This Week In Politics: October 13-17
(WRGB) — A tenuous ceasefire has held since Monday when twenty hostages were released by Hamas, more than two years after the October 7 attack that set off fighting in Gaza. Israel freed roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. President Donald Trump traveled to Israel, where he was celebrated for helping to broker the deal; he addressed the nation’s parliament Monday. Hamas, however, missed a deadline to return the remains of hostages who perished in custody. Mediators suggest the remains have been lost in the rubble of war-torn Gaza.
READ MORE: Trump slams Time Magazine for using bad picture in coverage of Israel-Hamas peace deal
President Trump says the ceasefire could end at his command. On Thursday, he responded to reports that Hamas was seen carrying out mass executions in Gaza on Monday.
A controversial video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was pulled from screens at Albany International Airport Tuesday, following CBS6’s reporting on the matter. In the video, Noem blames Democrats in Washington for the government shutdown and any potential delays at airport security as a result. Airport officials in Albany say the TSA began playing the video days ago without consulting airport leadership. CBS6 first asked about the video Monday, pushing harder with questions after breaking the story Tuesday morning. Hours later, the video was no longer playing.
“The statements made in the video raise questions about longstanding policies related to the Federal Hatch Act, which prohibits engaging in political activity while in an official capacity, including communication that blames, praises, or criticizes a specific political party or figure,” said Albany International Airport spokesman Matt Hunter.
Other airports around the country took a similar stance, with all of them citing the political nature of Noem’s message. There are questions now of whether Noem violated the Hatch Act, which bans most federal officials and employees from political activity.
The government shutdown entered a second week on Tuesday and lawmakers have been unsuccessful in reaching a deal to fund the government. Wednesday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from following through on mass federal layoffs during the shutdown. Unions argue the firings are illegal. President Trump plans to give the ax Friday to government programs he calls “egregious, socialist, semi-communist,” but he did not elaborate on which programs.
The New York GOP is expected to dissolve the NYSYR Friday, with plans to re-constitute it and install new leadership.
The messages featured racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic sentiments, with some participants praising Adolf Hitler. Since the report, members have resigned or lost positions in their groups and even roles within government. New York State Young Republicans Chair Bobby Walker called rape “epic” in the leaked messages. He apologized in a statement, but did not heed calls to resign.
Walker was slated to join State Sen. Peter Oberacker’s campaign for Congress but a spokesperson said they had cut ties in light of the reporting.
Both Democratic and Republican leaders spoke out against the leaked messages, but Vice President JD Vance categorized them as “edgy” jokes made by kids. The chat members were all adults in the 20s and 30s. At least one is reported to have a position within the Trump Administration.
The first general debate in the race for New York City Mayor pitted Democrat Zohran Mamdani against Republican Curtis Sliwa—with Andrew Cuomo joining them on stage as well amid his Independent bid for City Hall.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury. It follows an investigation into his handling of classified documents. The Trump ally-turned-critic is the latest to face criminal scrutiny in what critics call a politicization of the Justice Department and weaponization against the president’s enemies.
READ MORE: AG Letitia James, lawmakers respond to Virginia indictment
After the ceasefire in the Middle East, President Trump is turning focus back to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump is hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Friday and plans to meet with Vladimir Putin soon.
A contingency of reporters turned in their badges and left the Pentagon Wednesday in protest of new restrictions on their reporting. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proposed new standards that would open journalists up to the prospect of expulsion for reporting on material that wasn’t approved by Hegseth.
This week in Power & Politics, Tom Eschen sits down with Trent Griffin-Braaf, a Capital Region business leader whose career journey took him from incarceration to entrepreneurship.
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