INTERNACIONAL
Government shutdown knowledge: gaming out its potential end
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«I know that I know nothing» – Socrates
«You don’t know nothing» – Baseball Legend Yogi Berra
Socrates may have been claiming ignorance, Berra was talking about baseball, but both may as well have been talking about the government shutdown.
So when will it end?
«You shouldn’t ask me because I’m the guy who said it’ll only last five days,» Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said on Fox. «But I will tell you, a couple of Democrat senators recently indicated that they think this is going to go ‘til at least the first of November.»
However, Biggs added that he doesn’t «see an end in sight.»
GOVERNMENT ENTERS LONGEST FULL SHUTDOWN IN US HISTORY WITH NO END IN SIGHT
The government shutdown is now entering its fourth week. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Whether you are Socrates or Yogi Berra, we don’t know «nothing.» Which technically means that we do know something.
However, I do know proper grammar.
The one thing that I do know in this case is that I don’t know anything about ending the government shutdown.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN STALLS AS DEMOCRATS DEMAND OBAMACARE SUBSIDY EXTENSION
Regardless… Is it even possible to game out when the government shutdown may end?
Congressional Republicans believed that Democrats would fold after a matter of days once funding lapsed in the wee hours of Oct. 1. Then Republicans argued that Democrats would cry «uncle» once federal workers missed their first paycheck last week. Later, the GOP suggested Democrats would keep the government shuttered through the «No Kings» rallies around the country last weekend.
The GOP argued that Democrats needed to show their base that they were «fighting» against President Donald Trump.
«Now that they had their protests, I just pray that they come to their senses and re-open the government this week,» said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., says he doesn’t «see an end in sight.» (Getty Images)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of continually changing their reasons for why Democrats are blocking the GOP bill to fund the government.
«In a few days, it will be about something else,» Jeffries said.
So, we enter the ice age of Congressional inactivity as the government shutdown enters its fourth week.
Who could have predicted it?
Then again, who could have predicted thieves could make off with millions of dollars of jewelry inside the Louvre in an historic heist? At least the bandits stole our attention away from the government shutdown for a bit.
SHUTDOWN STANDSTILL: NO HEADWAY UNTIL THERE’S ‘INCENTIVE,’ POLITICOS LAMENT
That said, everyone knows (even if they won’t say it publicly) who will likely end the government shutdown: Trump.
He’s not just the president. Trump has a sway over Republicans in Congress that Ronald Reagan could only envy. So until he joins the fray, the government will remain closed.
«Donald Trump definitively needs to get involved. He needs to get off the sidelines. Get off the golf course and actually decide to end the shutdown that he’s created and that he has allowed to happen,» Jeffries said.
«Donald Trump, instead of leaving the country before he leaves the country, should sit down and negotiate with us so we can address this horrible crisis,» said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. «The president should meet with us. It’s not me, him or anything political. It’s that the people are in crisis every day.»
President Trump met with Republican lawmakers this week. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The president did meet with lawmakers this week, holding court with Senate Republicans for lunch in the renovated Rose Garden.
«Did you notice the white marble floor?» quipped the president.
But Democrats contend that Trump huddled with the wrong party. Schumer characterized it as «a Rose Garden pep rally.»
Trump implored Democrats to bend – and vote for the GOP spending bill.
«They’re getting killed in the polls,» he said.
SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES
«Shouldn’t the president get involved in negotiations at this stage to end this?» yours truly asked Johnson.
«We’re not going [to] pay a ransom to reopen the federal government,» replied the speaker.
«Isn’t the only key to end this shutdown to just have a sit-down negotiation with both sides?» I countered.
«Republicans have nothing to offer to Democrats,» replied Johnson.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., meanwhile, contends that «Republicans have nothing to offer Democrats.» (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
In fact, some Republicans argued that Trump shouldn’t even negotiate.
«If I’ve learned anything about President Trump, it’s his timing. I think that he feels like the timing is not right now. We’re winning the messaging war,» said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. «So there’ll be a time. But the time is not ripe yet.»
It’s unclear when that time may come, considering that the government has remained shuttered for more than three weeks.
And two weeks ago, Republicans torched Schumer for declaring things got «better» for Democrats the longer the shutdown dragged on, but shutdown fatigue is now setting in on Capitol Hill.
BATTLEGROUND REPUBLICANS HOLD THE LINE AS JOHNSON PRESSURES DEMS ON SHUTDOWN
«Welcome to day 22 of the Democrats’ shutdown,» Johnson declared at the now sonorous daily press briefings delivered by both sides.
«This does suck,» said Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., on Fox Business about the shutdown.
Lawmakers are now seeking shutdown daylight.
«The hope is that we get this shutdown resolved before the end of the month,» Jeffries said.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., expresses hope that the shutdown will be resolved by the end of the month. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
There’s worry about how the shutdown might impact national parks.
«(Here are) the more negative consequences that we’ll start to see without regular staffing. Litter will pile up and park ecosystems will be affected,» said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark.
Both parties are convinced they’re prevailing in the shutdown.
«What I did hear on our telephone town hall repeatedly (is) ‘Don’t you guys give into these hostage takers,’» said Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho. «I heard that repeatedly.»
«It’s resonating with Americans. What I’m hearing from people in Connecticut is ‘hang tough,’» said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
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The Senate holds a test vote Thursday on a bill to pay essential workers who are on the job without a paycheck, but Democrats are skeptical.
«I’d be in favor of paying the federal workers,» said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. «That bill, unfortunately, gives a lot of latitude to the president to pick and choose, or, I should say, (White House Budget Director) Russell Vought to pick and choose (who gets paid).»
So while shutdown weariness sets in, no one knows when it might end.
It is said that knowing what you don’t know actually constitutes true knowledge.
And if no one knows the end of the shutdown, that must mean that everyone is pretty smart.
congress,government shutdown,house of representatives politics,senate
INTERNACIONAL
Brasil subastó cinco nuevos bloques petroleros en el Atlántico, a pocos días de la cumbre climática COP30
El gobierno de Brasil otorgó este miércoles los derechos de exploración de cinco bloques petroleros situados en aguas profundas del Atlántico, apenas dos días después de que la estatal Petrobras obtuviera licencia ambiental para iniciar perforaciones exploratorias marítimas cerca de la desembocadura del río Amazonas. La decisión reafirma el compromiso brasileño con la producción petrolera, una postura que genera controversia a menos de un mes de la conferencia climática COP30 de la ONU en la ciudad amazónica de Belém.
Las subastas, organizadas por la Agencia Nacional del Petróleo (ANP), se llevaron a cabo en Río de Janeiro y sumaron un total de 103,7 millones de reales (alrededor de 19,2 millones de dólares). De los siete bloques ofertados, cinco fueron adjudicados a grandes consorcios internacionales y nacionales, entre ellos la multinacional noruega Equinor y la china Cnooc. Estas áreas se localizan en el denominado presal, una reserva petrolera ubicada bajo una gruesa capa de sal en aguas ultraprofundas, donde se estima la existencia de yacimientos de alto potencial económico.
De las siete zonas ofrecidas en la subasta, las áreas de Jaspe, Citrino e Itaimbezinho fueron obtenidas respectivamente por un consorcio integrado por Petrobras (60%) y Equinor (40%), por Petrobras de forma individual, y por Equinor también de manera individual. Todas ellas se encuentran en la cuenca de Campos, frente al litoral del estado de Río de Janeiro.
En la cuenca de Santos, frente a las costas de San Pablo, la australiana Karoon se adjudicó el bloque de Esmeralda, mientras que un consorcio liderado por CNOOC (70%) y Sinopec (30%) obtuvo el área de Amatista. El resto de los bloques ofertados no atrajo el interés de las 15 empresas habilitadas para participar.
A diferencia de anteriores licitaciones, en esta ocasión no se otorgaron concesiones plenas, sino que las empresas ganadoras operarán en asociación con el Estado brasileño, que mantiene la propiedad de los derechos de exploración y producción. Para resultar seleccionadas, las compañías debieron ofrecer el mayor porcentaje de participación estatal en el excedente de producción de petróleo y gas.
La subasta formaba parte de una oferta inicial de 13 áreas, aunque las compañías solo mostraron interés por siete. De acuerdo con Artur Watt, director general de la ANP, “el mantenimiento de las actividades de exploración y producción es completamente compatible con la transición energética”. Watt defendió que este proceso debe acelerarse ajustando la demanda, sin restringir voluntariamente el suministro nacional, dado que “sería rápidamente cubierto por otros países en detrimento de los intereses nacionales”.
El lunes, Petrobras recibió la licencia ambiental del Instituto Brasileño del Medio Ambiente y de los Recursos Naturales Renovables (Ibama) para perforar un pozo exploratorio en el bloque FZA-M-059, situado a 175 kilómetros de la costa del estado de Amapá, próximo a la frontera con Surinam. La estatal inició los trabajos el mismo día de la autorización, según informó en un comunicado. Este pozo no producirá petróleo durante la fase exploratoria y las tareas podrían extenderse hasta cinco meses.
El ministro de Energía, Alexandre Silveira, celebró la decisión y subrayó en sus redes sociales que “el Margen Ecuatorial representa el futuro de nuestra soberanía energética. Brasil no puede renunciar a conocer su potencial”. Silveira insistió en que la perforación se realizará bajo “los más altos estándares internacionales” y con “responsabilidad ambiental”.
No obstante, la explotación petrolera en la región ha suscitado críticas de organizaciones ambientalistas y comunidades indígenas, dadas la vulnerabilidad y “extrema sensibilidad” del ecosistema amazónico. La polémica aumenta en vísperas de la COP30, donde uno de los ejes clave de debate será la reducción gradual del uso de combustibles fósiles.
La Margen Ecuatorial, que se extiende desde la frontera con Surinam hasta el noreste del país, es señalada por analistas geológicos y la industria como una de las zonas más prometedoras de Brasil por sus similitudes con los descubrimientos de hidrocarburos realizados en Guyana. Durante la última década, la región ha sido objeto de exploración por parte de importantes compañías internacionales, como Chevron, ExxonMobil, Petrobras y la Corporación Nacional de Petróleo de China.
El gobierno de Lula da Silva argumenta que el crecimiento del sector es clave para financiar la transición energética y el desarrollo económico. En junio, el Ejecutivo subastó otros 19 bloques en alta mar, algunos en cercanías del Amazonas, reafirmando su determinación de expandir la actividad petrolera en el país pese a las restricciones impuestas por las demandas ambientales.
La exploración en aguas profundas bajo la capa de sal, así como en la denominada Margen Ecuatorial, plantea desafíos técnicos y ambientales, en especial por las fuertes corrientes oceánicas y la proximidad a zonas de alta biodiversidad. Petrobras señaló que el pozo exploratorio en el bloque FZA-M-059 forma parte de su estrategia para incrementar reservas y conocer el potencial petrolero brasileño, aunque aún no está previsto su desarrollo comercial inmediato.
(Con información de AFP, AP y EFE)
cuenca de campos,empresas,empresas petroleras brasileñas,exterior,petrobras,petrolíferas,plantas,plataforma p-51,plataformas de petróleo,semi-públicas
Mexican leaders want US help against cartels
Mexican Senator Lilly Téllez joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to discuss growing tensions between President Trump and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as the U.S. boosts its military presence in the region to target drug boats and cartels.
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FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will host a roundtable at the White House Thursday afternoon with law enforcement and administration officials to discuss the successes of the Homeland Security Task Forces, which the president established on his first day in office to snuff out threats from criminal cartels in the U.S.
«The President’s Homeland Security Task Forces are a landmark achievement that highlight what the federal government can achieve with a leader like President Trump who is willing to slash red tape, increase coordination and put the safety of the American people first,» White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital of the event.
«In a short period of time, the Trump Administration has removed lethal drugs, illegal weapons, dangerous foreign terrorists and cartel members from American communities,» she added. «The American people are safer today because of the HSTFs — and they’re just getting started.»
Trump established the creation of Homeland Security Task Forces Jan. 20 — his first day back in office — via executive order, «Protecting the American People from Invasion.» The executive order directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to establish such task forces in each state as part of the administration’s efforts to thwart cartels and human trafficking networks operating on U.S. soil.
WAR DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES NEW COUNTER-NARCOTICS TASK FORCE UNDER TRUMP DIRECTIVE TO CRUSH CARTELS
President Donald Trump is slated to hold a roundtable with administration officials to discuss updates on the Homeland Security Task Forces. ( Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The executive order specifically directed the task forces to «end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations throughout the United States, dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks, end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children, and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States.»
On Thursday, administration officials will join Trump to provide updates on the task forces’ efforts.
The roundtable will be joined by Deputy Chief of Staff and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, Noem, Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Fox News Digital learned.
TRUMP SENDS MILITARY AFTER THE CARTELS AND IT’S LONG OVERDUE
A January executive order directed Attorney General Pam Bondi, here, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to establish such task forces in each state as part of the administration’s efforts to thwart cartels and human trafficking networks operating on U.S. soil. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital learned that the task forces nationwide became fully operational at the end of August and have yielded thousands of arrests, and the removal of dangerous drugs and illegal firearms from U.S. streets.
BONDI SAYS HUMAN SMUGGLING IS ‘GETTING PEOPLE KILLED’ ACROSS US AS SHE ANNOUNCES CRACKDOWN
More than 3,000 foreign terrorists and cartel members were arrested as part of the task forces’ operations, including members of notoriously dangerous gangs such as the Sinaloa Cartel, MS-13 and Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Genaracion, Fox News Digital learned.
President Donald Trump will host a roundtable at the White House Oct. 23, 2025, with law enforcement and administration officials, like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. (Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press)
The task forces also have recovered two million fentanyl pills and seven tons of other deadly narcotics, seized $3 million in currency and removed more than 1,000 illegal guns from U.S. communities.
Trump campaigned, in part, on removing violent illegal immigrants and crime from U.S. communities, spotlighting the efforts in his address before Congress back in March 2025.
«The territory to the immediate south of our border is now dominated entirely by criminal cartels that murder, rape, torture and exercise total control. They have total control over a whole nation. posing a grave threat to our national security,» Trump said at the time. «The cartels are waging war in America, and it’s time for America to wage war on the cartels.»
The roundtable comes as the U.S. military carries out strikes on suspected drug cartel vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The strikes began in September and are part of Trump’s broader effort to dismantle transnational cartels by force.
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Trump held a similar roundtable at the White House earlier in October, inviting independent journalists who have experienced Antifa’s violence firsthand to speak about their experiences as the administration targets the left-wing group’s protests outside immigration facilities and recently designating it a «domestic terrorist organization.»
donald trump,white house,border security,homeland security,immigration
Amiram Cooper. Foto: AP 
Fotografía cedida por la embajada de Israel en Berlín que muestra al soldado israelí Hadar Goldin. Foto: EFE
Hoy se confirmó que Lior Rudaeff, israelí-argentino de 61 años, fue asesinado el 7 de octubre por los terroristas de Hamás. Su cuerpo fue secuestrado y sigue en Gaza
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