Trump lifts sanctions on Syria in effort to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia
Day two of President Donald Trump’s Middle East visit features a surprise sit-down with a former enemy, during which he extends an olive branch for a new beginning in Syria. Also, the high-profile Menendez brothers case, closely watched nationwide, now sees the men convicted of killing their parents decades ago potentially gaining freedom after the judge’s recent decision. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Trump lifts sanctions on Syria in effort to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia
President Donald Trump announced during his speech at the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Investment Conference that the U.S. would lift sanctions against Syria to enhance relations with Saudi Arabia.
“Oh, what I do for the crown prince. The sanctions were brutal and crippling and served as an important, really an important function nevertheless, at the time. But now it’s their time to shine. It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off, and they’re going to have, I think they’re going to have, based on the people and the spirit and everything else that I’m hearing about. So I say, good luck, Syria, show us something very special like they’ve done, frankly, in Saudi Arabia”
President Donald Trump
Trump held an unexpected meeting with Syria’s new president in Saudi Arabia before moving on to Qatar for the next leg of his trip on Wednesday, May 14. The Syrian leader previously had ties to the terror group al-Qaeda. U.S. forces, at one point, held him in custody in Iraq. However, Trump now says he wants to give Syria a chance at peace.
Trump’s meeting with Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, marked the first encounter between the leaders of the two nations in 25 years.
The U.S. once offered $10 million for information about al-Sharaa’s whereabouts because of his links to Al-Qaida. He came to power after leading the coup that overthrew President Bashar Assad in December 2024. He became president in January.
In addition to lifting sanctions on Syria, Trump and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also announced multiple economic and defense agreements.
The president heads to Qatar on Wednesday, and the visit arrives amid controversy as the country plans to gift Trump a luxury jet to serve as Air Force One.
Reports indicated that Attorney General Pam Bondi approved the deal, stating it does not violate federal law. Critics argued that it breaches the emoluments clause, which prohibits anyone in government from accepting a gift from any “king, prince or foreign state” without congressional consent.
In response, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he has placed a hold on all Department of Justice political nominees and won’t release them until Bondi explains her reasoning for saying that accepting the jet does not violate federal law.
Once the jet is no longer used as Air Force One, the plan is to transfer it to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation after Trump leaves office.
At least 60 killed in renewed Israeli strikes on Gaza
A series of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza early Wednesday reportedly killed at least 22 children, according to local hospitals and health officials. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the strikes killed at least 60 people in total.
The strikes come a day after Hamas released an Israeli-American hostage in a deal brokered by the U.S. Israel paused military activity briefly for the release of Edan Alexander. However, the attacks reportedly picked back up about an hour after Alexander left the territory.
On Tuesday, May 13, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there is “no way” Israel will halt its war in Gaza until the Middle Eastern nation eliminates the militant group Hamas.
Federal judge rules Trump admin can use Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected gang members
A victory for the Trump administration regarding the deportation of suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. A federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled Tuesday, May 13, that the Trump administration can utilize the Alien Enemies Act to deport reputed gang members in the country illegally.
Immigration
The 1798 Alien Enemies Act had only been used three times before 2025. All previous uses were during active wars.
For the first time, a federal judge has sanctioned the Trump policy which categorizes Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization and applies wartime laws to deport alleged members. The judge also ordered the administration to provide migrants with 21 days’ notice, instead of 12, before their removal.
The ruling left unanswered whether Trump can invoke the Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants not affiliated with a foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, the judge did not tackle whether members of other suspected gangs could be removed under similar circumstances.
Trump proclaimed in March that members of Tren de Aragua had invaded the U.S. He then began deporting suspected members to a prison in El Salvador.
Also on Tuesday, a federal judge in the Western District of Texas barred the Trump administration from using the same Alien Enemies Act to deport people in that region of the country. In April, federal agents arrested nearly four dozen suspected members of Tren de Aragua in a drug raid near Austin.
Wisconsin judge indicted on federal charges for allegedly helping man evade immigration authorities
A federal grand jury indicted a Wisconsin judge on Tuesday, May 13, accusing her of assisting a migrant in evading immigration authorities.
Federal agents arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan last month at the courthouse where she works. They accused Dugan of obstructing government agents seeking to detain an undocumented immigrant by helping the man and his lawyer escape through a back door in the Milwaukee courthouse, typically reserved for court staff, juries and in-custody defendants.
Dugan faces charges for obstructing or interfering with a proceeding involving a U.S. department or agency, as well as for hiding an individual to prevent their discovery and arrest. Eventually, federal officials apprehended the suspect after a foot chase down the street.
The judge now faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison along with fines. Dugan is scheduled to enter her plea on Thursday morning, May 15.
Menendez brothers resentenced in parents’ slaying, now eligible for parole
A development in a high-profile double murder case in Los Angeles from decades ago has taken place. A judge in Los Angeles has reduced the sentences of Lyle and Erik Menendez to 50 years to life in prison, making them eligible for parole.
The Menendez brothers shot and killed their wealthy parents in their Southern California home in August 1989. A court later sentenced them to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Menendez brothers have long claimed that their father sexually abused them and that their mother complied, which they say was the reason for the killings. Several movies and a documentary have been made about the murders, and the brothers have developed a following.
A cousin testified on Tuesday, May 13, that the Menendez brothers learned the error of their ways, became completely rehabilitated in prison, and deserved to be released to their relatives, who gladly took them in. However, the prosecutor argued that the brothers, now in their 50s, clung to an absurd claim as the motive for the murders.
Still, they now have the possibility of parole. The case is in the hands of the California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
A hearing in front of the parole board is set for June 13.
MLB lifts ban for Pete Rose and others, paving the way to Hall of Fame
Major League Baseball legends Pete Rose, “Shoeless Joe” Jackson and 15 others — banned by the league over the years for gambling and other infractions — are now eligible for the Hall of Fame.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred posthumously reinstated all 17 men on Tuesday, May 13. Straight Arrow News Sports Reporter Chris Francis explains what led to the decision here.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
