White House weighs how to use Defense Production Act to expand US oil refining capacity, sources say

2026-09-11T16:42:44.34Z / reuters.com

Sept 11 (Reuters) – The White House is weighing how to use the Defense Production Act to expand U.S. oil refining capacity as the conflict with Iran exposes the country’s vulnerability to global crude supply disruptions and price spikes, according to two sources familiar with the administration’s plans.

Considering such an extraordinary step highlights how the Trump administration is under growing pressure to show it can contain the impact of surging fuel prices on consumers and businesses ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The Reuters Power Up newsletter by columnist Ron Bousso provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here.

The proposal to use the act came up during a recent meeting between President Donald Trump and nearly a dozen U.S. refiners, where White House officials sought to determine how federal support could best be used to add capacity, the sources said. No final decisions were made, and participants left the meeting with the expectation that the conversations would continue, according to the sources.

Refining executives told officials that federal money would be better directed toward making refineries more efficient or expanding existing plants rather than financing an entirely new refinery, which would be considerably more costly and take years to complete, the sources said.

The Defense Production Act, considered a tool of last resort that has never been used to add refining capacity, gives Trump broad powers to direct industrial resources and provide financial incentives for companies to expand production of materials deemed important to national defense. The latest discussions build on a presidential determination issued in April that authorized the use of the act to support and expand U.S. petroleum production, refining and logistics capacity.

The United States is one of the world’s largest oil refining powers, with a vast network of plants capable of processing millions of barrels of crude a day, but the national average diesel price has climbed above $6 a gallon for the first time and gasoline prices remain elevated.

“America’s refining capacity is essential to ensuring the United States has continuous access to secure, affordable, and reliable energy. Expanding that capacity is a top priority for the President and his energy team, who are evaluating concrete options to increase our refining capacity through regulatory reform, faster permitting, and additional investment,” Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman, said when asked about the proposal.

REFINING CAPACITY NEAR MAXIMUM LEVELS

U.S. refiners are already running near full tilt, with utilization reaching 98%, according to the latest data. The high utilization underscores the challenge facing the administration: refiners are producing at near-capacity levels, but tight global supplies and strong demand are keeping fuel prices high.

U.S. refining capacity has also declined over the past decade as unprofitable plants have shut, concentrating more of the nation’s refining capacity on the Gulf Coast.

In recent weeks, the White House has increasingly pointed to expanding domestic refining capacity when asked how it plans to respond to fuel-price spikes caused by the Iran conflict, making the push both a longer-term effort to buffer against global supply disruptions and part of its broader response to affordability concerns ahead of the elections.

The administration is also pushing to increase access to foreign oil supplies.

Trump recently secured a 35% U.S. government equity stake in North American Blue Energy Partners, a private Venezuelan oil company that received rights to develop 17 oil fields with about 65 billion barrels of proven reserves. The agreement gives the U.S. government rights to purchase Venezuelan crude, including 20% of the company’s output at production cost.

The White House says millions of barrels of new Venezuelan production will eventually be processed through U.S. refineries.

TEST CASE

A proposed new refinery in Brownsville, Texas, has emerged as a test case for Trump’s call to expand U.S. refining capacity. It was unclear whether the project would receive any Defense Production Act funding.

America First Refining plans to build a 168,000-barrel-per-day facility at the Port of Brownsville, which Trump announced in March as the first new U.S. refinery in nearly 50 years. The project is backed by India’s Reliance Industries, which has agreed to a 20-year deal to buy the refinery’s output.

The project also has ties to Trump’s family and administration. Donald Trump Jr. is a passive minority investor in America First Refining, according to company and investor disclosures reported by ProPublica, while Cantor Fitzgerald, whose founder Howard Lutnick is Trump’s commerce secretary, is serving as financial adviser to the company, according to company announcements.

America First Refining did not respond to requests for comment.

Afghan woman deported from US in first use of secretive terrorism court

2026-09-11 19:42:49 UTC / Reuters

By Nate Raymond

September 11, 2026 7:42 PM UTC Updated 14 mins ago

United States Department of Justice logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights

Sept 11 (Reuters) – An Afghan woman accused of supporting the Islamic State has been deported from the United States in the first case to be pursued by the U.S. Department of ​Justice through a little-known court created 30 years ago to deport “alien terrorists.”

Nazira Haji ‌Zada, a 47-year-old who had been residing in Texas as a lawful permanent resident of the United States, was deported after agreeing not to continue to fight against her removal in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court following her ​arrest in July, the department said on Friday.

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The Justice Department had accused her of ​helping conceal a failed, Islamic State-inspired plot to commit a mass shooting on ⁠Election Day 2024. She was never charged with any crime, but her son and son-in-law ​pleaded guilty to related charges last year.

Her case had been filed in a court that had ​gone unused in the decades since its creation by Congress in 1996. That court allows the government to rely on classified evidence in deportation cases.

Her attorney initially argued the secretive process violated her due process rights. Defendants ​in such cases are not allowed to review the classified evidence used against them.

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But according to ​court documents unsealed on Friday, Haji Zada agreed last month that she was an “alien terrorist” subject to removal. ‌The ⁠court’s chief judge, Joan Ericksen, subsequently approved her deportation.

“This landmark case, resulting in the prompt removal of this alien terrorist to her country of origin, is a win for national security and the rule of law,” U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.

The case marked the latest in ​a series of aggressive ​moves by President Donald ⁠Trump’s administration to carry out deportations as part of an immigration crackdown.

It was unclear, though, whether the Justice Department would use the obscure court ​again anytime soon.

Matthew Farley, a public defender who represented Haji Zada, ​in a statement ⁠said her “choice to consent to removal should not be seen as an endorsement of this court’s legitimacy.”

“Dragging lawful permanent residents into court but refusing to show them or their attorneys the evidence that ⁠will be ​used against them is a plain violation of due ​process,” he said. “We are confident that the Alien Terrorist Removal Court will be struck down as unconstitutional as soon as a ​judge is asked to address the issue.”

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Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Daniel Wallis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

White House reporter remembers the moment President Bush realized America was under attack

1:22 PM EDT, Fri September 11, 2026 / CNN

By John King, CNN

White House reporter remembers the moment President Bush realized America was under attack

Inside Politics

Ann Compton was covering George W. Bush’s presidential trip to a Florida school when terrorists flew two planes into the Twin Towers. She shares the details of the moment when Bush’s advisers told him it was a terrorist attack.

1:25 • Source: CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/11/politics/video/inside-politics-9-11-terrorist-attack-remembering

Saudi Arabia’s MBS pressed Trump to strike Houthis in Yemen

2026-09-11 12:17:25 EDT / CBS News

By

Olivia Gazis
Olivia Gazis covers intelligence and international security matters for CBS News. Twice Emmy-nominated, she has traveled worldwide with the secretary of state and contributes reporting on intelligence, foreign policy and other security topics across CBS News broadcast, radio, online and streaming platforms.

Read Full Bio

Ed O’Keefe Senior White House and Political Correspondent
Ed O’Keefe is CBS News’ senior White House and political correspondent reporting for all CBS News platforms. He’s part of the team covering President Trump and covered all four years of Joe Biden’s presidency. From the White House to the campaign trail, O’Keefe’s reports stretch from the politics of the moment to how policy enacted in Washington affects the nation and the world.

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Washington— Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has personally pressed President Trump to take military action against the Iran-backed Houthis as Houthi forces have advanced rapidly along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, adding that Mr. Trump and the crown prince have spoken multiple times in recent days about the escalating situation.

Despite bin Salman’s urging, Mr. Trump has so far declined to involve the U.S. military directly, offering instead to assist with intelligence and targeting support, according to the sources, who were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks.

Adm. Bradley Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, was in Saudi Arabia for coordination talks on Friday, one source said. A CENTCOM spokesperson declined to comment on his whereabouts.

The Saudi push is part of an effort to build a coalition against the Houthis and protect the kingdom against potential Iranian retaliation, one of the people familiar with the situation said, noting that the concern is that if the Houthis are attacked, Iran could retaliate against Saudi Arabia.

“Iran is under intense pressure from these subgroups because people think they gave up on Hezbollah and Hamas. If the Houthis are attacked, how will Iran respond? Do they hit Saudi Arabia? That’s why they’re building this coalition to protect them if Iran attacks,” one of the people said. “And if the Saudis come in, would the U.S. follow them in? That’s what they’re hoping.”

Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities gather during a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sept. 10, 2026. Mohammed HUWAIS /AFP via Getty Images

The U.S.-Saudi talks remain fluid, sources said.

Axios first reported the crown prince’s calls to Mr. Trump and the Saudi push for U.S. military action.

The Houthis seized the strategic port of Mokha in recent days, strengthening their position around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The Yemeni government said Friday that the Houthis have also taken control of the final two islands in the strait that they did not control, giving them additional leverage over the chokepoint. Oil prices have hovered around $100 a barrel over the past week, their highest level since July, with some analysts warning that prices could reach $120 a barrel with continued fighting in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was monitoring the situation in Yemen “very closely.” The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A senior administration official said the U.S. is “focused on protecting our core national security interests — such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea — while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges.” The official said the U.S. is in “continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen Government regarding regional stability.”

Mr. Trump has expressed some reluctance to further engage the U.S. military unless necessary, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

At his speech at the Republican midterm convention on Thursday night, Mr. Trump said, “We built the strongest military in the world. We use it a little more than I thought. But we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, and they will never have a nuclear weapon.”

The U.S.-Iran war escalated sharply this week, with U.S. forces destroying five Iranian oil tankers after Iranian forces targeted a U.S. Navy vessel with ballistic missiles. Tehran also fired missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, damaging multiple American military aircraft, CBS News previously reported. U.S. forces in Jordan launched more than 30 Patriot missiles defending against the Iranian strikes.

Charlie D’Agata contributed to this report.

Reporter’s Notebook: Countdown is on as Senate races to pass crypto, college sports bills

September 11, 2026 1:11pm EDT / Fox News

Senators have just three weeks to secure 60 votes on the Clarity Act and a Cruz-Cantwell college athletics measure

By Chad Pergram Fox News

Senate takes up CLARITY Act aimed at regulating cryptocurrency

Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram has the latest on Congress debating the CLARITY Act, legislation aimed at establishing a federal regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and digital assets, as lawmakers weigh its potential impact on investors, financial markets and the future of the U.S. crypto industry on ‘Special Report.’

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It’s a twofer in the Senate.

Senators return to Washington Monday for the first time since the wee hours of Aug. 8. The Senate’s slated to meet for three weeks before heading home for the midterms — if the session even goes that long.

There are a lot of items senators want to tackle. But only two big ones are lined up for test votes right now.

The first legislative vote is locked in. It’s a procedural vote on a measure to regulate cryptocurrency. That comes Tuesday afternoon. The bill needs 60 votes to be in play.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: SUMMER ENDS, BUT THE SENATE’S FALL CRUNCH BEGINS

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

There’s no bigger advocate for cryptocurrency than President Trump. He’s pushing for the Senate to move legislation.

“We ended the war on crypto once and for all,” said the President. “Now we need Congress to take the next step by passing the Clarity Act.”

Let’s clarify what the Clarity Act does. The measure clarifies federal rules for digital currencies and tokens. The framework would divide oversight between two regulators: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CTFC). Approval of the bill would be the first step toward establishing guardrails for cryptocurrency.

“We passed the Clarity Act in the House last summer with 78 Democratic votes. It’s now time for the Senate to join us,” said House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., on Fox Business.

The package has bipartisan support. But there’s a roadblock coming from the Democrats.

“The one remaining significant issue, I think, is the ethics provision,” said Hill.

President Trump’s own financial disclosure report reveals he earned $1.4 billion on cryptocurrency last year alone. That’s why Democrats want specific rules for the Trump family and crypto.

“It basically exempts the President from any kind of ethical constraints. And that’s just not going to fly in the Democratic caucus,” said Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., says the bill is too closely aligned with what the President and his industry allies want.

“Yes. We need crypto legislation. But not this legislation that has been written by this industry,” said Warren. “I just don’t see how anyone, Democrat or Republican, moves forward on this bill.”

That’s why many doubt the measure can score 60 votes twice to break a filibuster. The naysaying aggravates cryptocurrency advocates.

“This is the right bill at the right time, and it’s time to vote,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wy.

She argues that crypto supporters bowed to demands to firm up ethics rules.

“In 2023, we added 100 pages with stronger consumer protection provisions. Yet we got feedback from colleagues that they wanted more. So again, we listened. Today, this bill that was under 300 pages is more than 600 pages. That’s hundreds of pages built over 11 months of daily bipartisan negotiations in windowless rooms where colleagues from both parties shared their priorities, and we worked diligently to incorporate them,” said an exasperated Lummis.

Warren argues that the bill makes it easier for drug runners and terrorists to fund their operations — without a literal paper trail.

TED CRUZ URGES SENATE TO STAY IN WASHINGTON UNTIL PROTECT COLLEGE SPORTS ACT PASSES THIS WEEK

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts and ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.(Kent Nishimura / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Lummis says if the U.S. doesn’t establish its cryptocurrency blueprint, digital assets could flee overseas.

“These companies can go to Singapore, Switzerland, the UAE and have a well-understood clear set of regulations,” said Lummis.

So that test vote is locked in. But it’s rare to pass a major financial regulatory measure this close to the midterms. And if Democrats prevail in November, that could create friction with the White House.

The Senate also expects a test vote before the end of September on a bill to regulate money in college sports. But there’s no specific agreement on a date for that roll call tally.

You know the old saying that there’s no such thing as bad publicity? Well, the “bad” publicity surrounding college football could potentially provide this legislation a boost.

President Trump implored senators to stay in Washington to finish the bill last month. But it wasn’t ready. However, controversies over former pro players heading back to college — to say nothing of clock maintenance at the University of Michigan — could prod skeptical senators to give this measure another look.

Let’s start with LSU tight end Dae’Quan Wright. If you can keep up with him.

Last year, Wright played for current LSU head coach Lane Kiffin last year at Ole Miss — before Kiffin abandoned his squad late in the season for the Tigers. Wright decided to go pro. The Philadelphia Eagles picked him up in the spring. But then waved Wright early last month. The Cleveland Browns then signed Wright. He dressed for a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Never played a snap. Then the Browns cut him.

So, Wright headed back to school. But this time, at LSU.

“I’m just putting on a college uniform again and going out there and having fun and embracing my opportunity,” said Wright.

A judge then cleared Wright and former Ole Miss defensive lineman Zxavian Harris to play for LSU this fall. But in between, Harris appeared in preseason camp with the New Orleans Saints — before the team waived him.

Drew Rosenhaus is Wright’s agent. He believes his client had no other option after his brief cup of coffee in the pros.

“His contract with the NFL was terminated,” said Rosenhaus. “If he was still able to play in the NFL, he would be there.”

Chaos like this is prodding lawmakers to try to regulate intercollegiate athletics.

“It’s not fair to the high school kids coming out to play college ball if you suddenly have colleges that are going and recruiting from the NFL,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

Cruz teamed up with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Commerce panel, to craft the college athletics regulation measure.

One big restriction: the legislation limits athletes to one transfer.

“The transfer portal is out of control. You have athletes transferring two, three, four times. You have essentially no eligibility rules. So you have athletes competing six, seven, eight years. You have 28-year-olds competing against 17-year-old kids,” said Cruz.

The constant darting around from school to school worries the Trump administration, too.

LAWMAKERS PRAISE BIPARTISAN EFFORTS LED BY TRUMP ADMIN TO ‘PROTECT COLLEGE SPORTS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS’

The U.S. Capitol building is shown in Washington, D.C. A Romanian man admitted to participating in a series of “swatting” calls that targeted members of Congress, as well as other government officials.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

“It’s a crazy system, man,” said Vice President JD Vance to colleague Lucas Tomlinson. “When I was growing up…you would get some loyalty, between the athletes and the fan bases. You would know the names of the people who played for your team because they were there for three or four years.”

The Cruz/Cantwell package also caps money schools can use for name, image and likeness, or NIL. And, considering the recent contretemps, the legislation bars athletes from going pro. Then reversing field to college.

The White House tapped legendary former Alabama football coach Nick Saban to push for passage of the bill.

“Join the winning team today and help Congress protect this American tradition,” says Saban in the commercial now airing around the country.

But even if the bill gets through the Senate, it faces an unclear path in the House. The House returns to session Monday, too. But it’s unclear how long its members will stick around with the midterms looming.

“I’ve had coach Saban in my office, and we’ve talked about this, and he’s right,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “I think Congress is ready to act. But it takes both chambers.”

In other words, just like there’s a play clock in football, there’s a play clock in Congress, too.

“I appreciate the exuberance of our Senate colleagues,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. “But I don’t know if there’s enough days to get this done.”

Time may be the enemy of both the cryptocurrency bill and the college athletics bill. Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill with one foot practically out the door, headed back toward the airport.

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It’s a Senate twofer. But if things don’t sail smoothly on either or both bills, there may be little reason to anchor lawmakers to Washington. And if lawmakers don’t address these bills now, potential legislative fixes may evaporate until the new Congress begins in January.

Chad Pergram currently serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

Navy sailor who was jailed in Venezuela took stage at GOP convention, in unusual military presence at political event

September 11, 2026 / 12:48 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — An active-duty Navy sailor who spent nearly a year imprisoned in Venezuela before being freed in a prisoner exchange negotiated by the Trump administration appeared on stage at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention on Thursday.

His appearance at the event, holding a sign before the partisan crowd, raises questions about the military’s consistency in enforcing restrictions intended to keep active-duty troops out of politics.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Wilbert Joseph Castañeda appears on stage at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Sept. 10, 2026. C-SPAN screengrab

Petty Officer 2nd Class Wilbert Joseph Castañeda, who remained on active duty as of Friday, did not deliver remarks and did not wear his military uniform, instead opting for a black suit and a red tie as he walked on stage with several other individuals. Castañeda held a sign showing how many days he was held in Venezuela.

“Please welcome brave Americans who were taken hostage during the Biden administration and freed last year by President Trump,” the announcer said.

Former hostages who were freed by the U.S. appear on stage on day 2 of the 2026 GOP midterm convention on Sept. 10, 2026, in Dallas. Petty Officer 2nd Class Wilbert Joseph Castañeda is second from the left, holding a sign that reads “351 days.” Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images

Defense Department rules prohibit active-duty service members from participating in partisan political rallies and conventions, regardless of whether or not they are in uniform, but they may attend as spectators, if they are not in uniform. Service members who violate the policy can be charged under military articles for failing to obey an order or regulation.

The circumstances surrounding Castañeda’s appearance, and whether Navy officials knew about it beforehand or approved his participation, were not immediately clear. Contacted for comment by CBS News on Thursday evening, neither Castañeda nor the Pentagon responded prior to publication.

A U.S. Navy special warfare official confirmed to CBS News on Friday that Castañeda is “an active-duty Sailor but is no longer a Navy SEAL.”

CBS News first reported two years ago that Castañeda was no longer authorized to wear the Trident, the symbolic warfare device of a qualified SEAL. A U.S. official said his trident was pulled due to poor performance.

The military’s statement from Wednesday appears to indicate Castañeda at some point received a reduction in rank from petty officer first class to petty officer second class.

The Republican National Committee’s gathering left little ambiguity about its partisan character. The party organized the two-day convention in Dallas to rally voters and candidates ahead of the November midterm elections, with President Trump and other GOP leaders promoting the party’s record and electoral message.

Defense Department Directive 1344.10, which governs political activities by members of the Armed Forces, states that active-duty troops may hold political opinions, vote and participate in certain other forms of political activity. They may attend partisan political rallies, meetings and conventions as spectators if they’re not in uniform and when their presence cannot reasonably be interpreted as an official military endorsement.

“When it comes to partisan political conventions, the Defense Department draws a line in the sand between ‘spectator’ and ‘participant,’” Cody Harnish, a former Army Judge Advocate General officer and now a private defense attorney for U.S. service members, told CBS News.

“If he had been sitting in the audience, his attendance would have been fine. The moment he stepped on stage as part of the production, he stopped being a spectator,” said Harnish.

Castañeda’s appearance at the convention adds another unusual chapter to a military career that had already attracted national attention.

Castañeda enlisted in the Navy in April 2007, undergoing the grueling process to become a Navy SEAL, according to his service record, which the Navy provided CBS News. Between 2009 and 2022, he served in naval special warfare units on both coasts of the United States, earning three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and four Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.

A U.S. official told CBS News and other news outlets in 2024 that Castañeda was not on approved leave by the U.S. military or on official travel to Venezuela when he was detained.

In August 2024, Casteñeda was arrested in his Caracas hotel room while he was in Venezuela visiting a friend, according to a 2025 press release issued by his advocates. Venezuelan officials initially claimed he was involved in a coup, but later backed away from the accusation because “there was no supporting evidence,” the release said.

Last year, Castañeda was among 10 Americans freed from Venezuela in exchange for El Salvador returning 252 Venezuelans who were deported from the U.S. to a notorious Salvadoran prison, according to previous reporting by CBS News.

Upon his release, Castañeda’s family in a statement called him “an innocent man who was used as a political pawn by the Maduro regime.” They said he had suffered several traumatic brain injuries during his 18 years in the Navy that “impaired his judgment and risk mitigation” and “led him to make a bad decision to travel to Venezuela.” Last year, his family told Task & Purpose that Castañeda was being evaluated for his traumatic brain injuries. He was also evaluated for the physical and psychological trauma he endured while in captivity.

At the same time, the military has been pursuing other service members over conduct that while different, also involves the boundary between military service and partisan political activity.

Air Force Maj. Jason Watson — who vocally criticized Mr. Trump — is facing multiple charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. He’s being charged with failing to obey an order or regulation, under the same article that would punish a service member for participating in a partisan political rally or convention.

Watson was arrested twice. In one incident, he called for Mr. Trump’s impeachment while in uniform on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, CBS News previously reported. An exact date for Watson’s court-martial has not been set.

Some have compared Watson’s case to that of Stuart Scheller, a former Marine lieutenant colonel who went viral during the Biden administration for videos criticizing senior leadership over the Afghanistan withdrawal while wearing his uniform.

Scheller, who was represented by lawyer Tim Parlatore, pleaded guilty to all charges against him in a special court-martial in 2021, including Article 92. Now, he serves as deputy chief of staff for personnel and readiness in the Defense Department — while Parlatore, who was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s attorney, is a senior adviser to the defense secretary.

Both courts and the U.S. military have historically reinforced the idea of maintaining a dividing line between America’s armed forces and partisan political campaigns of any stripe.

“The regulation does not care whether the partisan convention is for the party currently in power,” said Harnish. “It cuts both ways to preserve the apolitical nature of our military and to uphold the nation’s trust in those who serve.”

Eleanor Watson contributed to this report.

Vance’s midterm pitch is strikingly different from Trump’s

2026-09-11T16:47:00.764Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/11/politics/jd-vance-trump-midterms

In his keynote speech Thursday night at the Republican midterm convention, Vice President JD Vance offered a very different midterm pitch than his boss.

He acknowledged many voters dislike certain things about the Trump administration, but he urged them to nonetheless vote against the Democratic “crazies.”

It was a more realistic and nuanced pitch, and it’s a striking contrast to President Donald Trump’s all-is-great, we’re-in-the-Golden-Age approach.

But it’s a difficult sell — in large part because Trump has given voters so much to dislike.

Vance devoted a significant chunk of his speech to this argument. He even invoked the late Charlie Kirk, whom he strongly suggested would have opposed Trump’s war with Iran.

Vance cited “some people who love some of our policies but maybe don’t agree with others.”

He called out “young men, many of whom felt inspired by Charlie Kirk but are unhappy with some of what has happened in the wake of his death.”

“Do not throw the baby out with the bath water,” Vance added. “Don’t give the country over to a bunch of crazy people because you happen to disagree with us on a policy issue here or there.”

And finally, he said: “I’m not asking anybody to agree on every single policy of the administration. What I am asking you to do is to recognize the contrast with the radicals and recognize the achievements of the last 18 months.”

This is vastly different from Trump’s pitch.

The president followed up Vance’s speech by riffing on how great everything is, arguing the United States is in a new golden age.

And just hours before Vance’s speech, Fox News released an interview with Trump in which host Laura Ingraham posited that the same “young men” Vance later cited were “demoralized.” Trump quickly reject the premise out of hand. He insisted they still supported him, weren’t demoralized and understood the value of the Iran war.

That is, of course, not true — not in the broad strokes. A Pew Research Center poll in March showed just 49% of Republicans under 30 approved of Trump’s handling of the war, compared to 84% of GOP senior citizens.

But that hints at the limits of Vance’s pitch.

The problem is that for many would-be Republican voters — including young men — it’s not just an issue or two that has alienated them. Trump has saddled his party with a large swath of things that polls show Americans decidedly don’t like.

The president even cited many of them in his keynote address on Wednesday. A Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday showed independents overwhelmingly opposed Trump on a number of things:

• 74% disapproved of his handling of the Iran war
• 75% disapproved of his handling of the economy
• 71% disapproved of his handling of the Russia-Ukraine war
• 70% disapproved of his handling of trade with Canada (Trump recently launched a trade war)
• 76% opposed his recent renaming of Lake Ontario as “Lake America”
• 69% opposed his White House ballroom project

And on each of these, between 17% and 38% of Republicans also disapproved.

Similarly, CNN polling in July showed that Republicans and GOP-leaning independents — the kinds of voters the GOP needs to convince — often oppose what Trump does by 30%, 40% and even 50% or more.

There is also one issue that is far and away No. 1 for the vast majority of Americans: affordability. And Trump has lost the plot on it.

He’s spent months falsely claiming that prices are down and the economy is booming. But he hasn’t seemed to convince virtually anyone of this alternate reality.

That’s led people to believe Trump is asleep at the wheel. Around three-quarters of people think he’s neglected the issue. The July CNN poll showed 81% of independents and 43% of Republicans disapproved of him on inflation.

It would be one thing if inflation were bad, Trump was out there trying to fix it, and it was just a tough slog. But he’s piled on things that Americans aren’t asking for, that make clear his priorities are elsewhere, and that in some cases could even exacerbate inflation: the tariffs, the Iran war, the ballroom and his many legacy projects.

Trump is acting like he simply doesn’t care about public opinion; he just wants to do what he wants to do, for his legacy.

Vance’s presentation Thursday was at least an attempt to level with people. But it was a discordant one next to a president who insists on a different reality — and has governed as if he has the political capital that that alternate reality would afford him.

And that showcases the weakness of Vance’s argument — at least to the extent it was intended for the 2026 election, rather than a future race in which he might need some distance from Trump.

小一报名明年调整 2B阶段学额或减少 影响家长当义工意愿

2026年9月11日 23:45 / 新明日报

• 小一报名制度明年起调整，2C阶段预留学额将从40个增至60个，让更多与学校无直接联系的孩童有机会入学。 – 2B阶段继续保留20个预留学额，但受访家长和校长指出，学额可能减少或降低家长为提高录取机会而当义工的意愿。 – 福建会馆表示将密切关注新制度落实后的会员入会情况及反馈，再适时作出相应调整。 – 乐赛学校校长苏拉杰说，2B阶段学额减少或降低家长参与义工计划的意愿，但家长担任义工的原因各不相同。

根据新制度，2C阶段预留学额将从40个增至60个，让更多与学校没有直接联系的孩童有机会入学。 （档案照片）

小一报名制度明年起调整，2C阶段预留的学额增加，供家长义工、宗乡会馆和教会成员等为孩子报名的2B阶段，可获得的学额可能相应减少。受访家长和校长指出这或会降低家长为提高孩子录取机会而当义工的意愿，而会馆则表示会密切关注情况，适时作调整。

根据新制度，2C阶段预留学额将从40个增至60个，让更多与学校没有直接联系的孩童有机会入学。2B阶段虽然继续保留20个预留学额，但由于2C增加的学额来自较早的2A和2B阶段，会馆和教会成员，以及家长义工可能面临更少名额和更高的抽签风险。

新加坡福建会馆发言人回复《联合早报》询问时指出，教育部在新一轮制度检讨中继续保留2B阶段的20个预留学额，体现对福建会馆等社团长期参与教育工作的肯定。会馆将“密切关注新制度落实后的会员入会情况以及对新制度的反馈，再适时作出相应调整”。

福建会馆属下五所小学包括：道南学校、爱同学校、崇福学校、南侨小学和光华学校。当中大部分已停止让家长在孩子入学前申请当学校义工。根据会馆的规定，会员若要获得会馆推荐参加相关学校的2B阶段报名，须拥有至少一年九个月的会籍，并在小一报名年份的5月31日前，通过会馆平台完成80小时的义务服务。

旗下有六所小学的新加坡基督教卫理公会回复询问时则说，符合条件的教会成员只需向所属教会办公室提出申请，由公会汇总名单后统一提交教育部。

目前全国179所小学当中，约三分之一有推行家长义工计划，而一些较受欢迎的学校在2B阶段因为义工众多出现激烈的抽签情况。不过随着往后名额的减少，家长为孩子报读小学当义工的动力或会下降。

乐赛学校校长苏拉杰（Suraj Nair Venugopal）受访时说：“对于报名人数超出学额的学校，2B阶段可获得的学额减少，可能会降低家长参与学校义工计划的意愿。这是可以理解的，因为即使在制度调整之前，完成规定的义工服务时数也从未保证孩子一定能获录取。”

不过，他也指出，家长担任义工的原因各不相同。对一些家长来说，取得2B阶段报名资格可能是重要考量；但也有家长是希望在孩子入读小一前，进一步了解学校的学习环境、价值观和教育理念。

他透露，乐赛学校自2025年起已停止根据小一报名家长义工计划招募新的家长义工，因为家长支援小组已能满足学校的需求。

曾为孩子申报小一而担任家长义工的陶东华（48岁，自由职业）认为，随着录取机会减弱，家长为了孩子入学而担任义工的意愿可能会降低。

她十多年前曾在后港小学担任家长义工。当时她虽然住在学校1公里范围内，但由于学校较热门，仍希望通过当义工增加孩子入学的机会。她指出，当年家长参与义工的主要动力就是为了增加孩子入学的机会。“如果不是为了报名，大部分家长也不会热衷去做义工。”

另一名受访家长、菩提学校家长支援小组主席吕淑真（48岁，研究助理）却认为，2B阶段的学额减少，也未必会大幅影响家长担任义工的意愿。

她指出，即使符合2B阶段报名资格，也不代表孩子一定能获学校录取，家长本来就应该了解这一点。

吕淑真育有两个儿子，分别15岁和9岁，小儿子目前就读菩提学校。她2017年在大儿子读小一时才开始担任家长义工。

她说，自己当年担任义工并非为了取得优先报名资格，而是希望更了解学校，也借此与教师及其他家长建立联系。“如果重新选择，即使在新制度下没有任何优先条件，我仍愿意到孩子就读的学校做义工。”

巴西总统候选人涉贪腐洗钱被调查 大选前选情或受冲击

2026年9月11日 23:32 / 联合早报

在巴西下个月举行总统大选之际，巴西总统人们候选人弗拉维奥因涉嫌贪污和洗钱接受调查，竞选活动或受冲击。 （法新社）

在巴西下个月举行总统选举之际，巴西总统热门候选人弗拉维奥因涉嫌贪污和洗钱接受调查，竞选活动或受冲击。

路透社报道，现年44岁的巴西前总统博索纳罗的长子弗拉维奥（Flavio Bolsonaro）是一名参议员，代表右翼阵营挑战寻求连任的左翼总统卢拉。

根据一份法庭文件显示，警方自7月起对弗拉维奥展开调查。最高法院一名法官已批准警方展开调查，调查内容涉及其父亲传记电影“制作资金来源”中可能存在的犯罪行为。

巴西警方星期四（10日）展开数十项突击搜查行动，调查一家电影制作公司涉嫌挪用公共资金。由美国演员卡维泽饰演博索纳罗的传记片《黑马》（Dark Horse），正成为不断扩大的贪腐丑闻调查对象。

警方消息人士告诉法新社，星期四搜查的目标包括《黑马》制作公司负责人加马，以及亲博索纳罗的国会议员弗里亚斯。弗里亚斯被列为电影执行制片人。两人目前被禁止离开巴西，直至调查结束。

警方官员说，涉案资金来自国会议员可用于特别项目的议会经费，通常用于其选区的项目。弗里亚斯否认违法，并指调查是“烟幕”。

弗拉维奥则抨击调查是针对大选的“政治干预”，称这是因为民调显示他领先卢拉。

弗拉维奥此前也被揭露曾向涉嫌诈骗的银行家沃卡罗寻求资金。沃卡罗是已倒闭的Banco Master私人银行行长。弗拉维奥称，这笔钱原计划用于制作《黑马》。

巴西首轮大选将于10月4日举行。由于预计没有候选人能取得过半选票，得票最高的两人将于10月25日进行第二轮决选。目前卢拉与弗拉维奥在民调支持率上势均力敌。

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