction-in-force notices. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said this was “a direct consequence of the Democrat-led government shutdown”. He added that HHS under the Biden administration “became a bloated bureaucracy, growing its budget by 38% and its workforce by 17%”. Nixon said that all employees receiving RIF notices were “designated non-essential by their respective divisions”. “HHS continues to close wasteful and duplicative entities, including those that are at odds with the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda,” he added. Updated at 8.49pm BST 8.37pm BST Federal worker union calls mass layoffs during government shutdown 'disgraceful' The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest union representing federal government workers, has condemned the mass layoffs announced by the White House budget office. “It is disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country,” said Everett Kelley, the union’s president. AFGE has already filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the firings, and a hearing is set for Thursday, 16 October. “We will not stop fighting until every reduction-in-force notice is rescinded,” Kelley added. Updated at 8.47pm BST 8.16pm BST Department of Education confirms layoffs will happen The Department of Education has also confirmed to the Guardian that their employees will be affected by the reductions in force. Updated at 8.48pm BST 8.07pm BST White House budget office says layoffs are 'substantial' An office of management and budget (OMB) spokesperson told the Guardian that the reductions in force that have begun are “substantial”. The official didn’t confirm an exact number, but we’re bringing you the latest as we hear from different agencies and departments about how they stand to be affected. Updated at 8.48pm BST 7.54pm BST Treasury department confirms that RIFs have begun A treasury department spokesperson confirms to the Guardian that mass layoffs, or reductions in force, have started. They did not comment on the scale of the firings. Updated at 8.47pm BST 7.42pm BST Donald Trump has returned from his visit to Walter Reed medical center for his “semi-annual physical”. He didn’t take questions from reporters on his way back to the White House. We’re due to hear from him at 5pm ET in the Oval Office for an announcement about lowering the cost of drug prices. Updated at 7.54pm BST 7.20pm BST DHS says layoffs will happen at cybersecurity agency A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson has told the Guardian that reductions in force (RIFs) will happen at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) while the government shutdown continues. “During the last administration CISA was focused on censorship, branding and electioneering. This is part of getting CISA back on mission,” the spokesperson said. 7.10pm BST Trump to host summit on Gaza with world leaders during Egypt visit – report Donald Trump plans to hold a summit of world leaders on Gaza, during his visit to Egypt next week, according to Axios. Citing four sources with knowledge of the plans, Axios reports that the summit is being organized by Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, who has already reached out to several European and Arab leaders with invitations. According to a US official, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be present, and the meeting will likely take place on Tuesday in Sharm-el-sheikh, but could be moved to Monday, according to Axios’ sources. A reminder that Trump is set to address Israel’s Knesset on Monday, before travelling to Egypt. Updated at 7.14pm BST 6.53pm BST Here's a recap of the day so far The White House announced layoffs of federal workers are to come as the government shutdown continues. In an ominous post on social media, budget chief Russ Vought wrote that “reductions in force” (laying off federal workers) have begun, as the shutdown enters its 10th day. On Capitol Hill, the impasse continues, as House speaker Mike Johnson said the lower chamber won’t return until the Senate decides to ‘turn the lights back on’. Republican leadership continued to lambast Democrats, blaming them for the shutdown and saying that a separate bill to keep members of the military paid was redundant since the House-passed legislation – which has stalled in the upper chamber seven times – would reopen the government. “We have voted so many times to pay the troops. We’ve already done it. We did it in the house three weeks ago, the ball is in the court of Senate Democrats right now,” Johnson added. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has become the first of nine universities to reject an agreement that would exchange adoption of the Trump administration’s higher education agenda for favorable treatment and funding. Sally Kornbluth, the MIT president, wrote to the Trump administration to say that “the university has already freely met or exceeded many of the standards outlined in the proposal, but that she disagrees with other requirements it demands, including those that would restrict free expression”. We’re waiting to hear the ruling from a federal court in San Francisco, over Trump’s deployment of troops to Portland, Oregon. Three appellate judges heard arguments on Thursday and seemed more likely to rule in Trump’s favor than the decision by a federal judge in Chicago, who blocked troops from deploying to the windy city. The administration has said it plans to appeal the ruling. 6.28pm BST One note on the announced layoffs of government workers. A federal judge will actually hear arguments next week over the legality of the reductions in force during the shutdown. This comes after the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) sued the administration over the layoff threat earlier this week. The AFGE is the largest union representing federal workers. Updated at 7.50pm BST 5.36pm BST US government workforce cuts have begun, OMB chief says Donald Trump’s White House budget chief, Russ Vought, just ominously posted on X that “reductions in force” (laying off federal workers) have begun, as the government shutdown enters its 10th day. He offered no further details, but we’ll bring you more as soon as we get it. The RIFs have begun.— Russ Vought (@russvought) October 10, 2025 Updated at 5.41pm BST 5.14pm BST MIT becomes first university to reject White House offer for special funding treatment The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has become the first university to reject an agreement that would exchange adoption of the Trump administration’s higher education agenda for favorable treatment and funding. The administration’s proposal – the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” – was sent to nine universities and set out a list of requirements including a cap international student enrollment, freezing tuition for five years, adhering to definitions of gender and creating a more “welcoming” environment on campuses for conservatives. Doing so would give the institutions preferential access to federal funding. Sally Kornbluth, the MIT president, wrote to the Trump administration to say that “the university has already freely met or exceeded many of the standards outlined in the proposal, but that she disagrees with other requirements it demands, including those that would restrict free expression”. She added: Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone. The other eight colleges are the University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas, Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia. Updated at 6.29pm BST 5.07pm BST National guard troops seen on Memphis streets as Trump faces legal challenges National guard troops were seen patrolling in Memphis for the first time on Friday, as part of Donald Trump’s controversial federal taskforce, amid fierce legal challenges as he was blocked from sending troops to Chicago and a court ruling is awaited in Portland, Oregon. At least nine national guard troops began their Tennessee patrol at the Bass Pro Shops, an outdoor gear chain, located at the Pyramid, a commercial landmark in Memphis. They were being escorted by a Memphis police officer and posed for photos with visitors who were standing outside. It was unclear how many federalized troops were on the ground or were expected to arrive later. During an NAACP Memphis forum on Wednesday, Memphis’s police chief, Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, had said she hoped guard personnel would help direct traffic and have a presence in “retail corridors”, but not be used to operate checkpoints or anything similar – the kind of situation Washington DC experienced. Memphis authorities did not request federal troops but Tennessee’s Republican governor, Bill Lee, supports the move by the White House. Read the full story here: Related: National guard troops seen on Memphis streets as Trump faces legal challenges 4.45pm BST US immigration enforcement using military hardware and tactics on civilians Even without the national guard, law enforcement agencies of the federal government have been using military hardware and tactics on civilian targets. At a low-rent apartment complex on Chicago’s south shore, people started hearing the boots hit the roof around one in the morning. The oh-dark-thirty immigration enforcement raid in the early hours of 1 October featured an air assault from helicopters. Officers went door to door in the building, using charges to blow the hinges off doors and flashbang grenades to clear apartments. They hauled men, women and children from the building in zip ties and often little else, ostensibly to capture undocumented gang members. The troubled apartment building at 7500 S South Shore Drive hadn’t passed an annual inspection since 2022. With the remains of doors and furniture and the bloodied, scattered belongings of former tenants in tatters, it may struggle to pass another. “So many of these people remain without shelter or a place to live because it essentially rendered their homes and that entire apartment complex uninhabitable,” said Colleen Connell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. She described the apartment raid as a military-style attack. Days afterward, the building looked like a war zone, which may be the point. Read more of George’s report below. Related: US immigration enforcement using military hardware and tactics on civilians 4.42pm BST Trump says there is 'no reason' to still meet with president Xi, weighing tariff increase Donald Trump said that there is now “no reason” to meet with China’s president, Xi Jingping, at the Apec summit in South Korea. Trump said he was surprised to learn that China has been sending letters to countries worldwide saying it planned to impose “export controls” on “every element of production” related to rare earths. “I have always felt that they’ve been lying in wait, and now, as usual, I have been proven right,” he added. The president concluded his post on Truth Social by saying that the US is now calculating a “massive increase” of tariffs on Chinese products coming into the US. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, average US tariffs on Chinese exports now stand at over 57%. Updated at 5.05pm BST 4.19pm BST First lady says that she has had an 'open channel' with Putin regarding displaced Ukrainian children At the White House, first lady Melania Trump is now addressing reporters. She said that in recent months, following a letter she wrote to Russian president Vladimir Putin, she has had an “open channel” with the Kremlin leader about children of Ukraine displaced by the ongoing war. “Eight children have been rejoined with their families during the past 24 hours,” the first lady said. “Three were separated from their parents and displaced to the Russian Federation because of frontline fighting. The other five were separated from family members across borders because of the conflict.” Melania Trump didn’t take any questions from reporters after delivering her short speech. 4.09pm BST The president will arrive at Walter Reed medical center shortly for what’s being described as a “semi-annual physical” despite already having his yearly check-up in April. “I think I’m in great shape, but I’ll let you know,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. This comes as he prepares to travel to Israel on Sunday, as the first phase of a plan to end the war in Gaza gets under way. Yesterday, Trump said that he expects Israeli hostages to be released by Monday or Tuesday. Updated at 4.17pm BST 4.04pm BST A White House official confirms to the Guardian that Donald Trump’s announcement in the Oval Office at 5pm ET will be about lowering drug prices. Updated at 4.17pm BST 3.43pm BST Johnson says House will come back when Senate Democrats 'turn the lights back on' Mike Johnson said the only end in sight for the House to return to legislative work is when “Senate Democrats turn the lights back on”. The Republican speaker said that returning to work was ultimately now up to the upper chamber. “We have done the work in the House,” Johnson added. “[Democrats] are the ones blocking the checks, not Republicans, all these questions should be directed to them and not to us.” Updated at 3.45pm BST 3.32pm BST Again, Johnson said that the need to bring a separate bill to the House floor, to keep members of the military paid during the shutdown, is redundant. He maintains that the GOP-written continuing resolution, which passed the House, would allow troops to keep their paycheck. “We have voted so many times to pay the troops. We’ve already done it. We did it in the house three weeks ago, the ball is in the court of Senate Democrats right now,” Johnson said. 3.22pm BST Johnson holds press conference as shutdown enters tenth day As the shutdown enters its 10th day, Friday marks the first day federal workers across the US will receive a partial paycheck. House speaker Mike Johnson is holding a press conference, once again, blaming Democrats for the lapse in government funding. This comes after the Senate failed, for the seventh time, to pass a stopgap bill to reopen the government. “Democrats don’t, don’t appear to be in any rush to end this pain,” Johnson said. “This is beyond the pale, what Chuck Schumer is doing right now, it’s sickening. It’s sickening to hear him say it’s better for him and his party when it’s so terrible for real Americans. Millions of people are experiencing real pain because these political games.” Updated at 3.26pm BST 3.06pm BST My colleagues are covering the latest developments in the Middle East, as the first phase of the plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas takes effect. Israeli troops have begun to withdraw to a redeployment line, and Palestinians have started to return to home from southern Gaza. As Aneesa Ahmed notes, thousands of officers are also set to be deployed for Donald Trump’s visit to Israel on Monday, according to Israeli police. Officers will be stationed along key points of the president’s planned journey. As part of the president’s short trip, he’s set to address the Knesset on Monday. This would mark the first visit there by a US president in almost two decades, Aneesa reports. You can follow along here. Related: Palestinians begin journey to Gaza’s north as Israel says ceasefire now in effect – live 2.30pm BST Tariffs caused a Chinese exit from the soybean market, leaving midwestern farmers are waiting for a solution At the Purfeerst farm in southern Minnesota, the soybean harvest just wrapped up for the season. The silver grain bins are full of about 100,000 bushels of soybeans, which grab about $10 a piece. This year, though, the fate of the soybeans, and the people whose livelihoods depend on selling them, is up in the air: America’s soybean farmers are stuck in the middle of a trade war between the US and China, the biggest purchaser of soybean exports, used to feed China’s pigs. “We are gonna have to find a home for them soybeans some time soon,” said Matt Purfeerst, a fifth-generation farmer on the family’s land. “They won’t stay in our bins for ever.” No other country comes close to purchasing as many American soybeans as China – last year, it was more than $12bn worth. This year, the country has not purchased a single dollar, cutting off the country that makes up about half of US soybean exports. While Trump has said he intends some sort of payment to go to soybean farmers hurt by tariffs, an announcement of a specific plan is on hold while the government is shut down. He said in a Truth Social post last week that he’d be meeting with the Chinese president soon and “soybeans will be a major topic of discussion”. The White House cast blame on Democrats for the government shutdown for the delay in a response to the Guardian on Wednesday, erroneously claiming they were prioritizing healthcare for migrants over farmers. Read more of Rachel’s report from Faribault, Minnesota. Related: US farmers caught in Trump-China trade war – who’ll buy the soybeans? 2.04pm BST Senate advances annual defense policy bill as shutdown continues Late Thursday, the Senate approved the annual defense policy bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which funds the military in 2026. In a 77-20 vote, the upper chamber advanced the legislation which confers more than $900bn in defense spending. There had been a gridlock for over a month, after lawmakers were unable to agree on a series of amendments. The bill now heads to armed services committees in both the House and the Senate to hammer out the details and differences in both pieces of legislation. A reminder that the lower chamber passed their version in September. 1.44pm BST Speaker Johnson defends decision to stave off vote on separate bill to keep service members paid throughout shutdown As the shutdown enters its 10th day, and both chambers are out of session today, House speaker Mike Johnson has defended not passing a separate bill that would keep members of the military paid throughout the shutdown. “Republicans have voted to OPEN the government and get our troops, Border Patrol, TSA, and veterans PAID,” Johnson said, before blaming Democratic leadership for refusing to pass the House-passed continuing resolution. “Chuck Schumer is terrified of a challenge from the Marxist left – so he and the Democrats voted to CLOSE the government-and to STOP PAYCHECKS from being issued.” This comes as other Republicans in Congress have pushed for specific legislation that would keep providing paychecks to troops. A reminder, that service members are due to go without their first paycheck on 15 October, if the Senate is unable to advance a short-term funding bill. Updated at 1.50pm BST 1.08pm BST We’ll hear from Donald Trump at 10am ET today, when he heads to Walter Reed medical center for his “semi-annual” physical exam. We’ll be keeping an ear out for any reaction he has to the indictment of Letitia James, his longtime political adversary. Later we’ll also hear from the first lady, Melania Trump. She’ll make an announcement in the White House grand foyer. Trump will also make an announcement at 5pm ET in the Oval Office, and we’ll bring you the latest as it happens. Updated at 1.24pm BST 12.37pm BST Israeli police preparing for Trump visit on Monday Israeli police said on Friday that they are preparing for a visit by US president Donald Trump to Israel on Monday. More to follow. Updated at 12.42pm BST 12.25pm BST White House says Nobel committee places 'politics over peace' as Trump misses out again The White House on Friday criticized the Nobel Prize committee’s decision to award the peace prize to a Venezuelan opposition leader instead of Donald Trump. “President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will,” White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a post on X. “The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.” Updated at 1.37pm BST 12.05pm BST The US Senate remained deadlocked on legislation to end the government shutdown on Thursday, as Donald Trump reiterated his threat to make Democrats pay for the funding lapse that has closed federal agencies and furloughed workers nationwide. The Senate took its seventh round of votes on competing Democratic and Republican proposals to restart the funding, but neither won enough bipartisan support to clear the 60-vote threshold for advancement in the chamber. In a sign that neither party had budged from its demands, no senators changed their votes from when the bills were last considered in recent days. Government funding lapsed last Wednesday, and Republicans are insisting Senate Democrats approve a bill to continue operations through 21 November, which has already cleared the House of Representatives. But Democrats say any government funding deal must be paired with an extension of premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act health plans, which expire at the end of the year. They are also demanding that funding for public media outlets be restored and cuts to the Medicaid health insurance program for poor and disabled Americans are reversed. Congress’s Republican leaders have refused to negotiate over their demands until the government is reopened, and during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump repeated his threat to single out Democratic-led states and cities for retaliation, if their lawmakers do not back down. Related: Senate still deadlocked over shutdown as Trump reiterates threat to Democrats 11.50am BST Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has accused Donald Trump and his administration of turning the Department of Justice into “personal attack dogs against their political enemies”, after New York attorney general Letitia James was indicted for fraud in Virginia. Calling the move “outrageous”, Schumer was among those labelling the move as Trump’s latest effort to weaponize the department to punish political rivals. James first attracted Trump’s ire after she led a civil fraud case against the president and his business that resulted in a $500m fine – a fine recently overturned by an appellate court. Senator Adam Schiff said it was “exceedingly dangerous” to have a justice department that responds to the president’s orders to target his political enemies. “But I can tell you this,” he added. “Those of us on the president’s enemies list – and it is a long and growing list – will not be intimidated. We will not be deterred. We will do our jobs. We will stand up to this president.” 11.35am BST The sheriff’s office for metro Phoenix spent millions of dollars budgeted for compliance costs in a racial profiling case over Joe Arpaio’s immigration crackdowns on things that had little or nothing to do with a court-ordered overhaul of the agency, according to an expert’s report. The report released on Wednesday criticized the use of compliance money by the Maricopa county sheriff’s office to fund personnel costs and tasks, either in part or in full, that are not connected to the overhaul. It also pointed out inappropriate spending: $2.8m for surplus body-worn camera licenses that went beyond the court’s orders; $1.5m in renovations in the relocation of an internal affairs office; over $1.3m to buy 42 vehicles; and an $11,000 golf cart to bring staff from headquarters to the internal affairs operation, even though the department was leasing parking space at the latter location. For over a decade, Maricopa county taxpayers have picked up the bill for remedying constitutional violations found in a 2013 profiling verdict over then sheriff Arpaio’s traffic patrols targeting immigrants. The racial profiling case centered on 20 large-scale traffic patrols launched by Arpaio that targeted immigrants from January 2008 through October 2011. That led to the profiling verdict and expensive court-ordered overhauls of the agency’s traffic patrol operations and, later, its internal affairs unit. The county says $323m has been spent so far on legal expenditures, a staff that monitors the sheriff’s department’s progress and the agency’s compliance costs. The county has said the total is expected to reach $352m by July 2026. Related: Arizona sheriff’s office misused millions set aside to remedy racial profiling 11.18am BST US to send 200 troops to Israel to support and monitor ceasefire deal, reports say US troops have been sent to Israel as part of the peace deal approved on Thursday to support and help monitor the ceasefire, according to multiple news reports. Senior US officials told reporters that 200 troops will initially be on the ground with a “civil-military coordination center” operated by US Central Command to help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into the territory wracked by two years of war, the Associated Press reported, citing two officials who confirmed the report on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not authorized for release. Reuters and ABC News also reported on military troops being sent to Israel. The troops are part of a broader team that also includes partner nations, non-governmental organizations and private-sector entities there to help monitor the peace deal and the transition to a civilian government in Gaza, US officials said. US service members have already begun arriving in the region from around the globe, according to one of the officials, and will continue to travel to the region over the weekend to begin planning and establishing the center. American troops will not be sent into Gaza, they said, and the coordination center will be staffed by about 200 US service members who have expertise in transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering. Related: US to send 200 troops to Israel to support and monitor ceasefire deal, reports say 11.02am BST Federal appeals court hears arguments on whether Trump can federalize Oregon national guard A federal appeals court heard arguments on whether Donald Trump had authority to take control of 200 Oregon national guard troops. The president had planned to deploy them in Portland, where protesters have shown up wearing frog and chicken costumes at the mostly small, nightly demonstrations outside an Ice building. A three-judge panel in San Francisco on Thursday appeared likely to set aside the ruling blocking Trump’s Portland deployment, which would clear the way for hundreds of soldiers to enter that city. A judge on Sunday granted a temporary restraining order blocking the move. Trump had mobilized California troops for Portland just hours after the judge first blocked him from using Oregon’s guard. Stacy Chaffin, an Oregon assistant attorney general, echoed the language of the lower court judge who blocked Trump’s deployment, saying the president’s descriptions of Portland as riven by violence were “untethered from reality”. The judges questioned whether they should only consider the current circumstances or take into account more active protests earlier this year that temporarily shut down Ice’s Portland headquarters. The US circuit judge Ryan Nelson, a Trump appointee, said courts should not engage in a “day-by-day” review of whether troops were needed at any given time. Related: Federal appeals court hears arguments on whether Trump can federalize Oregon national guard 10.50am BST Letitia James criminally charged in Trump’s latest effort to punish rivals Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. I’m Tom Ambrose and I’ll be bringing you the latest news lines over the next few hours. We begin with the news that a federal grand jury has indicted Letitia James, the New York attorney general, for bank fraud, according to a person familiar with the matter. Lindsey Halligan, the US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, personally presented the case to the grand jury on Thursday, the person said. US attorneys do not typically present to a grand jury. “This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York state attorney general,” James said in a recorded video statement on Thursday. “These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost. The president’s actions are a grave violation of our constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties.” Halligan was installed in the role last month after Donald Trump became frustrated with the pace of investigations against his rivals. “No one is above the law,” Halligan said in a statement. “The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust. The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.” Read the full story here: Related: Letitia James criminally charged in Trump’s latest effort to punish rivals In other developments: A federal judge in Illinois issued a temporary restraining order blocking the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, saying in court that there was no evidence of a rebellion brewing in Illinois and that the Department of Homeland Security’s “narrative of events is simply unreliable.” In a similar case unfolding in federal court in San Francisco, challenging Trump’s deployment of troops to Portland, Oregon, appellate judges heard arguments and seemed more likely to rule in Trump’s favor, allowing the deployment of troops. Nearly half of the FBI agents working in the US’s major field offices have been reassigned to aid immigration enforcement, according to newly released data, a stunning shift in law enforcement priorities that has raised public safety concerns. US troops have been sent to Israel as part of the peace deal approved on Thursday to support and help monitor the ceasefire, according to multiple news reports. The US Senate remained deadlocked on legislation to end the government shutdown on Friday, as Donald Trump reiterated his threat to make Democrats pay for the funding lapse that has closed federal agencies and furloughed workers nationwide. The chances of the US stock market crashing is far greater than many financiers believe, the head of America’s largest bank has said. A Rutgers University professor who taught a course on anti-fascism was blocked from leaving the US for Spain, according to media reports. Meanwhile, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is slated to be announced today. Donald Trump wants to win the prize this year, but probably won’t.