Trump campaigned on ending Ukraine war on Day 1. Now he says it was in ‘jest’

Friday, April 25, 2025

Good evening and welcome to your daily news briefing from The Independent.

Donald Trump is now saying he was joking about ending the war in Ukraine as Russia resumes bombings, a Milwaukee judge was arrested after allegedly helping a migrant escape from ICE agents, and Luigi Mangione will face the death penalty if he's convicted for the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Top stories

1 | Trump campaigned on ending Ukraine war on Day 1. Now he says it was in 'jest'

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2 | How Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan allegedly helped a migrant slip past ICE agents and landed herself in handcuffs

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3 | Mangione to face death penalty if convicted of killing United Healthcare CEO as DOJ labels him a future danger

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4 | Matt Gaetz visited El Salvador's mega-prison and saw people drained of hope. He then pitched it to Stephen Miller

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5 | 'Zizian' follower named 'person of interest' in her parents' killing denies all allegations: 'We aren't a murder cult'

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The Big Question 

In a sudden reversal, the Trump administration said on Friday it would restore visas to thousands of foreign students studying in the United States, after revoking them for having minor infractions on their records.

During a federal court hearing for one of the many lawsuits levied against the administration for its recent student visa policy, a Justice Department attorney said they working to "provide a framework" for record terminations, but until then would restore visas.

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Editors' picks

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WATCH 

Pete Hegseth says US troops 'need to be fit, not fat'

STAT OF THE DAY

7

Disgraced former congressman George Santos was sentenced to 7 years in prison for wire fraud and identity theft on Friday.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Don't be a ball buster, OK?"

President Donald Trump's brash approach to silence dissenters and push his agenda is laid bare in a profile of his first 100 days in office, where he told a rebel House Republican not to be a "ball buster."

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