All Eyes
on Trump.

The complaint says the arch and its construction would harm county transportation, emergency response, public safety, aviation, historic resources and residents, and asks the court to vacate the Park Service's environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact. The Park Service's finding represents the agency's contrary position that the project would not significantly affect the human environment; the defendants have not yet filed a response in the new case. The Associated Press reported that the White House and Interior Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. AP also reported that a separate case brought by three veterans and an architectural historian produced an order requiring 48 hours' notice before construction-related activity. That separate order is not a ruling on Arlington County's new claims, and no judge has decided the merits of this complaint.

AP reported that Iran had received a U.S. counterproposal and that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expected Tehran to respond within days. Reuters reported that Iranian state media said Tehran would not abandon uranium enrichment or surrender its uranium stockpile; Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon. Trump said special envoy Steve Witkoff continued indirect negotiations, but AP noted that Trump had said a day earlier that he was unsure he wanted a deal. The administration's Navy blockade of Iranian oil exports remains in place, U.S. forces continue protecting some tanker traffic and a third aircraft carrier with thousands of troops could arrive in the region by late October. The pledge therefore pauses announced new strikes before the election but does not end the war, remove U.S. forces or establish a final diplomatic settlement.

The State Department told Reuters that Barrack has no affiliation with, role in or financial interest in the pipeline project, that his public comments reflected longstanding U.S. policy supporting regional energy integration and that he was certified as complying with ethics rules. Reuters said it found no evidence Barrack would profit from the pipeline or other projects. Two ethics lawyers told Reuters that the relationship would not constitute a criminal conflict unless Barrack stood to profit directly from the pipeline, while other ethics specialists said the reported advocacy raised noncriminal impartiality and misuse-of-position concerns. Barrack's office and Chevron declined comment; TI Capital, Ghandour and UCC did not respond. Reuters reported that no conflict-of-interest waiver concerning TI Capital's role in the pipeline was produced in response to its Office of Government Ethics records request. The reviewed record does not include an OGE ruling, inspector-general finding, enforcement action or court determination that Barrack violated an ethics rule.

Cook has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime, the Associated Press reported. In a statement added to Reuters' report Friday, her lawyers Abbe Lowell and Norm Eisen said Cook welcomes the opportunity to present the facts and that an objective hearing will show she did not commit mortgage fraud and that no legal basis exists to fire her. They also said they have engaged with the White House about the process. The White House memorandum requires the committee to provide Cook the evidence it will consider before the hearing and allows a post-hearing statement by November 10. The committee must then submit findings and a recommendation to Trump. The Supreme Court's June 29 decision left Cook in office and held that the earlier removal attempt did not provide the process required in the circumstances; it noted that the president could begin a new process with notice and an opportunity to respond. That decision did not resolve the truth of the mortgage allegations, and the new committee has not yet issued findings.