Trump's (probably correct) belief that his Justice Department will give him a quarter-billion dollars in public resources is the product of a Justice Department controlled by Trump loyalists who understand their jobs to be "using the law to do whatever the boss wants"

BREAKING:

Jack Smith is requesting that Congress and the Justice Dept. let him testify in public.

In new letters to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, Smith says he wants to testify "in open hearings" because of "the many mischaracterizations" around his investigations.

Trump: "I don't think we're necessarily going to ask for a declaration of war, I think we're just gonna kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. We're going to kill them. They're going to be, like dead."

UPDATE: More donors funding the demolition of the East Wing for Trump's $250M ballroom have been identified

NEWS --> Reps Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia formally demand all internal WH-DOJ communications on Trump's corrupt DOJ shakedown, calling it a "blatantly illegal and unconstitutional effort to steal $230 million from the American people."

We reported first that this was coming (see below). Letter:

VA Dems *confirm* they're moving forward with a plan to revisit the state's redistricting commission. It would require lawmakers to pass an amendment twice, which would then go before voters—in theory early enough next year to allow time for a remap before 2026.

From Reid Epstein at @nytimes.com

Total federal spending is up +7% in 2025 over 2024 year-to-date to Oct 20.

The story that the fed govt is tightening its belt is contradicted by its own real-time expenditure data. Admin spectacularly hammering some things but raising spending elsewhere.

Was -7% just after Inauguration Day.