Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency 
Taiwan Political Standoff Deepens as President Lai Urges Parliament to Withdraw Disputed Laws 
Trump Administration Moves to Keep TransAlta Coal Plant Running Amid Rising AI Power Demand 
Zelenskiy Urges Allies to Use Frozen Russian Assets as EU Summit Nears 
Federal Appeals Court Allows Trump’s National Guard Deployment in Washington, D.C. to Continue 
U.S. Initiates $11.1 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan Amid Rising China Tensions 
Dan Bongino to Step Down as FBI Deputy Director After Brief, Controversial Tenure 
Lukashenko Urges Swift Ukraine Peace Deal, Backs Trump’s Push for Rapid Resolution 
Trump Attends Dover Ceremony Honoring U.S. Personnel Killed in Syria 
U.S. House Advances GOP Healthcare Bill as ACA Subsidies Near Expiration 
Trump Taps Former DHS Official Troy Edgar for U.S. Ambassador Role in El Salvador 
U.S. Senators Move Toward Deal to Strengthen Military Helicopter Safety Rules 
Italy Supreme Court Upholds Salvini Acquittal in Migrant Kidnapping Case 
Republicans Raise National Security Concerns Over Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools 
European Leaders Tie Ukraine Territorial Decisions to Strong Security Guarantees 
Trump’s Rob Reiner Remarks Spark Bipartisan Outrage After Tragic Deaths 
Trump Administration Plans Major Increase in Denaturalization Cases for Naturalized U.S. Citizens 
The president of the European Union’s executive branch expressed confidence that there would be a deal reached with the United Kingdom on the Northern Ireland Protocol. The European Commission leader added that a deal could be reached if London showed political will.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday that she was confident that a deal could be made with the United Kingdom over the post-Brexit trade arrangement with Northern Ireland. Von der Leyen said a positive conclusion could be reached on the deal if London showed political will.
“We have always shown flexibility, we will always have a constructive approach to these issues,” said von der Leyen ahead of her meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin. “If there is the political will in the UK, I am very confident that we can reach a positive conclusion.”
In remarks to the Irish parliament, von der Leyen said that her contacts with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been encouraging and that a workable solution could be agreed upon. The bloc’s Brexit chief Maros Sefcovic also said that the EU was ready to increase its efforts in finding joint solutions after a phone conversation with British foreign secretary James Cleverly.
Cleverly said the UK was committed to finding a “durable solution.”
Talks between the EU and the UK resumed in October for the first time in seven months on the Northern Ireland Protocol, a provision in the Brexit deal that mandated checks on some goods going to Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.
Last week, the British government said it would set the budget for Northern Ireland as the region is experiencing a political deadlock leaving it without a functioning government.
“We recognize the public in Northern Ireland must be protected in future by bringing the public finances under control so it is with significant regret that I am now setting a Northern Ireland Budget,” said the British government’s Northern Ireland minister Chris Heaton-Harris in a statement.
“I have a clear message to the parties: If they disagree with my budget, they should restore the executive to consider and revise the departmental position I have set out,” said Heaton-Harris.
