News Wrap: Pentagon Authorizes Firearms for National Guard in D.C.

National Guard Deployment in D.C.

• ⚡ The Pentagon announced that National Guard troops in Washington D.C. will begin carrying firearms, a shift from a previous decision.
• ⚠️ This policy change comes as nearly 2,000 National Guard members are stationed in the capital, part of President Trump's security measures.
• 🗣️ President Trump criticized the city's mayor for not ensuring safety and suggested potential federal takeover if issues persist.

Defense Department and Intelligence Shifts

• 🎯 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
• 📉 This action followed a leaked DIA assessment that contradicted President Trump's claims about U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
• 🏛️ Kruse is the latest high-level military official dismissed since the start of the Trump administration.

Federal Investment in Intel

• 📈 The federal government has acquired a 10% stake in Intel, with President Trump stating it was acquired at no cost.
• 💡 This investment is seen as crucial for the future of the nation's semiconductor and chip manufacturing capabilities.
• 🏦 The move represents one of the largest government interventions in a U.S. company since the 2008 financial crisis.

Immigration and Legal Proceedings

• ⚖️ Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national facing human smuggling charges, was released from jail in Tennessee to await trial in Maryland.
• 🛂 Garcia was previously deported by the Trump administration and later returned to the U.S. on a court order.
• 🌴 Florida is appealing a federal court ruling that would halt operations at the immigrant detention center known as "alligator alcatraz" due to environmental law non-compliance.

International Relations and Trade

• 🤝 Russia's top diplomat stated no meeting is planned between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, despite President Trump's earlier claims of arranging one.
• 🇺🇦 Zelenskyy met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss security guarantees, emphasizing Ukraine's desire for long-term security commitments.
• 🇨🇦 Canada will drop all retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods covered by the USMCA, a move welcomed by the U.S. and seen as a thawing of trade tensions.

Market Performance

• 📊 Wall Street stocks surged, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 all experiencing significant gains following hints of upcoming interest rate cuts from Fed Chair Jerome Powell.