Judge blocks Trump’s Portland troop order; Everest rescue race intensifies
In Portland, President Donald Trump defied a federal court order, calling up California’s National Guard to curb protests in Oregon. Now, a judge has responded, blocking any troop deployment at all.
In the Middle East, near the two-year anniversary of the Hamas attacks, Israel and Hamas are meeting through mediators in Egypt. Both sides have signaled they are closer than ever to a ceasefire.
And on Mount Everest, a dream turns into a disaster. A powerful blizzard has trapped over a thousand climbers as rescuers race through snow and ice to reach them.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Oct. 6, 2025.
Judge blocks Trump from sending any National Guard troops to Oregon
A federal judge has once again blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland, Oregon. The order stops any state’s troops under federal control.
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued the sweeping order late Sunday, after the administration tried to sidestep her earlier ruling by deploying hundreds of California National Guard troops instead of Oregon’s.
In an emergency hearing, she said the president was in “direct contravention’ of her order,” and expanded the ban to block National Guard deployments from any state.
Video overnight shows protesters confronting law enforcement outside Portland’s ICE facility, where the president insists “Portland is burning to the ground.”
Local officials say the protests remain small and largely peaceful, confined to a single city block. They say it’s not the “war zone” he describes.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated the ruling, saying in a statement, “Donald Trump tried to turn our soldiers into instruments of his political will, and while our fight continues, tonight the rule of law said ‘hell no.’”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker now says Trump is ordering troops from Texas to multiple cities, calling it “Trump’s invasion.”
The White House has not commented, but aides insist the troops are needed to protect federal agents and property.
Israel and Hamas to hold indirect ceasefire talks in Egypt on Monday
Israel and Hamas are set to take part in indirect ceasefire talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza on Monday in Egypt.
The meeting follows comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said a long-awaited hostage release could be announced this week.
Last week, Hamas signaled it would accept parts of a U.S.-backed peace proposal. It calls for the release of all remaining hostages within three days, the group’s disarmament, and the transfer of power in Gaza.
Of the 48 Israeli hostages still unaccounted for, about 20 are believed to be alive.
Egypt’s foreign ministry says the talks will focus on a possible exchange: hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
Over the weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this is “the closest we’ve come to getting all of the hostages released.”
Trump also sounded optimistic, posting that “very positive discussions” are “proceeding rapidly.”
Tuesday marks two years since the war between Israel and Hamas began, a moment marked by hundreds in London over the weekend.
Senate to vote on plan to end government shutdown
The Senate will reconvene on Monday in yet another attempt to reopen the government, following its fourth failed effort to break the shutdown stalemate.
Democrats are standing firm on their demand to include expanded health care benefits in the funding bill. Meanwhile, Republicans continue pushing a short-term measure to simply keep the government open as talks drag on.
Both sides spent the weekend pointing fingers at each other.
House Majority Leader Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries squared off on Meet the Press. Each blamed the other for the gridlock.
“They’re not serious. This is not a serious negotiation. They’re doing this to get political cover,” Johnson said. “The president asked Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries in the Oval Office about a week ago, ‘Please don’t do this. Please keep the government open and we’ll work out all these issues that we have plenty of time to work out.'”
Meanwhile, Jeffries said, “The last time there was a conversation with Republican leadership was in the White House meeting last Monday. And unfortunately, since that point in time, Republicans, including Donald Trump, have gone radio silent. What we’ve seen is negotiation through deepfake videos, the House canceling votes and, of course, President Trump spending yesterday on the golf course. That’s not responsible behavior.”
Speaker Johnson said the House won’t return until the Senate acts, leaving the government shutdown to stretch into its second week.
California votes on new congressional maps
California’s redistricting fight is in the spotlight as voters start casting ballots on whether to change the state’s congressional map. The move could have major national effects.
If voters approve the redraw, Democrats could gain up to five U.S. House seats, potentially paving the way to retake the chamber in next year’s midterms.
Republicans currently hold a slim 219-213 lead, with three vacancies.
In California, Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one. The ballot measure is a straightforward yes or no vote.
The issue flared after Trump backed a redistricting push in Texas that added five GOP-leaning districts.
In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom — one of Trump’s fiercest critics — urged his state to respond with its own Democratic-friendly map.
Voting runs through Nov. 4.
Supreme Court opens term with Trump, LGBTQ+ and voting cases
The Supreme Court opens its new term Monday, gearing up to weigh some of Trump’s most consequential cases. These cases will test just how far his executive power can go.
Among the biggest questions are whether his sweeping tariffs are legal and whether the president can fire independent agency heads — including a Federal Reserve governor — at will.
Also upcoming: a challenge to Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, two cases involving transgender athletes and school sports, a Louisiana redistricting dispute that could diminish voting rights protections and an emergency effort this week regarding “X” gender markers on U.S. Passports.
The court’s 6-3 conservative majority has largely sided with Trump on emergency rulings, but this term, the justices will need to issue full opinions that define those powers once and for all.
Snowstorm traps over 1,000 climbers on Everest, rescue effort underway
A powerful blizzard swept across the eastern slopes of Everest in Tibet, trapping more than a thousand climbers at roughly 16,000 feet.
Heavy snow crushed tents and buried key passageways, leaving climbers stranded in freezing conditions with little shelter.
Rescuers remain in radio contact but say reaching them is dangerous. At least three feet of snow has blocked access routes.
Hundreds of emergency workers are now making the risky climb, trying to dig through snowdrifts and clear a path to those still waiting higher up the mountain.
More from Straight Arrow News:
How the Supreme Court’s 2025-26 term could shape the political landscape
The Supreme Court is set to begin its next term on Monday, with a series of high-profile cases that could dominate political narratives for years to come. Some of the cases on the docket over the next nine months concern presidential powers, redistricting efforts and trans rights.
A Conservative majority has been locked into the bench since President Donald Trump’s first term. While Trump-appointed justices haven’t exclusively sided with his administration in every case, their next term could prove integral to the president’s agenda.
Irv Gornstein, executive director of the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown University’s law school, told The Associated Press that the next nine months could shape up to be “one of the most polarizing terms yet.”And according to Morgan Marietta, a professor of American civics at the University of Tennessee, this term’s docket hinges on three “dominant themes” –– a reading of the Constitution as an evolving, living document as opposed to a strict traditionalist interpretation, the deep cultural divides in America, and partisan advantages in governing. Read the full story now >
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
