Screenshot of video posted to Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s Instagram The Trump administration is drawing up “secret lists of terrorist groups inside the United States,” Senator Elissa Slotkin said on the floor of Congress yesterday — the first such reference to the effects of National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7). The directive, as I’ve reported, lays out Donald Trump’s policies with regard to equating “anti-Christian” and “anti-capitalist” sentiment with domestic terrorism. As a result of the directive, the FBI’s domestic terrorism watchlist is expected to double in the coming months, sources told me. The Senator from Michigan would know. She is a former CIA analyst and Assistant Secretary of Defense, and now serves on the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees. She defends the national security state as “good, corn-fed people who just want to help their country” and has said “I’m as hawkish as anyone” on Iran. In other words, Slotkin is no hater when it comes to the national security system — which makes her warning especially chilling. Slotkin in her Senate speech warned that with NSPM-7, the Trump administration had directed law enforcement agencies to “make secret lists of terrorist groups inside the United States and send the full force of the U.S. government against those terrorist organizations.” “They are not telling anyone about this, but asking that the law enforcement [community] come up with that list,” she added. Consistent with her remarks, NSPM-7 says, “The Attorney General shall submit a list of any such [domestic terrorist] groups” to the White House. “The Trump administration define[s] domestic terrorism incredibly broadly,” Slotkin said. “It suggests that any group that talks about anti-Christian values, views they don’t like on migration or race, differing views on the role of the family, religion, or morality could all be grounds for labelling an organization as domestic terrorists.” She also decried the Trump administration’s secret list of designated foreign terrorist groups in its war on cartels, saying: “If this administration is not telling us who’s on their secret designated terrorist list for groups in the Caribbean, they’re definitely not going to tell us who is on their list of domestic terrorist organizations.” Slotkin also revealed that the Trump administration had refused to provide its list of cartel terrorist groups to Congress, including even the Republican leadership. According to her, the list numbers in the “dozens”; this suggests that the administration is quite comfortable with such lists and is employing them against more than just the high-profile groups like Tren de Aragua. In response to a request for comment for this article, Slotkin’s office directed me to another point she raised in a confirmation hearing this week for Trump’s nominee for general counsel of the Army, Charles Young. During the hearing, Slotkin asked if a list of domestic terrorist organizations would authorize the military to take action within the United States — a possible way that the administration could get around posse comitatus restrictions on the use of the active military to enforce the law. Young’s reply: “Not to my knowledge” I’ve been critical of Congress’ silence on NSPM-7 so I am heartened by the seriousness of Slotkin’s questions. A small but growing number of members has now spoken up. Representative Ro Khanna of California was the first, saying: “NSPM-7 is a greater infringement on freedoms than the Patriot Act.” Khanna was also kind enough to shout me out for my work in covering this.“It was @KenKlippenstein, an independent journalist, that broke the dam on this first,” Khanna said. “This is why it is so important we support independent media.” The dam does seem to be finally breaking. Democratic Reps. Pocan, Jayapal and Huffman criticized NSPM-7 in a letter they’re circulating. Pocan himself discussed the issue on MSBNC. Today the first investigation by a major media organization into NSPM-7 was published by Reuters. Also, some 3,000 nonprofit groups signed an open letter condemning NSPM-7 and the direction that it is moving the nation. Other national security insiders have flagged NSPM-7 as dangerous, sometimes with even starker language. “NSPM-7 is one of the most dangerous documents to come out of the White House since the orders to inter Japanese citizens during WWII,” Larry Pfeiffer, former CIA chief of staff and director of the George Mason University Hayden Center, said. Legal experts like Lawfare’s Ben Wittes, Steve Vladeck and Ryan Goodman. have also weighed in. Even the satire website The Onion posted about it today! Leave a comment Share — Edited by William M. Arkin

Control of the White House changed in fiscal year 2025, but the U.S. budget picture didn’t. It remains grim. Despite a historic rise in tariff revenue, the deficit was the same in the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, as the previous year. That is largely because the main drivers of spending kept rising: social programs, including Social Security and Medicare, and interest on the public debt, which topped $1 trillion by one measure for the first time. Here are five things we learned about the U.S. government’s finances based on the year-end figures released Wednesday by the Congressional Budget Office: The U.S. collected $195 billion in customs duties, more than double the prior year. That doesn’t capture the full jump because tariff rates only ramped up in April, halfway through the year. President Trump seeks to shift the government’s reliance on income taxes toward taxes on imported goods. Still, tariffs contribute a relatively small 3.7% of overall federal revenue, compared with 51% for the individual income tax. By one CBO metric, net interest on the public debt topped $1 trillion for the first time—more than the country spent on Medicare or defense. For every $5 the government collected in taxes, about $1 went to pay interest. Net interest of $1.029 trillion was up roughly $80 billion, or 8%, from a year earlier. This measure isn’t directly comparable to how net interest is reported in some other CBO or White House accounts, but the differences are relatively small and the trend is consistent. There is little the government can do in the short term about the rising interest bill. It is the inevitable result of the growing national debt and higher interest rates. As the Trump administration started, Elon Musk claimed his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, could achieve $2 trillion in savings—equal to more than a quarter of total spending in fiscal 2024. Not even close. DOGE did claw back some grants and fire some probationary employees. And some savings will show up later as federal workers who accepted deferred resignation drop off government payrolls in fiscal 2026. But that hasn’t changed the big picture much so far. Total spending excluding interest rose $220 billion, or 4%, for the entire fiscal year. The increase would have been larger but in September 2025, the Trump administration recorded a $131 billion noncash spending reduction related to future savings from modifications to student-loan programs in Republicans’ tax-and-spending law. Excluding that, noninterest spending would have risen by $351 billion for the entire year and total spending would have risen by $55 billion in September compared with a year earlier. Other than student loans, the only major categories in which CBO said spending actually declined were the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, because it spent less resolving bank failures, and the Small Business Administration, because disaster-related loan costs in 2024 didn’t recur in 2025. The main reason spending keeps rising is that the costs of the biggest programs, Social Security and Medicare, are driven by an aging population and rising health costs. Both are practically untouchable politically. In 2025, Social Security spending rose 8%, partly because of Congress’s decision to expand benefits for certain public-sector employees, retroactive to January 2024. Medicare and Medicaid also each increased by 8%. Medicare enrollment is rising, CBO said. Because of eligibility restrictions in Republicans’ tax-and-spending legislation, Medicaid costs likely won’t grow as fast in the future. Typically, the budget deficit increases during recessions and shrinks during economic expansions. This time is different. The deficit came in at $1.8 trillion for 2025, virtually unchanged from 2024, despite a still-expanding economy. As a share of gross domestic product, the deficit did shrink slightly to about 6% in fiscal 2025 from 6.4% in 2024. Without the student-loan-program accounting adjustment, it would have been roughly unchanged. Publicly held debt is approaching 100% of GDP and will likely surpass the record of 106%, set in 1946, in coming years. Trump’s policies are a mixed bag for deficits. He signed a law that extended expiring tax cuts and created new ones. And he promised not to touch Social Security and Medicare and wants to increase military spending. Tariffs and the new law’s spending cuts push in the opposite direction. Write to Richard Rubin at [email protected] and Anthony DeBarros at [email protected]

WASHINGTON — New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who has clashed with President Donald Trump, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Virginia. James was charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of false statements to a financial institution after Trump publicly called for his Justice Department appointees to bring charges against her. The indictment alleges James falsely claimed that a home in Norfolk, Virginia, was her second residence, allowing her to obtain favorable loan terms, and that she rented the property to a family of three. James could face up to 30 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine on each count if she’s convicted. She vehemently denied the charges against her. “These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost," James said in a statement that she also read aloud in a video posted to X. "The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties." As NBC News reported in August, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed a special attorney to probe mortgage fraud allegations against the New York attorney general, who brought a successful civil fraud case against President Donald Trump before he retook the presidency. Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte had referred the case to the Justice Department, alleging that James had made false statements on mortgage loan applications. But the case hit a standstill last month because federal agents and prosecutors didn't believe they had the evidence to secure a conviction, two senior federal law enforcement officials told NBC News last month. Acting U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert resigned under pressure last month after Trump said he wanted him "out." Trump then named one of his personal attorneys, Lindsey Halligan, to be acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, though she lacked any prosecutorial experience. Halligan said in a statement after James’ indictment that the “charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust.” “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served,” she added. James' attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the case "is driven by President Trump's desire for revenge." "When a President can publicly direct charges to be filed against someone — when it was reported that career attorneys concluded none were warranted — it marks a serious attack on the rule of law," Lowell said. "We will fight these charges in every process allowed in the law.” James' first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 24 in Norfolk, Va. Trump has repeatedly sought charges against his political enemies, including James and former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted in September on charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” Trump said on Truth Social less than a week before Comey's indictment. In addition to Comey and James, Trump has called for charges against Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Halligan presented the case against Comey to a federal grand jury, doing so by herself in a break from DOJ norms and convincing a majority of the grand jurors that there was probable cause to indict Comey on two of the three counts she presented. Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday and plans to challenge Halligan’s appointment. The standard for securing an indictment before a federal grand jury is much lower than securing a unanimous conviction by a jury at trial. The Justice Manual, which guides federal prosecutors, says that attorneys for the government should only move forward on a case if they believe the admissible evidence would be enough to obtain and sustain a conviction. "It would be interesting to see how many grand jurors actually voted for the indictment," former U.S. Attorney Carol Lam said Thursday on NBC News NOW. "In the case of Jim Comey, it was 14 out of 23. And I will tell you, as a prosecutor, if I had even one or two grand jurors expressing concern and not voting for an indictment, I would be very, very concerned because they are only voting on probable cause and they are not voting beyond a reasonable doubt." The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker, a Biden appointee. Democrats swiftly condemned the Trump administration over James' indictment, much like they did after Comey was charged. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday on X that Americans were seeing “nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Trump of "using the Justice Department as his personal attack dog," and targeting James for successfully prosecuting Trump and his companies and securing a $500 million judgment that was later tossed out by a New York appeals court. "This isn’t justice. It’s revenge," Schumer said in a statement. "And it should horrify every American who believes no one is above the law."Ryan J. ReillyMichael KosnarAdam ReissKelly O'Donnell, Zoë Richards, Frank Thorp V, Chloe Atkins and Gary Grumbach contributed.

WASHINGTON—In his second term, President Trump has taken control of the Justice Department in ways he could have only dreamed of during his first. Then, he publicly railed against senior department officials but largely heeded the counsel of aides who urged him to trust the legal process. This term, all it took was one errant post to get what he wanted. On Sept. 20, Trump meant to send a private message to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging her to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey and his other favored targets, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote. Trump believed he had sent Bondi the message directly, addressing it to “Pam,” and was surprised to learn it was public, the officials said. Bondi grew upset and called White House aides and Trump, who then agreed to send a second post praising Bondi as doing a “GREAT job.” The misfire provided a window into how, through command and chaos, Trump has executed a wholesale transformation of the Justice Department. The Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse in Alexandria, Va. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Five days after the Saturday evening message, Comey was indicted. When asked about the message at a congressional hearing this week, Bondi said: “I don’t think he said anything that he hasn’t said for years.” Comey pleaded not guilty to charges of false statements and obstruction on Wednesday. His lawyer said he intends to argue the case was brought solely because of Trump’s animus toward him. Trump officials have already ousted dozens of senior Justice Department prosecutors who ran afoul of him in Washington and New York, but a Virginia district earned Trump’s particular ire last month, after the U.S. attorney he had appointed there didn’t find probable cause to prosecute Comey. Trump ignored the advice of aides, Justice Department officials, and even Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, who had urged him to keep on the prosecutor, Erik Siebert, according to people familiar with the discussions. After Siebert resigned under pressure, Trump installed in the post a former personal lawyer, Lindsey Halligan, who had never prosecuted a criminal case. A spokesman for Youngkin said the governor “fully respects the President’s authority to choose the best U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.” Meanwhile, Trump’s Justice Department appointees have pressed for action in investigations of a range of other perceived enemies, viewing it as an appropriate response to the years of criminal cases Trump faced, some of which were based on novel legal theories. Prosecutors in Maryland are expected in coming days to charge one of Trump’s first-term national security advisers, John Bolton, now a top Trump critic, with mishandling classified information, according to people familiar with the matter. In Virginia, prosecutors are expected to seek an indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who won a civil fraud case against Trump, on mortgage fraud charges that Siebert and others saw as weak, people familiar with the case said. James has denied wrongdoing. Other prosecutors are investigating former CIA director John Brennan, another prominent Trump critic, and former FBI director Christopher Wray, who was originally appointed by Trump but enraged conservatives who came to believe he had wielded the bureau’s powers against them. Former officials have received subpoenas in recent days in the Wray inquiry, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. On Wednesday, Trump said the Democratic leaders of Chicago and Illinois, too, should be imprisoned. For decades, the Justice Department has kept the White House at arms length from prosecutorial decisions. In Trump’s first term, officials resisted pursuing such cases, in part because they understood that if they breached ethical norms, those same tactics could be directed at Republicans in the future, said Sarah Isgur, who served as a Justice Department spokeswoman then. “Trump hasn’t changed. What’s different is the people he appointed,” she said, adding that the current department leadership was handing Trump’s political opponents “even greater power to abuse.” “This is an observation from an alternate reality because Democrats have in fact abused their power to target President Trump and Republicans,” a Justice Department spokesman said. Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also represented Trump personally before receiving their current jobs. They have fired dozens of prosecutors and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents who worked on investigations of Trump or were perceived to be liberal. The DOJ charges former FBI director James Comey with making false statements and obstruction under pressure from President Trump. WSJ’s Annie Linskey explains what happens now. Photo: Yuri Gripas/Press Pool/Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Dozens more have resigned, concerned they would be asked to take actions that could result in their disbarment. The section tasked with public corruption investigations is down from 30 prosecutors to two full-time, and the national security division has lost about half its personnel; both were involved in cases against Trump or his allies. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the weaponization and restoring one tier of justice for all Americans,” a spokesman for the agency said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump appreciates Bondi and Blanche for “all of their hard work to make our country safe again and restore accountability in our previously broken justice system.” One official with particular influence is Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, who has brought allegations of mortgage fraud by Trump’s foes to the president. Pulte has even showed up on the weekend at Trump’s golf course in Virginia, bypassing frustrated aides to get to the president. He has used that access to talk to Trump, even at one point bringing a job candidate to meet with Trump directly, officials said. Pulte has clashed with a range of senior administration officials across the government. This summer, Pulte visited the White House and gave Trump an elaborate presentation with visuals that included why the New York attorney general should be charged. Siebert had assessed there wasn’t a strong case. Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press In a statement, Pulte praised Bondi and Blanche as “great lawyers who have represented, and continue to serve, President Trump exceptionally well,” and said he looks “forward to continuing to work productively with their team.” Working behind the scenes with Pulte is Ed Martin, a Missouri lawyer whose vocal advocacy for the Jan. 6 rioters cost him the job of the U.S. attorney in Washington. Trump appointed him to an even more powerful slot at Justice Department headquarters doubling as both a special prosecutor pursuing matters of interest to Trump, and the pardon attorney. He works from an office dubbed the “Freedom Suite” on one end of a hallway on the deputy attorney general’s fourth floor, which visitors have described as being decorated with oversize photos of Trump and a small cup of holy water on the wall. Martin has taken unusual steps in investigations, for example, showing up outside James’s Brooklyn home in a trench coat resembling that of TV police lieutenant Columbo and posing for photos that appeared in the media. Last month, Martin sent a letter to a lawyer for an FBI agent who was among the first on the scene at the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, questioning his role in a defamation lawsuit against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Blanche told Martin to rescind the letter, which he did. Martin has complained to White House officials that he has too few staff and resources; Blanche has sent Martin at least one who quit, citing difficulties working with Martin, according to people familiar with the disputes. But Martin also has a direct line to the president. Trump often calls Martin directly to talk about the investigations, people familiar with the calls said, earning his trust in 2016 after convincing now-deceased conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly to throw her support behind Trump. A department spokesman said leadership was “united as one team with a singular mission” of advancing Trump’s agenda. Martin said he was grateful for Bondi and Blanche’s confidence and support. Bondi, the 59-year old former Florida attorney general, has walked a fine line with Trump. She has traveled with Trump to sporting events but tried to avoid discussing cases directly with him, telling him that case decisions are largely up to the deputy attorney general. Trump occasionally reminds aides about an incident last year in which Trump cut his hand on Bondi’s large wedding ring, causing him to bleed. Attorney General Pam Bondi at a Senate hearing this week. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg News Bondi visits the White House once or twice a week, allies say. She recently worked out of her chief of staff’s conference room for several days after complaining of mold in the attorney general’s suite, and sometimes runs home during the day to take care of her dogs. Privately, Trump has acknowledged that he believes Blanche is a solid lawyer and Bondi appears great on TV, but has continued to complain to aides about the pace of the cases, even after the Comey indictment. Aides have reminded him about work in progress. “She’s moving too slow,” Trump has said about Bondi, according to administration officials. Write to Josh Dawsey at [email protected], Sadie Gurman at [email protected] and Aruna Viswanatha at [email protected]

The Unraveling: Power, Faith, and Fallout in a Nation on Edge

Martinez’s attorney, Christopher Parente, offered to play an agent’s body-camera video that shows the shooting(Image: Getty Images) An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Chicago is facing scrutiny after a new video shows him yelling at a local woman “do something, b—-” before pulling over and shooting her five times, a body camera video suggests. The video is in stark conflict with the government’s account that federal agents in Broadview were “boxed in by 10 cars” and the woman, Marimar Martinez, 30, was one of the drivers. “Agents were unable to move their vehicles and exited the car. One of the drivers who rammed the law enforcement vehicle was armed with a semi-automatic weapon,” officials claimed on X. However, as court documents emerge, more alleged discrepancies are coming to light. Martinez’s attorney, Christopher Parente, offered to play an agent’s body-camera video that shows the shooting. In the footage he claims an agent turns a federal vehicle in Brighton Park, not Broadville, into Martinez’s vehicle when he taunts her to “do something, b—-.” He then allegedly exits his vehicle and proceeds to shoot Martinez. It comes after the terrifying moment an ICE agent held a family with a baby and gunpoint and committed a shocking act was caught on camera.READ MORE: Shocking clip shows masked ICE agents shoot pastor in the face with a pepper ballREAD MORE: Donald and Melania Trump's body language exposes clash over how Barron is raised Martinez is a U.S. citizen who works for a school and has supportive letters about her character filed in court. (Image: DHS) Marimar Martinez car damage(Image: USDC) “It’s a miracle she’s still alive,” Parente said. Officials had initially alleged that Martinez was armed and rammed her car into federal agents, threatening to shoot officers. However, prosecutors now acknowledge that she did not point or display a weapon. Parente also confirmed that while she had a valid firearm, she also had a concealed-carry license. Martinez is a U.S. citizen who works for a school and has supportive letters about her character filed in court. Another victim of the shooting and co-defendant Anthony Ruiz, 21, is also a U.S. citizen and self-employed as a DJ. Both of them face federal felony assault charges for “forcibly assaulting, impeding, and interfering with a federal law enforcement officer.” Screenshot from protests erupting after Ruiz and Martinez's confrontation with ICE officers(Image: ABC 7 Chicago) Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz car damage(Image: USDC) According to DHS, federal agents have arrested over 1,000 migrants in Chicago as a result of the highly-controversial operation(Image: Getty Images) The shooting in Chicago has led to heightened tensions in the city, inspiring a series of protests against the presence of ICE agents in local communities in what the administration calls “Operation Midway Blitz.” According to DHS, federal agents have arrested over 1,000 migrants in Chicago as a result of the highly-controversial operation. “During Operation Midway Blitz, our brave DHS law enforcement has made more than 1,000 arrests across Illinois including pedophiles, child abusers, kidnappers, gang members, and armed robbers,” McLaughlin said in a statement. The shooting in Chicago has led to heightened tensions in the city, inspiring a series of protests against the presence of ICE agents in local communities in what the administration calls “Operation Midway Blitz.”(Image: Getty Images) “Our patriotic law enforcement officers are making these arrests despite working without pay because of the Democrats’ shutdown. President Trump and Secretary Noem will not allow continued violence or repeat offenders to terrorize our neighborhoods and victimize our children,” she continued. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has denounced ICE’s operation in Chicago, describing the way they treat protesters and detainees as “inhumane.” “It is clear federal agents cannot be trusted to act to protect the safety and constitutional rights of the public,” he said. It comes after ICE savagely mocked a handcuffed protester being dragged away in a controversial video. Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sports and entertainment stories.

The open source project has been mirrored as a torrent file and represents one of the easiest ways to navigate a messy data dump.

Republics fracture, faith crumbles, fire rages, greed corrupts, and guilt confesses—America’s masks are slipping all at once.

Republics fracture, faith crumbles, fire rages, greed corrupts, and guilt confesses—America’s masks are slipping all at once.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) predicted Wednesday that dozens of Republicans may ultimately support legislation requiring the Department of Justice to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “It’s coming to an end guys. I’ve spoken to a lot of House Republicans this week and they’ve confided that Trump’s movement/support is fading. As one told me, ‘this Epstein bomb is about to drop and no [one] wants to defend a pedo-protector. It’s just a matter of time,’” Swalwell said in a thread on the social platform X. “One Republican just texted me that if there’s a discharge vote on Epstein they expect a ‘jail break’ of over 100 members. Trump will go nuts!” he added. In recent months, the Trump administration has faced intense pressure from both sides of the aisle over its handling of documents related to Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for alleged sex trafficking. “Did his Chinese spy lover Fang Fang write this tweet?” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said of Swalwell when reached for comment. Jackson referenced a suspected Chinese spy who targeted Swalwell. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has been pushing a discharge petition, which would force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files, alongside Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). He suggested Sunday in a post on X that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was keeping the House out of session to avoid the Epstein vote. “Why are we in recess? Because the day we go back into session, I have 218 votes for the discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files,” he said. Johnson has also delayed swearing in Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (Ariz.), who would be the decisive vote on the discharge petition, joining all Democrats along with a handful of Republicans who have backed Massie’s effort. Johnson has denied his decision on Grijalva is linked to her upcoming signature on the discharge petition, saying instead she will join the House when the government shutdown is over. “It has nothing to do with that at all. We will swear her in when everybody gets back,” Johnson said during a press conference. On Tuesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she has faced more pressure over the petition to trigger a House vote compelling a release of files linked to Epstein than any other issue. “My signature is on that discharge petition, and there has not been another issue where I have ever received more pressure than that one, and I’m pretty much shocked by it. I can’t imagine — I’ve never understood how this is an issue,” Greene told NewsNation’s Blake Burman on “The Hill.” This story was updated at 5:09 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Skip to content Florida state Rep. Kevin Steele (R) filed a bill Tuesday that threatens state funding to public universities and colleges if they do not rename specific roads after conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The bill points to specific roads at campuses Steele wants colleges to rename after Kirk, who was assassinated last month while speaking on a college campus in Utah. If a campus does not comply, the bill says state funding will be withheld from the institution. If passed, the bill would be set to go into law immediately instead of the typical July 1 date for most such Florida measures. Once the law goes into effect, a university would have 90 days to rename the road before funding would be cut. The bill is “clearly designed to [elicit] intense reactions from all sides but it does reinforce the importance of getting involved in your local & state government,” said Democratic State Rep. Anna Eskamani. Bills across the country have been introduced to rename things or create memorials in honor of Kirk, whose alleged killer is now in custody and facing seven charges. In Oklahoma, a lawmaker filed a bill for a Kirk memorial to be created on all state campuses. The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Tags Anna Eskamani Charlie Kirk Charlie Kirk Charlie Kirk Florida Florida Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's threatened crackdown on the finances and activities of liberal non-profits and groups opposed to his agenda is a multi-agency effort with top White House aide Stephen Miller playing a central role, according to officials. The Trump administration plans to deploy America's counter-terrorism apparatus - including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department - as well as the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department against certain left-wing groups it accuses of funding and organizing political violence, the officials said. Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here. The effort marks an escalation in the administration's efforts to target domestic opponents, raising alarm among civil rights groups and Democratic leaders about the use of executive power. Reuters spoke to three White House officials, four Department of Homeland Security officials and one Justice Department official to produce the first comprehensive account of how decisions are being made, forces deployed, and operations coordinated in the crackdown. All of the administration officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations more freely. Miller is deeply involved in reviewing government agencies' investigations into the financial networks behind what the administration labels "domestic terror networks," which include nonprofits and even educational institutions, a White House official said. The Trump administration has released some examples of what it alleges are incidents of left-wing violence, but it has provided little evidence of a coordinated effort. "Left-wing organizations have fueled violent riots, organized attacks against law enforcement officers, coordinated illegal doxing campaigns, arranged drop points for weapons and riot materials, and more," the White House said in a statement to Reuters. Miller did not respond to a request for comment. Two weeks after the September 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Trump issued a presidential memorandum directing the National Joint Terrorism Task Force to focus on "domestic terrorists" whose common ideologies include "anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity." Trump's opponents say the focus on liberal and left-wing groups ignores violence by right-wing organizations. They point to the January 6, 2021, violence by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol who sought to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has pardoned most of those convicted of violence that day. While Trump has frequently blamed violence on left-wing groups, a second White House official noted that the president's directive does not mention them specifically and is aimed at disrupting organized political violence before it occurs. The official said the "focus remains on violence and illegal activity," and that left-wing groups are free to protest within the bounds of the law. Trump's sweeping crackdown on migrants has triggered confrontations in U.S. cities between Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and protesters, including Los Angeles and Chicago. Trump and Miller have claimed protests in which sporadic violence occurs are evidence of domestic terrorism. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Miller asserted that protesters were engaged in a "continuum of violence" that was part of a larger conspiracy to disrupt federal operations. When pressed by a Reuters reporter in the Oval Office on September 25 about potential targets of a domestic terrorism probe, Trump mentioned George Soros - a Democratic donor whose charitable network supports civil rights, education, democracy and other causes - and Reid Hoffman, co-founder of the online professional networking platform LinkedIn and another Democratic mega-donor. The president did not present evidence of wrongdoing. "If they are funding these things, they're going to have some problems. Because they're agitators and they're anarchists," Trump said. Hoffman, through a spokesperson, declined to comment. A spokesperson for Soros' network of charitable foundations pushed back against the president's assertions. "Neither George Soros nor the Open Society Foundations fund protests, condone violence, or foment it in any way. Claims to the contrary are false," the spokesperson said. In response to a separate request, the White House highlighted seven political protests in 2023 and 2025 that included acts of violence directed against law enforcement officials, and two incidents of vandalism at Tesla dealerships this year as well as half a dozen social media posts celebrating the damage. It named nine liberal groups, donors or fundraising organizations that it said helped finance or plan protests where the violent incidents occurred. While the second White House official stressed that the organizations were not necessarily potential targets, the material provides insight into the administration's thinking. The list includes Soros' Open Society Foundations; ActBlue, the funding arm of the Democratic Party; Indivisible, a grassroots coalition opposed to Trump policies and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, a Los Angeles-based group. "The goal is to destabilize Soros’ network," a third White House official said. Ezra Levin, a spokesperson for Indivisible, said the group has never organized or called for violence. "These smears are designed to delegitimize our movement," he said. Carter Christensen, an ActBlue spokesperson, said Trump's crackdown was an attempt to silence dissent. "We take our legal and civic responsibilities seriously," he said. Angelica Salas, the executive director of CHIRLA, said the group advocates peaceful engagement. “The Trump Administration continues to spread misinformation and false allegations," she said in a statement. "But it will not work." Other groups on the list include two Jewish nonprofits that oppose Israel's war in Gaza - IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace. IfNotNow declined to comment, while Jewish Voice for Peace did not respond to a request for comment. Miller is taking a "hands-on" role in investigating the funding of nonprofits and educational institutions and is sharing recommendations from Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with Trump and other top advisers, the first White House official said. The official said Miller is Trump's chief adviser on the issue and is receiving regular updates from the joint terrorism task force - a coalition of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies tasked with investigating terrorism. A DOJ official declined to elaborate on task force plans but said the FBI's role includes analyzing financial networks for funding of activities involving violent crime. Potential tools to defund or shut down these groups include IRS investigations to strip them of tax-exempt status; criminal probes by the Justice Department and FBI; surveillance by federal law enforcement agencies; the use of RICO statutes typically used for organized crime and financial investigations under anti-terror laws to identify donors and funders, according to people familiar with investigations and public statements by officials. "We will continue to get to the bottom of who is funding these organizations," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday. Investigating the groups' funding and potentially stripping them of tax-exempt status could force some of them to close down, civil liberty groups say. Trump last month also signed an executive order designating the anti-fascist movement antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, despite the group's decentralized nature and lack of formal structure. At an event with conservative commentators and influencers on Wednesday, Trump requested participants to name groups and funders they claim carry out violence, effectively crowdsourcing potential targets in real time. He then vowed to pursue these groups. The White House also released a list of more than a dozen incidents dating back to 2016 that it alleged were perpetrated by antifa. A Justice Department spokesperson said the agency will prosecute "those who participate in antifa's criminal acts - including those who fund, supply, and enable these criminals to commit violence and destruction." Trump's twin directives on domestic political violence have caused confusion; lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security are scrambling to figure out how to implement them legally, according to two DHS officials not authorized to speak publicly. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the agency was "fully and faithfully" implementing Trump's directive. Unlike with international terror groups, there is no legal mechanism to designate a U.S. group with no foreign ties a terrorist organization, legal experts told Reuters. One of the two DHS officials said many intelligence analysts who used to work on domestic terrorism investigations have taken buyouts as part of Trump's push to cut the size and cost of government, further complicating efforts to target left-wing groups. Still, ICE in recent weeks directed some investigative agents to focus on domestic terrorism, two ICE officials said. One of the officials said it was part of a broader push to redirect resources to focus on domestic terrorism. The push against domestic groups and their donors comes amid Trump's attacks on law firms, universities and the media, and his deployment of National Guard troops to some Democratic-run cities. Democrats and civil society watchdogs say the move is intended to silence opposition, in addition to seeking retribution against his perceived personal political enemies. Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian and former director of the Richard Nixon presidential library, said Trump and Nixon were similar in their desire to punish political enemies and silence critics, but a pliant Republican-controlled Congress and a cabinet packed with loyalists are enabling Trump to go further. "That's why this particular moment is more dangerous for the rule of law in the United States than the 1970s were," Naftali said. Reporting by Nandita Bose, Jana Winter, Jeff Mason, Tim Reid, and Ted Hesson in Washington. Additional reporting by Andrew Goudsward and Marisa Taylor. Editing by Ross Colvin and Suzanne Goldenberg Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Jeff Mason is a White House Correspondent for Reuters. He has covered the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden and the presidential campaigns of Biden, Trump, Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. He served as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association in 2016-2017, leading the press corps in advocating for press freedom in the early days of the Trump administration. His and the WHCA's work was recognized with Deutsche Welle's "Freedom of Speech Award." Jeff has asked pointed questions of domestic and foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. He is a winner of the WHCA's “Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure" award and co-winner of the Association for Business Journalists' "Breaking News" award. Jeff began his career in Frankfurt, Germany as a business reporter before being posted to Brussels, Belgium, where he covered the European Union. Jeff appears regularly on television and radio and teaches political journalism at Georgetown University. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and a former Fulbright scholar. Ted Hesson is an immigration reporter for Reuters, based in Washington, D.C. His work focuses on the policy and politics of immigration, asylum and border security. Prior to joining Reuters in 2019, Ted worked for the news outlet POLITICO, where he also covered immigration. His articles have appeared in POLITICO Magazine, The Atlantic and VICE News, among other publications. Ted holds a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and bachelor's degree from Boston College.

Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance was more than amused at how badly the prosecution of FBI Director James Comey began on Wednesday, saying prosecutors were thrust into an unwinnable position and did not help themselves by professing ignorance before the judge. In her column on Substack, Vance, now a University of Alabama School of Law professor, noted that prosecutors Gabriel J. Diaz and Nathaniel Tyler Lemons were recruited from their jobs in North Carolina because newly appointed U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan could not convince anyone in her Virginia office to present the case. As she explained, the case now faces a “slow death” in a court known for speed. “The prosecutors who are taking over the case from Trump’s never-before-prosecuted-a-case U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan in the Eastern District of Virginia were dropped in from the Eastern District of North Carolina, and it’s not clear they understood they had landed in the Eastern District of Virginia’s notorious ‘rocket docket,’” she wrote before pointing out they immediately asked for an extension to delay discovery since they were unprepared. Asserting that Department of Justice doesn’t want a speedy trial, Vance wrote, Halligan’s team “tried to explain to the judge, telling him that the case is complicated.” “It’s not,” Vance wrote. “A false statements case is about as basic as they come,” she elaborated. “Prosecutors must prove the statement was made by the defendant, that it was false and the defendant knew it was false, and that it was material or important to the outcome of the government proceeding in which it was made.” District Judge Michael Nachmanoff also made that clear to the DOJ’s team by telling them, “This does not appear to me to be an overly complicated case.” “Everything is building towards the two motions the defense said it expected to file, one to dismiss the cases because Halligan, the only prosecutor to sign the indictment, wasn’t properly appointed to office, so the indictment is fatally flawed,” she wrote before adding, “A second motion will charge some species of selective and/or vindictive prosecution. That latter motion in particular keeps looking better and better.” Writing, “The defense has a strong argument that the president’s personal dislike of Comey led to the prosecution, especially after longtime prosecutors rejected it because they didn’t have evidence,” she concluded, “The case is going to be a challenge for prosecutors at trial if the case manages to get that far.” You can read more here.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – City of South Lake Tahoe Mayor Tamara Wallace submitted the following letter to the Tribune on Sunday, Oct. 5. “This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I am publicly admitting that I took funds from the Presbyterian Church over an extended period. Because of this, on September 11, 2025, my birthday, I tried to end my life. I was so filled with guilt, shame, and grief that I experienced a mental health crisis that made suicide seem to be the best solution. It was only by the grace of God that I failed. Since then, for my safety, I have spent 18 days in a mental health facility and am now taking medicine as well as being in intense, all-day, every-day group and individual counseling sessions. My husband, children, extended family members, and close friends were in shock and extreme anguish as they found out I had almost succeeded in taking my life. No one had any idea what I had done to the church. I had not been found out; in effect, I turned myself in. I had prepared a list of account numbers and passwords that I provided to the Church, while still in the hospital, so that my actions could be more easily discovered. There are, I am finding out through my counseling sessions, reasons why I would do something so horrible, but they are in no way an excuse for my actions. My guilt came from my taking funds from a church that, individually and as a group, embraced me, showed me love, and trusted me as their church administrator. In my mind, I may have found justification by using most of those funds to help others, such as my deceased son’s three children. The weight of what I had done was so unbearably great that my mind deceived me into the belief that my suicide attempt would protect my husband, whom I had recently celebrated our 25th anniversary with, and my adult children, who have all devoted their lives to the children of this community. I could not fathom that my husband would forgive me and stand by me. But he has. I also know that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, paid the price for my sins and asks for us all to admit our sins, truly repent, and ask for the forgiveness for which he has already given. But that does not free us from the earthly consequences of our actions. I must repay every cent and accept whatever punishment comes to me. My shame came from memories that had flooded back of abuse by more than one person, that, from four years old to almost sixteen, which was when I was able to go and live with my dad. I will not be graphic, but the abuse included being drugged. At 10 years old, I told my alcoholic mother. She did nothing and said it was my fault. My shame included thinking that I should have done more to stop the abuse of other younger girls in my family. I am trying to follow the example of Christ’s forgiveness that Christians are supposed to, by working through the process of forgiving my mother and those who so terribly abused me and altered my life in unimaginable ways. I can also see why it would be hard to grant forgiveness to me. The grief I have is from caring for my father in our home as he wasted away and died in front of me. Then the unbearable grief of losing our son Christopher to fentanyl poisoning. My oldest son is a cancer survivor who lost his leg and has been extremely sick for the past year. The reason I chose September 11 was, in my mentally confused mind, the worst day in my life, despite it being my birthday. That was the date when I was nine years old, when my parents separated and then divorced. It was also the day when my husband, Duane and I were on the fourth floor of the US Congressional offices when the planes started crashing into buildings in New York and Washington, DC. Our lives were saved that day by those who fought for control of Flight 93. We saw and felt the Pentagon explosion. We had been just next to the Pentagon the day before. Duane and I were also arm-robbed by a police officer with a machine gun in Russia. Our oldest son nearly lost his life to a rare bone cancer. He had nine surgeries and finally had to have his leg amputated and currently has been suffering from an unexplained illness for the past year. I was in bed for 10 years with migraines and high fevers from an autoimmune disorder. Our special needs adopted son has had behavior towards us that has caused some personal danger. As a city council member, I have had to endure countless death threats (mostly anonymous) and personal insults, even on the topic of my son’s tragic death. Some of the threats have included my family. I have even been chased from my car into City Council meetings. My husband has come very close to passing away three times over the past five years. Still, these things may be reasons, but not an excuse for my behavior. There is no excuse. What I have done in my life to cope has been to become adept at compartmentalizing. I got straight A’s and have become the hard-working mother and wife who invested herself into helping others, serving the citizens, and trying my absolute best to provide things like police, fire safety, better road repairs, and housing. That is the person everyone knows. I have hidden away the abuse in a compartment until now. I have tried to block away the grief. I think, for some internal thinking reason, I used this theft as a soothing mechanism, much like the Foster children we have helped or have known who hoarded things or food. I have been reaching out to the church through the Pastor. I have not heard back yet, other than hearing second-hand that the church may seek charges through the District Attorney. I have heard that someone told the Tribune that they now have a reporter trying to get a story. Here it is…rather than be like many public servants and individuals who try to lie, hide, and delay the consequences of something they have done, I am taking a different path. I am telling the truth and admitting what I have done. There is no reason I should have lived that day other than that I still have a purpose remaining on earth. I believe that it will be to pay the price for what I have done, including paying back every cent I have taken. Most important is that I will use this experience to hopefully stop others from committing the selfish, wrong-minded act of suicide. I will speak to and find ways to help those who have suffered abuse like I did. I will also tell others of the love, forgiveness, freely given grace, and everlasting life given to those who believe in Jesus Christ and accept him into their hearts. Lastly, I want to thank my husband, who has upheld his wedding vows and shown the depths of his love for me, which I do not feel like I deserve. Yet he does. And to my three living sons and daughter, who, although hurt, angry, and embarrassed, have shown me forgiveness and love. In writing this letter, I told Duane that I feel like a hard-boiled egg that gets peeled before it is fully cooked. I feel completely vulnerable. Sorry is not a strong enough word to explain the depths of my regret and shame. I do not think anyone can be as angry at me as I am at myself. Counter to holding the compartments of things in my life, I am now opening all the windows. I love our town and, regardless of the outcome, will dedicate my life to making it a better place to live. God bless you all.” Tamara Wallace Readers around the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond make the Tahoe Tribune's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism. Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. 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Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ scandal-plagued tenure officially ended last month when he resigned to work with right-wing activist group Teacher Freedom Alliance. But his resignation hasn’t brought an end to the controversies. On Tuesday, the state Ethics Commission announced the latest in a string of ethics probes it has launched into Walters this year. The latest stems from a local Democratic lawmaker’s complaint that alleged Walters used office resources to repeatedly promote the organization he ultimately left his post to join. Andrea Hancock, a news editor at Oklahoma-based Nondoc Media, posted a statement from the commission saying it is “actively investigating potential violations of Rule 4, Conflict of Interest, as related to former State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ departure.” The commission “is gathering materials and information within its authority to determine the relevant facts and make an appropriate and responsible determination regarding these allegations.” Walters paid more than $23,000 this year to settle previous cases with the commission that included violations of campaign finance rules and improperly using state social media for partisan activities. Walters didn’t immediately respond to MSNBC’s request for comment sent through the Teacher Freedom Alliance. That the controversial conservative is facing another ethics probe shortly after leaving office seems to bolster the assessment of Republican Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond that the former superintendent’s tenure was an “embarrassment” and “a stream of never-ending scandal and political drama.”