FBI probes Dems over ‘illegal orders’ video; Trump denies Patel firing report
Ukraine and Russia have reportedly agreed to more pieces of Trump’s peace plan. U.S. officials said only a few issues remain, raising the question of whether another Trump–Putin meeting could be next.
Plus, the FBI now wants to interview all six Democrats who appeared in the video urging troops to refuse illegal orders. One lawmaker says she now fears for her family as the fallout escalates.
And the White House has forcefully denied reports that FBI Director Kash Patel is on the way out, even posting an Oval Office photo of Trump and Patel to show the rumors are “completely made up.”
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.
Ukraine nears peace deal with only ‘minor details’ left to determine
The Russia-Ukraine war could be nearing a peace deal.
Multiple news outlets report Ukraine has mostly agreed to President Donald Trump’s plan, with only a few details left to hammer out.
U.S. officials tell NBC and CBS that Ukrainian negotiators have signed on to the broad outlines of the agreement with “minor” points still being finalized.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told European allies Tuesday that he’s ready to move ahead but wants their support as talks enter the final stretch.
“I am ready to meet with President Trump,” Zelesnkyy said. “There are sensitive points to discuss, we have them still, and we think that the presence of European leaders could be helpful.”
Trump also sounded optimistic, writing on Truth Social that the original 28-point peace plan drafted by the U.S. has been fine-tuned with additional input from both sides and that only a few disagreements remain.
He says special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin, and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will meet with Ukrainians to finish the work.
Trump says he won’t meet with Putin or Zelenskyy until the deal is done or “in its final stages.”
When asked about his earlier hope to seal a deal by Thanksgiving, Trump said this on Air Force One:
“I don’t have a deadline, I just …You know what the deadline for me is, when it’s over, and I think everybody is tired of fighting in this moment. They’re losing too many people.”
Trump also said Witkoff could meet Putin next week, and that his son-in-law Jared Kushner may join.
It’s still unclear when Driscoll will sit down with Ukrainian officials next.
Sen. Slotkin says Trump is weaponizing FBI after it launches probe into ‘illegal orders’ video
The fallout is deepening after the FBI confirmed it has opened an inquiry into the six Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a controversial video telling U.S. troops they can and should refuse illegal orders.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who organized the video, says the bureau’s counterterrorism division notified the group Monday night.
“The counter-terrorism division at the FBI sent a note to the members of Congress saying they are opening what appears to be an inquiry against the six of us,” Slotkin said. “To be honest, the president’s reaction and the use of the FBI against us is exactly why we made the video. He believes in using the federal government against his perceived adversaries.”
The six Democrats, all military or intelligence veterans, say they are now being targeted after Trump called their actions “seditious.”
He suggested on Truth Social that their behavior could be “punishable by death.”
“The minute I saw the president said we should be hanged, in effect, I knew that our security situation was going to change precipitously,” Slotkin said. “Obviously, I’m worried about my family. I’m worried about my staff. I’ve served three tours in Iraq. I’ve done dangerous things. I signed up for this, but my family didn’t. My nieces and nephews didn’t.”
The group issued a joint statement saying:
“President Trump is using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass members of Congress. No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution.”
The video at the center of the firestorm, posted last week, reminded service members that U.S. law requires them to refuse any illegal order. Slotkin later told ABC News that she is not aware of Trump issuing any illegal orders.
But the White House says the video itself was “reckless” and potentially harmful to the chain of command.
Separately, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., is facing a Pentagon review for his role in that same video.
Kelly is the only one of the six who can be subject to the Uniform Code of military justice because he’s a retired Navy officer.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has formally asked the Navy for a briefing by Dec. 10 on whether Kelly should be recalled to active duty and possibly face a court-martial.
— Department of War
(@DeptofWar) November 25, 2025
White House denies Patel report, Trump laughs off claim he’ll fire FBI director
The White House is swatting down a report that President Trump is looking to oust FBI director Kash Patel, calling the story “completely made up.”
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a photo late Tuesday, saying the article dropped while she was in the Oval Office, in a meeting with the president, Patel and Trump’s law-enforcement team.
It was included in a post on X, where she says she read the headline out loud, Trump laughed and said, “What? That’s totally false. Come on, Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job.”
The denial comes after MS NOW reported that Trump and top aides have grown frustrated with Patel over controversies ranging from his girlfriend’s security detail to the use of a government jet, and they were considering firing him.
That report also said the president was eyeing senior bureau official Andrew Bailey as a possible replacement.
But just hours after that story posted, Patel was front-and-center at the White House turkey pardon, where the president praised him publicly, saying he’s “very busy doing a great job.”
Judge orders DOJ to fast-track review of Epstein records
Less than a week after Congress voted to release the Epstein files, a federal judge is now forcing the Justice Department to expedite its response to a Freedom of Information Act request — one that focuses on why the Trump administration refused to release the Epstein files back in July.
At the time, a DOJ-FBI memo stated there was “no basis” to disclose the materials.
But the legal nonprofit Democracy Forward sued, seeking access to internal records, including whether Attorney General Pam Bondi misled the public when she claimed Epstein’s “client list” was sitting on her desk, ready for review.
The group also wants to know if the DOJ changed its stance because of who was listed in the files, including Trump’s name.
A federal judge, Tanya Chutkan, agreed to fast-track the request, calling it a matter of “widespread and exceptional media interest” and saying it raises “possible questions about the government’s integrity.”
As of now, the DOJ has until Dec. 19 to hand over the full set of Epstein files.
Medicare drug price cuts, including Ozempic and Wegovy
The Trump administration is implementing new price reductions for 15 Medicare-covered medications — including some of the most popular weight-loss drugs.
The discounts come through the Medicare drug price negotiation program, a major component of former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
The Trump administration said the new prices will save taxpayers $12 billion and reduce out-of-pocket costs for Medicare enrollees by $685 million.
Under the plan, Ozempic and Wegovy — also used to treat type 2 diabetes — would decrease from $959 for a 30-day supply to $274.
The cuts also reduce the cost of four cancer drugs by thousands of dollars each and lower the prices of two other diabetes medications to double-digit figures.
The new prices won’t take effect until 2027.
Kīlauea erupts again, nearly 1 year of activity
Hawaiʻi’s Kīlauea volcano is putting on another show.
Kīlauea shot fountains of lava more than 400 feet into the air on Tuesday, the 37th outburst since this current eruption began almost a year ago.
Some of this year’s fountains have been enormous; one earlier this month shot over 1,000 feet into the air, towering like a volcanic skyscraper.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park said it will host a public geology talk on Dec. 23 to mark one year of this remarkable, still-ongoing eruption.
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A TBI retired his football dreams at 15. Inside youth sports’ pervasive problem
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It was a simple, routine tackle — the kind Clayton Liebman, then 15 years old, had powered through dozens of times during his sophomore season. But this one was different. In a split second, that routine play turned catastrophic, leaving him with a life-altering injury.
Clayton was a budding star on the Notre Dame Prep JV team in 2024. The running back from Scottsdale, Arizona, was building a reputation for being tough to tackle. He quickly became the centerpiece of the Saints’ offense and appeared to have a bright future in the game.
Then, on Oct. 24, 2024, Clayton was hit during a third-quarter running play. He didn’t get up. He remained unresponsive on the ground and began convulsing. An ER doctor in the stands ran to the field to help team trainers treat him, and Clayton was rushed to the hospital.
His injury is a severe example of a sports-related traumatic brain injury — a remarkably frequent injury. Millions of U.S. kids suffer TBIs each year, including 1.9 million kids who are affected by concussions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that seven out of 10 emergency room visits for sports-related concussions are among children ages 17 and under. Read the full story now>
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
