Witkoff, Kushner to meet with Zelensky

It’s Tuesday. We’re only two weeks out from November’s midterms.

Programming note: We’re Joshua Feldstein and Claire Leibowitz filling in for Cate today. Please send us your tips, comments and story ideas to jfeldstein@thehill.com or cleibowitz@thehill.com .

President Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday.

The talks are happening in Oslo, Norway, alongside leaders of Norway and Finland, according to the Norwegian government. Kushner will attend virtually.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in a statement that Ukraine requested the U.S. representatives attend the meetings.

“Diplomatic efforts have previously taken place in several countries, and Norway and Finland are pleased to be able to continue this work. The aim is to put diplomatic efforts on a more constructive path,” he added.

Trump is getting mad : The president on Monday told reporters, “All I want for Russia and Ukraine is for them to stop the stupid war.”

“Zelensky doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” he added. “If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago, and he’d have a million people living from his side.”

The president also said he would be willing to participate in a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to address how to stop the Russia-Ukraine war.

Putin proposed the summit during a call with Trump earlier this month, per a Wall Street Journal report that cited a Russian intelligence officer briefed on the matter.

That phone conversation resulted in Trump’s announcement that he would waive sanctions on Russia to allow for more diesel sales in an effort to lower prices.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Monday he believes there’s been “talks of a meeting,” when asked about the report.

“I think the president is open to anything that he can do to help bring the war to an end if it’s possible,” Rubio added.

Starshield squabble still going strong: Last week, Elon Musk’s Starlink took the spotlight after Ukraine’s military faced restricted access to Starshield, the military version of the satellite-based system.

Starlink services were cut off for objects that traveled more than 100 mph, impacting the capabilities of Ukraine’s drones, airplanes and helicopters, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill.

For days, senators and representatives have expressed concerns over Ukraine’s sudden loss of access to intelligence sharing and the high-speed Starlink data.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as Republican Sens. Thom Tillis (N.C.), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and John Cornyn (Texas) signed a letter to Platte Moring , the Pentagon’s inspector general, urging an investigation into the incident.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Monday said Zelensky told senators Ukraine still does not have full access to Starshield. Tillis and Blumenthal hosted a call with the Ukrainian president and other “bipartisan colleagues.”

“President Zelenskyy is ready for a mutual ceasefire on energy facilities & resources, & civilians, if only Putin will agree. Vicious, bloodthirsty slaughter by Russia’s missiles & drones is intensifying,” Blumenthal said on social media.

“Bipartisan, bicameral support for Ukraine was clear & unequivocal, which we’ll be expressing in upcoming action,” he added.

And GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) on Monday said he’d speak with Zelensky, too. He vowed to hold any U.S. official who limited the application “ fully accountable .”

Vice President Vance said that if he ran for president in 2028, he thinks Trump would endorse him .

“I think I would get his endorsement, but I also think there’s something to be said for people actually running their own race,” Vance said in an interview with 2WAY’s Mark Halperin on Monday.

“And because the president’s endorsement is so dispositive, you could absolutely see a scenario where the president says, ‘You know what? We need to let, like, this race play out and not preemptively prejudge the results.’”

But the vice president also avoided endorsing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the country’s elections next week. “I’m not anti-endorsing him. I’m not pro-endorsing him,” he said.

He added that he was “not getting involved” and focusing on American politics. “I endorse American candidates,” he added.

During his Monday night rally in Wichita, Kan., President Trump announced an $8 billion program that will provide temporary relief to farms amid rising fuel and energy prices because of the Iran war.

As of Tuesday morning, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. sits at $4.27, while diesel is $6.31 per gallon, according to AAA .

Farming for answers: Trump introduced the Harvest Fuel Relief program in a state that is reeling from the effects of the conflict in the Middle East.

This has fueled a tight Senate battle for GOP Sen. Roger Marshall , who has seen his polling lead dwindle to his Democratic opponent, Adam Hamilton .

A similar situation can be found in Iowa, where the Senate battle between Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) and Democratic challenger Josh Turek is locked in a toss-up.

Hinson is among a group of GOP lawmakers that has bashed the U.S.’s diesel deal with Russia.

Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.) are also among those who have criticized Trump’s moves.

Parts of the program: According to the Department of Agriculture, the $8 billion will be available as a one-time release for farmers.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the program will provide “critical support to farmers facing rising costs and market disruptions.”

The president’s midterm campaign tour continues Tuesday night with a trip to Greenville, N.C., to campaign for GOP Senate nominee Michael Whatley , who is facing off against former Gov. Roy Cooper (D).

According to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ), a partner of The Hill, Cooper, has a lengthy lead over Whatley, with an 84 percent chance to capture the Senate seat.

House up for grabs: Trump’s rally in the Tar Heel State will also focus on some tight House battles.

Greenville borders North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, which is listed by DDHQ as a toss-up between Democratic Rep. Don Davis and Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout .

The 3rd Congressional District, where Greenville sits, leans GOP, and incumbent Rep. Gregory Murphy (R) has a 78 percent chance to beat Democrat Raymond Smith , according to DDHQ.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers broke an American citizen’s arm over the weekend.

Garcia said in a Sunday post to the social platform X that “ICE agents brutally attacked and broke the arm of a North Long Beach resident and U.S. citizen.”

“I’m proud of the neighbors who documented and stood up for the family being terrorized by ICE. Donald Trump and his inhumane and illegal deportation machine must be stopped,” Garcia continued.

ICE in October: Earlier this month, Texas prosecutors said they were weighing criminal charges after allegations that an ICE officer intentionally hit a man with a vehicle in Houston.

An ICE spokesperson told The Hill following the incident that, “As ICE officers attempted to apprehend the illegal aliens, Miguel Parra-Hernandez ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck.”

Meanwhile, surveillance video showed two men running when an SUV veered into and hit Parra-Hernandez.

In a report that came out over the weekend, an immigration advocacy group stated that the immigrant whom federal agents were pursuing when the incident occurred has apparently been dead for almost a decade.

In a separate incident in New York City on Oct. 8, a man was injured when an ICE officer shot him. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the man had a prior criminal conviction for grand larceny and multiple arrests for assault, robbery and drug possession.

Not going anywhere: After a man was shot by ICE in Austin, Texas last month, White House border czar Tom Homan emphasized that people can “hate us all you want,” but, “We’re not going anywhere.”

The FBI reportedly investigated whether former Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) were involved in a bribery scheme with Hawaiian naval defense contractor Navatek acquiring federal contracts in their home state, according to a ProPublica report.

A new video promoting Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (R) tapped into Democratic challenger Amy Acton’s mom, who calls her daughter a “liar” in the video. Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns , called the video a “despicable low” for Ramaswamy.

The University of North Carolina reached an agreemen t with the Trump administration Tuesday to close 19 federal investigations tied to alleged concerns of antisemitism and race discrimination at the school.

The Philadelphia Eagles are facing backlash over how the team handled star quarterback Jalen Hurts’s blood-clotting condition. Hurts was kept awake for 36 hours before the team’s London game — reportedly for the fear that sleep could worsen his condition — and had to start that day.

CNN : UK to deploy fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attack

NBC News : Powerful nor’easter churning up the East Coast

The Associated Press : From France to Albania, social unrest is setting Europe’s streets ablaze

The New York Times : Voters in Oil-Rich Alberta Reject Leaving Canada

The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Washington, D.C., and North Carolina. (All times EDT)

1:30 p.m. : Trump and Vance make an announcement in the Oval Office.

4:30 p.m. : Trump participates in signing time.

7 p.m. : Trump delivers remarks in Greenville, N.C.

🧇 Celebrate : Today is National Chicken and Waffles Day. Please forward any D.C. brunch spots we should look out for (on the days we don’t write 12:30 Report, of course).

🌊 The Tampa Bay Rays advanced to the World Series on Monday night with a 7-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians. The Rays will now face the Milwaukee Brewers, as both teams eye their first championship.

Because you made it this far, here’s a dog chilling in a stream . We’re jealous.

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