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general

Transcript: Sen. Mark Kelly on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Oct. 19, 2025

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**Interview with Senator Mark Kelly on U.S. Military Actions and Domestic Issues**
*“Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” – October 19, 2025*

—

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** And we begin with Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, who’s here in studio with us. Good morning to you, Senator.

**SEN. MARK KELLY:** Good morning.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** A lot to get to. I want to start on what you are seeing as a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees. There are about 10,000 U.S. forces now built up in the Caribbean area, either on ships or in Puerto Rico. Three B-2 and B-52 bombers flew near Venezuela last week. There have now been six maritime strikes by U.S. Special Operations Forces. What is this adding up to? Is the Trump administration planning regime change in Venezuela?

**SEN. KELLY:** Well, I hope not. Regime change hasn’t ever really worked out well for us as a nation where we’ve supported that — whether it was in Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan. It doesn’t go the way we think, and it puts a tremendous number of Americans in harm’s way.

The U.S. military, the guys flying those missions now in B-52s close to the coast, those folks are at risk, members of the United States Navy now in this operation, which traditionally is a law enforcement operation, now escalating to something maybe, as the president talks about, regime change. I think this is the wrong move for this president. The Coast Guard has the resources to do this.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** To interdict—

**SEN. KELLY:** To interdict drugs. That’s the way this has traditionally been done. And I do worry about the legal authorities, or lack thereof, that the United States military has to conduct these kinds of strikes.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** And you’ve been briefed on what legal authorities are being invoked. Do you think they are insufficient at this point?

**SEN. KELLY:** They had a very hard time explaining to us the rationale, the legal rationale for doing this and the constitutionality of doing it. When you consider what the law of warfare, especially at sea, was — a very convoluted argument. It also included, by the way, a secret list of over 20 narco organizations, drug trafficking cartels. They wouldn’t share with us the list.

So the brief we got had a tremendous number of holes in it, and they had to go round and around to give us the legal rationale for doing this. And what I worry about, Margaret, are all these young military personnel that might find out, you know, months from now, that what they did was illegal.

And then you get to what are we trying to accomplish here? We want to keep fentanyl out of the United States. And I don’t know how widely known this is, but those routes through the Caribbean on boats are predominantly used to bring cocaine to Europe.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** To Europe?

**SEN. KELLY:** To Europe, yes.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Not to U.S. shores.

**SEN. KELLY:** That’s right. Fentanyl tends to come from a different way, and we do want to keep fentanyl out of the United States.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** But to this point, you just said the legality of what’s being done. CBS reporting indicates that the commander who was running Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, was pressured to leave his command post early, just a year into a four-year post, and that there were tensions with Secretary Hegseth that were leading up to that departure, which Hegseth characterized as just a retirement. You speak to the top officers—can they, with confidence, refuse unlawful orders without fear of retribution or even losing their pensions?

**SEN. KELLY:** Well, I don’t know about losing their pension, but they should. This is more important than any single person. This is about our democracy at this point, and those admirals and generals, they need to speak truth to power.

I’ve had conversations with the most senior members of our military about this specific thing. They cannot be breaking the law. Doesn’t matter if the president or the Secretary of Defense tells them to do something. If it’s against the law, they have to say no. They’re not required to follow an unlawful order. So we expect that from them.

I don’t know the exact circumstances why the admiral quit. He hasn’t said publicly yet. I expect in time we’re going to find out more.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** But you think he did quit? It wasn’t just a retirement, suddenly?

**SEN. KELLY:** I don’t know. They could have forced him out. He could have quit. He could have said, “Hey, you’re not accepting my advice, you need somebody else in here.” I don’t know. I hate to speculate about it.

He had a long service in the U.S. military —

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** 37 years.

**SEN. KELLY:** Highly decorated, and a tremendous leader. I appreciate his service to this country.

All of us, all U.S. citizens, would be better served if this administration listened to the advice of those military leaders, especially the Secretary of Defense, who thinks he is really good at this. He should have never had this job. He was unqualified for the job, and in my view, the president should have fired him multiple times.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** On Ukraine, you’ve been an outspoken supporter of it. Some of the pilots trained in your state. After President Zelenskyy met with President Trump on Friday, he said they sort of agreed to disagree on whether to get these long-range missiles, these Tomahawks, that would allow them to fire into Russia. Where does that stand? President Biden wouldn’t do this either.

**SEN. KELLY:** Yeah. So I spoke to Zelenskyy three weeks ago in New York, right after his meeting with Donald Trump, and we talked about Tomahawks in that meeting. Much longer range — over 1,000 miles, 700-pound warhead. Really good—

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Game changing.

**SEN. KELLY:** Game changing. The president said he would consider giving them this weapon system. And then he had a conversation with Vladimir Putin.

And I think it’s important for people to recognize, Vladimir Putin is a former KGB officer. He is a master manipulator. The president has one view. Then he talks to Vladimir Putin, and he changes his story on this.

Of course, Putin does not want Ukraine to get a longer-range missile that could go after targets deep into Russia, beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg, by the way. It can range targets much further. It’s a very accurate, very survivable weapon, and Putin has a conversation with him, and those weapons are now off the table.

Hey, I think Ukraine can handle it if we can give them enough rounds, and we have them in our inventory, and enough launchers. Ground launchers are rather new to this system, something we got rid of for a long period of time. They’ve demonstrated their ability to operate a sophisticated weapon system like the F-16. They could handle this and it would help.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Zelenskyy says they’re going to continue to try to persuade President Trump. I have to ask you about the shutdown. The Republican Leader John Thune has offered to sit down with Democrats to discuss Obamacare, but on the condition that Democrats end the shutdown. He posted this on social media. Can you bank this as a win and agree to start negotiations?

**SEN. KELLY:** That’s what we want. We want negotiations—

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Is it enough?

**SEN. KELLY:** On how to fix— I didn’t look at his tweet, but what we need is to fix this skyrocketing premium. They’re going to go up on November 1 for people; they can’t afford it. People in my state—

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Either way, they are going up.

**SEN. KELLY:** I’ve talked to so many people. This woman, Emily, whose husband is a pastor who has three kids, says without the Affordable Care Act, she cannot have insurance for her children. They don’t get it through his work.

So what we need to do is fix this health care premium issue and open the government.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** But don’t you need to do that before November 1, when premiums go up? Are you going to end the shutdown before November 1?

**SEN. KELLY:** I would like to. I’d like to. We should be able to wrap this up this week if they will sit down and have a negotiation with us. The president has spent one hour negotiating this issue with leadership in Congress. That’s it, one hour. They need to get in a room and stay in a room until we can hash this out.

The president has said he wants to fix this premium thing and he wants the government open. That’s what we want.

**MARGARET BRENNAN:** Well, we’ll see if there’s progress this week. Senator, thank you for your time.

**SEN. KELLY:** Thank you.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mark-kelly-arizona-democrat-face-the-nation-10-19-2025/

general

Alibaba Cloud’s New System Cuts Nvidia GPU Usage By 82%, Amid Trump’s Flip Flop On AI Chip Ban On China

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Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE: BABA) has introduced a new computing pooling system called Aegaeon, which dramatically reduces the reliance on Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) GPUs by 82% for AI models.

**Three Months In Testing**

This innovation was tested in Alibaba Cloud’s model marketplace for over three months, according to a research paper presented this week at the 31st Symposium on Operating Systems Principles (SOSP) in Seoul, South Korea. The Aegaeon system has successfully decreased the number of Nvidia H20 GPUs required from 1,192 to just 213 for serving models with up to 72 billion parameters.

“Aegaeon is the first work to reveal the excessive costs associated with serving concurrent LLM workloads on the market,” the researchers stated in the paper. Researchers from Peking University and Alibaba Cloud emphasized the high costs involved in serving concurrent large language model workloads.

**One GPU For Multiple Models**

Alibaba Cloud, the AI and cloud services division of the Hangzhou-based Alibaba, aims to boost efficiency by pooling GPU resources, allowing a single GPU to support multiple models. This system addresses resource inefficiency, as previously, 17.7% of GPUs were allocated to serve only 1.35% of requests in Alibaba Cloud’s marketplace.

Cloud service providers like Alibaba Cloud and ByteDance’s Volcano Engine manage thousands of AI models simultaneously, often leading to inefficiencies. The Aegaeon system seeks to optimize this process by significantly reducing the number of GPUs needed.

**Growing Concerns Over Nvidia’s China Presence**

This development comes amid growing concerns over Nvidia’s presence in China. Recently, China raised security concerns about Nvidia’s H20 chips, particularly regarding potential backdoor risks.

As part of its deal with Nvidia, the Trump administration struck an agreement for a 15% revenue share from the company’s chip sales to China. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revealed that Nvidia’s market share in China has dropped from 95% to zero. He expressed concerns about the impact of U.S. policies on Nvidia’s market presence in China.

Despite these challenges, Nvidia has financially insulated itself from potential escalations. Huang stated that the company’s guidance assumes zero revenue from China.

—

*Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.*

*Photo courtesy: Shutterstock.*
https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/10/48293177/alibaba-clouds-new-system-cuts-nvidia-gpu-usage-by-82-amid-trumps-flip-flop-on-ai-chip-ban-on-china

general

Top 10 Quant rated U.S.-listed Chinese stocks as trade war escalates

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Trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies have been reignited after U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration imposed additional tariffs on Chinese goods.

This move comes as a retaliation against China’s strict export controls on rare earth elements, a critical component in many high-tech industries.

On October 10, President Trump further escalated the situation by issuing new threats, signaling a continued standoff between the two nations.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/4505443-top-10-quant-rated-us-listed-chinese-stocks-as-trade-war-escalates?utm_source=feed_news_all&utm_medium=referral&feed_item_type=news

general

Democrats say Trump needs to be involved in shutdown talks. He’s shown little interest in doing so

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President Donald Trump is showing little urgency to broker a compromise that would end the government shutdown, even as Democrats insist no breakthrough is possible without his direct involvement.

Three weeks in, Congress remains at a standstill. The House hasn’t been in session for a month, and senators left Washington on Thursday frustrated by the lack of progress. Republican leaders are refusing to negotiate until a short-term funding bill to reopen the government is passed, while Democrats say they won’t agree without guarantees on extending health insurance subsidies. For now, Trump appears content to stay on the sidelines.

He spent the week celebrating an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal he led, hosted a remembrance event for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and refocused attention on the Russia-Ukraine war. Meanwhile, his administration has been managing the shutdown in unconventional ways, continuing to pay the troops while laying off other federal employees.

Asked Thursday whether he was willing to deploy his dealmaking background on the shutdown, Trump seemed uninterested. “Well, look, I mean, all we want to do is just extend. We don’t want anything, we just want to extend, live with the deal they had,” he said in an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office. Later Thursday, he criticized Democratic health care demands as “crazy,” adding, “We’re just not going to do it.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune echoed that approach before leaving for the weekend, saying Trump is “ready to weigh in and sit down with the Democrats or whomever, once the government opens up.” Still, frustration is starting to surface even within Trump’s own party, where lawmakers acknowledge little happens in Congress without his direction.

Leaving the Capitol on Thursday, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski said, “We’re not making much headway this week.” For things to progress, Murkowski acknowledged Trump may need to get more involved: “I think he’s an important part of it. I think there are some folks in his administration that are kind of liking the fact that Congress really has no role right now,” she added. “I don’t like that. I don’t like that at all.”

### Trump Has Not Been Slowed by the Shutdown

While Congress has been paralyzed by the shutdown, Trump has moved rapidly to enact his vision of the federal government. He has called budget chief Russ Vought the “grim reaper,” and Vought has taken the opportunity to withhold billions of dollars for infrastructure projects and lay off thousands of federal workers, signaling that workforce reductions could become even more drastic.

At the same time, the administration has acted unilaterally to fund Trump’s priorities, including paying the military this week, easing pressure on what could have been one of the main deadlines to end the shutdown. Some of these moves, particularly the layoffs and funding shifts, have been criticized as illegal and are facing court challenges.

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the administration from firing workers during the shutdown, ruling that the cuts appeared politically motivated and were carried out without sufficient justification.

### Congressional Gridlock Continues

With Congress focused on the funding fight, lawmakers have had little time to debate other issues. In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson has said the House won’t return until Democrats approve the funding bill and has refused to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva.

Democrats say this move is to prevent her from becoming the 218th signature on a discharge petition aimed at forcing a vote on releasing documents related to the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

### Public Opinion Remains Steady Amid Shutdown

So far, the shutdown has shown little impact on public opinion. An AP-NORC poll released Thursday found that 3 in 10 U.S. adults have a “somewhat” or “very” favorable view of the Democratic Party, similar to an AP-NORC poll from September. Four in 10 have a “somewhat” or “very” favorable view of the Republican Party, largely unchanged from last month.

### Democrats Want Trump at the Table; Republicans Prefer He Stay Out

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have said Republicans have shown little seriousness in negotiating an end to the shutdown. “Leader Thune has not come to me with any proposal at this point,” Schumer said Thursday.

Frustrated with congressional leaders, Democrats are increasingly looking to Trump. At a CNN town hall Wednesday night featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, both repeatedly called for the president’s involvement when asked why negotiations had stalled.

“President Trump is not talking. That is the problem,” Sanders said. Ocasio-Cortez added that Trump should more regularly “be having congressional leaders in the White House.”

Democrats’ focus on Trump reflects both his leadership style, which allows little to happen in Congress without his approval, and the reality that any funding bill needs the president’s signature to become law.

This time, however, Republican leaders who control the House and Senate are resisting any push for Trump to intervene.

“You can’t negotiate when somebody’s got a hostage,” said South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, who added that Trump getting involved would allow Democrats to try the same tactic in future legislative fights.

### Trump’s Reluctance to Intervene

Trump has largely followed that guidance. After previously saying he would be open to negotiating with Democrats on health insurance subsidies, he walked it back after Republican leaders suggested he misspoke. And that’s unlikely to change for now.

Trump has no plans to personally intervene to broker a deal with Democrats, according to a senior White House official granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. The official added that the only stopgap funding bill that Democrats can expect is the one already on the table.

“The President is happy to have a conversation about health care policy, but he will not do so while the Democrats are holding the American people hostage,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Thursday.

### A Product of the Congress Trump Has Molded

In his second term, Trump has taken a top-down approach, leaving little in Congress to move without his approval.

“What’s obvious to me is that Mike Johnson and John Thune don’t do much without Donald Trump telling them what to do,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.

His hold is particularly strong in the GOP-led House, where Speaker Mike Johnson effectively owes his job to Trump and relies on his influence to power through difficult legislative fights.

When Republicans have withheld votes on Trump’s priorities in Congress, he’s called them on the phone or summoned them to his office to directly sway them. When that doesn’t work, he has vowed to unseat them in the next election.

It’s led many Democrats to believe the only path to an agreement runs through the White House and not through the speaker’s office.

### Democrats Seek Binding Assurances

Democrats also want assurances from the White House that they won’t backtrack on an agreement. The White House earlier this year cut out the legislative branch entirely with a $4.9 billion cut to foreign aid in August through a legally dubious process known as a “pocket rescission.”

And before he even took office late last year, Trump and ally Elon Musk blew up a bipartisan funding agreement that both parties had negotiated.

“I think we need to see ink on paper. I think we need to see legislation. I think we need to see votes,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “I don’t accept pinky promises. That’s not the business that I’m in.”

### Both Parties Confident Amid Shutdown

Both parties also see little reason to fold under public pressure, believing they are winning the messaging battle.

“Everybody thinks they’re winning,” Murkowski said. “Nobody is winning when everybody’s losing. And that’s what’s happening right now. The American public is losing.”
https://abc7.com/post/government-shutdown-democrats-say-trump-needs-involved-hes-shown-little-interest-doing/18024978/

general

Pullman neighborhood groups stepping up as government shutdown casts shadow on Park Service facilities

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As visitors descended upon the Pullman neighborhood to delight in the vintage lavish homes that threw open their doors last weekend for the Historic Pullman House Tour, a few notable structures remained closed due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, now well into its third week.

One favorite site, the Administration Clock Tower Building in Pullman National Historical Park, remained closed as the park’s seven rangers, who typically staff the site and offer tours and other programming, were furloughed.

Organizers of the 52nd annual Historic Pullman House Tour, held on October 10 and 11, reported a roughly 30% decrease in ticket sales. They speculated this drop was a direct result of the shutdown and the park closure, with potential visitors possibly assuming the event had been canceled.

“Everyone sees there’s a closed sign across the street,” said Lynn McClure, vice president of the Historic Pullman Foundation. “We have no rangers.”

McClure noted the closures had a significant impact on the neighborhood, its residents, and visitors alike. “Traditionally, national parks have been the first place many people experience the shutdown as a personal impact,” she said. “It’s personal.”

The timing of the shutdown is particularly unfortunate, McClure added. “This is the fall, when schools start setting up programs and tours with educational components,” she explained, while helping out at the recent House Tour. “This is high travel season.”

To help mitigate the effects of the shutdown, the Historic Pullman Foundation has been stepping in to fill gaps. They are assisting with some school tours after being informed by the Park Service which schools had already signed up.

As a “National Park friends group” with official partnership status, the Foundation sees this as a vital way to support Pullman National Historical Park and its mission. “So when something like the government shutdown happens, we have to spring into action, and we’re doing what we can,” McClure said.

More visitors are expected in Pullman on Saturday when several buildings are featured in Chicago Architecture Foundation’s Open House Chicago 2025. Participating sites include the Historic Pullman Foundation headquarters at 614 E. 113th St., Greater Tabernacle Cathedral at 11300 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Pullman Artspace Lofts at 11137 S. Langley Ave., and Pullman Tech Workshop at 11314 S. Front Ave.

However, similar to last weekend’s home tour, the visitor center inside the Clock Tower—operated by the National Park Service—will remain closed during Open House Chicago, according to Alfonso Quiroz of the Historic Pullman Foundation.

“However, the rest of the Pullman National Historical Park will be open, including the grounds around the Clock Tower (operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources), as well as the Exhibit Hall and the Florence Lowden Miller Center, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Collections will be on display throughout the day,” he said.

Despite the decreased attendance last weekend, the Historic Pullman House Tour was still a hit among Pullman fans. The tour started at the Historic Pullman Exhibit Hall and included visits to eight homes, a home under restoration, and the Block House Gallery—with its homes, gallery, classrooms, community areas, and storage spaces. The tour also featured the historic Greenstone Church and the George M. Pullman School.

Additional highlights included live jazz performances, a classic car show, and food options. Visitors could also stop by the Pullman House Project Welcome Center, located inside the former home of Henry Sessions, the first general superintendent of the Pullman Palace Car Company. The house was later used as a social club for Pullman executives and as the Pullman Club Coffee Shop.

Cindy McMahon, co-chair of the House Tour, mentioned that even before the shutdown, rangers’ hours had been reduced in May. To help compensate for these cutbacks, the Exhibit Hall extended its hours to be open to the public Thursday through Sunday.

“We did have a lot of people call to see if the House Tour was still going to take place,” said McMahon, whose home was showcased on the tour. “People can still come and visit the partner sites and still get a Pullman experience, and hopefully they’ll return when the park is open.”

Alongside the Historic Pullman Foundation, other neighborhood organizations such as the Pullman House Project are stepping up to support visitors.

“We’re here to give everyone who comes to Pullman a good visitor experience,” McMahon emphasized.

Nancy Johnson, a Pullman resident of 12 years who volunteered during the tour, expressed her love of the area’s history, architecture, and friendly neighbors.

“There’s a lot of misinformation; people think Pullman is closed altogether,” Johnson said. “People show up baffled.”

—
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/17/pullman-historic-park-government-shutdown/

border, crime, immigration, law enforcement, politics

Chris Hansen Shares What He Saw After ICE Ride-Along Targeting Illegals Who Threaten Children

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Chris Hansen, host of the investigative series “Takedown,” appeared Wednesday alongside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), highlighting the agency’s active efforts to remove “criminals out of this country.” Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, the administration has prioritized cracking down on illegal immigration and conducting mass deportations.

“In the last month, we have caught 45 predators seeking to exploit children. Seven of those were for a new investigative series we have going on with ICE ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations],” Hansen said. “They go out after these people who are here illegally but have also been convicted of crimes against children.”

Hansen recounted a case involving a convicted sex offender from Mexico who lived next to a daycare facility and just three blocks from a school. “And as we’re doing this, anti-ICE protesters are rallying outside ICE headquarters with no idea as to what we just did,” Hansen added.

Fox’s Jesse Watters noted, “The activists don’t like ICE outside of schools.” Hansen responded, “But it’s OK to have a registered sex offender next door to a daycare facility.”

Under Trump’s push for mass deportations, ICE has conducted raids in major cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City—areas often known as “blue cities.” Despite voters in 2024 ranking the border crisis as a top concern under the Biden administration, Democrats have criticized the deportations and defended some illegal immigrants.

In April 2024, Democrats rallied behind alleged MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, demanding the administration bring him back to the U.S. after he was deported to El Salvador. While some Democrats showed support for Garcia on social media, others, including Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, took taxpayer-funded trips to visit him in El Salvador before his return to the United States.

Watters asked Hansen about his experience in the field with ICE and whether agents shared any insights. Hansen said, “They are very happy to have their hard work shown. These are dedicated men and women who are trying to get criminals out of this country. We’re not talking about somebody who didn’t check a box here. We’re talking about criminals.”

He continued, “We watched in New Mexico one early morning as they arrested a man under investigation for sexually assaulting children in the home at the time. And this guy is in the country illegally.” Hansen emphasized the role of ICE agents in protecting children, “the most innocent asset we have in this society,” and noted their pride in the work they do.

Concerns about migrant children under the leadership of former President Joe Biden increased in summer 2024 after whistleblowers such as Tara Rodas testified against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Rodas brought attention to issues within the Office of Refugee Resettlement, including the vetting of sponsors for migrant children.

In September 2024, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General released a report stating that ICE could not “monitor all unaccompanied migrant children” released from the custody of DHS and HHS amid the ongoing border crisis.

Human trafficking experts, including Ali Hopper, President and founder of GUARD Against Trafficking, have continued to raise concerns with lawmakers about missing migrant children and sex trafficking risks in the U.S. In July 2024, Hopper testified before Congress, revealing that the Biden administration allegedly missed 65,000 calls from migrant children to a hotline established to report safety concerns.

—

*All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter’s byline, and DCNF affiliation. For questions about guidelines or partnerships, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.*
https://dailycaller.com/2025/10/16/chris-hansen-ice-ride-along-targeting-illegals-threaten-children/

government, international, japan, leadership, politics

Battle for Japan’s Next Prime Minister Intensifies

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However, Tamaki offered no clear response, later telling reporters that if he were chosen as prime minister, “policy management would still be difficult” and that “differences remain” between the parties.

The day began with a high-profile meeting between Takaichi and Constitutional Democratic Party leader Noda, which observers described as Takaichi’s de facto declaration to run in the prime ministerial vote. Noda said he asked whether the LDP planned to run alone or seek support from other parties, to which Takaichi replied that “nothing has been decided yet.”

Noda also revealed that he raised the possibility of the LDP seeking cooperation from Komeito if opposition parties were to unite behind a single candidate, a suggestion that seemed to catch Takaichi off guard.

Later in the day, Takaichi met Tamaki again for about 30 minutes, reiterating her desire to advance policies quickly and jointly rather than focusing solely on forming a parliamentary majority. Tamaki, however, remained cautious, saying that while there had been some convergence on issues such as security legislation and nuclear policy, significant gaps persisted.

He added that even if a coalition of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Japan Innovation Party, and Democratic Party for the People were formed, it would likely have to operate as a minority government, making policy implementation difficult. Tamaki also noted that while many of his party’s basic policies align with those of Takaichi and the LDP, trust had been undermined in the past, referencing broken promises during the Ishiba administration.

Talks among the three opposition leaders lasted about an hour and are expected to continue next week. Meanwhile, attention is now turning to a scheduled meeting between Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party leader Yoshimura in the evening, as speculation grows over whether the two parties might discuss a potential coalition.
https://newsonjapan.com/article/147286.php

business, economy, immigration, international, technology

Just 500 TCS employees are on H-1B visas in US

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**Just 500 TCS Employees Are on H-1B Visas in the US**

*By Dwaipayan Roy | Oct 13, 2025, 01:33 PM*

**Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)**, India’s largest IT services company, has announced a significant reduction in its reliance on H-1B visas for its workforce in the United States. According to the company, only about 500 of its employees currently hold H-1B work permits to work in the US.

This move reflects TCS’s strategic shift to localize its workforce in the US and adapt to evolving immigration policies under the Donald Trump administration.

### TCS’s Past Reliance on H-1B Visas

TCS has historically been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the H-1B visa program among Indian IT firms. As of September 2025, the company had received approximately 5,505 H-1B visas, according to data from Moneycontrol.

However, during a recent post-earnings call, TCS’s Chief HR Officer, Sudeep Kunnummal, noted, “We have significantly localized our workforce in the US.” This signals a clear intent to reduce dependence on visa-based employees and increase the presence of local talent.

### Adapting to Changes in Immigration Policy

Kunnummal further emphasized, “We believe our business model will be able to adapt quickly to any changes in immigration policy.” His comments come just a month after the US government announced an increase in the annual H-1B visa fee, a decision that sparked concerns about potential short-term disruptions in workforce deployment for IT companies operating in the US.

### Proposed Overhaul of the H-1B Visa System

In addition to the fee hike, the US Department of Homeland Security has proposed changes to the current lottery-based H-1B visa system. The new proposal aims to implement a wage-based selection process that prioritizes higher-paid and higher-skilled applicants.

This overhaul is part of the US government’s broader effort to ensure that H-1B visas are allocated to the most qualified candidates.

—

TCS’s shift toward localizing its US workforce and adapting to these regulatory changes highlights the company’s proactive approach in navigating the evolving landscape of international work visas.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/h-1b-visa-tcs-reduces-its-dependence-to-just-500-employees/story

business, economy, international, politics

Presidency Confirms THE WHISTLER Report: Cardoso Replaces ‘Indisposed’ Edun At IMF Meeting

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The presidency may have confirmed THE WHISTLER’s earlier exclusive report on the health status of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, following the announcement that the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 2025 World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington, DC.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, revealed on Sunday that Cardoso will serve as the alternate governor for Nigeria and head the country’s delegation to the meetings, which open on Monday, October 13.

“Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, the Governor of the Central Bank, will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, which opens on Monday, October 13,” the State House press release stated.

The presidency confirmed that Minister Edun is currently indisposed, and Mr. Cardoso would represent Nigeria on his behalf. Also included in the delegation is the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite.

According to the World Bank, key highlights of the Annual Meetings include the Development Committee Plenary session on October 16 and the International Monetary and Financial Committee meetings on October 17. Other events will feature regional briefings, press conferences, and forums focused on international development, the global economy, and financial markets.

This development comes just days after THE WHISTLER exclusively reported that President Bola Tinubu was considering appointing a new finance minister due to Edun’s deteriorating health condition. Our report indicated that the minister, who has been battling undisclosed health challenges for several weeks, was expected to be flown abroad for treatment.

We also reported that his temporary absence had prompted consultations within the presidency about an interim arrangement to ensure policy continuity.

“The president holds Edun in very high regard. His health challenge is unfortunate, but the government must continue to function. The priority now is his full recovery,” a senior government official told THE WHISTLER.

Appointed in August 2023, Edun has led the Tinubu administration’s economic management team and steered fiscal reforms aimed at stabilizing the economy.
https://thewhistler.ng/presidency-confirms-the-whistler-report-cardoso-replaces-indisposed-edun-at-imf-meeting/

business, economy, international, politics, war

Trump says his intervention was ‘very effective’ in India-Pakistan conflict

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US President Donald Trump on Monday described his use of tariffs as a measure to stop wars, calling them a vital tool for peacekeeping. He further asserted that his communication with India and Pakistan during their recent conflict was “very effective,” claiming his actions helped end the battle between the nuclear-armed neighbors through trade.

“Tariffs are very important for the United States. We are a peacekeeper because of tariffs. Not only do we make hundreds of billions of dollars, but we’re a peacekeeper because of tariffs,” Trump said during an Oval Office interview, according to reports by news agency PTI.

The US President emphasized that without the “power of tariffs,” multiple wars would still be ongoing. “I use tariffs to stop wars. If you look at India and Pakistan, they were ready to go at it. Seven planes were shot down. They were ready to go at it. And they are nuclear powers. And I don’t want to say exactly what I said, but what I said was very effective. They stopped. And that was based on tariffs. It was based on trade,” he added.

India, however, has consistently denied any third-party intervention in the conflict. The tensions escalated after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

Following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes, India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict. India has maintained that this cessation of hostilities resulted from direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two nations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also made it clear in Parliament that no foreign leader requested India to halt Operation Sindoor.

President Trump has claimed multiple times that he ended seven wars during the second term of his administration, including conflicts involving India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, Congo and Rwanda, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Since May 10, when Trump announced via social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeatedly stated that he “helped settle” the conflict between the two countries.

Trump added that out of the seven wars he ended, at least half were due to his “ability at trade and because of tariffs.” “If I didn’t have tariffs to throw around a little bit, you would have at least four wars raging right now, with thousands of people a day being killed,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)
https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/what-i-said-was-very-effective-they-stopped-donald-trump-on-india-pakistan-conflict-23597574