Syrian President Makes Historic White House Visit as U.S. Lifts Sanctions

President Donald Trump hosted Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday, marking a dramatic shift in U.S.-Syria relations as the former pariah state joins a U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group. The meeting represents the first White House visit by a Syrian head of state since Syria gained independence from France in 1946.

Al-Sharaa, who led rebel forces that toppled longtime dictator Bashar Assad last December, was appointed Syria’s interim leader in January. His rise to legitimacy has been remarkable given his previous ties to al-Qaida and the $10 million U.S. bounty once placed on his head. The U.S. recently lifted sanctions imposed during the Assad family’s decades-long rule, signaling Washington’s strategic pivot in the Middle East.

The meeting, which the White House described as private and closed to press coverage, underscores the administration’s pragmatic approach to foreign policy amid ongoing regional instability.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to its landmark 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. The justices declined without comment an appeal from Kim Davis, a former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Davis had sought to overturn a lower court order requiring her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney fees.

In the same session, the court agreed to decide whether states can continue counting late-arriving mail ballots, an issue that has been a target of Trump’s criticism. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia currently accept mailed ballots received after Election Day if they’re postmarked on or before that date. The eventual ruling, expected before the 2026 midterm elections, could significantly impact how ballots are counted in future contests.

On the domestic front, the government shutdown continues to disrupt federal services, though Congress appears to be inching toward a solution. The Senate voted Sunday to advance legislation that would reopen the government, with eight Democratic senators breaking ranks to join Republicans in the 67-30 procedural vote.

The defecting Democrats – including Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Dick Durbin of Illinois, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Angus King of Maine – faced immediate backlash from within their party. Senator Bernie Sanders called it “a very, very bad vote,” while other progressive voices labeled it a “betrayal.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune urged his colleagues to allow for quick passage of the bill. “The American people have suffered for long enough. Let’s not pointlessly drag this bill out,” he said, expressing confidence that Trump would sign the legislation once it reaches his desk.

The funding measure would reopen the government through January 30th, ensuring backpay for furloughed federal workers. However, it notably lacks any resolution to the expiring health care subsidies that Democrats have been fighting for as millions of Americans face rising insurance premiums. That issue has been deferred for a vote next month, just weeks before the subsidies are set to expire.

The Trump administration has also returned to the Supreme Court seeking to maintain a freeze on full payments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps 42 million low-income Americans purchase groceries. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers condemned the move, writing to his state’s congressional delegation that it was “a shocking and disturbing request—and one that should be condemned by every person, regardless of their political beliefs.”

The shutdown continues to affect air travel, with flight cancellations expected to persist even after the government reopens. The Federal Aviation Administration has reduced flights as some unpaid air traffic controllers have stopped showing up for work. Airlines canceled thousands of flights over the weekend to comply with an FAA order to eliminate 4% of flights. The cancellations are scheduled to increase to 6% of all flights at 40 major airports on Tuesday, and 10% by week’s end.

In international news, China announced new export controls on 13 chemicals that can be used to produce fentanyl. The announcement comes after Trump agreed to reduce tariffs on Chinese imports from 20% to 10% following China’s commitment to curb the flow of these precursor chemicals, which fuel the opioid crisis in the United States.

As the administration navigates these complex domestic and international challenges, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is preparing to attend the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Canada on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he will advance U.S. interests in global security amid rising tensions between the Trump administration and the Canadian government.