☕ The focus turns to Oregon

Good morning!

In an impromptu Sunday hearing, a federal judge blocked the deployment of National Guard troops to Oregon from anywhere in the country.

It’s a complex case - head to today’s long read for an explainer of all the moving parts, and what happens now.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• The U.S. government shutdown entered its sixth day with no resolution in sight as Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked over a funding bill. Democrats are demanding healthcare protections and safeguards against presidential interference with Congressional funding, while Republicans blame the opposing party for the impasse. President Trump said job cuts during the shutdown are Democrats' fault, while Democratic leaders claim the White House has stopped all communication with them. Neither side has signalled a willingness to compromise.

• Representatives of Israel, Hamas and the U.S. have begun negotiations over the Gaza peace plan proposed by the U.S. and accepted by Israel last week, as Israelis get ready to mark the two-year anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel. Yesterday, President Trump posted on Truth Social that there had been “very positive discussions with Hamas, and Countries from all over the World”, urging parties to reach a resolution this week.

• Rescue teams have evacuated 350 hikers trapped on the eastern side of Mount Everest after heavy snowfall, with contact established with 200 others still on the mountain. The rare storm struck during China's eight-day national holiday, stranding mostly Chinese tourists on the world's tallest peak. Local authorities and volunteers are working to clear snow and guide remaining hikers to safety in the village of Qudang. Chinese state media confirmed the ongoing rescue operation.

• Japan's conservative Liberal Democratic Party elected Sanae Takaichi as its leader on Saturday, positioning her to become the country's first female Prime Minister. The 64-year-old takes over after her predecessor resigned following election defeats that cost the party its majority in both houses of parliament. Takaichi, from the party's conservative wing, has cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a political influence. Parliament is expected to confirm her as Prime Minister, though no date has been set.

I’ve got 1 minute

A UK coroner has found that a 23-year-old woman died after being “adversely influenced” by her parents to refuse life-saving chemotherapy.

Paloma Shemirani rejected treatment that doctors say would have given her an 80% chance of complete recovery on the advice of her parents.

Her mother, Kate Shemirani, is a UK online personality and podcaster who rose to prominence for her strong anti-vaccine stance.

Inquest

In the UK, a coroner's inquest is held when a person dies in circumstances that are “unnatural” or “violent,” or if the cause of death is unknown. It is not the same as a court hearing, and a coroner cannot find someone guilty of a crime. At the end of an inquest, the coroner may make recommendations to the Government or relevant agencies on ways to improve public health and safety.

Diagnosis

In December 2023, Paloma was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma — a bulky mass in her chest that was compressing major blood vessels. Doctors at Maidstone Hospital told her chemotherapy gave her an 80% of survival. Her twin brother, Gabriel, told the inquest that at the time he had “no concerns that she would reject it.”

However, after consulting with her mother, Paloma discharged herself on Christmas Eve 2023, saying she wanted time to consider her options.

Paloma never returned for treatment, instead pursuing alternative therapies at her mother’s home. The attempted treatments included Gerson therapy, which involves eating a vegetarian diet, drinking 13 glasses of juice every day, and enemas. Paloma also underwent osteopathy, a treatment for bones and muscles.

The inquest heard Kate was “actively counselling” her daughter against the treatment doctors were proposing. Gabriel said their mother had long held “radical conspiracy theories and views about medical treatment”. At the time of her diagnosis, Paloma’s father also said she should not agree to any treatment in the hospital.

“You must discharge urself now. You will politely say that you want to go home and think this thru for a few days,” he texted her.

High Court

In April 2024, Gabriel began proceedings in the High Court, seeking an order to compel his sister to receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy for her lymphoma.

He believed Paloma was “prevented from exercising her capacity to decide freely” due to what he described as “the controlling and coercive influence” of their mother. Gabriel wanted a judge to meet with Paloma as part of the proceedings, but she died before this could happen.

On 19 July, Paloma collapsed shortly after being served dinner at her mother’s house. Kate said she put her daughter in the recovery position and then phoned a friend for help. The coroner noted there was an “avoidable delay” of several minutes before an ambulance was called, though CPR was started beforehand.

Despite resuscitation efforts by paramedics, Paloma’s brain was irreversibly damaged during a 37-minute period of low oxygen flow. She was confirmed brain dead on 24 July, with life support withdrawn the following day.

The findings

Coroner Catherine Wood found Paloma died from the progression of a disease that was curable but not treated. An osteopath who saw Paloma on the morning she collapsed said he had “never seen” a lymphoid mass like hers in 43 years of practice.

The coroner rejected accusations made by Paloma’s parents that her death was the fault of medical professionals, calling their “persistent pursuit of utterly groundless assertions as to the cause of death” during the inquest “reprehensible.”

Ultimately, the coroner ruled that the influence of Paloma’s parents “did contribute more than minimally to her death.” However, the inquest did not find sufficient evidence to support a conclusion of unlawful killing. This finding would typically trigger a criminal prosecution.

Paloma’s brothers, Gabriel and Sebastian, told the BBC the coroner had “failed” by not classing their sister’s death as an unlawful killing. Neither of her parents attended the conclusion of the coronial inquest.

I’ve got 2 minutes

A federal judge has blocked President Trump's attempt to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, late Sunday night. The ruling comes after multiple attempts by the Trump administration to deploy federal troops were blocked by federal courts and a weekend of escalating protests outside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) buildings in Portland.

The decision affects troops from California, Texas, and other states that Trump attempted to redirect to Oregon without the consent of their governors. Here's what you need to know.

Context

The National Guard functions as each state's reserve military force. Typically, the governor of each state maintains a garrison of National Guard personnel that can be deployed to respond to events such as natural disasters.

This summer, President Trump federalized the California National Guard, deploying nearly 5,000 of them to Los Angeles in response to protests against operations carried out by ICE in the city. California Governor Newsom did not consent to deploy the National Guard and took legal action against the administration.

Despite an ongoing court battle in California, President Trump deployed the National Guard to Texas, Washington, D.C., and, most recently, to Chicago, Illinois.

Judge Immergut ruled the administration's actions "risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power."

Oregon

President Trump tried to deploy Oregon National Guard troops to guard ICE facilities against protesters who had been gathering outside for weeks.

A White House spokesperson said Trump had "exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement."

However, on Saturday, a federal court judge temporarily blocked the action, stating that it was likely the president had exceeded his constitutional authority. She found that the protests were not sufficiently violent to justify the deployment.

The administration tries again.

The federal government then redirected California National Guard troops already deployed to Portland. After Governor Gavin Newsom joined Oregon's lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut quickly expanded her ruling to include California's National Guard, saying the redirect appeared to directly defy her previous order.

The President then directed the Texas National Guard to be redeployed to Oregon and other states. Judge Immergut soon expanded her order to cover all U.S. National Guard troops.

One hundred California troops arrived in Portland before the order and are now being sent home.

Protests in Chicago

President Trump also authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago after protests outside federal facilities escalated over the weekend. One woman was shot after driving her car at federal agents. She drove herself to the hospital, where she was arrested by the FBI, who say she was armed.

Reaction

"There is no insurrection in Portland, no threat to national security," Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said.

White House advisor Stephen Miller called Judge Immergut's ruling a "judicial insurrection." The White House said Newsom "should stand on the side of law-abiding citizens instead of violent criminals."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott fully supported the redeployment of his National Guard, saying there was no group more qualified than Texas's reserve troops.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said the President was "attempting to manufacture a crisis."

The legal battle will likely continue as the administration appeals Judge Immergut's ruling. Similar cases challenging Trump's use of National Guard troops are being heard in federal courts in California and other states.

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