Trump set to posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom
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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday is expected to posthumously award conservative activist Charlie Kirk the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University on the first stop of his The American Comeback Tour, which invited college students to debate hot-button issues.
Trump was the first to announce later that day that Kirk had died, and the next day said he would be be awarding Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom as he hailed the Turning Point USA founder “a giant of his generation.”
The ceremony comes after Trump returned back to Washington in the early hours of Tuesday morning from a trip to the Middle East to celebrate a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that he helped broker.
Oct. 14 is Kirk’s birthday. He would have turned 32. The House and Senate previously approved a resolution to mark the date as a “National Day of Remembrance.”
Trump said last Friday that he was coming back from overseas for Kirk, who called “a friend of mine, a friend of all of us.”
“It’s the greatest honor,” Trump said of the award. “And Erika, his beautiful wife, is going to be here, and a lot of people are gonna be here.”
The president and Erika Kirk shared a heartfelt moment on stage at Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona, where tens of thousands of people gathered to pay tribute to Kirk, a key ally to Trump and a friend to many inside his administration.
The two hugged after Trump’s closing remarks and after Erika Kirk said she’d forgiven her husband’s killer.
Kirk was influential in building Trump’s movement and was particularly influential among young conservatives. But some of his comments on gun violence, LGBTQ issues, race and more drew criticism from liberals and others.
At his memorial service, Trump and other leading conservative figures embraced Kirk as a “martyr.”
“I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history,” Trump said at the time. “Because while Charlie has been reunited with his creator in heaven, his voice on earth will let go through the generations, and his name will live forever in the eternal chronicle of America’s greatest patriots.”
The Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building is visible November 10, 2025 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is close to being over as the House is slated to convene on Wednesday to vote on the federal spending bill.
The Senate passed the measure Monday night with eight members of the Democratic caucus joining Republicans.
President Donald Trump said he supports the deal, and pushed for its passage in the House. If it passes and if Trump signs it, federal agencies and services are expected to immediately return.
Here’s what to know about the implications of the bill that addresses SNAP benefits, federal workers and more.
When will the government reopen?
The bill reopens the government through Jan. 30, 2026, starting at the time Trump signs the legislation.
Some agencies, like the Department of Agriculture and Veterans Affairs, will be funded for the remainder of the fiscal year.
When will SNAP benefits resume?
The bill includes a provision to fully fund SNAP benefits through the end of September 2026.
The money will immediately go out to SNAP beneficiaries once the bill is signed.
Federal courts ordered the administration to pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown, however, the Supreme Court paused the order as the appeals litigation continued.
When will federal workers go back to work?
At least 670,000 federal employees were furloughed during the shutdown, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Furloughed workers will be expected to return to work after the bill is signed.
When will employees receive back pay?
Federal workers deemed essential, including Capitol Police officers, TSA workers and air traffic controllers, had been forced to work without pay during the shutdown.
During the shutdown, the administration issued layoffs for federal workers in various agencies.
The Senate bill includes language to reverse Trump administration firings due to the shutdown and ensures that furloughed workers receive back pay.
Trump signaled Monday that he would abide by the Senate reversing his administration’s mass firing.
“I will be. I’ll abide by the deal. The deal is very good,” Trump told ABC News’ Karen Travers.
All federal workers are entitled to back pay under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, which was signed into law by Trump during his first term in office.
The law covers both furloughed employees and those required to work without pay during a government shutdown.
When will air traffic controllers be fully staffed?
The shortage of air traffic controllers, who were not furloughed, was so dire during the shutdown that the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to reduce flights by 10% at 40 airports — leading to thousands of flights being canceled and delayed across the country.
As many as 15-20 resigned during the shutdown, according to the Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Amid the shutdown, Trump said in a social media post on Monday that he was recommending a $10,000 bonus to air traffic controllers who did not take any time off during the shutdown, though he did not provide specifics on how that would be done.
To those who took time off, he said, “I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” and called for them to leave the profession “with NO payment or severance of any kind,” despite ongoing staffing shortages.
Once the Department of Transportation sees staffing levels return to pre-shutdown levels, it will ease the 10% flight cuts.
It is still unknown how the controllers will respond to the shutdown’s waning hours.
When will flights go back to normal?
It is not immediately clear how long it will take for flights return to their normal schedules and capacity once the spending bill is signed.
When asked on Monday by ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers if he could guarantee to Americans that travel will go back to normal once the government re-opens, Trump responded, “It’ll go better than normal,” and talked about upgrading technology in control towers, though he did not address the personnel issues.
Where do ACA subsidies stand?
Affordable Care Act subsidies demanded by Democrats were not included in the Senate bipartisan deal to reopen the government.
The enhanced ACA tax credits don’t expire until Dec. 31, and if no deal is reached, health premiums will jump for over 20 million Americans.
Sources told ABC News Monday that Senate Republican leadership promised to allow a vote on a bill of Democrats’ choosing related to the ACA in December.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday that he would not commit to holding a vote in the House on the subsidies.
– ABC News’ Justin Gomez, Alexandra Hutzler and Sam Sweeny contributed to this report.
In an aerial view, the State Capitol is seen on August 14, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
(AUSTIN, Texas) — After weeks of delays and protests from Democrats, the Texas state House is slated Wednesday to consider moving forward on the controversial redistricting plan.
Republicans have put the bill for the redistricting on the agenda for when their special session convenes again today on the House floor at 10 a.m. local time.
The move came weeks after state Democrats decried the unorthodox mid-decade redistricting as blatant gerrymandering to increase the number of GOP congressional seats. The special session was delayed after Democrats left the state to avoid a quorum, despite threats of arrest from Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republican leaders.
Some Democrats returned to the statehouse on Monday and allowed the legislature to reach a quorum, but they continued to speak out against the controversial redistricting.
It is likely that the redistricting plan, which was pushed by President Donald Trump, will pass.
Texas House Democrats said they are still planning to resist the maps and call out what they say it means for their constituents. They plan on fighting the bill on the floor.
A handful of Texas House Democrats refused law enforcement escorts. It stayed overnight in the Texas House, in solidarity with state Rep. Nicole Collier, who had refused to sign a “permission slip” allowing her to leave the state Capitol with a law enforcement escort.
The Texas state Capitol also dealt with a social media threat Tuesday night that led to the evacuation of grounds and the building, but Democratic lawmakers who were already in the building remained inside.
The bill, which was newly filed for the second special session after the first one was adjourned due to not having a quorum, passed out of committee on Monday.
The Texas Senate is expected to pick up the bill once it passes the House.
Protestors march during an anti-Trump “No Kings Day” demonstration in a city that has been the focus of protests against Trump’s immigration raids on June 14, 2025 in downtown Los Angeles, California. Jay L Clendenin/Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Activists and advocacy groups are staging a second round of “No Kings” protests across the country on Saturday in response to what they call abuse of power by President Donald Trump and his administration, including his immigration crackdown.
Organizers predict millions will take part.
Republicans are trying to brand the protests as “hate America” rallies and claim they’re prolonging the federal government shutdown.
Here’s what to know.
What are the “No Kings” protests?
The daylong “No Kings” protests set for Oct. 18 follow up on the thousands held in mid-June. They are being run by a coalition of organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union, Indivisible, 50501 and others. Organizers say there are more than 2,600 events planned nationwide — including major cities such as New York; Washington, D.C.; Chicago and Los Angeles — and say millions are expected to attend.
They have been “organized by regular people, by volunteers,” Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer of the ACLU, told ABC News.
While organizers have not released details on fundraising ahead of the protests, and the coalition has remained relatively decentralized, a few groups have indicated either heavy spending to promote the rallies or planned star power to increase buzz around them.
For instance, Home of the Brave, a political group, said Monday it was spending $1 million to advertise the No Kings protests, including in local and national newspapers.
Celebrities, including Jane Fonda, Kerry Washington, John Legend, Alan Cumming and John Leguizamo, are slated to attend, according to a fundraising email on Thursday from the political action committee Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
“We’ll be in the streets for immigrant families under attack and for voters who are being silenced. For communities being terrorized by militarized policing. For families who are about to lose their health insurance. And for every single person whose rights are threatened by this administration’s cruelty,” the group wrote in the email.
In advance of Saturday’s rallies, law enforcement is actively monitoring social media and the internet, as well as working with local organizers and potential counter-protesters, to get a sense of what might be expected. That vigilance comes as there continues to be heightened concerns about large-scale public gatherings, especially political events.
What are Republicans saying about the protests?
Republicans have been slamming the protests, claiming that the protests are a reason the Democratic Party does not want to end the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune asserted on Wednesday that Democrats are waiting to solve the funding issues until after Saturday’s “No Kings” rallies.
“The truth is — what Democrats really want is something Republicans can’t give them. And that is the approval of their far-left base,” Thune said.
Republican leaders have also framed the “No Kings” protests as a series of “Hate America” rallies, framing the upcoming events as meant to criticize America and what it stands for.
“And I encourage you to watch — we call it the ‘Hate America Rally’ that will happen Saturday,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Wednesday. “Let’s see who shows up for that. I bet you see pro-Hamas supporters. I bet you see Antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists in full display, the people who don’t want to stand and defend the foundational truths of this republic.”
Johnson did not provide any proof to support his claims that “pro-Hamas supporters” and “Antifa types” will show up. Organizers have said they cannot control who shows up to protests from outside groups and have emphasized wanting to keep protests respectful and nonviolent.
In an interview taped with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Thursday, Trump was asked about the rallies and he shot down that he was a “king.”
“They’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said.
Some state leaders have also said they are calling up more law enforcement in light of the protests, which supporters of the protests have said may be meant to “suppress” them.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, wrote on X on Thursday, that he “directed the Dept. of Public Safety and National Guard to surge forces into Austin” ahead of the rallies.
“Texas will NOT tolerate chaos. Anyone destroying property or committing acts of violence will be swiftly arrested,” Abbott wrote.
State Rep. Gene Wu, who chairs the state House’s Democratic caucus, wrote in response, “Sending armed soldiers to suppress peaceful protests is what kings and dictators do — and Greg Abbott just proved he’s one of them.”
How are protest organizers responding to Republican claims?
Organizers have countered that Republicans in power are responsible for the ongoing shutdown, and have said that Johnson and some other Republicans not saying the name of the protest is telling.
“I think it’s really telling that he spent an entire week calling this a ‘hate American Rally,’ on the attack against this coalition and Americans across the country, and he won’t even say the name of the protest,” Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of Indivisible, one of the major groups in the “No Kings” coalition, told reporters on a press call on Thursday.
“That’s because if you say the name of the protest, ‘No Kings,’ the entire argument falls apart … there is nothing more American than saying that we don’t have kings and exercising our right to peaceful protest,” Greenberg said.
When asked if they thought the claims from Republicans would impact participant turnout on Saturday, organizers said they think it could have the opposite effect.
“I think, if anything, it will increase turnout,” said Schifeling. “I think Americans can really see through these sad attempts to distract attention from the failure of these Republican Congress people and Republican Trump administration to actually address what most Americans want and need from their government.”
Ezra Levin, the co-executive director of Indivisible, told ABC News that he welcomes the publicity, but simultaneously believes Republicans are trying to stop Americans from exercising their First Amendment right.
“I think the Republicans and Trump see that the largest peaceful protest in modern American history is coming together on Saturday to push back against the authoritarian overreach by this regime and its supporters in Congress, and they’re looking for ways to message against it ahead of time,” he said.
ABC News’ Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
