Category: Politics

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Hundreds of young people lined up in the cold outside a University of Michigan lecture hall Tuesday evening, creating a scene that caught the attention of veteran Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell, who observed from the back of the crowded room.

The longtime congresswoman watched as progressive Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed held a campaign event alongside Hasan Piker, a well-known but polarizing internet personality. Students filled the lecture hall, creating an energetic atmosphere with desk-banging and foot-stomping.

Dingell, known for her accurate political predictions including Trump’s Michigan victories in 2016 and 2024, was studying the evolving political environment. The turnout impressed her significantly.

“Quite frankly, I haven’t seen that many people outside an event yet this year,” Dingell remarked, emphasizing her presence wasn’t an endorsement of the candidate.

The crowd extending down the street represented more than just progressive politics. Many attendees carried backpacks from classes, while others had traveled considerable distances to attend. What united them wasn’t strict ideology but rather deep disappointment with America’s two-party system.

This dissatisfaction reflects broader anger permeating contemporary American politics, now emerging among younger voters before crucial midterm elections that will decide congressional control.

High school senior Liam Koenig, who was just eight years old when Trump first won the presidency, described how that pivotal moment influenced his generation’s political perspective.

“It’s just become increasingly more inflammatory,” Koenig explained.

Living in Oakland County, Michigan’s traditional political barometer, Koenig characterized current times as filled with ongoing conflict and worry. He said his classmates frequently feel discouraged and angry.

“I think a lot of us have lost hope in, like, tangible change,” he stated.

February polling by AP-NORC shows younger Americans hold more negative opinions of both major parties compared to older citizens.

Despite his pessimism, Koenig remained politically engaged, waiting hours to attend El-Sayed’s rally. He praised the campaign’s fresh approach, comparing it to Zohran Mamdani’s victorious New York City mayoral campaign and hoping for similar momentum in Michigan.

“You’re not going to get people out with business as usual,” Koenig observed.

Artist Karol Molina, recently relocated from New York City, said she sought candidates similar to Mamdani when she moved to Michigan. She chose to support El-Sayed, who faces U.S. Representative Haley Stevens and state Senator Mallory McMorrow in the Democratic primary.

“We want to be able to live and, like, afford life without constantly scraping by,” Molina explained.

Molina advocated for completely abandoning past political approaches.

“I think the Democratic Party is losing because they’re not really listening to what the people really want,” she said. “They’re trying to keep a party that existed before Donald Trump. And that party doesn’t exist anymore.”

University of Michigan junior Ethan Schneider characterized modern politics as “a little unserious.”

“It’s difficult to remain positive or not be jaded at a young age,” Schneider noted.

Though Schneider supported Democrat Kamala Harris two years ago, he joined many rally attendees in criticizing her and the Democratic Party.

“Hate them,” he said regarding Democrats. “They feel very complicit, in terms of all the issues going on now. If not complicit, they’re just doing nothing.”

Recent Gallup research confirms younger Americans reject both parties at significantly higher rates than older generations. Over half of Generation Z and Millennials consider themselves political independents, while most older Americans align with a party.

The polling indicates these growing independent voters are primarily driven by dissatisfaction with whoever holds power — potentially helping Democrats this election cycle without guaranteeing future support.

University of Michigan undergraduate Jacob Abbott believes the Democratic Party has shifted toward “corporate interest politics.”

Abbott dismissed concerns about El-Sayed appearing with Piker, despite the 34-year-old streamer’s controversial statements. Piker, who has 3.1 million Twitch followers and 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, previously said “Hamas is a thousand times better” than Israel, called some Orthodox Jews “inbred,” and claimed “America deserved 9/11.”

For Abbott, the controversy highlights American politics’ broader problem — few people can capture attention and address young voters’ concerns, even imperfect ones.

“So is Hasan perfect? Probably not,” Abbott acknowledged. “But he’s much better than the alternative the Democratic Party has had.”

Drawing on decades of political experience, Dingell has witnessed large crowds and packed venues before. She wanted to determine whether El-Sayed and Piker’s event represented something more lasting.

Progressive candidates have historically generated enthusiasm without achieving electoral success. El-Sayed himself placed second in Michigan’s 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary. Additionally, independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a prominent progressive leader, lost two Democratic presidential campaigns.

However, some Democrats believe this moment differs, citing recent wins by Mamdani in New York and Analilia Mejia, who won a competitive Democratic primary in a New Jersey special House election.

“There should be a progressive running everywhere that one exists,” said Pennsylvania Representative Summer Lee, who also appeared with El-Sayed.

“Every year, every race,” she continued. “We might not be victorious, but every single time we have to call the question.”

Dingell said she plans to monitor future developments.

“Is it something for the kids to do, or is it going to connect?” she wondered.

Political campaigns are spending dramatically more money on protection as threats against candidates and elected officials continue to escalate nationwide, according to new research published Thursday.

A study by the Public Service Alliance reveals that federal political committees allocated more than $40 million for security-related expenses during the 2023-24 election cycle – marking a five-fold increase compared to spending levels from ten years ago.

The nonpartisan organization, which specializes in public official safety issues, analyzed publicly available Federal Election Commission records to compile their findings. However, the research did not identify specific candidates with the highest security expenditures.

Report author Justin Sherman emphasized the troubling nature of these trends. “This is not a good place to be as a country,” Sherman stated.

The escalating security investments come following a series of violent incidents targeting political figures over recent years. These include the 2017 Alexandria, Virginia shooting during Republican congressional baseball practice, the 2022 hammer attack on Democratic then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in California, and the 2024 Pennsylvania rally assassination attempt against Republican then-candidate Donald Trump. Additional tragedies occurred last year with the killings of Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her spouse, plus conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in Utah.

Digital protection services represent one of the fastest-growing security categories. Spending on cybersecurity and online threat monitoring surged from just $50,000 during the 2015-16 campaign season to $900,000 in the most recent cycle.

Perhaps most concerning, campaigns invested nearly $1 million on residential security measures over the past decade after spending zero dollars in this category during 2015-16. These expenses cover response service contracts, window reinforcements, and surveillance equipment installation.

Sherman highlighted how home-based threats represent a disturbing new development. Critics increasingly publish elected officials’ residential addresses on social platforms – a practice called doxing – leading to attacks like those against Pelosi’s husband in San Francisco and the Minnesota lawmaker at their homes.

“It’s expected that, say, a GOTV event or a campaign rally is going to have metal detectors and security,” Sherman explained. However, targeting candidates’ and officeholders’ residences creates an unprecedented challenge.

The researcher noted that while current Congress members receive office budget allocations for security purposes, prospective candidates must now consider home protection costs when deciding whether to seek office.

“It’s a troubling time when the security spend is becoming a greater barrier for someone running for office,” Sherman concluded.

The report’s calculations focused only on explicitly labeled security expenses in FEC filings, meaning actual protection costs likely exceed the documented totals. These security expenditures remain a relatively small portion of the billions spent each election cycle, but Sherman believes the figures represent conservative estimates of true campaign security investments.

Texas state Representative James Talarico secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate last month with strong backing from white college graduates and Hispanic voters. However, his path to victory in November’s general election may depend on winning over a demographic that largely didn’t support him during the primary: Black voters.

The white Presbyterian seminary student, who has made his Christian beliefs central to his campaign, prevailed over U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett, an African American congresswoman known for her forceful attacks on former President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers.

Since no Democrat has won a statewide Texas race since 1994, Talarico must build bridges with many of Crockett’s supporters, some of whom were offended when his backers questioned whether she could defeat a Republican opponent in the fall.

Though Crockett entered the race late and lacked her rival’s campaign organization and fundraising strength, many of her supporters viewed suggestions that a white state legislator was more electable than a Black member of Congress as evidence of racial and gender bias.

“A lot of people took offense to that. Me personally included,” said state Representative Lauren Ashley Simmons, whose Houston district includes several historically Black neighborhoods. “They have to do the work to invest resources in reaching Black voters and making them feel centered and a part of this campaign.”

Primary results showed Talarico earning 1.21 million votes versus Crockett’s 1.07 million. However, in Texas’s 15 counties where at least 20% of eligible voters are Black, Crockett dominated with 57% support compared to Talarico’s 42%, according to Reuters data analysis.

Texas Democratic strategist Dallas Jones believes Talarico doesn’t require an “overwhelming surge” from Black voters, but must ensure they participate on Election Day.

“He cannot win this state without the support of Black Texans,” Jones said.

The GOP currently controls the U.S. Senate 53-47, and while Texas isn’t central to national Democratic plans for retaking the chamber, an upset victory would create additional opportunities for November gains. Even a competitive race could force Republicans to redirect crucial resources from swing states to defend what might become the nation’s most expensive Senate contest.

A spokesperson for Senate Democrats’ campaign organization said candidates aren’t assuming any voter support.

At 36 years old, Talarico built his primary campaign around broadening appeal beyond traditional Democratic constituencies. Now he must balance courting swing voters while earning Black community trust.

“We have to remember Black voters are the base of the party,” said Democratic strategist Bakari Sellers.

Talarico’s team informed Reuters they’re investing in grassroots outreach across Harris and Dallas counties, which have substantial Black populations, plus rural Black areas like Sand Branch, where they’re volunteering for clean water delivery and attending small community events.

“It’s on me to ensure Black Texans feel welcomed in, represented by, and proud of this campaign. That’s why we’re out doing the work right now to build the coalition we need to win in November: showing up everywhere to listen and to learn,” Talarico said in a statement to Reuters.

Community organizers say Talarico must address Black voter priorities including joblessness, expensive housing, and healthcare affordability over the coming months.

“When it comes to Talarico, they are talking about what is he going to do to help those Black women who lost their federal jobs regain employment?” said Brianna Brown, executive director of the Texas Organizing Project, a nonpartisan organization that endorsed Crockett. “They’re talking about good-paying jobs — we’re still at a $7.25 minimum wage in Texas.”

Pearline Harper, a 72-year-old Dallas resident who voted for Crockett, said she believes the healthcare system has “neglected elders.” She holds Republicans, who control the White House and both chambers of Congress, responsible for her increasing medical expenses.

“I just want it to go back to when doctors were taking care of patients because they were sick, not because … insurance companies tell them what they can do,” Harper said.

Talarico has been meeting with religious leaders to connect with Black Christian communities.

“We’re working to get him scheduled to come preach at our church. There’s been feedback from pastors that he’s genuine and humble,” said Pastor Richie Butler, who organized a roundtable discussion for Talarico in north Texas last month.

Butler originally backed Crockett but plans to support Talarico in November and will organize voter mobilization activities to increase Black participation.

Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who initially endorsed Crockett, threw his support behind Talarico after the nominee reached out via text message.

During their conversation, Ellis advised Talarico that victory would require engaging inconsistent Harris County voters and energizing Crockett supporters in East Texas for Election Day turnout.

“I’ve told him you’ve got to figure out a way to get her involved,” he said. “There’s a difference between someone endorsing you and being for you.”

Political analysts warn Talarico’s challenge is just starting, with either Republican emerging from the May 26 runoff — U.S. Senator John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton — favored for November. Trump hasn’t endorsed either GOP candidate.

“James Talarico is the underdog. He can’t make the assumption that he’s destined to get somewhere around 90% of the Black vote,” said Andra Gillespie, an associate professor at Emory University.

Simmons, the state representative who supported Crockett, praised Talarico’s team for early outreach to Black officials and community leaders but told his campaign, “Y’all have a lot of work to do to get support and trust and rebuild some bonds in the Black community.”

“It’s not enough for people like me that have served with him and know him to go out in our communities and say, ‘Vote blue, no matter who,’” she told Reuters. “It can’t be assumed that we’re just going to support whoever’s on the ticket.”

The captivating sight of Artemis II completing its lunar orbit and beginning the trip back to Earth has mesmerized countless observers worldwide. However, President Trump appears notably absent from those expressing excitement about the milestone achievement, leading some political analysts to question his motives.

According to critics, Trump’s restrained public reaction to the groundbreaking space mission appears to be a deliberate political strategy rather than genuine disinterest in the historic accomplishment.

President Trump’s military engagement with Iran has created unexpected fractures within his political base, with prominent MAGA movement leaders now turning their criticism toward the president himself.

The Iranian conflict has caused divisions among Trump’s typically loyal supporters, but instead of defending the administration’s foreign policy approach, several high-profile figures within the Make America Great Again movement have chosen to publicly oppose the president’s actions.

MADISON, Wisconsin — A frank evaluation of Republican setbacks in this week’s elections came directly from within the party’s own ranks.

“We got our butts kicked,” stated U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is seeking the governor’s office.

Tiffany’s comments addressed Democratic wins in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race and the mayoral contest in Waukesha, a traditionally conservative Milwaukee suburb. Republicans also expressed concern about a Georgia special congressional election, where their nominee won by a significantly narrower margin than the party has historically achieved.

These electoral shifts from Republican to Democratic control provide additional evidence of building Democratic energy as November’s midterm elections approach, with control of both chambers of Congress and numerous state governments at stake.

“In rural, urban, red, blue, Democrats have overperformed everywhere,” stated Jared Leopold, a Democratic consultant whose clients include Keisha Lance Bottoms, a candidate for Georgia governor. “That is a significant canary in the coal mine about what November of ’26 is going to look like.”

While some Republicans maintained there was no cause for alarm, noting their fundraising advantages over Democrats, others acknowledged challenges. Georgia strategist Stephen Lawson said “the sky is not falling.”

However, Lawson also acknowledged his party is trailing historical performance levels and Republicans must be “looking at these results carefully.”

Although special elections are often unreliable political indicators, Democrats have repeatedly shown unexpected strength. They captured a Texas state Senate district and secured a Florida state House seat in an area that encompasses President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.

Tuesday’s results in the race to fill Greene’s seat, who left Congress in January following disagreements with Trump, showed continued Democratic gains.

Republican candidate Clay Fuller won by 12 points. In comparison, Greene had secured victory by 29 points two years earlier, and Trump carried the same district by nearly 37 points.

“That’s a red alarm for Republicans,” stated Democratic strategist Meredith Brasher.

Fuller defeated Shawn Harris, who intends to challenge him again in November.

Jackie Harling, the district’s Republican chairwoman, attributed Greene’s departure to energizing Democrats while her party experiences “election fatigue.”

“Marjorie Taylor Greene was like a freight train that you couldn’t stop, and when she pulled out, it gave Democrats hope and it gave them a shot at winning something they believed was unwinnable,” Harling stated.

Georgia faces important races this year, including an open gubernatorial contest. Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is also defending his seat.

There are indications that brewing dissatisfaction could work against Republicans just two years after Trump channeled voter frustration in his presidential comeback campaign.

In November, Democrats ousted two Republican incumbents in statewide Public Service Commission races, which oversee utility regulation. Increasing electricity costs have become a campaign issue, particularly as massive data centers are constructed to support artificial intelligence.

Georgia Democratic Party Chair Charlie Bailey is working to keep expectations realistic.

“We could cement ourselves, put ourselves, on the slightly bluer side of purple,” he stated. “We’re not going to overnight turn into Colorado.”

Wisconsin conducts statewide supreme court elections, and liberals increased their majority with a decisive 20-point victory Tuesday.

Democrats made gains across red, blue and purple counties compared to last year’s judicial race, which was also won by the liberal candidate.

“This to me was a very clear sign of momentum and enthusiasm for Democrats in the fall,” stated Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Devin Remiker.

The state has its own open gubernatorial race this year, with Democrats hoping to gain legislative control and defeat Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden.

“It’s time for us to put this thing in overdrive,” stated Mandela Barnes, a Democratic former lieutenant governor seeking the governor’s office.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, another Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said it’s evident that “people are really upset with the Republican Party and their brand right now.”

“But that doesn’t mean that they’re automatically going to come over to the Democrats,” Crowley stated. “And that’s why we have to continue to focus on the issues and speak to the values of all the voters here in the state of Wisconsin.”

Tiffany, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin, warned against overinterpreting Tuesday’s outcomes.

He stated “every election is unique,” and wasn’t modifying his campaign strategy. He said winning requires painting “that clear contrast of how we are going to help everyday Wisconsinites.”

Democrats appeared to be gaining ground, including in Waukesha. The city sits outside Milwaukee in the Republican stronghold of Waukesha County.

Democrat Alicia Halvensleben, president of the city’s Common Council, defeated Republican Scott Allen, among the state Assembly’s most conservative members.

She noted Trump came up “a lot” during her campaigning, though she believes her victory centered on local issues and the state legislature’s failure to address them.

“There’s so much uncertainty at the national level,” Halvensleben stated. “I think that level of uncertainty is causing people a lot of anxiety, all the way down to the local level.”

NEW YORK — A parade of Democratic politicians eyeing potential 2028 presidential bids are making their pitch to Black activists this week at Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network gathering in New York.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro kicked off the four-day event by launching sharp attacks against President Donald Trump’s administration, arguing that Trump’s leadership has made “everyone is less safe” and pointing to rising levels of antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and bigotry across the country.

“There’s more chaos, there’s more cruelty in our world,” Shapiro told the audience. “Even if we disagree on health care policy or tax policy or whatever, we should at least, at a baseline, have an honorable president of the United States. We do not have that right now.”

The Pennsylvania governor, widely viewed as a leading contender for the next Democratic presidential nomination and positioned for reelection in his swing state this year, used his opening-day address to deliver harsh critiques of the Republican president. More than six potential White House hopefuls are addressing the conference to build relationships with Black community leaders, a crucial Democratic constituency.

While the next presidential primary cycle won’t gain momentum until after this November’s midterm contests, this week’s gathering is highlighting a group of Democrats already positioning themselves for what’s expected to be a competitive primary battle.

Currently, no obvious frontrunner has emerged.

“Everybody’s talking about who may run for president,” said Sharpton, who founded and leads the National Action Network. “I want to first know what their vision is now, and what they’re doing now. So I’ve invited all of the people that could run.”

Beyond Shapiro, the speaker lineup includes Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, California Representative Ro Khanna, and Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who was the Democratic Party’s 2024 nominee, is also set to address the gathering. California Governor Gavin Newsom, another potential candidate, will skip the event due to a family obligation, though his team noted he met with Sharpton earlier this year.

The significant role of Black voters in Democratic primaries is well-documented.

During the 2020 race, Buttigieg performed well in Iowa’s caucus and finished second in New Hampshire — states with predominantly white populations — before Joe Biden swept South Carolina thanks to strong African American support.

Biden’s established connections within the Black community, combined with perceptions of his general election viability, ultimately helped him overcome a strong challenge from progressive candidate Senator Bernie Sanders.

While all the 2028 hopefuls are eager to criticize Trump, there’s widespread consensus that Democrats must also articulate their own positive agenda rather than simply opposing the current administration.

The White House declined to comment on the conference.

Khanna, a Sanders supporter who also spoke Wednesday, told The Associated Press that progressive candidates in 2028 could strengthen their appeal to Black voters “by speaking to the Civil Rights tradition and offering a vision rooted in Black history.”

“A 2028 contender needs to articulate and run on a new moral vision for America,” Khanna explained. He added that any presidential candidate’s agenda “must be as much inspired by the greats of Douglass and King” — referencing abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. — while “offering a new vision for racial justice, economic justice, peace in the world, against militarism, against racism, against wealth inequality.”

Shapiro, who was among Harris’ finalists for vice president in 2024, emphasized both his electoral prospects and dedication to African American issues during his appearance.

He characterized Pennsylvania as “the ultimate swing state,” while supporting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and maintaining that law enforcement officers must be “held to account” for misconduct.

He repeatedly targeted Trump, arguing that the upcoming midterm elections should serve as “a national referendum on Donald Trump and on what is happening in Washington, D.C.”

Ashley Sharpton, Rev. Sharpton’s youngest daughter, expressed surprise at how engaged and energetic the audience was during Shapiro and Khanna’s presentations on the conference’s opening day. She said she’s anticipating speeches from Moore, Harris and Buttigieg.

“That’s why people come,” she explained. “They want to get some of that energy, that consistency, that base.”

The Department of Homeland Security is reassessing a controversial initiative to turn commercial warehouses nationwide into immigration detention facilities, following widespread community pushback and infrastructure challenges.

Secretary Markwayne Mullin has put new warehouse purchases on hold while reviewing contracts worth $1.074 billion for 11 facilities that were approved under his predecessor, Kristi Noem. The ambitious plan has encountered significant resistance from local officials and residents across multiple states.

In Arizona, federal agents purchased a massive 418,000-square-foot facility in Surprise for $70 million without informing local authorities, according to state prosecutor Kris Mayes in correspondence to former Secretary Noem. Initial plans called for housing 1,000 to 1,500 people daily with a renovation contract exceeding $313.4 million. Current proposals have been scaled back to accommodate 250 weekly arrivals with a maximum capacity of 542 beds, Mayor Kevin Sartor reported.

Florida officials discovered federal interest when a television crew observed contractors and government representatives touring a 439,945-square-foot industrial building in Orlando during January. ICE senior adviser David Venturella characterized the visit as “exploratory” when questioned by WFTV. City representatives confirmed they received no official communication about the facility through April.

Georgia has become a focal point for opposition after ICE acquired a warehouse in Social Circle for $128.6 million, intended to detain between 7,500 and 10,000 individuals. Water supply concerns prompted city officials to physically lock the facility’s water meter. Federal proposals to transport drinking water and waste by truck were criticized as impractical by Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. A second Georgia purchase in Oakwood cost $68.2 million for a 540,408-square-foot facility, with City Manager B.R. White learning of the federal acquisition only when a warehouse supervisor informed a city inspector about clearing the site for new government ownership.

Indiana warehouse owner Opus Holding LLC issued a statement denying negotiations with federal officials after Merrillville raised concerns about ICE representatives touring their 275,000-square-foot facility, citing legal restrictions on disclosure.

Maryland’s attorney general filed suit to halt work on a $102.4 million warehouse purchase in Washington County, approximately 60 miles northwest of Baltimore, despite a $113 million renovation contract. The facility has created community division, with county commissioners voting to support ICE operations during a heated public meeting.

Michigan officials in Romulus filed litigation after DHS spent $34.7 million on a 250,000-square-foot warehouse, arguing the location sits in a flood zone with inadequate sewage capacity for 500 detainees. The lawsuit also criticized federal officials for bypassing available state prison facilities and failing to consult local authorities.

Minnesota warehouse owners in Woodbury and Shakopee suburbs withdrew from potential ICE agreements following public opposition, according to local officials.

Mississippi plans were abandoned after Republican Senator Roger Wicker announced that Noem agreed to seek alternative locations following opposition from Byhalia elected officials and zoning authorities.

Missouri developers Platform Ventures canceled the sale of a Kansas City warehouse after sustained public pressure.

New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, successfully opposed a proposed $158 million conversion of a Merrimack warehouse into a 500-bed processing center. Tensions escalated when an ICE official testified that DHS “has worked with Gov. Ayotte” and provided economic impact analysis, though Ayotte stated the document arrived hours after the testimony. The analysis contained errors referencing “ripple effects to the Oklahoma economy” and mentioned state sales and income taxes that don’t exist in New Hampshire.

New Jersey faced dual lawsuits after DHS purchased a 470,044-square-foot Roxbury warehouse for $129.3 million, with state and township officials alleging they were kept uninformed. “State and local officials might not have a veto over DHS’s decisions, but this utter lack of communication and consultation flies in the face of federal law,” the lawsuit stated. ICE acknowledged an error regarding a Chester warehouse announcement, with Assemblyman Brian Maher confirming the facility was no longer under consideration.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt announced in January that property owners informed him they ended discussions with DHS about potential warehouse acquisition or leasing.

Pennsylvania acquisitions include warehouses in Tremont Township for $119.5 million and Upper Bern Township for $87.4 million. Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro pledged to fight the federal plans, with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection temporarily blocking water and sewage services to both facilities.

Tennessee officials successfully opposed plans after ICE mistakenly announced completing a Lebanon warehouse purchase. Sheriff Robert Bryan warned that a facility housing 14,000 to 16,000 detainees would “significantly impact local law enforcement resources.” Mayor Rick Bell, identifying as a conservative Republican supporting border security, stated his town “is not the place” for such a facility. Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn later confirmed the deal was terminated.

Texas has seen mixed results, with ICE spending $122.8 million on three Socorro warehouses totaling 826,780 square feet and $66.1 million on a 639,595-square-foot San Antonio facility. Both mayors oppose the projects, with Socorro officials questioning water availability and San Antonio receiving no federal communication through April. However, community resistance killed a Dallas suburb deal when Hutchins-area property company Majestic Realty Co. confirmed contact about their buildings but refused to sell or lease to DHS for detention purposes, providing no explanation.

Utah officials were blindsided by a $145.4 million purchase of an 833,280-square-foot Salt Lake City warehouse, with no notification to Democratic city leaders or Republican state officials. Mayor Erin Mendenhall revealed that ICE later disclosed plans to house 7,500 to 10,000 people. The city responded by restricting water usage to a fraction of detention facility requirements. This purchase occurred two months after another Salt Lake City warehouse owner withdrew from federal negotiations amid protests.

Virginia saw Jim Pattison Developments cancel a planned Richmond suburb warehouse sale in January following boycott threats, stating they were unaware of the intended detention use until after agreeing to the transaction.

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Car horns echoed and demonstrators chanted “Stop ICE!” outside a Washington County meeting where officials discussed routine matters including waste management budgets.

The protests have become a regular occurrence since the Department of Homeland Security acquired a massive 825,000-square-foot warehouse in Washington County as part of a nationwide initiative to convert commercial buildings into immigrant detention centers.

“This is a facility built for packages, not people,” said Patrick Dattilio, who leads Hagerstown Rapid Response, an organization opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as he demonstrated outside the county commission session.

Federal authorities have encountered strong resistance in communities where they spent $1.074 billion purchasing 11 warehouses under a program now being evaluated by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Washington County stands out as the most cooperative location — where local leaders expressed backing for ICE despite public outcry with whistles and shouting. The processing center was planned to be among the first operational facilities in a project initiated under Mullin’s predecessor, Kristi Noem.

However, DHS plans for the Washington County property are currently suspended — caught up in legal proceedings similar to other warehouse conversion projects nationwide. Uncertainty remains about whether Mullin will proceed with the facilities initiative or pursue alternative strategies as he implements President Donald Trump’s large-scale deportation program.

The massive blue-and-white warehouse in Washington County has generated significant controversy partly due to how commissioners expressed their ICE support.

While consistently stating their limited options since the federal government had already purchased the property, commissioners also passed a resolution during their February 10 session declaring their “unwavering support” for DHS and ICE.

The resolution, which didn’t directly reference the warehouse acquisition, prompted such intense booing and shouting that the commission president emptied the chamber.

The county also had its own interests. Officials sent the resolution to Noem the following day along with an email outlining hundreds of millions of dollars in sewer, airport and highway improvements they claimed were necessary, according to public records obtained by local resident Ethan Wechtaluk, who is seeking Congress in the district containing the warehouse.

ICE, backed by substantial congressional funding, has signed a $113 million contract to modify the building for 500 to 1,500 detainees, but a judge temporarily stopped construction after Maryland’s attorney general filed suit. A court hearing is set for April 15.

County commissioners ignored email and phone requests for comment. County administrator Michelle Gordon issued a statement saying commissioners were refusing all interview requests.

Numerous county residents — in an area Civil War enthusiasts visit to see the Antietam battlefield before traveling to nearby Gettysburg — are angry both due to ethical concerns about the facility and because they learned about the purchase after the fact.

“We have had no voice in this,” said Carroll Sager amid the noise of protesters and honking vehicles. Behind her, the sheriff’s department had blocked off part of the county building with crime scene tape to keep protesters away. Two deputies monitored the crowd.

Inside the meeting, Sager sat silently, displaying a sign reading: “Disenfranchised in Washington County.”

Resistance in other locations has included a New Jersey legal challenge alleging an “utter lack of communication” and a Michigan lawsuit questioning why DHS didn’t consider using vacant state prisons. Authorities in Salt Lake City and Pennsylvania have threatened to restrict or cut off water service. In Georgia, the town of Social Circle placed a lock on the water meter at a DHS-purchased warehouse.

Additionally, concerns have emerged about DHS payment amounts for some warehouses. The agency paid twice the tax-assessed value for the New Jersey warehouse and nearly five times the assessed value of the Social Circle warehouse.

During his confirmation hearing, Mullin faced questions about whether he would continue Noem’s warehouse-to-detention policy. Without making specific commitments, Mullin said the department wanted to “be good partners” with communities.

Shortly after taking office, DHS suspended new warehouse purchases intended for immigrant housing. The agency is reviewing all contracts executed under Noem.

Federal officials also stated in a recent Maryland lawsuit filing that “ICE is reconsidering the plans and scope of the warehouse.”

When asked about potential changes for the Maryland facility, DHS responded in a statement: “As with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals.”

The strategy involved converting the Maryland warehouse into an ICE processing center that would temporarily house recently detained immigrants before transferring them to other facilities for extended detention.

ICE representatives have indicated the Washington County warehouse would address detention space requirements for the Baltimore ICE office. State legislators have raised concerns about the George H. Fallon Federal Building housing ICE detainees in downtown Baltimore, partly because bacteria causing Legionnaires’ disease was discovered in the water system.

Activists and residents living near the Washington County warehouse continue monitoring developments.

For almost thirty years, Nica Sutch has owned a home in western Maryland’s rolling hills, where she raised children and hosted grandchildren.

When the warehouse was constructed several years ago to meet distribution center demand driven by online shopping growth, she convinced herself it could benefit the region economically.

Now that ICE has acquired the building, she’s considering relocating.

“I love the area,” she said during a backyard interview. “I love everything. This has been my home for 28 years.”

Former President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that American military forces will continue their deployment in and around Iran until the country meets the terms of what he called a “real agreement.”

In a Wednesday post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated: “All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry, and anything else that is appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already substantially degraded Enemy, will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with.”

The former president’s announcement came without additional details about the specific agreement he referenced or the current status of military deployments in the region.

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court in Washington D.C. on Wednesday declined to prevent the Pentagon from placing artificial intelligence company Anthropic on a blacklist, creating conflicting legal decisions on the same matter.

The D.C. Court of Appeals turned down Anthropic’s emergency request to halt Pentagon restrictions against the San Francisco-based AI firm while the court continues gathering evidence in the ongoing case. The company had sought protection from penalties related to a disagreement over military use of its Claude chatbot technology for autonomous weapons and potential domestic surveillance.

However, this legal defeat follows a victory for Anthropic in a separate San Francisco federal court case addressing identical issues. In that proceeding, a judge compelled President Donald Trump’s administration to eliminate a designation marking the company as a national security threat.

Last month, Anthropic initiated both lawsuits in San Francisco and Washington, claiming the Trump administration was conducting an “unlawful campaign of retaliation” due to the company’s efforts to restrict how its AI systems could be used militarily. The administration characterized Anthropic as a liberal organization attempting to control U.S. defense policy.

In the San Francisco proceeding, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin determined the Trump administration exceeded its authority by categorizing Anthropic as a supply chain threat unable to collaborate with defense contractors and implementing other measures that could damage a company competing for AI dominance against competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google.

Following that ruling, the Trump administration eliminated the negative classifications from Anthropic and took additional actions allowing government workers and contractors to continue utilizing Claude and other AI chatbots, based on court documents filed in San Francisco this week.

The Washington appeals court reached a different conclusion, despite acknowledging the company would “likely suffer some degree of irreparable harm” from being labeled a supply chain risk. The appeals court found insufficient justification to issue its own directive reversing the administration’s actions, partially because “the precise amount of Anthropic’s financial harm is not fully clear.”

Additional evidence in the case will be presented during a hearing scheduled for May 19 before the appeals court.

“We’re grateful the court recognized these issues need to be resolved quickly and remain confident the courts will ultimately agree that these supply chain designations were unlawful,” Anthropic said in a statement.

Matt Schruers, CEO of the Computer & Communications Industry Association technology trade group, voiced concerns that the contradictory court rulings in the dispute between Anthropic and the Trump administration will create confusion in the business environment during a crucial period.

“The Pentagon’s actions and the DC Circuit’s ruling create substantial business uncertainty at a time when U.S. companies are competing with global counterparts to lead in AI,” Schruers said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Wednesday that federal authorities have secured their first conviction under the Take It Down Act, legislation supported by First Lady Melania Trump that targets the creation and distribution of non-consensual explicit imagery created with artificial intelligence.

“This is a huge achievement for the first lady [Melania Trump], and I know the President is very proud of his wife’s efforts in getting this critical legislation passed to protect America’s youth. So, we thank the first lady for her efforts,” Leavitt said.

James Strahler II, a 37-year-old Ohio resident, entered guilty pleas Tuesday to charges including cyberstalking, creating obscene child sexual abuse material, and distributing digital forgeries—the legal terminology for deepfake content, according to a Justice Department announcement released Tuesday. Federal investigators say Strahler employed artificial intelligence technology to produce non-consensual imagery targeting both adults and children.

Law enforcement officials report that Strahler’s arrest occurred in June 2025, and their investigation uncovered thousands of digitally manipulated images where children’s faces were superimposed onto adult or other children’s bodies for sexual exploitation purposes.

The White House press secretary characterized this prosecution as a landmark moment for the new federal legislation, which makes it a federal crime to distribute non-consensual sexual content, including artificially generated material and violent threats.

First Lady Melania Trump acknowledged the conviction through a social media post on X, stating: “Today marks the first conviction under the Take It Down Act–protecting victims from non-consensual AI-generated sexually explicit images, cyberstalking, and threats of violence.”

“Thank you US Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for protecting Americans from cybercrimes in this new digital age,” she added.

The First Lady personally visited Capitol Hill last year to lobby for the legislation, which specifically addresses revenge pornography and artificially generated child sexual abuse content. The measure received overwhelming bipartisan support, passing the House of Representatives with a 409-2 margin and receiving unanimous approval in the Senate.

According to Leavitt, this conviction marks an important milestone in combating online exploitation and safeguarding victims amid what she characterized as an increasingly dangerous digital landscape.

NEW YORK (AP) — Dozens of freshly opened accounts on prediction platform Polymarket earned massive profits by wagering on a U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal just hours before President Trump made his announcement, raising fresh concerns about potential insider information being used for financial gain.

The wagering activity occurred despite Trump’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric throughout Tuesday, including a social media warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran opened the Strait of Hormuz by his 8 p.m. Eastern deadline. Few public indicators suggested a peaceful resolution was approaching.

Blockchain data analysis using crypto platform Dune reveals that no fewer than 50 accounts placed substantial “Yes” wagers on Tuesday before Trump revealed the ceasefire agreement via Truth Social around 6:30 p.m. Eastern. Each of these accounts was making their inaugural bets on the platform.

One account established Tuesday morning around 10 a.m. Eastern invested approximately $72,000 in bets at an average cost of 8.8 cents per share. Betting shares range from $0 to $1, representing users’ assessment of outcome probability from 0% to 100%. This trader ultimately collected $200,000 in winnings.

A separate account that joined April 6th and focused exclusively on this event recorded gains of $125,500.

Another wallet, established just 12 minutes prior to Trump’s announcement, invested $31,908 in “Yes” positions at 33.7 cents per share, ultimately earning an estimated $48,500 profit. The elevated share price at that time may have reflected Pakistan’s late-day diplomatic efforts to secure a two-week extension of Trump’s deadline.

Some observers suggest these Polymarket participants may have anticipated Trump would retreat from his threats, following a pattern during his second presidency where bold ultimatums are followed by reversals — a trend critics have labeled “Trump Always Chickens Out,” or TACO.

While certain traders collected substantial winnings, others remain in limbo as Polymarket has designated the April 7 Iran-U.S. ceasefire contract as “disputed.” The designation stems from continued Iranian restrictions on Strait of Hormuz shipping and ongoing regional missile strikes. Resolution of the dispute may require up to 48 hours.

Public blockchain records cannot reveal the identity of wallet owners. Polymarket employs proxy smart contract wallets, allowing individual users to operate multiple accounts. Only Polymarket possesses internal data necessary to distinguish between new users and existing users opening additional wallets.

Polymarket declined to provide comment when contacted.

This pattern of newly established Polymarket accounts making strategic, precisely-timed wagers echoes previous incidents on the platform. Fresh accounts placed significant bets hours ahead of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s January capture, earning hundreds of thousands in profits. Similar account clusters have consistently profited from well-timed wagers on Iranian military actions.

These betting patterns have sparked ongoing questions from both the public and Congressional members regarding whether certain traders exploit insider information for prediction market profits. Bipartisan groups of senators and representatives have proposed legislation expanding insider trading definitions to encompass prediction markets.

Both leading industry platforms, Kalshi and Polymarket, have acknowledged the need for broader insider trading definitions on their services.

“This is why these markets need regulation,” stated Todd Philips, a Georgia State University professor who has researched prediction markets and industry regulations. “We can’t have people trading with inside information and expect other traders are going to be OK being in these markets.”

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Legal representatives for two Minnesota school systems and the state’s primary educators union appeared in federal court Wednesday, requesting a judge halt Trump administration policy modifications that expanded immigration officials’ authority to conduct operations at and around educational facilities.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security eliminated decades-old national guidelines that restricted immigration enforcement activities at designated “sensitive locations” including educational institutions, bus stops, religious facilities, and medical centers, which had previously made these areas largely protected except under extraordinary conditions.

The Fridley and Duluth school systems, along with Education Minnesota union, filed legal action to challenge this policy shift in February, coinciding with the Department of Homeland Security’s deployment of approximately 3,000 federal agents to the state for Operation Metro Surge. Two citizens were fatally shot by federal agents during the enforcement operation in Minneapolis during January.

The legal petitioners requested the court Wednesday to issue either a temporary stay or preliminary injunction to reinstate the former protective measures.

Legal counsel Amanda Cialkowski, representing the districts and union, informed media following the hearing that the potential scope of a favorable decision remained uncertain regarding its application beyond Minnesota’s borders or to other protected sites such as religious institutions and medical facilities.

“We’ll just have to wait and see what the judge does,” she said.

Educators nationwide have documented how Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts have affected their professional duties and student welfare. Court documents from an active lawsuit filed by national teachers organizations in Oregon federal court include accounts from teachers describing raid rumors that frightened students away, immigrant families who completely withdrew their children from school, and incidents of arrests occurring at bus stops involving parents and students.

Congressional Democrats’ insistence that federal agencies avoid enforcement activities around educational institutions, religious centers, and hospitals represents one of several unresolved disagreements in the ongoing legislative battle over Homeland Security funding.

Wednesday’s legal arguments before U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino centered primarily on complex procedural questions regarding whether the school districts and union possessed proper legal standing to file suit, could demonstrate direct injury from the policy modification, and whether the new directives constituted the type of final administrative action subject to judicial review.

Department of Justice lawyer Jessica Lundberg argued that “swapping out” the current policy guidance for previous guidelines, as requested by plaintiffs, would not produce substantial practical changes. She noted that even under former regulations, enforcement activities near educational facilities remained possible.

Provinzino indicated she would deliver her decision “as quickly as I can … but also making sure I get it right.”

Both superintendents from the Fridley district in suburban Minneapolis and the Duluth district in northern Minnesota attended the courtroom proceedings.

Fridley Superintendent Brenda Lewis testified that the policy change “deeply impacted” student attendance as families felt unsafe sending children to school. She explained her schools needed to transition to remote learning for numerous students, creating additional resource demands.

Lewis also reported her district has lost 72 students since December, damaging funding tied to enrollment numbers and meal service. Some transferred to districts they perceived as safer, while others departed the country or are currently in detention facilities, she stated.

Although Operation Metro Surge officially concluded, meaning Fridley has not observed ICE officers on campus grounds for eight weeks, Lewis emphasized the consequences will persist for years.

Duluth Superintendent John Magas noted his district — located roughly 150 miles north of Minneapolis — lies well beyond the Twin Cities metropolitan region but began experiencing policy change effects long before the surge operation.

School systems throughout the Twin Cities region experienced dramatic absenteeism increases during the enforcement crackdown. St. Paul recorded over 9,000 absent students in mid-January, representing more than 25% of the district, based on attendance records obtained by The Associated Press.

Minneapolis Public Schools had over 8,000 students remain home on January’s final school day, approaching 30% of enrollment. Fridley witnessed attendance decline by nearly one-third, according to legal filings.

MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin mayor who physically hauled away an absentee ballot drop box prior to the 2024 election will not face criminal prosecution, a special prosecutor declared Wednesday.

Doug Diny, mayor of Wausau, was photographed sporting a hard hat and work gloves while personally removing the ballot collection container from in front of City Hall during September 2024. While city staff had not yet opened the box for use, absentee ballots had already been distributed to voters, city elections clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde reported.

The incident sparked heated debate about whether Wisconsin communities in this crucial swing state should permit absentee ballot collection boxes. Diny brought the container back one week afterward when Bernarde questioned the action’s impact on election security. The mayor maintained his innocence, explaining the container was not anchored to the ground and vulnerable to theft, prompting his decision to store it safely inside City Hall.

Wausau’s ethics board ruled in October 2024 that Diny had breached the city’s ethics standards. A Wisconsin Justice Department review concluded there were insufficient grounds for criminal charges.

While Wausau’s mayoral office is technically nonpartisan, Diny ran on a platform opposing absentee drop boxes and received Republican support during his campaign.

Eric Toney, the Fond du Lac County District Attorney who is a Republican challenging Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul in the November 2026 race, conducted an additional investigation as special prosecutor. On Wednesday, Toney announced he could not establish any criminal charges beyond reasonable doubt. He explained that while Wisconsin statutes forbid breaking into ballot boxes and interfering with ballots inside them, the container Diny relocated stayed sealed and held no votes.

Toney further stated the drop box did not qualify as a ballot box under legal definitions because it was designed to collect various city materials, including both ballots and payments. He referenced the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s position that ballot boxes function within polling locations rather than for absentee ballot collection.

Diny has not responded to requests for comment regarding Toney’s findings.

President Donald Trump is demanding unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz for oil tankers and commercial vessels, with no fees or other barriers, according to White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Leavitt outlined the administration’s position on the strategically important waterway. “The immediate priority of the president is the reopening of the strait without any limitations, whether in the form of tolls or otherwise,” Leavitt said.

The White House noted increased vessel movement through the strait on Wednesday, though Leavitt refused to specify which entity currently oversees the waterway when questioned by reporters.

The narrow passage serves as a critical global shipping route, handling approximately 20% of worldwide seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas transportation, making it one of the planet’s most important maritime corridors.

As ceasefire negotiations continue involving the United States and Israel, Iran has been working to establish formal authority over the strait by proposing vessel fees for ships using the passage. Trump suggested Wednesday that both the U.S. and Iran might jointly collect such fees through a collaborative arrangement.

WASHINGTON – The White House announced Wednesday that President Donald Trump will send a diplomatic delegation to Pakistan for Iran negotiations, with Vice President JD Vance heading the mission.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the initial discussions are scheduled for this Saturday in Pakistan.

The negotiating delegation will include U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff along with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, according to Leavitt’s briefing with reporters.

During the press conference, Leavitt emphasized that Vance has maintained an important and central position regarding Iran policy from the administration’s start. She also revealed that high-level discussions have occurred between senior U.S. officials and Chinese leadership.

NEW YORK (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will debut a new government podcast next week designed to promote what he calls unprecedented openness in federal health policy, according to a preview video exclusively shared with The Associated Press.

“The Secretary Kennedy Podcast” will showcase discussions between Kennedy and medical professionals, researchers, and department personnel, officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to the AP before the official announcement. The preview footage shows Kennedy in a professionally designed HHS studio with dramatic background music, positioning the program as a vehicle to reveal corruption and deception affecting American health outcomes.

“We’re going to name the names of the forces that obstruct the paths to public health,” Kennedy states in the minute-and-a-half promotional clip.

This new messaging initiative from HHS emerges during a challenging period for the department, which has encountered significant obstacles including widespread pushback against modified vaccination policies, a federal court decision last month halting several policy changes, and opposition from influential Republican senators preventing President Donald Trump’s surgeon general nominee from assuming office. The podcast launch could represent part of a comprehensive image makeover as the agency shifts focus from vaccination programs toward less controversial initiatives around nutrition policy in preparation for November’s midterm elections.

However, the program, which has been under development since the early days of the second Trump presidency, also showcases Kennedy returning to a medium where he has demonstrated comfort. Prior to his government role, the former anti-vaccine advocate and lawyer operated his own podcast and participated in numerous extended interviews on various platforms, including appearances as recent as this week.

Tyler Burger, who serves as HHS digital communications manager and will produce the new podcast, noted that while Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary operates a podcast, department officials believe Kennedy’s program will mark the first hosted by an active cabinet member.

“We’re kind of bringing podcasting into the government as an official form and arm of our messaging,” Burger explained. He mentioned the studio setup utilized mostly existing department resources and can accommodate up to four participants in group discussions.

“This is part of our larger strategy to bring the Make America Healthy Again message to as wide an audience as we can,” stated Liam Nahill, HHS digital director.

Since modern podcasts typically include both audio and video components, they are frequently edited into clips and distributed across social media networks, providing them with “massive” audience reach, according to Melina Much, a postdoctoral researcher at NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics.

Much explained that podcasts generally create a more personal, discussion-based, and welcoming atmosphere compared to standard interviews, enabling government officials to promote their initiatives while encountering less challenging questioning.

Although Kennedy’s promotional material emphasizes revealing deception, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon indicated the program will address cost concerns and other issues that polling data shows resonate with American voters before the midterm elections.

“Americans are united on the need to urgently address chronic disease, improve nutrition, strengthen food quality, and lower health costs,” he stated. “The Secretary Kennedy Podcast will cover all those issues.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s highest court issued an order Wednesday directing a county sheriff to temporarily halt his investigation into alleged voting irregularities after he confiscated more than 500,000 election ballots.

The judicial intervention follows a request made last month by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, who asked the state’s top court to intervene. A voting rights organization has also filed a legal challenge against the ballot confiscation.

The controversy began in February and intensified last month when Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco confiscated 1,000 boxes containing election materials. The seizure was part of his investigation into allegations made by a local citizen organization questioning the ballot tally from a November 2025 special election concerning redistricting. County election administrators informed the Board of Supervisors last month that the citizen group’s allegations lacked merit. Despite Bonta’s directive to stop the investigation, Bianco proceeded to confiscate an additional 426 boxes of ballots just last week.

According to Bonta, Wednesday’s court ruling is crucial for stopping the sheriff’s investigation.

“What the Sheriff says and what he does are often two different things,” Bonta stated. “Today’s decision by the California Supreme Court reins in the destabilizing actions of a rogue Sheriff, prohibiting him from continuing this investigation while our litigation continues.”

Bianco’s office has not yet provided a response to requests for comment.

The sheriff, who is among two leading Republican contenders for governor in the state, has previously justified his investigation by pointing out that a county judge authorized it. Last week, Bianco announced he would suspend the investigation due to increasing legal opposition.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced that Pam Bondi, the recently dismissed Attorney General, will skip her planned testimony before House investigators examining the government’s mishandling of Jeffrey Epstein case materials.

House Oversight Committee spokesperson Jessica Collins revealed Wednesday that Justice Department officials indicated Bondi would not attend her April 14 scheduled appearance “since she is no longer attorney general and was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general.” Committee staff will now reach out to Bondi’s private attorneys to arrange future testimony dates, Collins explained.

The former Attorney General has come under fire for the Justice Department’s problematic handling of what lawmakers call the Epstein files. Last month, the Republican-controlled committee issued a bipartisan subpoena for Bondi’s testimony. The department’s publication of millions of documents related to Epstein, the deceased financier who sexually exploited minors, included numerous mistakes and missed congressional deadlines.

Following President Trump’s April 2 announcement of Bondi’s dismissal, she posted on social media that she would spend the coming month “working tirelessly to transition the office.” However, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has assumed the top position on an interim basis and is now handling the department’s chief responsibilities. As of Wednesday, the Justice Department’s official website continued showing Bondi as attorney general.

Republican lawmakers who previously joined Democrats in subpoenaing Bondi are now demanding her appearance before the committee.

Representative Nancy Mace, who originally proposed the motion requiring Bondi’s testimony, posted on social media Wednesday that “Bondi cannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office of Attorney General.”

The South Carolina Republican emphasized that the motion targeted her “by name, not by title” and stated “we expect her to appear as soon as a new date is set.”

Committee ranking Democrat Representative Robert Garcia of California also vowed to pursue enforcement of the subpoena and warned of potential contempt of Congress charges if Bondi fails to testify.

Garcia stated, “Now that Pam Bondi has been fired, she’s trying to get out of her legal obligation to testify before the Oversight Committee about the Epstein files and the White House cover-up.”

Committee Chairman Republican Representative James Comer of Kentucky has previously enforced subpoenas against Bill and Hillary Clinton this year, making the former president and former secretary of state among the most senior ex-government officials ever compelled to testify before Congress.

WASHINGTON — Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on Wednesday justified his agency’s elimination of a key climate regulation, encouraging a room full of climate change doubters that they should “celebrate vindication.”

Speaking as the featured presenter at an event organized by the Heartland Institute, a right-leaning research organization that disputes widely accepted climate science and opposes what it terms “climate alarmism,” Zeldin argued that eliminating the 2009 “endangerment finding” corrected years of blind acceptance of liberal political figures and environmental advocates regarding climate change threats.

“Today is a day to celebrate. It is a day to celebrate vindication,” Zeldin stated. The former New York Republican congressman is reportedly being considered for potential advancement to attorney general following Pam Bondi’s recent forced exit.

Earlier this year, the EPA eliminated the endangerment finding, a scientific determination that had provided the primary legal foundation for controlling planet-warming pollution from power facilities, automobiles and other emission sources for 16 years. The Trump administration contended the finding damaged business and economic interests, alleging that previous Obama and Biden administrations manipulated scientific data to conclude that greenhouse gases pose public health dangers.

Zeldin’s high-profile participation at an event sponsored by an organization that questions established climate science demonstrates the dramatic policy shift President Donald Trump’s administration has implemented regarding traditional environmental protections. The EPA has eliminated numerous air and water safeguards and has declared it lacks legal power to address climate change.

“You were right there on the front lines against there being an endangerment finding in 2009,” Zeldin addressed the Heartland audience.

Environmental advocates condemned Zeldin’s participation at the conservative organization’s gathering, charging him with “rallying climate deniers” during a period when climate change is increasing threats from severe weather events, including more powerful hurricanes, deadlier flooding and more devastating wildfires.

Joe Bonfiglio, an Environmental Defense Fund executive, said Zeldin’s address “promotes disinformation” and represents carrying out the agenda of Heartland’s undisclosed financial backers.

“The Heartland Institute is not a serious scientific organization. It’s a disinformation factory,” Bonfiglio stated. “Having the EPA administrator serve as their opening act isn’t just embarrassing — it’s a signal of how completely the Trump administration has abandoned its obligation to protect the public from pollution.”

An EPA representative dismissed the criticism, stating “the era of EPA as a vehicle for radical ideology is over.”

Agency spokesman Carolyn Holran said Zeldin addresses a “wide variety of ideologically different groups and individuals to promote the agenda of the Trump EPA.”

She wrote in an email that Zeldin has redirected the agency’s mission to fulfill its legal responsibilities for protecting human health and the environment, “backed by gold standard science, not doomsday models designed to scare the public into compliance.”

Heartland Institute President James Taylor praised Zeldin’s address and declared Zeldin “the greatest EPA administrator ever.”

The 2009 endangerment finding concluded that carbon dioxide and additional greenhouse gases pose risks to public health and welfare. The Obama administration’s determination provided the legal foundation for virtually all climate regulations under the Clean Air Act covering automobiles, power facilities and other pollution sources contributing to planetary warming.

The elimination removes all greenhouse gas emission requirements for automobiles and trucks and may trigger broader dismantling of climate regulations affecting stationary pollution sources including power plants and oil and gas operations, according to experts. Nearly two dozen states have filed legal challenges alongside public health and environmental organizations.

Vice President JD Vance delivered sharp criticism Wednesday against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling his recent statements about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban “scandalous” during a diplomatic visit to Budapest.

The vice president’s condemnation came as he supported Budapest’s claims that Ukraine is attempting to manipulate Hungary’s upcoming election through energy supply disruptions.

Vance made his remarks while visiting Budapest to strengthen ties with the nationalist Orban, who is confronting his most significant political challenge in 16 years of leadership. The April 12 election is being watched closely as a test of Donald Trump’s MAGA movement’s influence across Europe.

The controversy centers on Hungary’s deteriorating relationship with Ukraine, which has become a major issue in the election campaign. Hungarian officials claim Ukraine intentionally halted Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline to interfere with their democratic process.

Ukraine maintains the pipeline suffered damage from a Russian drone strike in late January and repair work is proceeding as quickly as possible.

The dispute escalated when Hungary blocked a massive 90-billion-euro ($105 billion) European Union loan package for Ukraine. This prompted Zelenskyy to suggest he could provide the address of the responsible party to Ukrainian military forces, who could “speak with him in their own language.”

During his address at a Hungarian university, Vance revealed that Orban had briefed him on Zelenskyy’s threatening language.

“It’s completely scandalous,” Vance declared. “You should never have a foreign head of government… threatening the head of government of an allied nation.”

The vice president then criticized media outlets for applying inconsistent standards when covering foreign election interference, comparing the current situation to the 2016 U.S. presidential race.

“You saw this back in 2016 where a lot of the American media said that it was a true scandal that the Russian government bought like $500,000 of Facebook advertisements… That’s foreign influence,” he stated.

“But what’s not foreign influence is when the European Union threatens billions of dollars withheld from Hungary because you guys protect your borders… What’s not foreign influence is when the Ukrainians shut down pipelines, causing suffering among the Hungarian people in an effort to influence an election.”

Hungary has been locked in ongoing conflicts with the European Union over multiple issues, including judicial independence and immigration policies.

Vance had previously condemned what he characterized as EU interference in Hungary’s election during a Tuesday press conference. A European Commission spokesperson responded Wednesday that Brussels would use diplomatic channels “to convey our concerns to our U.S. counterparts” regarding those statements.

The Ukrainian presidency had not provided a response to requests for comment by Wednesday.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that any nation providing military weapons to Iran will immediately face 50% tariffs without exceptions, making the announcement via social media.

The tariff threat came just one day after Trump reached an agreement with Tehran for a two-week ceasefire arrangement.

Trump’s social media announcement did not specify which countries might be affected by the proposed trade penalties or provide additional details about implementation.

NATO’s top official is scheduled to sit down with President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon in an effort to ease tensions following the president’s threats to withdraw America from the military alliance over Iran conflict disputes.

Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s visit comes after Trump floated the possibility of the United States exiting the trans-Atlantic partnership when fellow NATO nations declined his request for assistance in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping corridor that Iran had effectively blocked, causing fuel costs to spike.

The private White House meeting between Trump and Rutte, who previously enjoyed a positive working relationship, takes place just after the U.S. and Iran reached a temporary two-week truce late Tuesday that includes provisions for reopening the strategic waterway. This fragile agreement emerged following Trump’s stark warning that he would target Iran’s infrastructure, declaring that “a whole civilization will die tonight.”

Details surrounding the strait’s reopening remain uncertain and are anticipated to dominate Wednesday’s discussion. While the White House indicated the session would occur behind closed doors, such arrangements can shift unexpectedly in the current administration, potentially allowing press access.

Legislative action from 2023 requires congressional authorization before any president can withdraw the United States from NATO. Trump has consistently criticized the alliance throughout his political career and previously claimed during his initial presidency that he possessed unilateral authority to exit the organization, which formed in 1949 as a response to Soviet threats during the Cold War era.

The alliance’s foundation rests on a collective defense principle where an assault against one member constitutes an attack on all 32 nations. This provision has been invoked only once – in 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks on American soil.

Nevertheless, Trump has expressed frustration during the current Iran confrontation that NATO has demonstrated unwillingness to support the United States when needed.

Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell released a statement Tuesday evening defending the alliance, emphasizing that “Following the September 11th attacks, NATO allies sent their young servicemembers to fight and die alongside America’s own in Afghanistan and Iraq.” McConnell, who serves on a defense spending oversight committee, encouraged Trump to remain “clear and consistent” and argued against spending more energy “nursing grudges with allies who share our interests than deterring adversaries who threaten us.”

Should Rutte fail to address Trump’s concerns during their discussion, uncertainty remains whether the administration would contest the congressional restriction on NATO withdrawal. The legislation received strong support from Marco Rubio, who now serves as Trump’s secretary of state but was a Florida senator when the measure passed.

NATO has faced significant strain over the past year as Trump resumed office, scaled back American military aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, and made threats regarding Denmark’s control of Greenland.

Trump’s criticism of NATO escalated following the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, with the president maintaining that protecting the Strait of Hormuz fell outside America’s responsibilities and instead belonged to nations relying on oil shipments through the passage.

“Go to the strait and just take it,” Trump declared last week.

Additional friction arose when NATO members Spain and France either prohibited or limited American use of their airspace and joint military installations during the Iran conflict. These countries, along with other nations, have committed to participating in an international effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities conclude.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has particularly frustrated Trump, planned to visit the Gulf region Wednesday to support ceasefire efforts. The United Kingdom has been developing post-conflict security arrangements for the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, through which approximately 20 percent of global oil supplies flow.

Trump has repeatedly threatened NATO withdrawal and frequently stated he would abandon allies failing to meet military spending commitments. Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg revealed in his recent autobiography that he worried Trump might abandon the alliance in 2018 during his first presidential term.

President Donald Trump has turned to religious language and biblical references to shore up support for the Iran conflict among his evangelical base, as polling shows most Americans oppose the military action, according to political and religious analysts.

The president declared a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday amid declining public backing for the war, which has led to rising fuel costs, military casualties on both sides, and damaged Trump’s approval ratings with voters.

Trump has increasingly incorporated faith-based messaging into his war rhetoric, describing the recovery of a downed American pilot in Iran as an “Easter miracle” and implying divine approval for joint U.S.-Israeli military operations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken this approach even further, referencing biblical passages to defend the use of “overwhelming violence” against adversaries he claims “deserve no mercy.”

Conservative Christian pastors across the country have echoed this messaging, from high-profile Trump allies like Texas pastor Robert Jeffress to local clergy in small communities. Many emphasize the religious importance of Israel in their sermons, which numerous evangelicals connect to biblical prophecies about Christ’s return.

Jackson Lahmeyer, a Tulsa, Oklahoma evangelical pastor seeking a congressional seat and Trump backer, explained his approach during an interview. He has addressed his congregation on Sundays about warfare as fundamentally a conflict between righteousness and wickedness, with Iran representing the latter.

“Evil people exist, and if you don’t deal with them, they’ll deal with you,” Lahmeyer stated. “Good and evil, that’s the story of the Bible. The good news is that at the end good always wins.”

White evangelical voters represent Trump’s most loyal constituency, with over 80% supporting him in 2024 elections based on exit polling data. Surveys indicate this demographic comprises roughly one-third of his overall support network.

Political analysts say this electoral math explains why Trump and his administration are increasingly adopting religious language when discussing the conflict.

“Look at Mr. Trump’s standing in the polls and recognize he only has a little more than a third of the public on his side. A big part of that constituency is made up of white evangelical Christians,” explained Jim Guth, a Furman University political science professor who researches religion’s role in American politics.

The White House declined to comment on Trump’s use of Christian messaging, but spokesperson Taylor Rogers issued a statement saying the president had acted decisively “to eliminate the threat of this terrorist regime, which will protect the American people for generations to come.”

While American presidents have historically referenced Christian faith during wartime, scholars interviewed say the Trump administration’s explicit religious justification for violence represents something unprecedented.

“It’s the same language as the crusades of the Middle Ages. You know, we must stop the infidel, we must defeat the wicked,” said John Fea, a Messiah University history professor who has authored books about evangelicals in politics. “We’ve never seen anything like this in American history.”

The religious messaging has faced pushback from Democratic politicians and progressive Christian voices, who view it as inappropriate use of faith to support an unpopular five-week conflict that has claimed 13 American military lives and thousands of Iranian casualties.

During Palm Sunday services at St. Peter’s Square before tens of thousands of Catholics worldwide, Pope Leo condemned the fighting as “atrocious” and declared that Jesus’ name should never be used to promote warfare.

Doug Pagitt, a progressive evangelical minister, believes the administration is employing “a very specific Christian narrative” to maintain evangelical loyalty and preserve Trump’s political coalition.

“What they are saying is Trump is on God’s side. You can rest easy at night,” Pagitt observed. “Because without the Christian coalition, the MAGA support base gets very fractured.”

A recent Reuters/Ipsos survey found 60% of Americans disapprove of military strikes against Iran, revealing sharp partisan divisions with 74% of Republicans supporting the war compared to just 22% of Democrats.

Prominent evangelist Franklin Graham has endorsed the Iranian strikes using biblical language and compared Trump to Queen Esther from scripture, a Jewish ruler who the Bible says God positioned to rescue her people from destruction in ancient Persia, the region now known as Iran.

Ken Peters, who leads the Patriot Church in Tennessee, shared this message with his congregation last Sunday, expressing hopes the war would create “a pro-Israel, pro-America Iran” — remarks that generated applause from attendees, according to video footage the pro-Trump minister provided.

“We see Trump as a man of the world that God is using to help us,” Peters said in an interview, adding his support for casting the conflict in religious terms.

Hegseth has been particularly vocal in using faith-based language about the war. Last Sunday, he compared the rescued American airman’s return to Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter.

“A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for, a nation rejoicing,” Hegseth declared. “God is good.”

Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson defended the approach, noting that wartime leaders have long invoked Christianity, citing former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s distribution of Bibles to World War Two soldiers.

“Secretary Hegseth, along with millions of Americans, is a proud Christian. Encouraging the American people to pray for our troops is not controversial,” Wilson stated.

Religious leaders close to Trump used similar language during a White House Easter gathering last week. Televangelist Paula White-Cain, a senior adviser to the White House Faith Office, drew parallels between Trump and Jesus, saying both were “betrayed and arrested and falsely accused.”

Jeffress, the First Baptist Church pastor from Texas who participated in laying hands on Trump during the meeting, told reporters he doesn’t view the Iran war as targeting Islam or Muslims, but rather “a spiritual war between good and evil, between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.”

A federal lawsuit has been filed against President Donald Trump by historians and government transparency advocates seeking to enforce compliance with presidential records preservation requirements.

The American Historical Association joined forces with American Oversight to challenge the administration in Washington federal court on Monday, following the Justice Department’s recent declaration that the Presidential Records Act violates constitutional principles.

The organizations are requesting the court to affirm the legitimacy of the nearly five-decade-old records law and prevent federal agencies from following the Justice Department’s legal opinion that labeled the statute unconstitutional.

Court documents also seek a judicial order that would mandate Trump’s adherence to the records law once his presidency concludes.

According to the filing, “This case is about the preservation of records that document our nation’s history, and whether the American people are able to access and learn from that history.”

The White House responded with a statement saying: “President Trump is committed to preserving records from his historic Administration and he will maintain a rigorous records retention program.”

Chioma Chukwu, who leads American Oversight, criticized the Justice Department for “pushing a sweeping view of presidential power that would hand control of those records to the White House — a position the Supreme Court has already rejected.”

The 1978 Presidential Records Act establishes guidelines for managing and safeguarding presidential documents, including procedures for record disposal. These materials are transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration when each presidency ends.

On April 1, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel issued a memorandum stating the law interferes with executive branch “independence and autonomy,” concluding that presidents may ignore it as constitutionally invalid.

T. Elliot Gaiser, the Trump-appointed director of the legal counsel office, authored the memo arguing the records law “exceeds any preservation power because Congress cannot preserve presidential records merely for the sake of posterity.”

The plaintiffs contend this memorandum conflicts with a 1977 Supreme Court ruling that validated an earlier presidential records preservation statute, asserting the executive branch lacks power to override that judicial decision.

The legal filing notes that no presidential administration from either major political party, including Trump’s first term, had challenged the records law’s constitutional validity since its passage.

The case has been assigned number 1:26-cv-01169 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Legal representation for the plaintiffs includes Daniel Jacobson from Jacobson Lawyers Group and Loree Stark from American Oversight, while defense counsel has not yet been announced.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — During a campaign rally in California’s capital city on Tuesday, Congressman Eric Swalwell outlined harsh measures he would take against federal immigration enforcement agents if voters elect him as the state’s next governor.

The Democratic lawmaker told supporters he would bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from obtaining state employment and revoke their driving privileges if they refuse to remove face coverings while working. “They think they’re invincible. They’re not,” Swalwell declared to the enthusiastic audience, though he did not detail how such policies would be implemented or survive expected court battles.

The Sacramento gathering launched a statewide tour of campaign events as mail-in voting approaches for the June 2 primary election. With numerous candidates competing for position, Democrats worry about potentially being excluded from the November runoff, since California’s system advances the top two vote-getters regardless of political party.

Swalwell emphasized his congressional experience confronting former President Donald Trump, highlighting his role as an impeachment manager during Trump’s second trial. The congressman has called for completely dismantling ICE and cutting off the agency’s funding, positions he adopted after facing criticism from Democratic opponents who questioned his commitment to immigration reform.

Presenting himself as a champion of workers and progressive values, Swalwell proposed closing state budget shortfalls through new business taxes while expanding healthcare coverage to include low-income residents and undocumented immigrants. He also endorsed allowing government workers to continue remote employment arrangements.

“I will root for the success of anyone who invests and does business in California, if they work with me to lift the wages of hard-working Californians and expand the benefits,” he stated.

This gubernatorial contest represents the first time California’s “top two” primary system will operate without a clear frontrunner since voters approved the format over ten years ago. Political observers consider Swalwell among the leading Democratic contenders, along with wealthy businessman Tom Steyer and former Representative Katie Porter. On the Republican side, ex-Fox News personality Steve Hilton recently secured Trump’s backing, while Sheriff Chad Bianco represents another major GOP candidate.

Fellow Democrats have recently targeted Swalwell with accusations of missing congressional votes and questions about his California residency. The congressman dismissed these attacks Tuesday, saying he would not let them derail his campaign focus.

Originally from Iowa, Swalwell won his House seat in 2012 representing districts east of San Francisco and briefly sought the presidency in 2019. Current Governor Gavin Newsom, who cannot seek reelection due to term limits, has not announced support for any successor candidate.

Former President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that America secured a “total and complete victory” following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran, according to AFP reports.

During a short phone conversation with AFP, Trump expressed confidence in the outcome when questioned about whether he considered the ceasefire a victory for the United States.

“Total and complete victory. 100 percent. No question about it,” Trump stated during the brief interview.

The comments came after news broke of the ceasefire arrangement between the two nations, though details of the agreement have not been fully disclosed.

Federal investigators alerted local police departments nationwide about heightened security concerns regarding Iran’s government targeting American interests, contradicting the White House’s public stance that minimized such risks, according to an intelligence document obtained by Reuters.

The March 20 intelligence bulletin, distributed by the FBI and federal security agencies, stated that Iran’s leadership “poses a persistent threat” to American military personnel, government facilities, Jewish and Israeli organizations, and Iranian opposition figures living in the United States. However, investigators noted they had not detected widespread dangers to ordinary citizens.

When reporters questioned President Donald Trump on March 11 about potential Iranian strikes within America’s borders, he responded, “No, I’m not” worried about such attacks.

The former president intensified his confrontational language this week, declaring Tuesday that “a whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran complied with his ultimatum, though he subsequently postponed the threatened military action for two weeks.

The intelligence assessment, labeled “Public Safety Awareness Report,” emerged following earlier reports that the administration had prevented similar security briefings from reaching the public. Officials at that time claimed they were reviewing materials for accuracy before distribution.

“The entire Trump administration is working together to protect the homeland and the American people – as they always do,” stated White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. “Media outlets should not attempt to irresponsibly sow fear by reporting on individual law enforcement memorandums that may lack broader context.”

Neither the FBI nor the National Counterterrorism Center provided immediate responses to media inquiries. Ali Karimi Magham, representing Iran’s United Nations mission, refused to offer comments.

Public opinion polling reveals most Americans want swift conclusion to military involvement, with two-thirds supporting rapid disengagement according to recent Reuters/Ipsos surveys, making threat assessments particularly significant for policy decisions.

The transparency organization Property of the People secured the FBI document through freedom of information requests and provided it to Reuters.

The assessment emphasized “the potential for elevated physical threats” against American targets from Iranian operatives following recent conflict developments.

“Violent extremists with a variety of ideological backgrounds, including those who oppose the U.S. or Israel, also may see this conflict as a justification for violence,” investigators wrote.

According to the report, Iranian intelligence services have previously attempted kidnapping and assassination operations against Americans. While firearms represent the most common attack method on American soil, other documented tactics included “stabbings, vehicle rammings, bombings, poisoning, strangling, suffocation, and arson.”

Tehran typically recruits individuals already possessing legal American residency or entry privileges for such operations, the document revealed. Iranian authorities have previously monitored social media platforms, live video streams, and mapping software to identify targets and evaluate security vulnerabilities, while also employing cyber attacks including fraudulent email schemes.

The Iranian government “also has attempted to lure victims to other countries geographically closer to Iran, almost certainly for kidnapping and eventual executions,” the assessment warned.

The bulletin advised law enforcement personnel to maintain heightened awareness for suspicious activities and coordinate with federal investigators when concerns arise.

INDIANOLA, Iowa — Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin engaged in a candid discussion with supporters of President Donald Trump during a Tuesday visit to Iowa, where she was campaigning for Democratic House candidates.

The senator, who is being mentioned as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, questioned five Iowa residents about political division in America and local concerns in their communities. Slotkin also inquired about their ideal candidate qualities and their reasons for choosing Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris in the recent election.

“What would have gotten you to actually consider a Democrat?” Slotkin asked as the discussion winded down.

She hadn’t told them yet she was one.

These conversations represent part of Slotkin’s broader effort to understand how Democrats might regain support in regions like Iowa, which supported President Barack Obama twice before backing Trump in the past three presidential contests.

“Frankly, sometimes the national party forgets about the middle of the country,” she told reporters, expressing her desire to be “a part of a new generation of Democrats” and push the party to be better.

“I think what works in the middle of the country can work on the coasts, but not the other way around. And I think we saw that in the last election.”

The Iowa visits also allowed the former CIA analyst to build name recognition beyond Michigan, as many voters — including those at Tuesday’s lunch — were unfamiliar with her background and positions.

After winning her Senate seat in 2024 following six years in the House, Slotkin was among six congressional Democrats with military or intelligence experience who created a video urging service members to refuse “illegal orders.” Trump labeled the lawmakers as seditious and threatened severe consequences, while the Justice Department opened an investigation into the video.

Slotkin explained Tuesday that they produced the video “for moments exactly like this,” speaking shortly before Trump temporarily suspended his threats against Iran’s “whole civilization.”

Her Iowa schedule also included a fundraising event and a county party gathering. She participated in a healthcare-focused town hall with state Senator Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democrat challenging U.S. Representative Zach Nunn in a highly competitive House race.

Slotkin delivered similar messages to both the Trump supporters and the Democratic audiences in Des Moines.

The senator expressed concern that political discourse has become so polarized that certain subjects are off-limits even in family conversations. She told both groups about hearing widespread frustration across party lines regarding healthcare costs and quality.

However, speaking alongside Trone Garriott, Slotkin articulated her own policy positions more clearly, advocating for a public health insurance option available to all ages. She offered guidance on persuading Republican neighbors to vote Democratic, arguing that Republican officials don’t support universal healthcare access.

“That is just the fundamental disagreement that we have between frankly Democrats and Republicans right now,” she said.

Iowa’s significance for Democratic presidential hopefuls has diminished since the party restructured its early primary calendar, removing Iowa from its traditional first-in-the-nation status. The state party eliminated its distinctive caucus system in 2024.

Iowa Democrats are now lobbying to reclaim an early primary position for 2028, competing with Michigan and other states for the first Midwest slot. The Democratic National Committee won’t determine the new order for several months.

“I’m not announcing anything,” Slotkin told reporters Tuesday, joking about the “cage match” between Iowa and Michigan for early primary placement.

Ed Klavins, a Trump supporter who attended the focus group, recognized Slotkin’s political aspirations.

“She’s trying to figure out what she can do differently to have a better chance of getting reelected and maybe higher office,” said Klavins, an Urbandale retiree who didn’t know Slotkin would be the featured guest and received $200 plus lunch for participating.

Klavins seeks politicians from both parties willing to challenge conventional thinking. He told Slotkin he wants candidates who avoid pandering to perceived voter preferences. He supports Trump’s approach to national security priorities, including border enforcement and addressing Iranian threats.

Despite their political differences, Klavins appreciated Slotkin’s willingness to listen, saying it “makes her a little more genuine in my eyes. I like her.”

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s warning that he would obliterate Iran unless the nation met his conditions has triggered widespread condemnation internationally and created anxiety among some Republican supporters, while White House officials maintain the harsh language represents a strategic bargaining approach to pressure Tehran into submission.

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump posted on social media early Tuesday morning, before his 8 p.m. Eastern Time ultimatum for Iran to reach an agreement with the United States.

At 6:32 p.m. Eastern Time, the president announced he had reached a two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran.

However, Trump’s warning had already generated severe criticism worldwide. Congressional Democrats labeled the president “completely unhinged,” while Iran’s United Nations representative described Trump’s threat as “deeply irresponsible” and “profoundly alarming.” Pope Leo declared that threats targeting Iran’s population are “unacceptable.”

Several Republicans, including former Representative and previous Trump supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene, publicly voiced their concerns, although many others supported his strategy.

“It’s about time we had a President willing to defend Americans,” the Senate Republican Conference posted on social media.

Two White House officials, speaking anonymously about internal discussions, indicated that Trump’s inflammatory language was viewed primarily as a negotiation strategy rather than a genuine plan to destroy Iran or deploy nuclear weapons.

“He’s creating leverage through unpredictability,” one official explained. “He wants Tehran to blink.”

The official revealed that multiple White House staff members helped develop Tuesday morning’s social media message, though the civilization-ending language originated from Trump personally.

Trump has insisted that Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping corridor that Iran blocked following U.S.-Israeli military actions, and cease supporting militant groups across the Middle East. Without Iranian cooperation, Trump has threatened that American forces would target Iran’s infrastructure including bridges and power facilities.

A second White House official acknowledged some internal concern regarding the high-pressure deadline. Both officials indicated the president might actually follow through on threats against Iranian bridges and power plants, which international law experts and world leaders have criticized as potentially illegal attacks on primarily civilian infrastructure.

“As President Trump has said, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and the Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly stated. “Greater destruction can be avoided if the regime understands the seriousness of this moment and makes a deal with the United States.”

In his Tuesday evening announcement, Trump specified that the ceasefire agreement depends on Iran’s commitment to suspend its oil and gas supply blockade through the strait.

Senate Democratic leadership issued a Tuesday statement calling it “unconscionable” for the president to threaten Iranian civilization’s end, arguing such threats “makes Americans less safe, further destabilizes our nation and economy, and puts at greater risk U.S. service members.”

Trump originally characterized the conflict as a “short-term excursion” designed to quickly address American concerns, emphasizing preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons as a primary objective. Recently, he has alternated between claiming the war is “ahead of schedule” and “we won” while simultaneously promising he will continue until Iran faces “decisive defeat.”

His rhetoric has become progressively more hostile, reflecting what aides described as his intention to conclude the unpopular conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz during a period of increasing fuel costs, economic uncertainty, and questions about Republican congressional control in November elections.

Another White House insider reported “substantial support” within the administration for the president’s messaging approach.

“Staffers are definitely cheering him on,” the source said.

Trump’s civilization threat has generated resistance from within his own party.

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a regular Trump critic despite her Republican affiliation, posted on social media that Trump and Iran “must de-escalate their unprecedented saber-rattling before it is too late.”

Some prominent media figures influential with the president’s supporters, including conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, have criticized Trump’s rhetoric.

Carlson on Monday described the president’s Iran statements, including a profanity-laden Easter threat, as “vile” on “every level.”

Greene, a Georgia Republican who previously ranked among Trump’s strongest advocates, suggested potentially using the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment permits the vice president and cabinet members to attempt declaring a president incapable of fulfilling official duties.

This constitutional provision has never been implemented and would require congressional majorities, an improbable outcome with Republicans controlling both chambers.

“Not a single bomb has dropped on America. We cannot kill an entire civilization,” Greene posted on social media, adding, “This is evil and madness.”

A federal court in Louisiana has temporarily declined to halt the nationwide mail distribution of mifepristone, an abortion medication, dealing a short-term blow to state officials attempting to prevent these pills from reaching areas where abortion procedures are prohibited.

U.S. District Judge David Joseph, based in Lafayette, Louisiana, rejected a request from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill on Tuesday to suspend Food and Drug Administration policies permitting mail delivery of the medication while legal challenges to the 2023 regulations proceed through the court system.

The judge agreed to temporarily suspend proceedings in the case, though he cautioned that this delay would not continue indefinitely and indicated he might rule in Louisiana’s favor at a later date.

In a public statement, Murrill announced plans to appeal the federal regulations to a higher court, emphasizing that the judge “concluded that Louisiana suffers irreparable harm every day” under current policies.

Judge Joseph, appointed by former President Donald Trump, indicated in his written decision that he would monitor an ongoing FDA evaluation of the medication. He directed the agency to provide updates on their investigation’s progress within six months.

“Should the agency fail to complete its review and make any necessary revisions” to current policies “within a reasonable time frame, the Court’s analysis – and the weight accorded to these factors – will inevitably change,” Joseph stated in his ruling.

The judge also noted his belief that the challengers are “likely to succeed on the merits” of their case.

Murrill argues that mail-delivered prescriptions weaken Louisiana’s abortion prohibition, as the state is among 13 that have banned the procedure throughout pregnancy. Similar legal challenges have been filed by Republican officials in other jurisdictions.

Abortion rights organizations emphasized that Tuesday’s decision is not final.

“From the courts to the Trump administration to state legislatures across the country, mifepristone and abortion access are very much still under attack,” stated Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Mifepristone, typically used alongside misoprostol, has become central to abortion access litigation following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which enabled states to prohibit abortion procedures.

In 2024, the Supreme Court declined to block mail delivery of mifepristone prescriptions. That particular case differed because anti-abortion physicians brought it, and the court determined they lacked proper legal standing to challenge the regulations.

As conservative states have implemented abortion bans or restrictions, liberal states have enacted protections for access. Eight states now have legislation shielding healthcare providers who prescribe abortion medications through telehealth services and mail them to states with prohibitions.

Research indicates that by late 2024, approximately 25% of abortions were obtained through telehealth services—representing a five-fold increase over two years. Additional research showed that in 2025, women in states with abortion bans were more likely to obtain procedures through telehealth pill delivery than by traveling to other states.

Murrill is pursuing criminal charges against two physicians—one in California and one in New York—accused of mailing pills to Louisiana patients. Neither state has agreed to extradite the doctors to face these charges.

The lawsuit also includes a Louisiana woman who claims her boyfriend forced her to take mifepristone obtained from a California physician.

Coercion arguments, especially regarding abusive partners controlling reproductive decisions, became a significant element of the plaintiffs’ legal strategy. They contend that eliminating in-person requirements for abortion medication will increase intimate partner violence. However, some domestic violence advocates countered that telehealth services can provide crucial support for abuse survivors.

Anti-abortion organizations criticized the Trump administration last year when it authorized an additional generic version of mifepristone.

A Hawaii judge previously ruled that the FDA illegally imposed restrictions on mifepristone, which is also prescribed for miscarriage treatment.

WASHINGTON — The commander-in-chief who once pursued a Nobel Peace Prize and celebrated diplomatic breakthroughs has escalated to threatening total destruction as he grapples with finding an end to his chosen conflict with Iran.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump delivered his most extreme warning yet in the Iranian standoff, declaring “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” should Iran refuse to negotiate a deal that includes reopening the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

The GOP leader’s remarks drew immediate backlash from Democratic lawmakers, former MAGA allies who have distanced themselves from Trump, and the current American pontiff. Several Republican colleagues characterized his statements as negotiation strategy.

These latest comments build on recent days of escalating rhetoric where he promised to blast Iran “into oblivion” and “back to the Stone Ages!!!” He has vowed to target bridges and civilian electrical facilities, actions that military law specialists warn could qualify as war crimes. On Easter Sunday, he posted on social media: “Open the F——-in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell.”

Trump’s escalating promises of massive and apparently random devastation mark a dramatic shift from his January message to Iranian citizens that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY” following violent suppression of demonstrations. These statements directly contradict the diplomatic persona he cultivated over the past year while pursuing Nobel recognition.

Most critically, his words raise concerns about whether the president is contemplating actions that might constitute war crimes, considering nuclear options, or simply engaging in empty posturing.

“The Iranian regime has until 8PM Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States. Only the President knows where things stand and what he will do,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated.

Addressing the backlash to Trump’s remarks, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly responded: “As President Trump has said, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and the Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing. The President will always stand with innocent civilians while annihilating the terrorists responsible for threatening our country and the entire world with a nuclear weapon. Greater destruction can be avoided if the regime understands the seriousness of this moment and makes a deal with the United States.”

The president’s remarkable ultimatum comes as tensions with Iran have reached a breaking point. Iran has dismissed the latest American ceasefire offer, while the Middle Eastern nation’s leader announced that 14 million citizens, including himself, have enlisted to fight. International voices are calling for de-escalation as diplomatic sources confirm ongoing negotiations.

Military law authorities note that Trump’s promises to destroy bridges and power facilities could constitute war crimes, depending on whether these installations serve legitimate military purposes, if attacks would be proportionate to Iranian actions, and whether civilian harm would be minimized.

While Trump has pushed back previous deadlines during the 5½-week conflict, he maintains Tuesday evening’s ultimatum is non-negotiable. Monday saw him justify his crude language as emphasis, while dismissing concerns about potential war crimes as unfounded.

Indiana Republican Senator Todd Young, a Marine veteran, believes Trump is “clearly trying to accomplish” ending “this whole effort” as “the best way to preserve lives and property and reduce suffering.”

“The president clearly, to me, wants to increase the amount of leverage he has immediately so that we can bring this conflict to a close and avoid further bloodshed or suffering from the Iranians, from the Americans or from any other people.”

Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson, typically a strong Trump supporter, expressed hope Monday that the president’s infrastructure threats were mere posturing.

“I am hoping and praying that President Trump is, this really is bluster. I do not want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure. I do not want to see that,” Johnson said during a podcast appearance. “We are not at war with the Iranian people. We are trying to liberate them.”

House Democratic leadership issued a joint statement condemning Trump’s “statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilization” as something that “shocks the conscience.” Senate Democrats called it “a betrayal of the values this nation was founded on, and a moral failure.”

Pope Leo XIV declared that any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law and labeled the president’s remarks “truly unacceptable.”

Former Georgia GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, previously a devoted MAGA supporter turned critic, proposed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove a president deemed unfit by the vice president and Cabinet majority.

“Not a single bomb has dropped on America. We cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness,” she posted on X.

Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who frequently opposes the president, called Trump’s newest threat “an affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold and promote around the world for nearly 250 years.”

Penn State University political science professor Roseanne McManus, whose work examines international security and how nations communicate intentions during conflicts, noted that presidential force threats traditionally included restraint and nuance.

However, Trump has abandoned these conventions since his initial presidency, she explained. This was most evident when he warned North Korea in 2017 of “fire and fury like the world has never seen” for continued U.S. threats, sparking nuclear escalation fears. He later claimed he and Kim Jong Un “fell in love,” ending most hostile rhetoric.

Since his White House return last year, his threats and actions have grown more inflammatory.

Last summer, he partnered with Israel in bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities before a self-imposed deadline expired. Earlier this year, he executed a bold operation capturing Venezuela’s dictator Nicolás Maduro for U.S. prosecution.

He has also proposed military action to seize Greenland and expressed confidence he’ll soon have “the honor of taking Cuba,” though these threats remain unfulfilled.

McManus noted that Trump views his unpredictability as advantageous, apparently embracing the “Madman Theory” associated with former President Nixon, designed to discourage enemies by convincing them of his willingness to take extreme measures.

His recent year of actions, combined with increasingly dramatic Iranian threats, suggest “he’s been leaning into the strategy to a greater extent in his second term.”

“I think the fact that Trump is willing to shatter these norms with his rhetoric could suggest that he is not restrained by the same sorts of things that would restrain a normal leader,” she concluded.

NEW ORLEANS — A young woman married to an active-duty U.S. Army staff sergeant walked free Tuesday after spending almost a week in federal immigration custody, following her arrest at a Louisiana military installation.

Annie Ramos, 22, who was born in Honduras but has lived in America since she was a toddler, had been held at an immigration detention center. Her detention sparked criticism of the current administration’s deportation policies, with opponents arguing such actions hurt military morale during wartime.

Both the Department of Homeland Security and Ramos’ mother-in-law, Jen Rickling, verified her release to news outlets. The New York Times was first to report the development.

Immigration officers arrested Ramos while she was trying to complete registration procedures at her husband’s military base to access spousal benefits and begin the process of obtaining permanent residency. She wed Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank this past March. Federal officials said a 2005 immigration court order called for her removal after her family missed a required court appearance.

Both Ramos and her spouse maintain they have been working to secure her legal immigration status, including submitting a DACA application in 2020 that has remained in limbo due to ongoing legal challenges to the program.

“All I have ever wanted is to live with dignity in the country I have called home since I was a baby,” Ramos said in a statement following her release. “I want to finish my degree, continue my education, and serve my community — just as my husband serves our country with honor.”

Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly’s office confirmed the senator contacted DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin about Ramos’ situation. Staff Sgt. Blank has relatives in Arizona.

“I’m happy Annie is back with her husband and family where she belongs,” Kelly stated. “They never should have gone through this painful process, but far too many families like theirs are because of this administration.”

DHS officials told reporters that Ramos was freed under electronic monitoring conditions as her deportation case moves forward through the courts.

“She will receive full due process,” the department stated.

The current administration has eliminated previous policies that provided immigration enforcement protections for military families and veterans’ relatives, despite the military’s use of family protection promises as a recruitment tool.

Ramos indicated she intends to resume her biochemistry studies while focusing on her new marriage.

“As Matthew continues preparing for his long career in the military, my focus now is on securing my status, continuing my studies, and building our life together,” she explained. “We want to create a home, a future, and a family. This experience has been incredibly difficult, but it has also reminded me of the power of faith, love, and community. I am hopeful for what comes next.”

Federal prosecutors informed a Maryland judge on Tuesday that immigration officials remain committed to sending Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia, even though Costa Rica has reached a new arrangement to take in deportees who cannot return to their native countries.

The immigration case involving the Salvadoran citizen has drawn significant attention after authorities incorrectly sent him back to El Salvador in the previous year. Following his return to the United States, Abrego Garcia has been challenging a second removal attempt to various African nations that Department of Homeland Security officials have proposed.

Maryland U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis had previously prohibited Immigration and Customs Enforcement from removing or holding Abrego Garcia in detention. In February, she criticized the agency for lacking a realistic removal strategy, describing “one empty threat after another to remove him to countries in Africa with no real chance of success.”

While Abrego Garcia has maintained he should be sent to Costa Rica if deportation proceeds, given that country’s previous acceptance, Todd Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stated in a March memorandum that sending him there would be “prejudicial to the United States.” Lyons argued that Liberia remains the appropriate destination because federal officials have invested significant resources and diplomatic efforts in negotiations with the West African country to accept individuals from third countries.

During Tuesday’s court proceedings before Judge Xinis, Ernesto Molina, who leads the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, suggested Abrego Garcia could “remove himself” to Costa Rica.

Judge Xinis noted that federal prosecutors are simultaneously pursuing human smuggling charges against him in Tennessee, calling it a “fantasy” to suggest self-removal while criminal proceedings remain active. The judge established deadlines for legal briefs on the issue and scheduled the next hearing for April 28.

The 30-year-old Abrego Garcia, who has an American spouse and child, has resided in Maryland for several years after entering the United States without authorization as a minor. In 2019, an immigration court determined he could not be returned to El Salvador due to gang threats against his family there. However, he was erroneously deported to that country last year anyway.

Under public scrutiny and judicial pressure, the Trump administration retrieved him in June, but only after obtaining a Tennessee indictment on human smuggling allegations. Abrego Garcia has entered a not guilty plea and requested dismissal of those charges.

A federal court has temporarily halted Louisiana’s legal effort to restrict nationwide access to the abortion medication mifepristone while President Donald Trump’s administration examines the drug’s safety protocols.

U.S. District Judge David Joseph, presiding in Lafayette, Louisiana, ruled Tuesday that the GOP-controlled state’s opposition to a 2023 federal regulation permitting mail delivery of mifepristone should be suspended until the Food and Drug Administration determines whether to withdraw the policy.

Judge Joseph rejected Louisiana’s request for an immediate injunction against the 2023 regulation but indicated the state may resubmit their request once proceedings continue.

“At this juncture, it is the completion of FDA’s promised good faith, evidence-based, and expeditious review [and] not ‘government by lawsuit’ that this Court finds to be in the public interest,” Joseph wrote.

The FDA initiated an examination of mifepristone last year, a medication initially authorized in 2000 that now accounts for 60% of pregnancy terminations in America. Reports suggest this review has been postponed until after November’s midterm elections.

Following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision eliminating constitutional abortion protections, approximately half of all states have prohibited or significantly limited the procedure. This shift has increased demand for medication-based abortion methods, sparking numerous court battles over drug accessibility.

The medication abortion process involves two drugs – mifepristone followed by misoprostol – administered to end pregnancies within the first 10 weeks. The 2023 FDA regulation removed the previous mandate requiring in-person dispensing of these medications.

Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office filed suit against the FDA in October, alleging the agency overlooked safety concerns when expanding mifepristone access. Five additional Republican-controlled states are pursuing more comprehensive legal challenges regarding mifepristone regulations, including the drug’s original 2000 approval.

The FDA requested the case suspension pending their review and has additionally contended that Louisiana lacks proper legal grounds to file the lawsuit.

Both Louisiana and Texas have initiated legal action or criminal charges against healthcare providers from other states who prescribe mifepristone to their residents, challenging protective “shield laws” in states like New York and California that safeguard providers from external investigations and prosecutions.

Pharmaceutical companies GenBioPro and Danco Laboratories have joined Louisiana’s case to support the FDA regulation. These companies stated in legal documents that no scientific data justifies overturning the FDA’s 2023 decision eliminating in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone.

Danco Laboratories produces only the brand-name mifepristone product Mifeprex, while GenBioPro generates most of its income from the generic alternative, according to their court submissions.

CHIMNEY ROCK, N.C. — During his inaugural official visit as Homeland Security Secretary, Markwayne Mullin traveled to North Carolina communities still recovering from Hurricane Helene’s 2024 destruction, announcing his commitment to fast-track disaster relief efforts following concerns about federal emergency response under his predecessor Kristi Noem.

Beyond emergency management discussions, Mullin addressed immigration enforcement—a key Trump administration priority under his department’s oversight. He indicated potential plans to suspend customs operations at airports in cities where local governments oppose the administration’s immigration agenda, reflecting his predecessor’s aggressive stance.

During last month’s confirmation proceedings, Mullin attempted to present a more moderate position on immigration enforcement following public criticism of high-profile raids and incidents involving federal officers that resulted in two American deaths. He also indicated plans to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency after widespread disapproval of Noem’s approach.

During Tuesday’s roundtable meeting, Mullin explained FEMA’s current focus on addressing accumulated disaster response work and eliminating the backlog that developed under previous leadership before the Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1.

“Disasters are happening constantly,” Mullin stated, noting he would update President Donald Trump on Tuesday regarding 22 outstanding major disaster declaration requests from states and tribal nations nationwide. “We’re trying to push this stuff forward as fast as possible.”

Mullin revealed he “may have identified” a potential permanent FEMA administrator candidate, though the agency currently operates under its third temporary leader since Trump assumed office, but refused to reveal their identity.

When questioned about Trump’s previous threats to eliminate FEMA entirely, Mullin responded that “reforming FEMA would be a better term.”

The secretary’s visit occurred days after he reversed Noem’s policy requiring his personal authorization for all DHS spending exceeding $100,000—a requirement that critics argued created bottlenecks in FEMA reimbursements and hindered disaster response efforts.

Though Mullin has begun addressing disaster response improvements, he hasn’t outlined specific immigration enforcement plans, though alignment with presidential priorities seems likely. This became evident in his remarks about potentially removing Customs and Border Protection personnel from airports in designated “sanctuary cities.”

“If they’re not enforcing immigration laws, then why would I be processing immigration in their city?” Mullin questioned, describing the concept as under review and something he might discuss with Trump.

Mullin provided no additional specifics. However, removing CBP officers from airports could significantly impact international travel and commerce, as these officers process all incoming travelers and oversee billions in trade flowing through airports and land crossings.

The Trump administration has previously threatened funding cuts to Democratic municipalities and states deemed uncooperative with immigration enforcement efforts.

North Carolina experienced particularly severe impacts from FEMA’s recent operational challenges, with approximately $1.6 billion in public assistance funds allocated and roughly 2,000 projects remaining in various FEMA approval phases, according to correspondence from North Carolina Governor Josh Stein to Mullin following his confirmation.

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis harshly criticized Noem for reimbursement delays affecting his state just before her dismissal, declaring during a Senate hearing that she had “failed” regarding FEMA management.

During the roundtable discussion, Mullin shared that Trump specifically requested North Carolina as his first destination and expressed his desire that “North Carolina to love him.”

North Carolina holds particular political importance this year. With Tillis retiring from his Senate seat, Democrats see a potential opportunity. The competitive race between Democrat Roy Cooper, the state’s former governor, and Michael Whatley, former Republican National Committee chairman, will likely attract substantial campaign investment.

Hurricane Helene, spanning 350 miles in width, devastated multiple southeastern states during September 2024.

The storm killed 108 North Carolina residents and caused $60 billion in property damage. It obliterated residences, commercial buildings, and power infrastructure. Isolated communities required helicopter evacuations after flooding destroyed roads and bridges.

Hurricane destruction remains evident today, with vehicles and home debris scattered along riverbanks, damaged bridge remnants, and massive piles of trees and branches swept downstream during the flooding.

Representative Chuck Edwards, a Republican representing affected regions who lost his own business in the storm, expressed Tuesday his frustration with FEMA’s “bureaucracy” and the challenges communities faced securing payments.

“Still plenty of bureaucracy there,” Edwards commented, while praising Mullin’s elimination of the $100,000 approval requirement.

FEMA’s North Carolina operations began tensely as affected residents grew suspicious, partly due to then-candidate Trump’s false claims about the Biden administration and FEMA’s response in the swing state.

Edwards found himself correcting FEMA-related misinformation after the hurricane, releasing a public statement clarifying that FEMA wasn’t redirecting donations to border operations or confiscating property, among other false allegations.

Following an armed individual’s arrest in Lake Lure for threatening FEMA personnel, the agency temporarily halted door-to-door home assessments in affected regions.

Governor Stein, a Democrat, expressed support for Mullin’s visit. “It is encouraging that Secretary Mullin is getting down to business,” he stated to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Monday brought FEMA approval of $26 million for purchasing damaged and destroyed North Carolina properties, with the agency noting that Mullin urged them to “redouble its efforts” supporting survivors.

Mullin’s statements contrasted sharply with predecessor Noem, who consistently advocated eliminating FEMA “as it exists today.” Trump suggested completely abolishing FEMA during a North Carolina visit early in his second term, calling the agency a “very big disappointment.”

Trump has repeatedly advocated transferring greater disaster responsibility to individual states, and a presidentially-appointed FEMA Review Council will soon release recommendations for comprehensive reforms regarding federal disaster community support.

While most FEMA employees continue receiving pay during the ongoing partial government shutdown, many offices received orders to reduce or halt operations after the February 14 shutdown began.

Additionally, the agency’s Disaster Relief Fund approaches depletion with approximately $3.6 billion remaining. The pending DHS appropriations legislation would restore the fund with over $26 billion.

WASHINGTON, April 7 – The White House confirmed Tuesday that President Donald Trump has received Pakistan’s request for a two-week extension regarding a deadline the administration set for Iran, with officials promising a forthcoming response.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the Pakistani proposal during Tuesday’s briefing, confirming the president’s awareness of the matter.

“The President has been made aware of the proposal, and a response will come,” Leavitt stated.

The statement comes as diplomatic discussions continue between the nations regarding the Iran-related timeline established by the Trump administration.

WASHINGTON — The acting head of the Justice Department stated Tuesday that only President Donald Trump understands the reasoning behind last week’s removal of Pam Bondi from her position as attorney general.

Todd Blanche addressed reporters during an unrelated press briefing, explaining that when it comes to why Bondi no longer holds the attorney general position and why he now serves as acting attorney general, “nobody has any idea” except for Trump himself. This response came when journalists questioned whether Bondi’s departure resulted from her inability to successfully pursue criminal charges against individuals the Republican president views as opponents.

After serving as deputy attorney general for a year, Blanche received his promotion to the acting role following Trump’s decision to replace Bondi. During Tuesday’s remarks, he stated he doesn’t experience any “pressure” in his current position, despite the president’s publicly known desire for retribution. However, Blanche also acknowledged Trump’s entitlement to request investigations into former government officials he believes have acted against him.

“We have thousands of ongoing investigations and prosecutions going on in this country right now. And it is true that some of them involve men, women and entities that the president in the past has had issues with and believes should be investigated. That is his right, and indeed it is his duty to do that — meaning to lead this country,” Blanche explained.

When reporters asked about his interest in receiving a formal nomination for the attorney general role, Blanche avoided giving a direct answer.

“If President Trump chooses to keep me as DAG,” Blanche said, using the acronym for deputy attorney general, “that’s an honor. If he chooses to nominate me, that’s an honor. If he chooses to nominate somebody else and I go back to being the DAG, that’s an honor. If he chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to do something else, I will say, ‘Thank you very much. I love you, sir.’”

During his inaugural press conference as acting attorney general, Blanche highlighted intensified efforts to combat fraud, providing information about a newly created fraud enforcement division that will incorporate prosecutors from offices nationwide. The Senate recently confirmed veteran prosecutor and Blanche associate Colin McDonald to oversee this division.

During his inaugural press conference as Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche defended President Trump’s involvement in federal investigations on Tuesday, stating the commander-in-chief possesses both the authority and responsibility to direct such inquiries.

Blanche, who assumed the role last week, pushed back against criticism that the Justice Department has inappropriately pursued Trump’s political opponents while simultaneously supporting the president’s prerogative to guide investigations.

“We have thousands of ongoing investigations and prosecutions going on in this country right now. It is true that some of them involve men, women and entities that the president in the past has had issues with and believes should be investigated. That is his right and indeed it is his duty to do that, meaning to lead this country,” Blanche stated during the Washington press briefing.

The appointment comes after Trump dismissed former Attorney General Pam Bondi last Thursday, reportedly due to frustration with the speed and results of cases the president had requested.

Under Trump’s administration, the Justice Department has launched numerous investigations targeting the president’s critics, including intelligence officials who determined Russia meddled in the 2016 election to benefit Trump’s candidacy, Democratic Congress members who encouraged military personnel to disobey illegal orders, and progressive donors along with their fundraising organizations.

Many of these investigations have faced significant hurdles from judges and grand juries. Last year, a federal judge threw out cases against two Trump investigators, James Comey and Letitia James.

Blanche, who served as Trump’s defense attorney in three of four criminal cases during his time out of office, referenced those prosecutions when explaining that Trump “wants justice” for individuals he believes wrongfully weaponized the legal system against him.

When asked about his interest in being permanently nominated for the attorney general position, Blanche avoided giving a direct answer, saying the choice belongs to Trump. He added that if the president selected another candidate and requested his departure from the Justice Department, “I will say, ‘thank you very much, I love you, sir.’”

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A contentious debate is unfolding within the Democratic Party after a Michigan Senate candidate scheduled campaign appearances with Hasan Piker, an online content creator whose past statements have drawn sharp criticism from fellow Democrats.

The controversy surrounding Piker’s Tuesday events with Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, has exposed deep divisions about the party’s direction. While supporters view the popular streamer as a bridge to younger voters who have increasingly moved toward conservative politics, critics worry about embracing figures they consider too extreme.

Piker has faced scrutiny for inflammatory statements, including claims that “Hamas is a thousand times better” than Israel, referring to some Orthodox Jews as “inbred,” and declaring that “America deserved 9/11.”

The Turkish American content creator, who boasts 3.1 million Twitch followers and 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, told The Associated Press that the backlash reflects a larger struggle over the party’s identity.

“There is definitely, I think, a battle right now for who gets to be more representative of the national Democratic Party,” he said.

Piker defended his record, showing little remorse for his previous comments while acknowledging some were “poorly worded.” He dismissed the renewed attention as “totally ridiculous, especially considering that there are far more consequential things happening in the world right now.”

“The super wealthy are picking apart the scraps of the American carcass like a bunch of vultures, and some of the Democrats are talking about their affiliations with a Twitch streamer,” Piker said. “I think Americans understand that this is totally ridiculous.”

The 34-year-old influencer, who has featured prominent Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on his unscripted, interactive livestreams, positions himself as a voice for frustrated Americans. He believes the criticism stems less from personal animosity and more from what his presence represents within the party’s evolving landscape.

“I think they find me to be a more appropriate target than to just actively disparage the voters,” he said.

El-Sayed, who has received endorsement from progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, hopes to harness that appeal during events at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. The physician and former county health official faces a competitive primary against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow for the seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who is not seeking reelection. The primary winner will likely face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in November.

Foreign policy toward Israel has become a dividing line among the three Democratic candidates. El-Sayed and McMorrow have both characterized the conflict in Gaza as genocide, though El-Sayed advocates for ending all military aid while McMorrow supports a two-state solution. Stevens has identified herself as a “proud pro-Israel Democrat.”

McMorrow criticized Piker to Jewish Insider, saying he “says extremely offensive things in order to generate clicks and views and followers,” drawing comparisons to white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Stevens accused El-Sayed of “choosing to campaign with someone who has a history of antisemitic rhetoric.”

El-Sayed defended his decision to appear with Piker, stating that “if we want to have a conversation where we’re actually bringing people together about the things that we need and deserve, we’re gonna have to go to unlikely and uncommon places.”

However, not all Democrats support that approach. Rep. Brad Schneider of Illinois, who leads the moderate New Democratic Coalition and co-chairs the Congressional Jewish Caucus, labeled Piker “an unapologetic antisemite.”

Rabbi Davey Rosen, CEO of Michigan Hillel, expressed disappointment with the University of Michigan event. “We are deeply disappointed by the decision to host a speaker at the University of Michigan with a documented record of antisemitic rhetoric,” he said. “Such invitations normalize hate and contribute to a hostile environment for Jewish students.”

Piker rejects accusations of antisemitism, describing his position as anti-Zionist. Anti-Israel sentiment has grown throughout the political landscape and created significant divisions within the Democratic Party during the Gaza conflict.

Much of the criticism focuses on Piker’s previous statements. Following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Piker suggested that whether reports of sexual violence were accurate “doesn’t change the dynamic” of the conflict, consistently arguing that Israel’s actions in Gaza remain the central issue.

Piker has also faced criticism for a 2019 livestream comment that “America deserved 9/11,” made during a discussion about U.S. foreign policy. While he has acknowledged the statement was poorly phrased, he clarified in his AP interview that he “didn’t mean that Americans deserved to die.”

ORLANDO, Fla. — Conservation organizations requested Tuesday that a federal appeals court remove its temporary suspension of a ruling that would force Florida officials to shut down an immigration detention facility located deep within the Everglades, dubbed ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’

The Everglades detention center continues operating and housing immigrants because the appeals court paused the closure order in early September, accepting arguments from Florida officials and the Trump administration that the state hadn’t yet sought federal reimbursement and therefore didn’t need to comply with federal environmental regulations. State leaders established the detention facility last summer as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts.

During oral arguments at a Miami courthouse, three appeals court judges focused their questions on determining the extent of federal oversight at the state-constructed facility and when environmental assessments become mandatory under federal law. The judges provided no timeline for their decision.

Jesse Panuccio, representing the Florida Department of Emergency Management, argued before the judges that federal funding and federal oversight of the facility were both necessary conditions for federal environmental law to take effect, and that federal agencies lacked control over the state-operated detention center.

In late September, Florida received notification that FEMA had granted $608 million in federal funding for the center’s construction and operations.

‘You need both,’ Panuccio stated. ‘Even with funding, I don’t think that would follow because they don’t have federal control.’

A lawyer representing the conservation groups argued that the law mandating environmental review covered the facility since the Department of Homeland Security had authorized the funding and immigration enforcement falls under federal, not state, jurisdiction.

‘What is different about this property is that immigration is constitutionally a federal function,’ said Paul Schwiep, representing the Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity. ‘The state has no role.’

A federal district judge in Miami ordered in mid-August that the facility cease operations within two months because officials had not conducted a required environmental impact assessment under federal law. That judge determined that a reimbursement decision had already been finalized. The appeals court suspended that order following an appeal.

This environmental lawsuit represents one of three federal court challenges targeting the Everglades facility since it began operations. In another case, a detainee claimed that Florida agencies and private contractors hired by the state lacked authority to run the center under federal law. That challenge concluded when the immigrant detainee who initiated the lawsuit agreed to deportation from the United States.

In the third case, a federal judge in Fort Myers, Florida, determined that the Everglades facility must give detainees improved access to their legal counsel, including private, unmonitored, and unrecorded outgoing calls to attorneys.

MADISON, Wis. — Jay Rothman, who leads Wisconsin’s state university system, faces potential termination during a private Board of Regents meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. EDT.

Board members called the closed session to vote on dismissing Rothman, who has overseen the state’s four-year universities for slightly over four years. Officials have not publicly explained their rationale for potentially removing him from his leadership role.

The termination vote comes just five days after The Associated Press revealed that regents had given Rothman an ultimatum to step down voluntarily or face dismissal. In response letters to board members, Rothman stated he would not resign without understanding what prompted their loss of confidence.

Board President Amy Bogost released a statement Monday indicating regents had completed a performance evaluation and provided Rothman with “direct conversations and clear feedback regarding leadership expectations.” She emphasized the system requires “a clear vision” but declined to detail the review’s specific conclusions.

The lack of public information has angered Republican lawmakers who oversee the university system’s budget allocation.

“This lack of transparency is unacceptable,” said GOP state Rep. David Murphy, chair of the Assembly’s colleges and universities committee. “President Rothman deserves to know exactly why the Board has lost confidence in his leadership.”

Rothman took charge of the 165,000-student, multi-campus system in January 2022. The former chair and CEO of Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner law firm had no previous background in higher education administration.

During his leadership, he has worked to secure additional state funding from Republican legislators amid federal budget reductions, addressed free speech concerns related to pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and managed declining student numbers that resulted in eight satellite campus closures. Despite these challenges, total system enrollment has remained relatively stable during his tenure.

His position requires balancing relationships between a Republican-dominated Legislature and a Board of Regents where most members were selected by Democratic Governor Tony Evers.

In 2023, Rothman negotiated an agreement with Assembly Republican Speaker Robin Vos that included halting diversity-focused hiring and establishing a conservative studies position at UW-Madison. In return, Vos agreed to release funding for employee salary increases and construction projects worth tens of millions across the system.

Initially, regents voted down the proposal before reversing course and approving it days later. Governor Evers expressed disappointment and frustration with the final agreement.

When asked Monday about efforts to remove Rothman, Evers remained neutral, stating “It’s their call” regarding the board’s decision.

The controversy over Rothman’s position coincides with upcoming leadership changes at the system’s flagship Madison campus. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin will depart in May following the current academic year to assume the presidency of Columbia University.

Rothman receives an annual salary of $600,943 as university president. According to Wisconsin employment attorney Tamara Packard, who examined Rothman’s contract for the Associated Press, he can be terminated without cause and has no right to appeal the decision.

His contract requires six months’ advance notice for termination. Packard noted that typically, dismissed executives are asked to focus on transitional responsibilities rather than continuing regular office duties during this period.

INDIANAPOLIS — A city council member in Indianapolis says gunmen targeted his residence with gunfire early Monday morning, leaving behind a message opposing data centers after he supported a controversial development project.

Council member Ron Gibson reported that he and his 8-year-old son were jolted awake around 12:45 a.m. when attackers discharged 13 rounds at their front entrance. Neither Gibson nor his child suffered injuries, though the gunfire hit dangerously close to where his son had been playing with building blocks at the dining table just hours earlier.

“That reality is deeply unsettling,” Gibson said. “This was not just an attack on my home, but endangered my child and disrupted the safety of our entire neighborhood.”

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officials confirmed that officers responded to the East 41st Street residence after 9 a.m. Monday morning, discovering bullet damage to the home. Authorities characterized the shooting as a deliberate, targeted attack and have requested FBI assistance in the investigation.

“I understand that public service can bring strong opinions and disagreement, but violence is never the answer, especially when it puts families at risk,” Gibson said on Monday. “This will not deter me. I will continue to serve the residents of this district with integrity and respect for all voices.”

The shooting follows recent controversy over Gibson’s backing of a data center development by Metrobloks in his district. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission granted approval for the rezoning request last week, despite opposition from neighborhood residents and community activists who voiced concerns about the project’s potential impact.

Gibson had publicly endorsed the commission’s approval in a statement issued last week.

“The site has remained underutilized for years, and today’s action is an important step toward bringing it back into productive use in a way that benefits both the surrounding neighborhood and our city,” Gibson said. “As the district councilor, when this petition comes before the full Council, I do not intend to call it down.”

Seven Democratic senators are challenging Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over whether massive liquefied natural gas shipping vessels should receive tax incentives originally created for small watercraft that use alternative fuels.

The controversy centers on the Alternative Fuel Excise Tax credit, legislation signed into law by former President George W. Bush in 2005. The tax incentive was designed to reduce America’s oil dependency by encouraging smaller motorboats to switch to alternative energy sources including natural gas, propane, and LNG.

However, critics argue that giving these credits to LNG tankers defeats the original purpose. These enormous ships – which can stretch the length of three football fields – already use LNG that naturally evaporates during transport. Without burning this boiled-off gas, it would either be released into the atmosphere or converted back to liquid form.

“Providing tankers with AFET credits would unnecessarily waste taxpayer money while doing nothing to protect the environment, reduce costs for everyday Americans, or lessen the United States’ dependence on oil,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. The correspondence was signed by Senators Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Schumer, and four additional colleagues.

The senators emphasized that federal regulations define motorboats as vessels under 65 feet in length – dramatically smaller than the massive LNG carriers currently claiming the credits.

Energy company Cheniere disclosed in February that it received a $370 million tax reduction for using the fuel in its LNG tankers. When contacted for comment, Cheniere declined to respond.

The Treasury Department has not yet provided a response to the senators’ concerns.

While Senate Democrats currently hold minority status and have limited legislative power, the political landscape could shift following November’s midterm elections.

Federal immigration enforcement officers have taken more than 800 people into custody based on information provided by airport security personnel since President Donald Trump’s current administration began, according to internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement records obtained by Reuters.

The Transportation Security Administration provided ICE with information on more than 31,000 travelers who could potentially face immigration enforcement actions, the documents reveal. This number significantly exceeds what had been previously disclosed to the public.

Reuters was unable to confirm how many of these detentions occurred within airport facilities, though TSA intelligence would primarily help determine travelers’ schedules and whereabouts.

Both ICE and TSA operate under the Department of Homeland Security umbrella. While these agencies have traditionally exchanged information regarding national security concerns, they shifted focus toward standard immigration enforcement last year as part of Trump’s expanded deportation initiative.

The traveler information came through TSA’s Secure Flight Program, established in 2007 to enable the agency to screen passenger data against federal government watchlists. The program’s original design targeted terrorism prevention rather than immigration violations, according to its founding regulations.

When asked about TSA sharing passenger details with ICE, DHS officials did not provide specific responses but stated that under Trump’s leadership, TSA “is pursuing solutions that improve resiliency, security, and efficiency across our entire system.”

Data showing arrests and traveler information exchanges between TSA and ICE from previous administrations was not available for comparison.

Airport operations and immigration enforcement have become central to a political budget dispute since mid-February, when Democratic lawmakers rejected additional funding for the Republican president’s immigration policies without accompanying reforms to reduce aggressive enforcement methods.

This political deadlock prevented passage of DHS funding legislation, resulting in TSA security personnel missing multiple full paychecks. When unpaid TSA workers began reporting sick in significant numbers, Trump sent ICE agents to over a dozen airports in March to support security operations.

Democratic officials have condemned this deployment and demanded the Trump administration withdraw these personnel. More than 40 House Democrats sent correspondence to newly appointed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin last week, stating that ICE officers “will cause confusion and fear” if they continue operating in airports.

Multiple incidents involving ICE agents detaining travelers at U.S. airports have generated public criticism.

Immigration officers apprehended a college student traveling from Boston to Texas for Thanksgiving celebrations in November and arrested a distraught mother at San Francisco International Airport one day before Trump’s airport deployment initiative launched.

DHS officials justified both arrests, explaining that the individuals were subject to final removal orders.

Reuters interviewed three immigration lawyers familiar with cases involving people without legal immigration status being detained at airports.

Attorney Christina Canty described one case involving an Irish couple who had resided in the United States for over twenty years and were detained by immigration authorities in front of their children while attempting to fly from Florida to New York following a vacation.

The parents, who had submitted applications for permanent residency, were ultimately deported and forced to leave their two young children, ages 7 and 10, in the care of adult siblings in the United States, Canty explained.

Another case involved a Chinese woman with a final removal order who was seeking permanent residence and was detained by ICE at the Atlanta airport while traveling to Philadelphia, according to one of the attorneys.

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin voters headed to the polls Tuesday to choose between two appeals court judges in a Supreme Court race that could strengthen liberal influence on the state’s highest court, with abortion access emerging as the central campaign issue alongside pending cases involving legislative maps and labor rights in this key swing state.

Unlike the previous two Supreme Court contests in Wisconsin that shattered national spending records while determining court control, this year’s race has attracted significantly less money and nationwide focus since the court’s balance isn’t hanging in the balance.

The outcome could help Democrats solidify their court advantage just months ahead of November elections where they aim to retain the governor’s mansion and win back the state Legislature, which has remained under Republican control since 2011. Democratic leaders hope to reverse numerous GOP-backed policies that positioned Wisconsin as a centerpiece of conservative politics during the last decade.

Tuesday’s contest pits Chris Taylor, who has Democratic backing and previously served as a state legislator while also working for Planned Parenthood, against Maria Lazar, the Republican-endorsed candidate. Both women currently serve as judges on the state’s Appeals Court.

A victory for Taylor would expand the liberal advantage on the seven-member court from the current 4-3 split to a more commanding 5-2 majority, securing liberal control through at least 2030.

The liberal faction gained court control in 2023, breaking a 15-year period of conservative dominance. They maintained their majority in last year’s election that attracted involvement from President Donald Trump and wealthy figures including George Soros and Elon Musk, who made headlines by personally distributing $1 million payments to Wisconsin voters.

Liberal supporters have framed the 2025 election as crucial for democratic principles, pointing to 2020 when the conservative-controlled court nearly sided with Trump’s efforts to throw out enough ballots to reverse his electoral defeat in Wisconsin.

After liberals gained control, the court has overturned multiple election-related decisions, including restoring the use of absentee ballot drop boxes, positioning the court to play a significant role again during the 2028 presidential race.

While Supreme Court elections in Wisconsin are technically nonpartisan, candidate support typically follows party lines.

Taylor has made abortion rights the cornerstone of her campaign, running television advertisements declaring that “abortion is on the ballot.” She has also attacked Lazar for previously describing the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision eliminating Roe v. Wade as “very wise.”

Lazar, who received endorsements from anti-abortion organizations during her appeals court campaign, has portrayed Taylor as merely a politician who would advance a partisan agenda from the bench.

The candidates clashed over accusations of partisanship during their only debate last week.

“Radical, extreme legislator” and “judicial activist” were among the terms Lazar used to describe Taylor. Taylor responded by saying Lazar would bring “an extreme, right-wing political agenda to the bench.”

Lazar has struggled to match Taylor’s outreach efforts. Taylor enjoyed a substantial fundraising edge and outspent Lazar roughly nine-to-one on television advertising, according to tracking by the Brennan Center for Justice.

The liberal-majority court has already eliminated a state abortion ban and mandated new legislative district maps, boosting Democratic optimism about winning legislative control this November.

Taylor has served as a judge since 2020, following a decade as a Democratic Assembly member representing Madison, the liberal state capital.

Lazar has been on the bench since 2015 and previously spent four years working for a Republican attorney general in the state Justice Department. In that position, she defended legislation signed by former Republican Governor Scott Walker that essentially eliminated collective bargaining rights for most government employees.

A lower court judge declared that law unconstitutional in December, setting up a likely appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Lazar also defended Republican-passed measures signed by Walker that established voter identification requirements and limited abortion access.

Democrats feel confident based on the last two Supreme Court races, where their preferred candidates won by margins exceeding 10 percentage points.

The opening exists because a conservative justice chose to retire. With another conservative justice stepping down next year, liberals could achieve 6-1 court control if they prevail on Tuesday.

ATLANTA — A Tuesday runoff election in Georgia will determine who takes over Marjorie Taylor Greene’s congressional seat, with Republican Clay Fuller carrying President Trump’s endorsement against Democratic challenger Shawn Harris.

Harris topped the initial voting round on March 10 with 37% support in the 14th District, which spans 10 counties from Atlanta’s suburbs to the Tennessee border. Fuller finished second with 35% in the 17-candidate special election, though Republican candidates collectively captured nearly 60% of total votes. The Cook Political Report ranks this district as Georgia’s most conservative.

Trump threw his support behind Fuller in February, backing the district attorney who has handled prosecutions across four counties to replace Greene in the 14th Congressional District. Greene, previously one of Trump’s strongest allies, stepped down in January following disagreements with the former president.

Fuller has shown unwavering loyalty to Trump, stating during a March 23 debate that he found no areas of disagreement with the president’s positions.

“We need an America First fighter to stand strong for northwest Georgia,” Fuller declared on March 23. The candidate served as a White House fellow during Trump’s first presidency and holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Georgia Air National Guard.

Trump reinforced his backing for Fuller on Monday evening.

“I am asking all Republicans, America First Patriots, and MAGA Warriors, to please GET OUT AND VOTE for a fantastic Candidate, Clay Fuller, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” the president posted on social media.

Harris, who operates a cattle farm and previously served as a general before losing to Greene in 2024, has positioned himself as an alternative to Greene’s confrontational approach. The candidate describes himself as a “dirt-road Democrat” with practical solutions, appealing to moderate Republicans to support him based on his focus on local priorities.

“He has sold his soul to Donald Trump,” Harris stated about Fuller on March 23. “The reality of it is he cannot fight for you because he cannot go against the president.”

Tuesday’s victor will complete Greene’s remaining term in office. A Republican victory would strengthen the party’s narrow House majority, where Republicans hold 217 seats compared to Democrats’ 214, plus one independent.

However, whoever wins must campaign again to stay in Congress past January. Republicans seeking a full two-year term face a May 19 primary, with a potential June 16 runoff before November’s general election. Harris runs unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Greene maintained high visibility in Congress until her January departure. She remained committed to Trump following his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden, promoting Trump’s unsubstantiated claims about election fraud. During Trump’s 2024 campaign, she traveled nationwide with him and addressed rallies while sporting a red “Make America Great Again” hat.

However, Greene’s relationship with Trump soured last year when he and other Republicans opposed her potential Senate or gubernatorial campaigns. Greene criticized Trump’s international policies and his hesitation to release Jeffrey Epstein-related documents. Trump eventually declared he would back a primary opponent against her, prompting Greene to announce her resignation one week later.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump found himself facing a potential crisis as an American pilot was shot down and trapped behind enemy lines in Iran. However, a successful Easter weekend rescue mission provided the commander-in-chief with an opportunity to change the narrative surrounding the controversial conflict.

During a Monday press conference, Trump transformed what could have been a military disaster into a story of triumph, emphasizing the dramatic elements of the operation while attempting to bolster support for the five-week war that has faced significant opposition from American voters.

“We have incredibly talented people, and if the time comes, we move heaven and earth to bring them home safely,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “God was watching us.”

This marked the second occasion in recent days where the president personally addressed the public about Iran, taking direct control of messaging in his characteristic style. Trump has faced challenges explaining his justification for the bombing campaign, including during a confusing televised speech last week. His expletive-filled social media posts on Easter Sunday also raised concerns among reporters about the 79-year-old president’s mental state.

Monday’s briefing showcased Trump’s typical political approach: capitalizing on a dramatic moment to control the narrative and using it to rally support from Americans who have grown tired of military conflicts.

The president provided extensive details about the complex rescue operation, which he acknowledged benefited from fortunate circumstances. Trump administration officials, who typically avoid discussing internal operations, assisted reporters over the weekend in crafting detailed accounts of the remarkable mission.

Trump painted a picture of an injured officer who managed to avoid capture in Iranian territory for 48 hours, while search-and-rescue teams navigated mountainous terrain and worked to extract aircraft from muddy conditions before destroying equipment to prevent it from falling into enemy possession.

“Hundreds of people could have been killed,” Trump informed reporters, acknowledging that some military advisors had recommended against proceeding with the operation.

“How many men did you send altogether?” Trump asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, who was present at the briefing.

“I’d love to keep that a secret,” Caine responded.

“I’ll keep it a secret, but it was hundreds and hundreds of these people,” Trump revealed.

The packed briefing room saw reporters jostling for position, crowding aisles and doorways while competing for the president’s attention.

While Trump appeared to enjoy discussing the military’s capabilities – even suggesting at another White House event that the rescue could inspire a future film – he also threatened legal action against a journalist from an unidentified news organization who initially reported the successful rescue of one airman before the second missing pilot was located.

The president continued voicing dissatisfaction with the pace of diplomatic efforts to conclude the war, criticism of U.S. allies refusing to provide assistance, and concerns about the blocked Strait of Hormuz, a crucial pathway for global energy transportation. When questioned about his mental health, Trump responded, “I don’t care about critics.”

When asked about his plans to either intensify or conclude the conflict, Trump remained evasive.

“I can’t tell you,” Trump stated. “I don’t know.”

As the lengthy news conference neared its end, Trump attempted to frame victory as virtually certain.

“We won, OK?” he declared. “They are militarily defeated.”

WASHINGTON — Military law experts and international officials are questioning whether President Donald Trump’s recent threats to destroy Iranian infrastructure could violate international law after his broad declarations during Monday’s news conference.

Trump’s warnings to target every bridge and electrical facility in Iran have raised concerns among legal scholars about potential harm to civilian populations, with some suggesting such actions might constitute violations of international law.

The legality of such strikes would depend on several factors, including whether the facilities serve legitimate military purposes, if the attacks would be proportionate to Iranian actions, and whether civilian harm would be kept to a minimum.

Critics argue Trump’s sweeping threats don’t appear to consider the impact on non-combatants, leading Congressional Democrats, United Nations representatives, and military law experts to question whether such strikes would comply with international standards.

While the president’s actual policies sometimes differ from his public statements, his warnings about targeting infrastructure have been clear and direct both Sunday and Monday, as he established Tuesday night as the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Stephane Dujarric, speaking for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, cautioned Monday that striking such infrastructure violates international law.

“Even if specific civilian infrastructure were to qualify as a military objective,” Dujarric said, an attack would still be prohibited if it risks “excessive incidental civilian harm.”

Rachel VanLandingham, who teaches at Southwestern Law School and previously served as a judge advocate general in the U.S. Air Force, warned that cutting power to medical facilities and water treatment centers would likely result in civilian deaths.

“What Trump is saying is, ‘We don’t care about precision, we don’t care about impact on civilians, we’re just going to take out all of Iranian power generating capacity,’” the retired lieutenant colonel said.

Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical Persian Gulf passage that typically handles 20% of global oil shipments, has nearly stopped, causing oil prices to spike and creating stock market turbulence.

When asked Monday about potential war crimes, Trump said he’s “not at all” worried about such concerns while continuing his threatening rhetoric. He also stated that every power facility will be “burning, exploding and never to be used again.”

“I hope I don’t have to do it,” Trump added.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly, when contacted for additional comment Monday, said “the Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing.”

“The Iranian regime has committed egregious human rights abuses against its own citizens for 47 years, just murdered tens of thousands of protestors in January, and has indiscriminately targeted civilians across the region in order to cause as much death as possible throughout this conflict,” Kelly wrote in an email.

With the conflict now in its second month, Trump has intensified his threats against Iranian infrastructure, including Kharg Island, which is vital to Iran’s petroleum industry, and desalination facilities that supply drinking water.

In a Truth Social message posted March 30, Trump warned that the U.S. would destroy “all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched.’”

On Easter Sunday, Trump used profanity in a post threatening Iran would face “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one,” while adding that “you’ll be living in Hell” unless the strait reopens.

“This strikes me as clearly a threat of unlawful action,” said Michael Schmitt, a professor emeritus at the U.S. Naval War College and an international law professor at the University of Reading in Britain.

According to Schmitt, power facilities can be legitimate targets under military conflict laws if they supply electricity to military installations in addition to civilians. However, the attack must not “cause disproportionate harm to the civilian population, and you’ve done everything to minimize that harm.”

Harm doesn’t include inconvenience or fear, explained Schmitt, who has instructed military commanders. But it does encompass severe mental suffering, physical injury or illness.

Military leaders should explore alternatives, such as hitting substations or transmission lines serving military bases, before destroying entire power plants, Schmitt noted.

“If you look at the operation and you’ve got a valid military objective, but it’s going to cause harm to civilians and you go, ‘Whoa, that’s a lot,’ then you should stop,” Schmitt said. “If you hesitate to take the shot, don’t take the shot.”

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa stated Monday that Trump is “absolutely not” threatening war crimes when discussing potential bombing of civilian infrastructure.

The infrastructure also serves military purposes, Ernst noted, and “it’s an ongoing operation.”

“If he needs leverage, he’s using that leverage,” she said while overseeing a brief pro forma Senate session.

However, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, also present for the brief session, called it a “textbook war crime.”

“If you target civilian infrastructure for the purposes the president was talking about, it clearly is a war crime,” Van Hollen said.

Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, noted that determining whether attacks on civilian infrastructure constitute war crimes would require a court decision.

Katherine Thompson, a senior fellow in defense and foreign policy studies at the CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank, suggested any accountability would more likely come from Congress.

She said believing otherwise would mean assuming the U.S. would allow its president to face accountability from foreign entities.

“This is the persnickety, inconvenient truth about international law: It only works if sovereign nations are willing to cede their sovereignty to a foreign body for accountability,” she said.

However, Congress would need to determine the president has overstepped boundaries. Both chambers would then need to act with sufficient support to override a presidential veto, which is highly unlikely.

Trump also appears to have extensive legal protection under the Supreme Court’s decision in his criminal case before his reelection, VanLandingham noted. The president could also issue preemptive pardons to senior officials if necessary.

Even if technically legal under warfare laws, strikes that harm civilians could damage U.S. interests long-term, VanLandingham warned.

“There’s a lot of violence that can still be justified as lawful, but lawful can still be awful,” VanLandingham said. “How far did that get us in Iraq? How far did that get us in Afghanistan? How far did that get us in Vietnam?”

Trump’s rhetoric risks frightening ordinary Iranians and suggesting the U.S. doesn’t care about their welfare, VanLandingham said. The country’s leadership could use it as propaganda to generate and strengthen opposition, leading to a longer, more difficult war.

WASHINGTON – During a Monday press briefing at the White House, President Donald Trump encouraged Iranian citizens to rebel against their nation’s leadership should a ceasefire be implemented, though he acknowledged the serious dangers such actions would pose.

Speaking to members of the media, Trump expressed his view that Iranians ought to take action against their government. “Well they should do it but, again, the consequences are great,” Trump stated during the news conference. “I mean, they were told, ‘If you protest, you will be shot immediately.’”

The President, who has previously made threats to target Iran’s infrastructure including power facilities and transportation networks, also expressed his belief that Iranian citizens “would be willing to suffer that in order to have freedom.”

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump provided extensive details Monday about a dangerous rescue operation that extracted two American airmen from deep within Iranian territory after their fighter jet was shot down last week.

The complex mission involved hundreds of military personnel, numerous aircraft, and advanced CIA surveillance technology to recover the crew of an F-15E Strike Eagle that went down late Thursday, Trump revealed during a White House press conference.

Military forces successfully extracted the pilot within hours of the aircraft being downed, deploying rescue helicopters, aerial refueling planes, and fighter jets into Iranian airspace once his position was confirmed, according to the president’s detailed account of the operation.

The aircraft’s second crew member — the weapons systems officer — was brought home nearly 48 hours after the initial crash.

Trump highlighted the extensive military assets deployed and inter-agency cooperation required for the dangerous mission to retrieve American personnel from hostile territory. He characterized Iran’s downing of the jet as “a lucky hit” while maintaining his previous claims of having “beaten and completely decimated Iran.”

The search and rescue efforts commenced during daylight hours over Iran, with helicopters and supporting aircraft flying at low altitudes for seven hours while “at times facing very, very heavy enemy fire,” Trump explained.

An A-10 Warthog attack aircraft maintaining communication with the downed F-15 pilot sustained enemy fire damage while engaging Iranian forces, according to Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The A-10 was “not landable,” Caine informed reporters, though the pilot continued combat operations before flying to a friendly nation and ejecting safely. The pilot was quickly recovered and is in good condition.

Following the F-15 pilot’s rescue, HH-60 Jolly Green II helicopters faced intense small-arms fire from Iranian forces, with “every single person in Iran who had a small-arms weapon” engaging the aircraft, Caine said. One trailing helicopter sustained multiple hits, causing minor injuries to crew members who are expected to recover fully.

The pilot, operating under call sign Dude-44 Alpha, was recovered before Iranian forces could organize a thorough search, but locating the weapons systems officer proved significantly more challenging.

Iranian state television affiliates broadcast appeals to residents in the mountainous southwestern region where the fighter crashed, urging them to turn over any “enemy pilot” to authorities and offering rewards for information.

The weapons systems officer, designated Dude-44 Bravo, sustained injuries but followed standard survival protocols by moving away from the crash location.

“Bleeding profusely,” according to Trump’s account, the airman navigated mountainous terrain and contacted rescue forces Saturday using “a very sophisticated beeper-type apparatus.”

“When a plane crashes in hostile territory, they all head right to that site, you want to be as far away as you can,” Trump explained.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe credited the agency’s “exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service” possesses for locating the missing airman. Simultaneously, the CIA conducted deception operations to mislead Iranian search efforts.

Ratcliffe compared the search and rescue mission to “hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”

While the CIA declined to specify the technology used, Trump provided additional context about the discovery process.

Intelligence personnel detected movement during nighttime surveillance in the mountainous search area, Trump said. Officials monitored the moving object for 45 minutes, questioning their assessment when movement ceased.

“It was the head of a human being,” the president revealed. “And then all of a sudden, 45 minutes later, he moved a lot, stood up, and they said, ‘We have him.’”

“And that was really at the beginning of something incredible,” he added.

Protected by an “air armada” including drones and strike aircraft, rescue teams moved in Sunday. Cargo aircraft transported three small helicopters that were assembled near the mountain area where the missing airman was hiding in a cave or crevice.

However, the cargo planes became too heavy with equipment and personnel to depart from the sandy terrain. The rescued airman and his recovery team were evacuated by three “lighter, faster aircraft” while ground equipment was destroyed to prevent Iranian capture, Trump detailed.

Many aircraft involved in the operation served deceptive purposes, the president noted.

“We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge,” Trump said. “We wanted to have them think he was in a different location.”

In Washington, national security officials maintained continuous coordination through an open phone line for nearly two full days.

“From the moment our pilots went down, our mission was unblinking,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated. “The call never dropped. The meeting never stopped, the planning never ceased.”

During Trump’s operational briefing, his tendency toward dramatic detail conflicted with his advisers’ preference for protecting military and intelligence information. When Trump asked Caine about total personnel numbers, his top military adviser responded cautiously.

“Uhhh, I’d love to keep that a secret, Mr. President,” Caine replied.

“OK, well, we are,” Trump continued. “But I will tell you — the number, I’ll keep it a secret, but it was hundreds.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Monday that Iowa may proceed with implementing legislation that limits educators’ ability to discuss LGBTQ+ subjects with elementary students and removes certain materials from school libraries and classrooms.

The ruling overturns previous temporary injunctions issued by a lower court that had blocked enforcement of the legislation.

Iowa’s Republican-controlled legislature and Governor Kim Reynolds originally passed the legislation in 2023, stating it would ensure educational content remains appropriate for students from kindergarten through high school. Legal challenges have been ongoing for three years, with lawsuits filed by the Iowa State Education Association, major book publishers, prominent authors, and Iowa Safe Schools, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

The legislation was active during portions of the 2024-2025 academic year until March, when a federal judge reinstated a temporary halt on the book removal provisions, which prevent materials depicting certain sexual activities from being available in educational settings. In a separate ruling in May, U.S. District Judge Stephen Locher determined that while Iowa could limit required instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation through sixth grade, it could not restrict broader “programs” or “promotion,” citing these terms as excessively vague.

Iowa petitioned the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse both rulings, which a three-judge panel granted on Monday. The legal proceedings will continue in district court while the legislation remains active.

“This is a huge win for Iowa parents,” stated Iowa’s Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird. “Parents should always know that school is a safe place for their children to learn, not be concerned they are being indoctrinated with inappropriate sexual materials and philosophies.”

Iowa’s legislation was part of a broader national movement in 2023, with Republican legislators across the country proposing similar measures to limit LGBTQ+ discussions and regulate bathroom access in educational institutions. Many of these laws have faced legal challenges. The ruling coincides with the Trump administration’s announcement Monday that it has ended agreements from previous administrations that protected transgender student rights.

The Iowa legislation prohibits K-12 school libraries from housing materials containing descriptions or visual representations of six specific sexual acts. State attorneys argued the law provides clear guidelines and that the state has valid reasons to ensure public school materials meet appropriate standards as part of its educational mission.

However, the teachers’ union, along with publishers and authors, contended the law is excessively broad, extending “far beyond obscenity to prohibit any book with any description of a sex act for any age,” according to their legal filing. They also argued that libraries serve as venues for voluntary learning rather than existing solely to support the school’s educational objectives.

The appeals court agreed with the state’s position, determining that the restrictions are clearly defined and that school library materials can be considered part of the institution’s curriculum. Consequently, the court indicated that First Amendment claims from authors and publishers are unlikely to succeed.

The ruling stated: “The First Amendment does not guarantee students the right to access books of their choosing at taxpayer expense.”

The law additionally prohibits “any program, curriculum, test, survey, questionnaire, promotion, or instruction relating to gender identity or sexual orientation.” State attorneys maintained this language specifically targets mandatory school curriculum. Critics argued the law’s vagueness could restrict any school-based information or activities.

“Reading the plain language,” the appeals court decision stated, “we cannot say the State’s assertion is wrong.”

Locher’s May decision had granted a partial injunction, permitting the state to restrict such topics regarding curriculum, tests, surveys, questionnaires, or instruction but not “programs” or “promotion.”

Locher specifically outlined the implications: “Students in grades six and below must be allowed to join Gender Sexuality Alliances (‘GSAs’) and other student groups relating to gender identity and/or sexual orientation.” Additionally, districts, teachers, and students “must be permitted to advertise” these groups.

In overturning Locher’s partial block, the appeals court stated Locher incorrectly emphasized the two terms — program and promotion — when interpreting “an expansive view of the law’s scope.”

Since Iowa Safe Schools and the students requested the court block the law based on its language rather than specific rights violations, the appeals court indicated their challenge will likely fail on its merits.

The appeals court also permitted the state to enforce a requirement that school administrators inform parents when a student undergoes a social transition and wishes to use different pronouns or names at school.

WASHINGTON — During Monday’s festivities at the White House, President Donald Trump addressed tensions with Iran while youngsters gathered around him for the traditional Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn. The president later conducted a press conference in the briefing room, beginning with Easter remarks before transitioning to discuss the recovery of two American airmen from Iran. During his comments, Trump made a gesture simulating the aiming of a sniper weapon.

The events were documented in photographs compiled by Associated Press photo editors.

President Donald Trump announced Monday that he plans to force the journalist who initially covered the rescue of a U.S. airman in Iran to disclose their source, warning of imprisonment for those who decline to cooperate.

During a White House press briefing, Trump’s comments marked a notable intensification in his administration’s confrontational approach toward news media. Sources close to the president indicate he has expressed frustration in recent weeks over what he perceives as overly critical reporting on the U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran.

The controversy stems from Friday’s incident when Iranian forces downed an American fighter aircraft. Multiple news organizations subsequently reported that rescue teams had successfully retrieved one of the two crew members aboard the downed plane.

According to Trump, revealing details about the first airman’s rescue compromised the safety of efforts to locate and extract the remaining pilot, who was later brought to safety.

“We didn’t talk about the first one for an hour. Then somebody leaked something, which, we will hopefully find that leaker. We’re looking very hard to find that leaker,” Trump stated during the briefing.

The president added: “We’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘National security, give it up or go to jail.’”

Trump did not specify which news organization or individual journalist would face his threatened action. Major outlets including The New York Times, CBS News, and Axios all published reports about the airman’s rescue within a similar timeframe.

White House officials have not provided clarification when pressed about which specific reporter the president was targeting with his threats.

Adding to the administration’s media criticism, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr recently posted on social media platform X suggesting that television stations broadcasting what he termed “fake news” should “correct course before their license renewals come up.” His statement included a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post claiming that “Lowlife ‘Papers’ and Media actually want us to lose the War.”

TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis enacted legislation Monday granting state leadership the authority to classify organizations as domestic or international terrorist entities and remove state university students who back such groups.

The legislation, which has drawn criticism from civil liberties organizations, empowers a senior official within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to classify an organization as a domestic or international terrorist entity, subject to approval or denial by the governor and three additional Florida Cabinet members. The Cabinet consists of the state attorney general, chief financial officer, and agriculture commissioner, each elected independently alongside the governor.

After receiving a terrorist classification, an organization faces dissolution and loses eligibility for state funding through educational districts or government agencies. State universities must also notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the status of any removed students holding visas.

“So this will help the state of Florida protect you. It’ll help us protect your tax dollars,” DeSantis stated during a Tampa press conference. “It’ll help us protect things that should not be happening in the United States of America, but certainly shouldn’t be happening in the free state of Florida.”

In December, DeSantis classified the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhoods as international terrorist organizations. A federal court judge issued a temporary injunction last month preventing enforcement of DeSantis’ executive directive.

PEN America, an organization advocating for free expression, criticized the new legislation for containing ambiguous wording that might limit educational initiatives considered to be “promoting” terrorism and could potentially target student demonstrators who oppose Florida leadership.

“The implications are fraught,” stated William Johnson, PEN America’s Florida director. The new law “could chill education at every level.”

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has unveiled a sweeping plan to eliminate more than 9,400 positions from the Transportation Security Administration while slashing $1.5 billion from the agency’s budget, new federal documents reveal.

The proposal, announced Friday by President Donald Trump, would force smaller airports across the country to abandon TSA services in favor of private security companies as an initial phase toward fully privatizing the federal agency established following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Administration officials estimate this privatization move alone would eliminate over 4,500 TSA positions from the agency’s current workforce of 60,000 employees.

The remaining job cuts – approximately 4,800 additional positions – would come through what the TSA describes as operational improvements, including removing personnel from airport exit lane monitoring and eliminating what officials call duplicated roles within the organization.

Two Democratic members of Congress are urging Washington to reconsider its approach toward Cuba after completing a diplomatic visit to the Caribbean nation, where they observed the severe effects of America’s energy restrictions firsthand.

Representatives Pramila Jayapal from Washington state and Jonathan Jackson from Illinois spent five days on the island, concluding their trip on Sunday. During their stay, they held meetings with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, and parliamentary officials.

Following the meetings, President Díaz-Canel posted on social media platform X that he had “denounced the criminal damage caused by the #blockade, particularly the consequences of the energy embargo imposed by the current US administration and its threats of even more aggressive actions.”

The Cuban leader also stated: “I reiterated our government’s willingness to engage in serious and responsible bilateral dialogue and find solutions to our existing differences.”

Officials from both nations have confirmed that high-level discussions are currently underway, though specific details remain confidential.

Representative Jayapal expressed optimism about recent Cuban initiatives, including opening certain investment opportunities to Cuban Americans living in the United States, announcing pardons for over 2,000 prisoners, and allowing FBI agents to assist in investigating a deadly incident involving an American-flagged vessel. She told journalists these developments “indicate that the moment is here for us to have a real negotiation between the two countries and to reverse the failed U.S. policy of decades, a Cold War remnant that no longer serves the American people or the Cuban people.”

Cuban authorities have already freed the pardoned inmates, who faced charges for various offenses, though none appear to have been imprisoned for political reasons.

In late January, President Donald Trump issued warnings about imposing tariffs on nations that supply petroleum to Cuba, though he allowed a Russian vessel carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil to reach the island last week. This marked the first fuel delivery in three months to Cuba, which only produces 40% of its petroleum needs domestically.

“This is cruel collective punishment — effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country — that has produced permanent damage. It must stop immediately,” the two lawmakers declared in their Sunday statement.

Venezuela had been providing essential oil supplies until the U.S. took action against the South American nation in early January and detained its president, Nicolas Maduro.

The fuel shortage has severely impacted Cubans already enduring five years of economic hardship, resulting in nationwide power outages, gasoline scarcity and rationing, reduced public transportation, shortened work schedules, hospital shutdowns and delayed surgeries, plus canceled flights.

While Russia has pledged another petroleum shipment, the timing remains uncertain. Energy analysts estimate the recent Russian delivery could yield approximately 180,000 barrels of diesel fuel, sufficient to meet Cuba’s daily requirements for nine to ten days.

Jayapal acknowledged that while these deliveries provide crucial relief, they represent only short-term fixes: “We need a longer, permanent solution for the Cuban people and the American people.”

Jackson drew parallels between efforts to prevent Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz and the oil restrictions affecting Cuba, noting that the island nation “is the most sanctioned part of Earth.”

“Our government is fighting to keep the Strait of Hormuz open so there is a free flow of oil around the world. We want, for humanitarian reasons, a free flow of oil, fuel, and energy in our own hemisphere,” Jackson explained.

Both representatives announced plans to compile a comprehensive report and advance legislative proposals from House colleagues aimed at removing sanctions against Cuba to address the ongoing humanitarian situation.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Treasury Department announced Monday that Bank of New York Mellon Corporation will serve as the government’s financial agent to oversee the newly established Trump Accounts initiative.

According to Treasury officials, BNY Mellon will be responsible for creating the Trump Accounts mobile application and overseeing the program’s initial account management. Meanwhile, Robinhood has been selected to handle brokerage services and serve as the program’s first trustee.

The Trump Accounts represent a government-backed investment program for American newborns that President Donald Trump unveiled in January. Under the initiative, Treasury will place $1,000 into investment accounts for every child born in the United States during a four-year window from 2025 through 2028. Officials estimate approximately 25 million American families will qualify for these accounts.

Former President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind conservative commentator Steve Hilton in California’s gubernatorial race, potentially reshaping the dynamics of a contest featuring more than 50 candidates vying to lead the nation’s largest state.

In a post on Truth Social late Sunday evening, Trump described Hilton as someone he has known for years, calling him “a truly fine man” who could address the state’s notoriously high tax burden. The former president criticized California’s current condition, writing that the state “has gone to hell.”

“With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!” Trump wrote in his endorsement.

The timing of Trump’s backing — approximately one month before mail-in ballots reach voters ahead of the June 2 primary — could help Hilton unite conservative voters in a contest lacking a clear frontrunner. Yet Trump’s support may prove problematic for Hilton if he advances to face a Democratic opponent in November, given the former president’s poor standing among California voters outside his conservative base.

Democratic strategists have worried that California’s unique “top two” primary format could result in two Republicans advancing to the general election — potentially Hilton and his GOP competitor Chad Bianco, who serves as Riverside County sheriff. Trump’s endorsement may reduce this possibility by helping Hilton attract more conservative support and clarify the Republican field.

The massive candidate field includes eight prominent Democrats alongside the two leading Republican contenders, Hilton and Bianco. California’s primary system places all candidates on a single ballot, with only the top two vote-getters moving forward to November regardless of party affiliation, making an all-Republican general election theoretically possible.

A February survey conducted by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California showed the race had separated into two tiers, with Bianco, Hilton, and three Democratic candidates — Congressman Eric Swalwell, former Representative Katie Porter, and billionaire environmental advocate Tom Steyer — running competitively at the top, while other contenders lagged behind.

WASHINGTON — Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon received a favorable Supreme Court ruling Monday that appears set to overturn his criminal conviction for refusing to cooperate with a Congressional investigation.

Following pressure from the current Trump administration, the nation’s highest court vacated a lower court decision that had affirmed Bannon’s conviction for ignoring a subpoena issued by the House committee examining the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack carried out by Trump supporters.

This action allows a trial court judge to consider the Republican administration’s current motion to throw out both Bannon’s conviction and the underlying charges for the sake of justice.

The potential dismissal carries mostly ceremonial weight, as Bannon already completed a four-month jail sentence following his 2022 jury conviction on contempt of Congress charges. A federal appeals court in Washington had previously affirmed that conviction.

While the Justice Department pursued the case against Bannon under Democrat Joe Biden’s administration, officials reversed their position after Trump returned to the presidency this year.

Bannon’s defense had maintained that his testimony fell under Trump’s assertion of executive privilege. However, the House investigation panel and Justice Department argued this claim lacked merit since Trump had dismissed Bannon from his White House position in 2017, making him a private citizen during his communications with the then-president before the Capitol incident.

In a separate matter, Bannon entered a guilty plea in New York state court for misleading contributors to a private border wall construction project, accepting a plea agreement that spared him additional prison time. This state conviction remains unaffected by Monday’s Supreme Court decision.

The nation’s highest court has opened the door for federal prosecutors to drop criminal charges against Steve Bannon, a close ally of President Donald Trump who was found guilty of defying a congressional subpoena related to the January 6th Capitol investigation.

On Monday, the Supreme Court justices overturned a lower court ruling that had maintained Bannon’s 2022 conviction for his refusal to provide documents or appear before the House committee examining the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach by Trump supporters.

The Trump administration’s Justice Department urged the Supreme Court to overturn the previous ruling, stating in legal documents that dropping Bannon’s case would serve “the interests of justice.” Federal prosecutors had already requested dismissal at the trial court level.

In a concise unsigned ruling, the Supreme Court sent the matter back to the lower court for additional review “in light of the pending motion to dismiss the indictment.”

A Washington jury had found Bannon guilty on two contempt of Congress charges for his failure to supply documents or testimony to the Democratic-controlled House committee probing the Capitol incident.

The January 6th protesters had attempted to block Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s electoral victory over Trump in the 2020 presidential race. Bannon characterized both the House committee’s investigation and the subsequent Justice Department charges during Biden’s administration as politically driven.

The 72-year-old Bannon played a crucial role as an advisor to Trump’s 2016 campaign and served as chief White House strategist in 2017 during Trump’s initial presidency, despite a temporary rift that was eventually resolved.

During sentencing proceedings, prosecutor J.P. Cooney stated that Bannon decided to “thumb his nose at Congress.” Cooney emphasized that Bannon “is not above the law, and that’s what makes this case important.”

Following the Supreme Court’s June 2024 rejection of Bannon’s attempt to avoid prison during his appeal, he completed a four-month term at a minimum-security federal facility in Danbury, Connecticut. His release occurred one week prior to Trump’s electoral victory over Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024.

Bannon portrayed himself as a political prisoner and declared to media upon his release, “I am far from broken. I have been empowered by my four months at Danbury federal prison.” He subsequently returned to hosting his “War Room” podcast.

A controversial figure, Bannon helped shape the “America First” right-wing populist movement and strong anti-immigration stance that has characterized Trump’s political agenda. He has been influential in conservative media and has supported right-wing movements and candidates both domestically and internationally.

House committee records indicate that Bannon communicated with Trump at least twice the day before the January 6th incident, participated in a strategy session at a Washington hotel, and declared on his podcast that “all hell is going to break loose tomorrow.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld Bannon’s conviction in 2024, leading to his Supreme Court appeal.

Bannon’s legal team has presented multiple arguments challenging the subpoena, including matters concerning executive privilege—a legal doctrine allowing presidents to maintain confidentiality of certain communications—and the congressional committee’s power to issue subpoenas.

Bannon has encountered additional legal troubles. In February 2025, he entered a guilty plea in New York state court to fraud charges after prosecutors alleged he misled donors in a 2019 private fundraising effort for Trump’s border wall project. He avoided incarceration in that matter.

Trump granted Bannon a pardon in 2021 following his federal indictment on charges also connected to the border wall fundraising scheme.

Federal nuclear regulators have decided to eliminate government-controlled security testing at nuclear power facilities across the country, sparking concerns from safety experts about weakened oversight during a period of increased infrastructure threats.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced on Friday that it will discontinue its “force-on-force” inspection programs, which involved simulated commando-style raids designed to test vulnerabilities at nuclear facilities under direct agency supervision.

These government-controlled security assessments have been conducted since 1991, with Congress expanding the requirements following the September 11 terrorist attacks to mandate testing at all nuclear facilities every three years.

The decision comes as President Donald Trump’s administration pressures the NRC to rapidly approve permits for expanding U.S. nuclear capacity to 400 gigawatts by 2050, a four-fold increase aimed at meeting growing electricity demands from artificial intelligence, data centers, electric vehicles, and cryptocurrency operations.

Edwin Lyman, a nuclear physicist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, expressed alarm about the timing of this policy change given current security concerns, including threats related to ongoing conflicts involving Iran.

Lyman criticized the new approach, describing it as a “dog-and-pony show, akin to a professional wrestling match, in which the NRC will only be allowed to passively observe exercises staged entirely by the plant managers and personnel.”

Nuclear regulators defended their decision, stating that the policy update “reflects the strong safety and security already in place at U.S. nuclear plants.” The commission indicated that agency-controlled drills will continue until 2028, after which facilities will manage their own exercises under independent regulatory observation.

According to Lyman, these modifications make it doubtful that the program will meet congressional requirements designed to prevent conflicts of interest in security assessments.

The NRC countered that switching from a pass/fail evaluation system to a training-centered model means “potential conflict of interest concerns are significantly reduced.”

Two Democratic members of Congress recently completed a groundbreaking trip to Cuba, becoming the first legislative delegation to visit the Caribbean nation this year as tensions between Washington and Havana reach new heights under President Trump’s aggressive policies.

Representatives Pramila Jayapal, a prominent progressive Democrat, and Jonathan Jackson, who has long focused on Cuban affairs, concluded their five-day mission on Sunday after witnessing what they described as widespread hardship caused by the Trump administration’s energy restrictions.

The pair characterized their visit as an effort to “see the suffering that is happening on the ground” due to what they termed “an illegal blockade of energy supplies” implemented by the current administration in an attempt to pressure Cuba’s communist leadership.

Speaking to journalists at a private guesthouse near Havana’s coastline, Jackson emphasized the severity of the situation facing the island nation located just 90 miles from American shores.

“This is the most sanctioned part of Planet Earth right now, just 90 miles off our shores,” Jackson stated. “Let´s bring the rhetoric down. People are suffering. And they are suffering for no good reason.”

The congressional visit occurs during an exceptionally strained period in U.S.-Cuba relations, with the Trump administration implementing sweeping measures including restrictions on money transfers to Cuba, threats of penalties against nations supplying oil to the island, and Cuba’s placement on the terrorism sponsor list.

During their stay, the lawmakers held discussions with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, members of Cuba’s legislature, and senior foreign ministry officials. Both countries have confirmed preliminary conversations are underway, though specific details remain largely confidential.

Following her meetings with Cuban leadership, Jayapal provided insight into the current state of bilateral discussions.

“There has been dialogue – the beginnings of dialogue,” Jayapal explained. “I don´t think it´s reached the state of negotiation that we were told. But I think there is a desire to ensure that there is a real negotiation…about what needs to happen in order for the situation to change.”

The representatives expressed particular concern after touring medical facilities in Havana, including cancer treatment centers and maternity wards that have faced decades of decline but experienced especially severe impacts from the current fuel restrictions.

President Trump has recently made bold statements about Cuba, claiming he anticipated having the “honor” of “taking Cuba in some form” and asserting “I can do anything I want” regarding the neighboring country.

However, despite such aggressive language, the administration allowed a Russian vessel to deliver 700,000 barrels of crucial crude oil to Cuba last week without interference.

“President Trump saw in his heart to let the Russian ship come in, whatever changed his heart we are grateful for,” Jackson observed.

The Democratic legislators also acknowledged recent positive steps taken by Cuban authorities, including an invitation for exiles to invest in island businesses, cooperation with FBI investigations into a deadly maritime incident that claimed five lives off Cuba’s northern coast, and plans to release more than 2,000 prisoners.

Jayapal viewed these developments as evidence that conditions are favorable for meaningful negotiations between the two nations.

“There are a number of things that indicate that the moment is here for us to have a real negotiation between our two countries and to reverse failed U.S. policy of decades, a Cold War era remnant, that no longer serves the American people or the Cuban people,” she said.

The congresswoman indicated that Democrats would continue advocating for legislation preventing military action against Cuba while working to eliminate what she considers ineffective sanctions.

Jackson warned that failure to reach a compromise could result in significant consequences for both nations.

“We can either help (the Cuban) people stay at home and live a healthy normal life, or there´s going to be a huge migration coming towards the United States,” Jackson predicted. “People will not simply stay here, suffer and die.”

Wisconsin residents cast ballots Tuesday in a statewide election featuring a contest for state Supreme Court justice that could shape the court’s direction for years to come.

Two Appeals Court judges are vying for the high court position: Chris Taylor, a former Democratic state lawmaker backed by the court’s four current liberal justices, and Maria Lazar, who previously worked as assistant state attorney general during Republican Scott Walker’s governorship and has conservative Justice Annette Ziegler’s endorsement.

The candidates are seeking to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Justice Rebecca Bradley, who served on the court’s conservative wing. Taylor brings legislative experience from her time as a Democratic state representative, while Lazar has support from Ziegler, who announced in March her intention not to pursue a third term in 2027.

While this election hasn’t drawn the same intense scrutiny as recent Wisconsin Supreme Court battles, the outcome remains significant. The winning candidate will serve a 10-year term and could play a crucial role in potential disputes involving the 2028 presidential election or upcoming congressional redistricting efforts in the early 2030s.

Liberal candidates have secured victories in the past three consecutive state Supreme Court elections. The court’s liberal faction achieved a 4-3 advantage in 2023 for the first time in a decade and a half when Justice Janet Protasiewicz captured a previously conservative-held position. Justice Susan Crawford’s successful campaign in 2025 maintained that liberal edge, despite millions in spending by Elon Musk and affiliated organizations supporting her conservative opponent.

Wisconsin’s electoral patterns typically show Democrats performing strongly in densely populated Milwaukee and Dane counties, where Madison is located, while Republicans dominate in smaller rural areas across much of the state. Republican hopefuls often depend on solid performances in the “WOW” counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington near Milwaukee to offset Democratic urban advantages.

During the 2024 presidential race, Kamala Harris captured 68% of Milwaukee County votes and 75% in Dane County but still lost Wisconsin overall. By contrast, both Protasiewicz and Crawford achieved even stronger showings in those areas during their successful campaigns, earning 73% and 75% respectively in Milwaukee County and 82% each in Dane County, leading to comfortable statewide victories.

Both justices also prevailed in more than 10 swing counties that supported Trump in 2024, including Brown County, home to Green Bay, which Trump has carried in all three of his presidential campaigns.

Meanwhile, Waukesha is experiencing its first open mayoral contest in two decades. Common Council President Alicia Halvensleben faces state Representative Scott Allen to succeed Mayor Shawn Reilly, who decided against seeking a fourth term. Allen has established himself as one of the Legislature’s most conservative Republicans since taking office in 2014, while the Waukesha County Democratic Party has thrown its support behind Halvensleben.

Reilly, who operates as an independent after departing the Republican Party following the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, has given his endorsement to Halvensleben.

Polling locations remain open until 8 p.m. local time, or 9 p.m. Eastern. Wisconsin’s spring election is open to all registered voters in the state, with approximately 3.6 million active registered voters among roughly 4.5 million eligible voting-age adults as of April 1.

The 2025 spring Supreme Court election drew nearly 2.4 million votes, representing about 62% of registered voters, with 29% casting ballots before election day. Early voting numbers show nearly 281,000 ballots had already been submitted by Friday.

Vote counting and reporting procedures vary across Wisconsin counties, with some releasing early and absentee results immediately after polls close while others provide updates throughout the evening alongside same-day voting tallies.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Escalating home electricity costs and debates over data center development are transforming typically overlooked elections for utility oversight positions — the boards that oversee power plant construction and transmission lines, then charge consumers for those expenses.

These conflicts took center stage in last year’s electoral contests across Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia, and are now spreading to Arizona and Alabama, where previously quiet races have evolved into heated political battles.

National organizations such as Turning Point Action — primarily recognized for mobilizing young conservative voters for President Donald Trump — are now participating through door-to-door campaigns and text messaging efforts. The group aims to limit environmental advocates’ control over the Phoenix-area Salt River Project, America’s largest public utility, in Tuesday’s voting.

These disputes signal upcoming campaigns throughout the year, as at least six states will conduct elections for utility oversight positions. Georgia is among them, where another intensely competitive race is expected.

This increased focus is bringing the typically private politics of elected utility commissioners — historically controlled by influential insiders or monopolistic corporations, according to critics — into a heated national discussion about powering artificial intelligence while preventing electricity cost increases.

“And that means suddenly there’s all this pressure,” stated Dave Pomerantz from the Energy and Policy Institute, an organization advocating for affordable utility rates and renewable energy adoption.

For Tuesday’s Salt River Project control election, early ballot requests have exceeded the previous election by more than triple. Campaign signs line neighborhood intersections while property owners — land ownership is required for voting eligibility — receive text messages, promotional materials and personal visits from campaigners.

The utility already faces demands to decrease dependence on fossil fuels including coal and natural gas that release climate-warming emissions. However, campaign groups are now focusing on this race as the rapidly expanding Phoenix region attracts data centers and semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The utility estimates needing to double its generating capacity over the next ten years.

Two competing candidate groups are seeking board control. Turning Point Action supports one faction opposing “radical environmentalists.” The Jane Fonda Climate PAC backs the other, fighting against “oil-loving candidates.” Additional participants include local progressive organizations, energy companies, construction businesses and data center developers.

“If they want to just overnight switch us to solar, there’s a reliability issue, there’s a cost issue there, and we just can’t keep up,” explained Jimmy Lindblom, a construction industry executive who established the business-supported Arizonans for Responsible Growth. “We’d have blackouts. And so these things are really important to the growth of Arizona.”

Turning Point Action is supporting the Arizonans for Responsible Growth candidates while using this election to generate enthusiasm before this year’s midterm elections in the competitive state.

The opposing “clean energy” candidates claim Salt River Project’s current leadership too readily approves natural gas connections, increases rates and welcomes data centers. They also argue the board dismisses clean energy solutions for meeting rising demand and provides no solar panel installation incentives.

“It’s insane, especially now,” commented Randy Miller, a clean energy supporter serving on SRP’s board.

Approximately twelve supporters met at Tempe park picnic tables last week, gathering at sunset to contact voters who requested but hadn’t returned ballots. Following a brief motivational speech, they dispersed throughout the area.

Several voters expressed concern about Turning Point’s participation.

“Very, very, very troublesome,” said Laura Kajfez, a 66-year-old Tempe retiree. “We don’t need that intervention in our local politics. We have enough problems as it is.”

Previous elections averaged 7,500 submitted ballots. By Thursday, with five voting days remaining, participation had already exceeded 22,000, according to SRP data.

Salt River Project board campaigning presents unique challenges. The utility serves over 2 million electricity and water customers under complicated regulations. Most position votes are weighted by land acreage, giving large property owners disproportionate influence.

In heavily Republican Alabama, concerns over increasing power costs are affecting state legislature discussions and campaign activities, driving efforts to restructure the Alabama Public Service Commission. Alabama maintains some of the South’s highest electricity rates, based on U.S. Energy Information Administration data.

State legislators this week approved commission restructuring, essentially transferring additional authority to the governor. Advocates described this as addressing affordability concerns. However, it precedes this year’s elections, which some candidates want to focus on electricity pricing — similar to how Georgia Democrats achieved decisive victories in two state commission races in 2025.

Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones, running as a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, characterized the legislation as a “first-rate con job” targeting voters.

“Republicans in the Alabama Legislature want to completely revamp the PSC because all of the sudden after two wins in Georgia, they realize that maybe the people don’t like what’s going on with the PSC,” Jones posted on social media.

The signed legislation from Governor Kay Ivey expands the three-member commission to seven elected positions. The governor will initially appoint four new members. Additionally, utilities cannot increase retail base rates until 2029.

Republican legislative leadership described the bill as significant consumer protection progress.

“The Alabama Legislature passed HB475 to put a freeze on electric rates and to give the people of Alabama broader representation on the Public Service Commission,” Ivey stated. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter and Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger jointly announced that lawmakers “stood united to reform how utilities are regulated and demand an unprecedented amount of accountability for consumers across the state.”

Two current commission seats face election this year, with Republican incumbents confronting both primary challengers and Democratic opponents campaigning on affordability messages.

Democrats reference Georgia’s election as a blueprint for party success, even in GOP-controlled states like Alabama.

“What happened in Georgia could happen in Alabama,” noted Tabitha Isner, Alabama Democratic Party vice chair. “That’s why the alarm bells are going off and so much money is being poured into maintaining the status quo.”

Voters in northwest Georgia will head to polling stations Tuesday to select their next congressional representative, filling the vacancy created when Marjorie Taylor Greene stepped down from her House seat following tensions with President Donald Trump three months ago.

This special runoff election represents the second opportunity in less than 30 days for constituents in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District to choose their Washington representative. The initial special election held March 10 featured 17 candidates, but since no contender secured a majority, the top two finishers advanced to Tuesday’s decisive contest.

The results will have immediate implications for the precarious power structure in the narrowly divided House of Representatives, where Republicans maintain a slim 217-214 advantage. One additional seat belongs to a former GOP member who switched to independent status in March, with two seats currently unfilled.

In the initial Georgia special election, which featured all candidates on a single ballot regardless of party, Democrat Shawn Harris captured the highest vote total. Harris narrowly outpaced Republican Clay Fuller by approximately 2 percentage points, benefiting from the fact that Republican support was distributed among a dozen GOP contenders.

Harris, a former Army brigadier general, previously challenged Greene unsuccessfully in the 2024 general election. Fuller serves as a district attorney and has secured Trump’s backing. Both candidates are simultaneously pursuing their respective party nominations for a complete term in the May 19 primary, looking ahead to November’s midterm contests.

Historically, this congressional district has demonstrated strong Republican preferences in general elections. Trump secured the district in 2024 with 68% support. The 37% that Harris obtained in March represented a slight improvement over the approximately 36% he earned in his direct competition against Greene in 2024.

Harris managed to increase his vote percentage in nine of the district’s ten counties compared to 2024. He also exceeded former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential performance across all ten counties. However, winning the seat requires him to substantially exceed the mid-30% range that Democrats have typically achieved in recent district-wide general elections.

His strongest showings in the special election occurred in Cobb and Paulding counties, the two most densely populated metro Atlanta counties within the northwest Georgia district. Nevertheless, Greene carried every county in that election year.

Harris faced minimal Democratic competition in the special election and accumulated $6.4 million in campaign funds, significantly outpacing Fuller’s approximately $1.3 million. Campaign finance reports from March 18 showed Harris maintaining about $745,000 in available funds, while Fuller had roughly $53,000 remaining.

Trump’s support should provide Fuller with an advantage, given that the president’s district performance exceeded Greene’s numbers. However, special election participation typically falls well below presidential election levels, and runoff contests generally see even lower voter engagement.

Georgia will conduct additional runoff elections Tuesday for state Senate District 53 and state House District 94. Republicans maintain control of both General Assembly chambers, and these special runoff outcomes will not challenge their majorities.

Georgia law does not mandate automatic recounts, though losing candidates may request one if the final margin equals 0.5% or less of total votes cast.

Polling locations will remain open until 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday.

All registered voters within their respective districts may participate in the special runoff election, regardless of whether they cast ballots in the March 10 special election.

Current registration figures show approximately 571,000 total registered voters in the 14th Congressional District, including roughly 524,000 active voters. Georgia does not require party registration.

The March 10 House special election drew about 116,000 votes, with roughly 52% cast prior to Election Day. As of Friday, nearly 47,000 ballots had already been submitted for the House special runoff.

During the March 10 special election, initial results appeared at 7:05 p.m. Eastern Time, five minutes after poll closure. The final vote update came from Paulding County at 9:51 p.m. Eastern Time with approximately 99.9% of votes tallied.

All ten counties in the 14th Congressional District typically report some or all absentee ballot results in their first vote update. Four counties, including the two largest – Paulding and Cobb – also usually include complete early voting results in their initial reports. Since 2020, Democrats have shown greater tendency to vote early or by mail, potentially giving Democratic candidates initial leads in vote counts until Election Day ballots are processed.

Following Tuesday’s outcome, this congressional seat will be contested again in 210 days during the 2026 midterm elections.

MIAMI – The Republican Party’s solid backing from Cuban and Venezuelan communities in South Florida faces potential erosion as the 2026 midterm elections approach, creating opportunities for Democratic gains in what has been a GOP fortress.

Economic struggles, rising costs of living, and President Donald Trump’s strict immigration enforcement are creating friction with many Latino voters, according to interviews with approximately 50 business leaders, politicians from both parties, and community members who spoke with Reuters.

The upcoming midterm elections could reveal weakening GOP support among South Florida’s Latino population, the same group whose conservative shift helped Republicans capture Miami-Dade County in 2024’s presidential race for the first time in over thirty years. Democratic success in building Latino coalitions could have lasting effects beyond 2026, party officials believe.

“I think there is a tremendous opportunity for the Democratic Party to make inroads,” said Marta Arnold, 80, who fled the Cuban Revolution with her family the night Fidel Castro took power on January 1, 1959, and who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 as an independent.

Recent Democratic victories have boosted party confidence: Emily Gregory captured a Florida House seat in March representing an area including Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, despite Trump winning that district by 11 points in 2024. Additionally, Democrat Eileen Higgins defeated Trump-endorsed candidate Emilio Gonzalez by 19 points in December’s Miami mayoral contest.

However, Democrats face significant challenges convincing committed Republican supporters to switch allegiances, based on interviews with over a dozen GOP voters, party insiders, and Miami community leaders.

“There’s a 50-50 chance now,” said Juan “Big Papa” Cardona, operator of D’Asis Guayaberas, on Calle Ocho in the heart of Little Havana in Miami. Cardona, who’s Puerto Rican, has heckled and joked with tourists outside the quaint but vibrant store selling traditional Latin American men’s shirts for more than 20 years.

While still early in campaign season, Democratic candidates have increased voter outreach through community meetings, door-to-door canvassing, and public rallies. Florida’s primary is scheduled for August 18, and Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin has allocated resources for voter mobilization and registration drives, according to Millie Herrera, a Florida DNC member.

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT CREATES CONCERNS

The current administration’s tough immigration stance may pose the biggest challenge for Republicans, Arnold explained, since in a region home to over 250,000 Venezuelans and 1.2 million Cubans according to Pew Research Center data, virtually everyone knows someone who has been “torn away” from their community.

During 2025, the Trump administration deported at least 1,379 Cubans directly to Cuba through deportation flights and sent at least 3,753 Cubans to Mexico via land border crossings, according to Human Rights First, a nonpartisan advocacy organization tracking immigration enforcement.

“That’s a very big mistake,” said U.S. Representative María Elvira Salazar, a Republican whose district includes most of Miami-Dade County.

The administration’s aggressive approach to rounding up undocumented immigrants could cost Republicans the midterm elections without a “course correct,” she warned, an acknowledgment echoed by party leadership.

This situation could also threaten Salazar’s own seat, according to Dario Moreno, an associate professor of politics at Florida International University. Among all area congressional contests, Salazar faces the greatest vulnerability, he noted.

Salazar won Florida’s 27th Congressional District in 2020 by defeating Democratic Representative Donna Shalala, who had claimed the seat two years prior when longtime Republican incumbent Ileana Ros-Lehtinen stepped down. Salazar secured victory by roughly 20 percentage points over her challenger in 2024.

Salazar is promoting her signature DIGNIDAD Act, comprehensive immigration reform legislation with nearly 40 bipartisan co-sponsors, as key to her reelection strategy.

However, the proposal faces significant political obstacles and an uncertain path to becoming law, according to analysis from Greenberg Traurig’s Immigration and Compliance Practice.

National Republican leadership dismisses concerns about South Florida. “Republicans have earned and will continue to earn Latino voters’ support by focusing on what matters most to working families in Florida: lowering the cost of living, safe neighborhoods, good schools, and a secure border,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez stated.

Nevertheless, with one of the smallest congressional majorities in recent memory, a few competitive races could determine Washington’s balance of power.

TRUMP’S DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN POLICY IMPACT

Many Cuban American voters maintain loyalty to Trump, who has intensified pressure on Cuba’s communist leadership and spoken openly about regime change. Luis Medina, 78, a member of the historic Domino Park club in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, expressed unwavering Trump support.

Medina immigrated to the United States 26 years ago, became a citizen soon after, and voted for Trump in all three elections. As dominoes clicked and tumbled on surrounding tables, fellow players looked over and nodded approvingly as he spoke.

Trump’s Venezuela actions have also pleased many exiles. When President Nicolas Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in January, Venezuelan diaspora communities worldwide celebrated with dancing and parties, hoping authoritarianism would end with Maduro’s imprisonment.

But when Trump publicly stated his Venezuela interest focused on the country’s oil resources rather than regime change, doubts emerged for Venezuelan Americans like Gustavo Grossmann, a former HBO executive and longtime Miami resident.

Grossmann, who supported Trump in recent elections, initially felt relief at Maduro’s capture and expected political transformation. However, with Maduro’s government structure remaining intact, his hopes have diminished as the “comprehensive” changes he anticipated haven’t occurred.

For many residents, Trump’s domestic policies carry greater weight. In Trump’s second term’s first year, over two-thirds of Latinos reported their situation had deteriorated, while approximately 80% believed Trump’s policies harmed rather than helped Latino communities, according to a November Pew Research Center survey.

Manuel Carranque, 56, a Venezuelan American South Florida resident, considers Trump’s immigration crackdown morally wrong, particularly following two American citizens’ deaths at immigration enforcement officers’ hands in Minneapolis. “I think Republicans are going to lose the midterms,” said Carranque, vice president of international markets for vegetable oils at StoneX, a global financial services company.

Martha Arias encounters the same message weekly from Cuban American families at her immigration law practice: “I never thought this would happen to me,” most tell her regarding detained and deported family members.

Last year marked Arias’s busiest period as a partner at Arias Villa Law PLLC during nearly 30 years practicing immigration law in Miami.

Cuban Americans seeking Arias’s assistance for family members in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention repeatedly share identical sentiments: “I regret my vote.”

Former President Donald Trump announced his backing Monday for Steve Hilton, a Fox News host and former British political strategist, who is seeking the California governorship.

The dual-citizen candidate previously worked as strategy director for former UK Prime Minister David Cameron and was among his inner circle of advisors until departing from Downing Street in 2012 to relocate to California.

“I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years … With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before! Steve Hilton has my COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT,” Trump declared on his Truth Social platform.

California’s electoral system allows the two candidates receiving the most votes in the June 2 primary to proceed to the general election in November, without regard to political party affiliation.

Current polling indicates Republican contenders Hilton and Chad Bianco, who serves as Riverside County sheriff, are running neck-and-neck with three Democratic hopefuls: Congressman Eric Swalwell, former Congresswoman Katie Porter, and wealthy activist Tom Steyer.

Both Hilton and Bianco have aligned themselves with Trump while emphasizing California-centered concerns including public safety and tax burdens in their campaign messaging.

Current Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who assumed office in 2019, faces term limits that prevent him from seeking reelection.

The state has not elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger completed his tenure in 2011 after serving from 2003.

President Donald Trump and members of his administration faced criticism Sunday after describing the successful rescue of an American airman in Iran using religious language, calling the military operation an “Easter miracle.”

The religious framing of the rescue mission represents a departure from traditional holiday messaging by government officials, with critics arguing that blending faith-based language with military policy crosses important boundaries.

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump declared: “The rescue was an Easter Miracle.” Several cabinet officials echoed similar religious themes in their own statements about the operation.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent connected the rescue to Easter’s religious significance in a post on X, stating: “The Easter miracle is considered the greatest victory in history. And so, it (is) fitting on this holiest of Christian days that a brave American warrior was rescued from behind enemy lines in one of the greatest search and rescue missions in military history.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also shared religious sentiment, posting “God is good” on his personal X account while sharing Trump’s message about the successful Iran mission.

According to Axios, which cited an interview with Trump and an unnamed defense official, “God is good” were the exact words the rescued pilot radioed after ejecting from his aircraft.

Trump also posted a controversial social media message that combined religious references with military threats, warning Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on infrastructure, calling Iranian leaders “you crazy bastards” who would be “living in Hell,” and ending with “Praise be to Allah.”

The religious rhetoric drew sharp rebukes from multiple quarters. Former Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized Trump on X, arguing that Christians in the administration should focus on “pursuing peace” rather than “escalating war,” emphasizing that Jesus taught forgiveness and love for enemies.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Trump’s language in a statement, describing his “mocking of Islam and his threats to attack civilian infrastructure” as reckless and dangerous. CAIR said using “Praise be to Allah” alongside violent threats showed contempt for Muslim beliefs.

Trump previously invoked divine intervention regarding his own survival, stating at his 2025 inauguration that God saved him from an assassination attempt during the 2024 campaign. “I felt then and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again,” he said.

Last month, thirty Democratic lawmakers requested that Defense Department Inspector General Platte Moring investigate reports of military personnel using “biblical end-time prophecies” to justify the Iran war.

“At a time when billions of dollars and untold numbers of lives hang in the balance while the Trump administration wages a war of choice in Iran, the imperative of maintaining strict separation of church and state and protecting the religious freedom of our troops is especially critical,” the lawmakers wrote.

“We must ensure that military operations are guided by facts and the law, not end-times prophecy and extreme religious beliefs,” their letter continued.

Iran’s government, which bases its political system on Shia Islamic beliefs about religious authority stemming from descendants of the Prophet Mohammad, regularly uses religious language in its own military messaging, calling the United States “the Great Satan” and describing killed fighters as martyrs.

Several federal agencies under the Trump administration took an unusually direct approach to marking Easter Sunday, posting messages about Christ’s resurrection on their official social media platforms.

Both the Department of Homeland Security and State Department proclaimed “He is risen” in their Easter posts.

The Defense Department amplified a message from Secretary Pete Hegseth on X, which stated: “The tomb is empty. The promise is fulfilled. Through His sacrifice, we are redeemed. We stand firm in faith, courage, and truth.”

The Justice Department also participated, writing on X: “Today, as millions of Christians gather in their churches across the nation to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, this Department —- is proud to protect and defend religious liberty.”

The messages generated thousands of responses from social media users. While some praised the agencies for openly expressing Christian beliefs, others criticized the government for appearing to endorse a specific religion’s teachings.

Secretary Hegseth regularly references his evangelical beliefs in his role leading the military, framing America as a Christian nation using armed force against its adversaries.

Just last week, Hegseth conducted his first monthly Christian service at the Pentagon since the Iran conflict started.

During the livestreamed ceremony, Hegseth offered this prayer: “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation. Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”

President Trump’s Good Friday statement made only subtle references to the Iran situation.

“From the Christian patriots who won and secured our liberty on the battlefield and every generation since, the love of Christ has unfailingly guided our Nation through calm waters and dark storms,” Trump stated.

However, his Easter Sunday message took a more aggressive tone. In a post containing profanity on Truth Social, he gave Iran an ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday, warning “or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a national advocacy organization, condemned Trump’s “deranged mocking of Islam.”

Religious expressions are commonplace in American politics across party lines and faith traditions. Pentagon officials and supporters of Hegseth point to historical precedents, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s backing of Bible distribution to military personnel.

However, the longstanding practice among presidents and their administrations has been to respect the constitutional principle separating church and state, avoiding clear favoritism toward any particular faith.

Previous presidents have varied in their Easter messaging approaches. Republican President George W. Bush specifically acknowledged Christ’s resurrection in his 2003 Easter statement. Both Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrat Barack Obama occasionally issued combined Easter and Passover recognitions.

Former President Donald Trump indicated during a weekend television interview that an agreement with Iran could potentially be finalized by Monday, according to Fox News reporting on Sunday.

During his conversation with the network, Trump suggested that Iran is currently engaged in active negotiations, raising the possibility of a near-term diplomatic breakthrough.

Former President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform Sunday that the United States plans to strike Iranian infrastructure facilities this week.

In his social media post, Trump declared that “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.”

The announcement suggests coordinated strikes targeting both energy facilities and transportation infrastructure within Iran are planned for Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — Federal authorities launched an investigation Sunday following overnight reports of shots fired in the vicinity of Lafayette Park, positioned directly across from the White House.

The Secret Service confirmed that no one was injured and officers discovered no gunman following an extensive sweep of the park and nearby areas conducted after midnight, according to an agency statement released online.

President Donald Trump was at the White House over the weekend. The administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the incident. While White House functions continued without disruption, security measures in the surrounding area were heightened, the Secret Service confirmed.

Lafayette Park has been closed to the public for several weeks due to ongoing renovation work.

Federal agents are coordinating their investigation with both D.C. Metropolitan Police and U.S. Park Police, the Secret Service announced.

KITTERY, Maine — A Democratic Senate hopeful in Maine is taking an unusual approach to campaigning, turning his controversial background into trivia questions at community events.

Graham Platner, a 41-year-old oyster farmer seeking his first elected office, recently held a campaign trivia night where supporters answered questions about his past controversies, including a tattoo he received during military service that resembled a Nazi symbol.

“What was the nature of the controversy of Graham’s tattoo he received while in the Marines?” an event host asked participants at a local community center.

“It was claimed to be a Neo-Nazi tattoo (totenkopf),” came the response.

The military veteran is challenging incumbent Governor Janet Mills, 78, in the June 9 Democratic primary. The winner will face five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins, 73, in a contest that could influence which party controls the Senate.

“Graham Platner’s campaign gave me a place to put my energy in a positive way,” said Beth Knight, a 63-year-old educator who participated in the Kittery trivia event. “I believe he has a true redemption story.”

Attendees enjoyed refreshments while listening to music from Dropkick Murphys, a Boston punk group favored by Platner. Many demonstrated detailed knowledge about the previously unknown candidate, from his pet’s name to his former workplace in Washington, D.C.

One trivia question asked participants to identify what makes Platner the strongest candidate against Collins. While “he is handsome and has a deep voice” was listed as an option, the designated correct response was “he has grown as an individual and is honest.”

Mills, currently serving her second gubernatorial term, has backing from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other party officials who consider supporting an unproven candidate like Platner too dangerous. Maine’s aging electorate typically favors politicians known for moderate positions.

However, Platner has energized certain supporters with his anti-establishment messaging that his team believes could lead to victory.

“What specific group did Graham identify as the primary enemy in his campaign launch video?” the trivia host inquired. The answer was “the oligarchy and the billionaires.”

While Platner focuses his platform on cost-of-living concerns including housing and healthcare, media attention has largely concentrated on his troubled history. He continues facing scrutiny over the skull-and-crossbones tattoo that resembled Nazi imagery, which he claims he obtained during a drinking episode while on military leave in Croatia.

Platner maintains he didn’t understand the image’s Nazi connections at the time and has since had it covered with a different design. Additional concerns have emerged regarding inflammatory statements in previous online posts, which he has rejected. Recently, questions arose about his appearance on a podcast hosted by Nate Cornacchia, a former Green Beret facing antisemitism accusations.

Despite ongoing controversies, Platner continues drawing crowds to theaters, community centers, and rallies. Between his August campaign launch and late March, Platner conducted 50 town halls across Maine. His campaign claims Mills and Collins held zero such events.

His activities range from standard voter outreach and volunteer training to brewery happy hours and sign-making sessions before No Kings demonstrations. This extensive presence has boosted Platner’s recognition. During the recent Kittery trivia night, Platner simultaneously held a town hall more than 350 miles north in Fort Kent.

“He’s bringing an energy of wanting to create something in this race, win or lose. He wants to create a lasting connection in communities where people can get together and can actually talk to their neighbors face to face again,” said Megan Smith, a community organizer with the Maine People’s Alliance, which has endorsed Platner.

Both the Mills and Collins campaigns disputed claims that Platner offers better voter access, citing their candidates’ demanding schedules as current officeholders.

“As the only Democrat to have won statewide in 20 years, voters trust Janet Mills, they know she is the only candidate who has delivered progress for Maine people, and they see her leading our state every single day,” Mills campaign spokesperson Tommy Garcia stated.

Collins spokesperson Blake Kernen noted that “town halls are often organized by partisan or dark money groups.”

“She prefers smaller group meetings, rather than holding town halls where very few people get to speak, and the level of civility is often not that high,” Kernen explained.

Since entering the race in August, Platner has dramatically outspent Mills on advertising, investing $4.8 million compared to Mills’ $1.5 million according to AdImpact analysis.

The increased spending coincides with campaign escalation as the primary approaches. Mills recently released a video featuring women reading Platner’s old social media posts that minimized sexual assault.

Platner’s supporters seem unconcerned about heightened scrutiny, arguing that Democrats increasingly accept candidates who acknowledge past errors while demonstrating personal growth.

“In this environment, you know, where we have people like Donald Trump in public office who have done terrible things, there is more appetite in the Democratic Party to have people that are not just purely polished and have been on an election track their whole lives,” said Senator Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat endorsing Platner.

Smith, the community organizer, noted some voters resent assumptions that outsiders like Schumer understand Maine better than residents.

“Mainers are kind of stubborn and we don’t like to be told what to do,” she observed. “They’re not thrilled to have D.C. Democrats weighing in on our primaries.”

Nevertheless, Platner must overcome historical patterns to defeat Mills.

“Historically, there’s been an inclination of Democratic primary voters in Maine to pick the known candidate,” explained Michael Franz, a government professor at Bowdoin College. “Oftentimes, that is an older candidate who’s been in office for a while.”

Franz characterized Platner as “a high-risk, high-reward type of candidate.”

“He might end up being the new national figure that captures everyone’s attention if he’s elected to the Senate,” Franz said. “Or he might just be the candidate that everyone thought could come out of nowhere but ended up only getting 42% of the vote.”

A father in Chicago is seeking justice after his 3-year-old daughter allegedly endured sexual abuse while spending five months in federal immigration custody, according to a new lawsuit.

The legal permanent U.S. resident waited desperately for his toddler’s release after she and her mother crossed the border near El Paso in September. Only after turning to the courts did he discover the horrific truth about what happened to his daughter in a Texas foster home.

“She was so long in there,” the father told reporters, speaking anonymously to protect his daughter’s identity. “I just think that if they would have moved faster, nothing like that would have happened.”

The case highlights how new Trump administration policies have dramatically extended detention periods for immigrant children. Average custody times have skyrocketed from 37 days when Trump took office to nearly 200 days by February.

Immigration officials separated the mother and daughter after the mother faced charges for false statements. The child was then placed with the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which oversees care for immigrant minors in shelters and foster homes.

For months, the father’s reunion efforts hit roadblock after roadblock as officials claimed they couldn’t schedule his fingerprinting appointment.

During this extended separation, court records reveal the girl reported being sexually abused multiple times by an older child in the Harlingen, Texas foster home. A caregiver discovered the girl’s underwear was backwards and noticed bleeding, prompting the child to disclose the repeated abuse.

Federal officials only told the father there had been an “accident” requiring medical examination.

“I asked them, ‘What happened? I want to know. I’m her father. I want to know what’s going on,’ and they just told me that they couldn’t give me more information, that it was under investigation,” he recalled.

The girl underwent forensic examination and interviews. While the father wasn’t informed of results, the accused older child was removed from the foster program. Local law enforcement received reports of the alleged abuse.

“To have your child abused while in the government’s care, to not understand what has happened or how to protect them, to not even be told about the abuse, it is unimaginable,” said Lauren Fisher Flores, the girl’s attorney. “Children deserve safety and they belong with their parents.”

The lawsuit names the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the Department of Health and Human Services, neither of which responded to requests for comment.

New Trump administration rules have created additional barriers for sponsors seeking to retrieve children. Enhanced documentation requirements, pressure on unaccompanied minors to self-deport, and ICE arrests of sponsors during the release process have all contributed to longer separations.

Legal advocates have increasingly filed emergency habeas corpus petitions to force quicker releases. Fisher Flores, who directs the American Bar Association’s ProBar project, said her organization has handled eight such emergency cases this year for children held an average of 225 days—a type of petition they never needed before this administration.

Legal intervention finally broke the logjam in February, prompting officials to schedule the father’s fingerprinting, home visit, and DNA testing. But even then, officials provided no release timeline.

Only after attorneys filed the emergency court petition did officials release the girl two days later. It was during lawsuit preparation that the father learned the “accident” was actually alleged sexual abuse.

“Increasingly, we have to turn to the federal courts to challenge these harmful legal violations and demand that children be released,” Fisher Flores explained.

Neha Desai from the National Center for Youth Law called the case “yet another version of family separation.”

“A bipartisan Congress designed protections around the simple principle that children should be released to their family quickly and safely. This administration has been consistently flouting its legal obligations to release children to their families, profoundly jeopardizing children’s health and well-being,” Desai stated.

When father and daughter finally reunited, both cried with joy. However, the five-month separation left lasting impacts. The father noticed his daughter now suffers nightmares and becomes easily upset—behaviors she never displayed before.

The family currently lives in Chicago with the girl’s grandparents while navigating immigration court proceedings.

WASHINGTON — Federal lawyers representing the Trump administration are warning that a recent court decision stopping work on a $400 million White House ballroom poses serious security threats as they petition an appeals court to reverse the ruling.

National Park Service attorneys filed paperwork Friday claiming the federal judge’s construction suspension order creates “threatening grave national-security harms to the White House, the President and his family, and the President’s staff.”

“Time is of the essence!” the legal team emphasized, pointing to specialized materials needed for what they describe as a “heavily fortified” venue. According to court documents, the ballroom project encompasses bomb shelters, military installations and medical facilities as part of President Donald Trump’s broader Washington renovation agenda.

Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon issued a temporary construction freeze on the project, which has involved tearing down the White House East Wing. Leon determined that without Congressional authorization, the preservation organization challenging the work would likely prevail because “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”

The judge provided a 14-day grace period before his order takes effect, anticipating an administrative appeal.

Leon’s decision coincided with final project approval from a regional federal construction oversight agency.

The judge, appointed during George W. Bush’s presidency, acknowledged in his ruling that “halting an ongoing construction project may raise logistical issues” when he granted the temporary delay.

Regarding security concerns, Leon reviewed classified government materials and determined that stopping construction would not compromise national security. His injunction specifically excludes any work essential for White House safety and protection.

Trump criticized the ruling while noting it permits continued work on underground bunkers and other security enhancements around the White House complex — funded by taxpayers. The president has promised that he and private contributors will finance the ballroom construction.

However, National Park Service lawyers contend the president possesses “complete authority to renovate the White House” and argue the current construction zone makes White House protection more difficult.

“Canvas tents, which are necessary without a ballroom, are significantly more vulnerable to missiles, drones, and other threats than a hardened national security facility,” their legal filing states.

The administration wants the appeals court to rule on their request by Friday and seeks a two-week extension of Leon’s 14-day suspension to allow time for a potential Supreme Court appeal.

WASHINGTON — Federal officials have canceled the legal immigration status of at least four Iranian citizens who had ties to Iran’s current or previous government leadership, with two individuals now detained by immigration officers awaiting removal from the country.

These recent decisions occurred this week after Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded the individuals no longer qualified for permanent resident privileges or permission to remain in America. The moves build upon earlier actions from late last year when officials also canceled documentation for multiple diplomats and staff members working at Iran’s United Nations mission.

According to a Saturday announcement from the State Department, immigration agents arrested the niece and grand-niece of deceased Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps leader Qassem Soleimani on Friday evening following Rubio’s decision to cancel their permanent resident cards. Soleimani died in an American military strike at Baghdad’s airport during 2020.

“Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” the announcement stated, noting that Afshar’s spouse has also been prohibited from entering American territory.

According to the official statement, Afshar and her daughter had maintained an extravagant way of life in Los Angeles over many years while openly endorsing Iran’s government and attacks against Americans.

Describing her as “an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the ‘Great Satan,’” Rubio wrote on X. “The Trump administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes.”

Iran’s United Nations mission declined to provide any response on Saturday.

These two women represent the most recent Iranians whose American legal standing has been eliminated by Rubio, who also recently canceled documentation for Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, a scholar and daughter of Iran’s previous national security advisor Ali Larijani, who died in a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation last month. Officials also revoked her spouse Seyed Kalantar Motamedi’s documentation, though neither individual remains on American soil.

During early December, well ahead of widespread anti-government demonstrations in Iran and current military conflicts, the State Department canceled or refused to extend documentation for multiple Iranian diplomatic personnel, including the deputy representative and other staff at Iran’s United Nations office.

Officials confirmed Friday that these measures occurred on December 4th but refused additional details “for privacy and security reasons,” noting only that the timing was unconnected to either the demonstrations or ongoing warfare.

BOSTON — A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s initiative to gather information from universities demonstrating they are not factoring race into their admissions decisions.

U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Boston issued the preliminary injunction on Friday after 17 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging the mandate earlier this month. The court order applies only to public universities within the plaintiff states.

While Judge Saylor acknowledged the federal government probably possesses the legal power to gather this information, he criticized how the requirement was implemented, describing it as “rushed and chaotic.”

“The 120-day deadline imposed by the President led directly to the failure of NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) to engage meaningfully with the institutions during the notice-and-comment process to address the multitude of problems presented by the new requirements,” Saylor wrote.

The data collection mandate originated from President Trump’s August directive, which emerged from his concerns that higher education institutions were using personal essays and other indirect methods to factor race into admissions decisions — practices he considers unlawful discrimination.

The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision eliminated affirmative action in college admissions while allowing institutions to consider how racial experiences have influenced students’ lives when applicants discuss such matters in their application essays.

The challenging states contend this data gathering threatens student privacy and could trigger unfounded investigations into educational institutions. They further maintain that universities received insufficient time to compile the requested information.

Michelle Pascucci, representing the plaintiff states, informed the court that “The data has been sought in such a hasty and irresponsible way that it will create problems for universities,” noting the initiative appeared designed to expose illegal practices.

The Education Department has justified the program by stating taxpayers deserve transparency regarding fund usage at federally-supported institutions.

This policy mirrors settlement arrangements the government reached with Brown University and Columbia University, which restored their federal research funding. Both universities committed to providing the government with applicant, admitted student, and enrolled student data including race, GPA, and standardized test scores. The institutions also accepted government audits and agreed to publish admissions statistics publicly.

The National Center for Education Statistics was tasked with gathering comprehensive data on college applicants’, admitted students’, and enrolled students’ race and gender. Education Secretary Linda McMahon specified this information, initially due March 18, must be separated by race and gender categories and reported retroactively for seven years.

Universities failing to provide timely, complete, and accurate information face potential action from McMahon under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which establishes requirements for colleges receiving federal student financial aid.

Separately, the Trump administration has filed suit against Harvard University regarding similar data requests, claiming the institution refused to supply admissions records the Justice Department demanded to verify the school discontinued affirmative action practices. Harvard maintains it has been cooperating with government requests and complies with the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ban. On Monday, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights gave Harvard 20 days to comply with data requests or face Justice Department referral.

WASHINGTON – Federal immigration authorities have detained two relatives of the deceased Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani following the cancellation of their permanent resident status by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a State Department announcement made Saturday.

The detained individuals have been identified as Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, who is the niece of the late Iranian commander, along with her daughter, making her Soleimani’s grand-niece. Both women had previously held lawful permanent resident status in the United States.

“Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” the State Department confirmed in their official statement released after Rubio’s action to revoke their green cards.

The Trump administration is fighting to restart construction on a White House ballroom project, claiming that a federal judge’s order to halt the work creates dangerous security vulnerabilities at the executive mansion.

Administration lawyers filed an emergency appeal Friday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, arguing that U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s ruling has left the White House “open and exposed” and is “threatening grave national-security harms to the White House, the President and his family, and the President’s staff.”

Earlier this week, Leon issued an order requiring construction crews to stop work on the ballroom while a legal challenge moves forward in court. The lawsuit aims to block the $400 million construction project, which is being built where the historic East Wing once stood after it was recently torn down. Those challenging the project claim it requires congressional approval before moving ahead.

Leon, who was appointed by former Republican President George W. Bush, gave the Trump administration a 14-day window to file their appeal before his order would take effect.

In their latest filing, National Park Service attorneys argued that the federal district court does not have the constitutional power “to entertain this suit, which rests on a single pedestrian’s subjective architectural feelings.”

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization, initiated the legal battle against the construction project. The group alleges that Trump overstepped his presidential powers when he ordered the demolition of the historic East Wing and began building the new structure.

The administration’s Friday filing dismisses the Trust’s arguments as “legally baseless” and contends that “no Trust member has standing.” Government lawyers also maintain that “the President has complete authority to renovate the White House.”

The East Wing that was demolished had stood since 1902, with additions made during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s time in office in the 1940s.

This ballroom project represents one element of Trump’s larger vision to transform Washington’s historic center, which includes proposals for a 250-foot arch and modifications to the Kennedy Center.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump spoke with absolute confidence during his first live television address to the nation regarding the conflict with Iran.

“We’ve beaten and completely decimated Iran,” he declared during his Wednesday evening speech from the White House. “They are decimated both militarily and economically and in every other way.”

He continued: “Their radar is 100% annihilated. We are unstoppable as a military force.”

However, his unwavering confidence is now meeting the unpredictable realities of military conflict.

The downing of an American fighter aircraft in Iran on Friday served as a stark reminder of warfare’s inherent risks, leading to a rescue mission that successfully recovered one crew member. Iranian state television also reported that another U.S. plane was struck by their air defense systems, just days after Trump claimed Iran possessed “no anti-aircraft equipment.”

The Republican commander-in-chief, who remained out of public view Friday, faced yet another instance where his triumphant war descriptions seemed disconnected from reality.

Trump has shown astonishment at Iran’s decisions to attack neighboring Gulf states. He has found it difficult to address Iran’s actions that have largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz, creating disruptions in worldwide oil distribution and causing gasoline prices to spike across America. His attempts to gain international support for reopening this crucial shipping route have been rejected, with some allies choosing to wait until hostilities cease before addressing the situation, while others openly criticize a conflict Trump decided to begin.

Throughout his career, Trump has depended on unwavering self-assurance to navigate both business and political challenges, declaring during his 2016 presidential campaign that “I alone can fix it.” This mindset has frequently resulted in an independent approach where Trump believes only he possesses solutions to global chaos and Washington dysfunction. This presidential philosophy has justified his domestic executive actions and international tariffs affecting worldwide commerce.

However, the Iranian conflict, which he launched with Israel while bypassing other allies and Congress, presents an unprecedented challenge. For Trump, the situation has evolved beyond “America First” to America isolated, with him as the primary decision-maker.

“You can be the most assertive, aggressive president in the world but you don’t control what happens overseas,” stated Julian Zelizer, a history professor at Princeton University.

As the conflict reaches its sixth week, this truth is becoming increasingly clear. Trump dedicated much of his second term’s first year implementing trade sanctions as leverage to force other nations to comply with his demands. Now, during wartime, some longtime American partners are becoming more vocal in their opposition.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated this week that the United States “can hardly complain afterward that they are not being supported in an operation they chose to undertake alone.”

“This is not our operation,” he declared.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has maintained his position refusing involvement in the war despite intense pressure from Trump. France and the United Kingdom are spearheading initiatives to reopen the strait after fighting concludes.

Domestically, even some Republicans are emphasizing the importance of maintaining robust international partnerships. Following Trump’s threat to exit NATO this week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., indicated insufficient Senate support for such action.

“We got an awful lot of people who think that NATO is a very critical, incredibly successful post-World War II alliance,” Thune commented regarding previous Republican discussions on the matter. “I think in the world today, you need allies.”

Trump avoided mentioning NATO withdrawal during his White House remarks.

John Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term before becoming a critic, described the current administration’s failure to consult allies before entering war as a “serious mistake.”

“If you don’t build your coalition before the war, it’s pretty tough to do it while you’re in it,” Bolton explained. He faces federal charges for allegedly sharing classified information via email with family members and storing top secret documents at his Maryland residence, to which he pleaded not guilty last fall.

Bolton also warned European leaders against automatically opposing Trump due to frustration over his lack of consultation, calling such behavior “juvenile and petulant.”

Trump’s preference for independent action extends beyond military matters.

This week alone, he declared congressional approval unnecessary for a White House ballroom he wants constructed, despite a judicial ruling. He issued an executive order establishing a national registry of verified eligible voters and limiting mail-in ballot access.

In an unprecedented move for a sitting president, he attended a Supreme Court session where his administration defended an executive order limiting birthright citizenship.

Yet Trump’s independent domestic strategy is also encountering obstacles.

The Supreme Court invalidated his comprehensive tariff initiative. Democrats immediately filed court challenges to his voting executive order, and despite his courtroom appearance, the justices appeared doubtful about his attempt to eliminate constitutional birthright citizenship protections.

The ballroom situation remains unresolved.

During private remarks at a White House Easter gathering this week, Trump — always the developer — appeared to express frustration with his position’s limitations.

“I’m such a king I can’t get a ballroom approved,” he told the laughing audience of Cabinet officials and religious leaders. “I’m doing a lot. But I could be doing a lot more if I was a king.”

LOUISA, Va. (AP) — Michael Shull never thought a Democratic representative from Washington’s affluent suburbs would speak for his rural Virginia community. For over thirty years, his region of expansive farmland and curving back roads has consistently chosen Republican candidates for Congress.

Now an extraordinary national battle over redistricting has emerged, with both major parties redrawing congressional boundaries to improve their odds in this November’s midterm contests. Virginia may join this trend as residents weigh new maps that would combine conservative farming communities with progressive suburban areas, weakening Republican electoral strength.

“Politicians should be elected to be their people’s voice,” said Shull, a Republican member of Augusta County’s board of supervisors. “Not their party’s voice.”

The constitutional amendment vote takes place April 21, with early voting already underway. Should voters approve the referendum and it withstands legal challenges, Shull’s county area would be divided between the 7th and 9th Congressional Districts. The 9th District would remain Virginia’s only Republican fortress, while the 7th District would form a lobster-like shape with its lengthy tail starting in Democratic Arlington and two arms extending south into farming regions.

Congressional boundaries typically get redrawn every ten years, but former President Donald Trump triggered a domino effect last year by pushing Texas Republicans to create new maps favoring their party in November. Following multiple redistricting initiatives, Republicans expect to gain nine additional U.S. House seats across Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, while Democrats anticipate winning six more seats in California and Utah. Virginia could provide Democrats with four extra seats — potentially enough to flip the GOP’s narrow majority.

“It’s about making sure that we fight back to what Trump’s done,” said U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va. He emphasized the party must convince voters the referendum is “not about embracing gerrymandering.”

“I feel optimistic, but it’s close,” he said.

This referendum arrives as Virginia Democrats have attempted to gain traction in farming communities. Last year, Democrat Abigail Spanberger campaigned for governor in coastal oyster villages and agricultural towns to connect with more conservative voters. Prior to that successful campaign, she had served a congressional district blending city suburbs, outer suburbs and neighboring rural areas.

“Anyone who’s doing their job will be responsive to the communities that they seek to represent,” Spanberger said.

However, her outcomes varied. In counties with smaller rural populations, she exceeded Democrat Kamala Harris’ Virginia performance in the 2024 presidential election by roughly 6 to 7 percentage points. In more agricultural counties, Spanberger improved by approximately 2 to 4 percentage points.

Democrat Anthony Flaccavento, former congressional candidate and co-founder of the nonprofit Rural Urban Bridge Initiative, feels conflicted about the referendum.

“At some level, it feels like kicking the can down the road — which is something that my party has done for a long time — when it comes to winning back rural and working-class voters,” Flaccavento said.

Rural Democrats who are weary of being consistently outvoted by Republican neighbors are supporting the redistricting proposal.

“Fight Back, Vote Yes,” read a sign at a No Kings demonstration in Louisa County. Another declared, “Vote Yes. Stop ICE. No Kings.”

State Del. Dan Helmer, who helped lead the redistricting initiative, met with demonstrators and addressed the enthusiastic crowd. Helmer is now among at least four Democrats seeking the 7th District seat.

Helmer said Republicans “think that in red areas like Louisa and in rural areas, that people don’t know what’s going on. But I’m looking around right now, I see strong, proud patriots who know exactly what is going on, who know that we have an aspiring dictator who is trying to take away our democracy.”

Jennifer Lee, a 33-year Louisa resident, expressed enthusiasm for the proposed district boundaries. Lee argued Republicans were maintaining a hypocritical stance, falsely claiming Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory was fraudulent while supporting Trump’s efforts to eliminate Democratic seats through gerrymandering.

“That’s their slogan, right? ‘Stop the steal,’” Lee said. “But they started ‘the steal.’ They’re stealing the seats now in all these districts.”

During a Democratic town hall at a rural Goochland County recreation facility, attendees enjoyed light refreshments and shared bottled water while discussing whether redistricting crossed ethical boundaries.

“I’m sorry, morality just goes out the door right now. We have to do what it takes for us to survive,” said Bruce Silverman, a local nephrologist. He planned to vote “yes.”

During the discussion, Roberta Thacker-Oliver rose to speak. She casts ballots in the rural 9th District, which would become more heavily Republican under the new configuration.

“In the redistricting, the 9th is going to become bigger and redder,” she said, adding, “I need to know what to tell my community about why they need to take one for the team.”

“What do we tell them?” she said.

NEW YORK — When Jack Schlossberg announced his bid for Congress in New York City last year, his Kennedy family heritage immediately thrust him into the spotlight.

The 33-year-old had already built a following on social media, partly through his sharp criticism of his relative Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who served as health secretary under Trump. Schlossberg had been making appearances in Democratic political circles, clearly embodying the image of Kennedy family royalty.

Now, as he competes in a packed race for a coveted Manhattan House seat, Schlossberg enjoys a unique edge that none of his rivals can match: a popular television series about his family that has reignited public fascination with the Kennedy dynasty.

Despite his family connections and the buzz surrounding “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette,” the grandson of President John F. Kennedy maintains that his support comes naturally.

“They don’t just like me because I’m a Kennedy. Ask them how they feel about RFK Jr.,” he said. “They like me because of my experience, my ideas and they trust me because they see what’s going on with their very own eyes.”

A major criticism facing Schlossberg centers on his lack of elected office experience, though he’s attempted to turn this into a strength by positioning himself as an energetic outsider whose substantial online following demonstrates his ability to energize young voters and introduce innovative ideas to Washington.

Even with his limited political background, Schlossberg’s campaign has drawn significant attention and financial backing, including an endorsement from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has historically supported Kennedy family members.

Schlossberg, whose complete name is John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, has expressed disapproval of the “Love Story” series, previously denouncing it as an attempt to profit from his family’s fame.

“I don’t watch much TV,” he said.

However, many viewers did watch, and the series achieved success, reinforcing the lasting appeal of the Kennedy family mystique, particularly among younger audiences discovering them for the first time.

Locations where Schlossberg’s aunt and uncle once spent time have drawn fans of the television show, with women in leather jackets and men in dress shirts and ties waiting in lines to enter. Recently, a crowd assembled in Washington Square Park for a JFK Jr. lookalike competition where young men wore suits, backwards caps, or rollerblades while trying to replicate his appearance.

Schlossberg himself has adopted one of his uncle’s iconic looks — cycling while wearing a suit, tie, and backwards cap with a heavy chain bike lock around his waist — in a photograph featured on his campaign website that was published before the show premiered.

However, questions remain about whether the Kennedy name still carries enough influence to impact elections. George Arzt, a veteran Democratic political strategist in the city, expresses doubt.

“I don’t think that gets you votes,” he said. “People will say ‘Who’s Schlossberg?’ And they’ll go ‘He’s the grandson of JFK.’ So? What’s that going to do for me?”

Schlossberg argues that voters he encounters care more about his policy positions than his family background, including his proposal to make rent payments tax-deductible.

He dismissed concerns about his limited professional background, pointing to his work at the State Department’s environmental division, his combined law and business degree from Harvard, and several political commentary pieces he authored for Vogue. He also highlighted his social media activity, which has sometimes been unconventional. Last August, he shared a video wearing a blonde wig while reading a letter that first lady Melania Trump had written to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I’m the only one who has engaged millions of people on a progressive and aggressive political message,” he said. “I’m not just an influencer who’s hawking products. I make informative videos.”

Schlossberg confronts strong competition in the June primary, which typically determines the winner in this reliably Democratic district.

The current representative, Congressman Jerry Nadler, who is stepping down, has endorsed his former staff member Micah Lasher, a state Assembly member with extensive New York political experience who presents himself as an experienced, serious contender.

“The voters of this district are highly informed voters. They do their homework before they make their decisions,” he said.

State Assembly member Alex Bores has also entered the race and secured local endorsements, including backing from former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who represented portions of the district for many years before redistricting led to her losing her seat to Nadler.

George Conway, previously married to former Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway before becoming a prominent Trump critic, joined the Democratic race earlier this year.

Conway, an attorney who helped establish the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, acknowledges that Schlossberg benefits significantly from his family name and the enthusiasm surrounding “Love Story.” However, he believes voters will ultimately choose someone with greater experience.

“There’s something very appealing about a young, fresh face and I think he’s very smart to play that up,” Conway said. “But I also think there’s something to be said for an older, experienced fresh face and that’s what I’m trying to be.”