Today in one sentence: Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a one-year trade truce after meeting in South Korea; Trump ordered the U.S. military to restart nuclear weapons testing “on an equal basis” with Russia and China; the Senate voted to end the “national emergency” Trump declared to justify global tariffs of up to 50% on nearly all imports; the U.S. carried out its 14th strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, killing four people and bringing the death toll to more than 60; a classified State Department watchdog report found “many hundreds” of possible Israeli human rights violations in Gaza that could take years to review; the Pentagon ordered every state and territory to form “quick reaction” National Guard units to respond to civil unrest by January; a federal judge said she would likely order the Trump administration to use emergency funds to at least partially fund November SNAP benefits, saying “It’s hard for me to understand how this isn’t an emergency”; 45% of Americans blame Trump and Republicans in Congress for the government shutdown; and 56% of Americans oppose Trump’s decision to demolish the White House’s East Wing to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.

1/ Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a one-year trade truce after meeting in South Korea. Trump said he would cut tariffs on Chinese goods to 47% from 57%, including lowering a fentanyl-related duty to 10%, while Xi agreed to delay new rare earth export controls for a year and resume large U.S. soybean purchases. The U.S. also suspended new port fees and postponed rules expanding export curbs on Chinese subsidiaries. Trump called the meeting a “12 out of 10,” saying, “a lot of decisions were made, and we’ve come to a conclusion on very many important points.” Xi said the two countries should “focus on the bigger picture and the long-term benefits of cooperation,” adding that “trade should remain the ballast and propeller of China-U.S. relations.” Trump said he plans to visit China in April, with Xi expected to visit the United States afterward. The talks, however, didn’t resolve disputes over advanced technology exports, TikTok, or Taiwan, leaving core tensions unresolved. (Bloomberg / New York Times / Washington Post / NPR / Associated Press / Axios / Politico / NBC News / CNBC / Wall Street Journal)

2/ Trump ordered the U.S. military to restart nuclear weapons testing “on an equal basis” with Russia and China, breaking a U.S. moratorium that’s been in place since 1992. Trump announced the decision minutes before meeting China’s Xi Jinping and later told reporters the move was needed because “others are doing testing,” without clarifying whether he meant. Senior U.S. officials, including Trump’s nominee to lead the military command in charge of the nation’s nuclear arsenal, however, said there’ve been no Russian or Chinese nuclear explosive tests. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, warned that “if someone abandons the moratorium, Russia will act accordingly,” while China’s Foreign Ministry urged the U.S. to honor the global test ban. (New York Times / Axios / The Guardian / Reuters / NBC News / Washington Post / NPR / Politico / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Associated Press)

3/ The Senate voted to end the “national emergency” Trump declared to justify global tariffs of up to 50% on nearly all imports. Four Republicans – Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski – joined Democrats in the third bipartisan rejection of Trump’s trade actions this week. The vote challenges Trump’s claim that the U.S. trade deficit constituted an emergency requiring executive action under a 1977 law. The measure, however, is unlikely to take effect, as House Republicans have blocked tariff votes until March and a veto is certain. (Politico / CBS News / Bloomberg / CNN / Washington Post / Associated Press)

4/ The U.S. carried out its 14th strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, killing four people and bringing the death toll to more than 60. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed the vessel was operated by a designated terrorist organization and that no U.S. forces were harmed, but provided no evidence that the targets were drug smugglers. Trump said land targets were “going to be next.” Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, condemned the administration’s refusal to share its legal justification, with Sen. Mark Warner calling a Republicans-only briefing “corrosive to our democracy,” while the White House dismissed the criticism as “bogus.” (New York Times / Axios / NBC News / CBS News)

5/ A classified State Department watchdog report found “many hundreds” of possible Israeli human rights violations in Gaza that could take years to review. The findings mark the first U.S. acknowledgment of the scale of alleged abuses under the Leahy Laws, which bar U.S. aid to foreign military units credibly accused of human rights violations. Officials, however, said Israel’s cases require consensus among senior U.S. officials before aid can be withheld. (Washington Post)

6/ The Pentagon ordered every state and territory to form “quick reaction” National Guard units to respond to civil unrest by January. Internal memos show 23,500 troops will be trained and equipped with batons, shields, and Tasers for “civil disturbance operations.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Guard will “immediately provide support” to law enforcement, while Trump suggested he could send “the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines” if needed. (Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Axios / The Guardian)

7/ A federal judge said she would likely order the Trump administration to use emergency funds to at least partially fund November SNAP benefits, saying “It’s hard for me to understand how this isn’t an emergency.” U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani told government lawyers that “Congress told you what to do if there is no money – you need to figure out how to stretch that emergency money for now,” and added, “We’re not going to make everyone drop dead because it’s a political game someplace.” SNAP serves about 42 million people and costs roughly $8–$9 billion a month, while the contingency fund holds about $5 billion, making full benefits unlikely even with a court order. The Justice Department, meanwhile, called partial payments to feed Americans “disastrous.” Talwani said she would issue her ruling later Thursday. (Politico / Bloomberg / CNN / Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press)

poll/ 45% of Americans blame Trump and Republicans in Congress for the government shutdown, while 33% blame Democrats. 63% disapproved of Trump’s management of the federal government. (Washington Post)

poll/ 56% of Americans oppose Trump’s decision to demolish the White House’s East Wing to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, while 28% support it and 16% are unsure. Nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and 6 in 10 independents oppose the project, compared with 2 in 10 Republicans. (Washington Post)

⏭️ Notably Next: Your government has been shut down for 30 days; the 2026 midterms are in 369 days.

Last year today: Day 1380: "Petty tyrant."
Two years ago today: Day 1014: "Civil order."
Five years ago today: Day 1380: "Shock and awe."
Six years ago today: Day 1014: Out of step.
Seven years ago today: Day 649: Blatantly unconstitutional.
Eight years ago today: Day 284: "NO COLLUSION!"