In our Monday newsletter, a federal judge clashed with Justice Department lawyers in the latest legal standoff over the fate of a Washington, D.C., golf course, the Supreme Court will review a Reconstruction-era ban on craft distilleries, and Israeli authorities said they had arrested at least ten people in connection with recent settler attacks in the occupied West Bank.
Geoff Bennett:
Also, today a federal judge clashed with Justice Department lawyers in the latest legal standoff over the fate of a Washington, D.C., golf course. Judge asks for details on who was responsible for recent cutting of hundreds of trees at East Potomac Golf Links.
The government argued they were removed as part of routine maintenance. But President Trump told reporters today that he aims to, as he put it, build a better golf course after posting on social media that the venue would be closed for a 15-month renovation.
During today’s hearing, the judge said — quote — “There is no universe in which all of this coincidentally happened at the same time.”
The U.S. Supreme Court says it will review the Reconstruction-era ban on craft distilleries. The justices will decide whether Congress had the authority to ban the practice in the 1860s to prevent distillers from avoiding taxes. The high court will also revisit the issue of race and school admissions in a case involving Asian American parents and Maryland’s selective colleges.
This comes three years after judges restricted affirmative action in higher education. And the court rejected an attempt by alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to revive a plea deal that the government later withdrew. He and two accomplices are expected to face a military trial in 2028.
Israeli authorities say they have arrested at least 10 people in connection with recent settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, including against European diplomats and Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine. Police today released video showing at least one suspect arrested in a pre-dawn operation. Authorities have not identified the suspects, but Israeli Army Radio reports that they are all Israeli citizens.
Meanwhile, Israeli settlers today continued to move into Palestinian olive groves as local residents accuse Israeli forces of standing idly by, rather than intervening to protect them during the annual harvest.
Mohammed Abu Rabee, resident of Deir Abu Mash’al, West Bank (through translator): I don’t believe the army. These people constitute a nation on two sides of the same coin. They are the same. The settlers attack us while the Israeli army is there.
Geoff Bennett:
U.S. and European officials have condemned the violence.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election bid, calling him a great warrior. Mr. Trump’s support comes just over a week before Israel’s first elections since the Hamas attacks on October 7.
In Yemen, authorities say Houthi forces fired ballistic missiles at a military camp today, killing at least 53 soldiers and injuring 200 others. A video posted on social media shows the aftermath of the attack. It was one of the deadliest strikes since fighting resumed between the Iran-backed group and government forces this summer.
It comes a day after Houthi health officials said an airstrike by Saudi-led forces killed at least nine people in rebel-held territory in northern Yemen. The Saudi government has made no comment on the incident.
On Wall Street, stocks ended today mixed for the start of the week. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped about 35 points. The Nasdaq rose more than 1 percent after last week’s losses. The S&P 500 also finished higher that day.
And journalist Noah Adams, who hosted NPR’s “All Things Considered” for nearly two decades, has died.
Noah Adams, NPR News:
This is special coverage from NPR News.
Geoff Bennett:
For millions of radio listeners, Noah Adams was a firm, reassuring voice, guiding Americans through historic moments, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the September 11 attacks. But Adams also had a gift for telling quieter, more personal stories, capturing the lives and experiences of ordinary Americans.
He has written five books exploring topics ranging from the Wright Brothers to his own experience learning the piano in his 50s. His wife says Adams died Friday at their home in Ohio. Noah Adams was 84 years old.
Gn headline
