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White House told Guilfoyle, who is alleged to have sought a bill payment from a Trump donor, to resign from post

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Kimberly Guilfoyle is stepping down as US ambassador to Greece after weeks of reports that she sought payment from a Trump donor in exchange for access to administration officials.

The decision, announced by the White House on Tuesday morning, ends the diplomatic career of one of Donald Trump’s longest-standing political allies. It came after the US president and Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, were reported to have grown furious over the allegations.

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Sean Duffy targets bike lanes and immigrant truck drivers while steering funds away from addressing lethal US roads

Barbara McCann may have been the first person to notice that the Federal Highway Administration had removed several safety policies from public view.

McCann worked on road safety policy at the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) for more than a decade across multiple administrations, retiring in January 2025 just before Donald Trump’s second term started. After Sean Duffy, the president’s ally and former Fox news host, took the wheel at USDOT, she became increasingly worried as the secretary appeared unmotivated to address pedestrian safety and regularly bashed bike infrastructure.

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Desperation is not a good look for an American president. The price of Diesel #2 — the type of diesel typically used in, among other applications, trucks, buses, tractors, generators, and construction equipment — has soared in the last few months. In early January, it was priced at around $3.50 per gallon. It spiked as soon as the war against Iran began, and apart from one brief pullback, it has kept on up and now costs about $6.20 per gallon.

It rained most of Sunday in Washington, as the remnants of Hurricane Isaias washed over the East Coast. Unable to golf, and stuck inside the White House, President Trump spent part of his morning on social media touting the size of his rallies and defending Christopher Columbus. He also declared that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt strikes against each other's energy infrastructures. Except that he hadn't first confirmed that with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—and Russia spent the hours that followed bombarding Ukraine with missiles and drones, hitting a Kharkiv power plant.

Last week, the DNC sued the Trump administration for using $20 million in taxpayer money on strange and ineffective midterm ads. The use of taxpayer money technically violates multiple laws (remember those?), including the Hatch Act and Federal Appropriations Laws restricting taxpayer-funded propaganda.

Trump’s now been ordered to stop airing the ads entirely courtesy of a temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon. The TRO was requested by nonprofit government watchdog group Common Cause which is leading a lawsuit against the propaganda spots.

Advertising data indicates that Trump administration ignored the judge and ran several of the ads on Monday anyway, something the latest filing by Common Cause and allies was quick to point out:

1. On October 12, at 1:31 p.m. Eastern, the Washington Post reported that two ads continued airing after the Court issued the Order and into the early hours of Monday, October 12, on multiple programs, including “60 Minutes,” “ABC World News Tonight,” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Ex. A.

2. According to AdImpact data retrieved at 2:45 p.m. Eastern today, Defendants’ ads ran in nearly 400 spots on programs that began airing at 7 p.m. Eastern last night—that is, after this Court’s order was in effect. Ex. B

The Trump administration says it has already spent $19 of the $20 million allotted for the ads. In an attempt to pretend they weren’t breaking the law, the Trump administration falsely claimed that the propaganda efforts were “public service announcements” from US Customs and Border Protection — despite the fact that no government service or program was being advertised.

On October 5 Trump responded to backlash by insisting he’d stop using taxpayer money for the ads and instead fund them via his SuperPAC. But not only is it not legal for Trump to direct his SuperPAC in such a fashion, he clearly lied and never actually stopped using taxpayer money to fund the ads, which continued to air.

The TRO is scheduled to remain in effect for 14 days, and is “subject to an extension,” Rochon said.

“Taking $20 million from a fund that Congress voted to use on border patrol, then spending it on vanity ads for an unpopular president, breaks the checks and balances set in the Constitution,” Common Cause said in statement. “If the Trump administration wanted to use money on personal promotional ads, they should have asked Congress to pass a bill to do so.”

The grand irony is despite illegally stealing taxpayer money to fund the midterm ads, the ads themselves (several of which are just rehashed version of 2024 ads) are only likely to harm vulnerable Republicans now tethered to a disastrous war and Trump’s sinking health, polling, and political power.

The pre-midterm defenestration of ACA enrollees looks like political madness – but the president appears to believe hitting poor people might work for him

• Send us your questions on how the US economy is shaping the midterm elections

There is a manic quality to Donald Trump’s desperate dash to do something, anything, ahead of November’s midterm elections to convince beleaguered Americans that he can make the pressures his policies have imposed on their livelihoods go away.

The US president offered to lower barriers against beef imports to limit surging meat prices, only to consider backtracking under pressure from the cow lobby. He offered to stop diesel exports, only to find oil companies were not interested. He weakened fuel efficiency standards, claiming this would trim the price of a new car (and forgetting to point out it will also raise spending on gas.) In early October he started mailing $500 checks to nearly a million people touting his healthcare “wins”. Oh, and he promised adult Americans a $5,000 check if Republicans maintain control of Congress. That, too, will go nowhere.

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There are several ways to understand the $276M Elon Musk is spending to keep right wingers in power, to say nothing of the election disinformation he is spreading.

In an effort to save Republicans’ Senate majority, he gave a total of $158 million this summer to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC backing the party’s candidates for the chamber, according to his team. In sum, that is one of the largest political donations in American history, and more than the group’s Democratic rival raised from all of its donors that quarter.

Mr. Musk has also built a major Republican turnout operation through a super PAC he founded in 2024, America PAC. He donated over $76 million this summer to the group, which in turn spent that much on building a sprawling canvassing program to try to turn out hard-to-reach Republican voters. The group is active in seven Senate battlegrounds and nearly three dozen House races.

[snip]

Beyond Mr. Musk’s donations to his super PAC and the Senate Leadership Fund, his representatives said that from July through September, he had given smaller but still substantial amounts to other conservative groups:

• $20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, the main super PAC for House Republicans
• $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC, a group supporting Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for Senate in Texas
• $10 million to the Republican Governors Association
• $2 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association

On the one hand, it implicates every right winger accepting this money in the AI CSAM Elon Musk’s robot was disseminating earlier this year.

Here’s how three Tennessee teenagers (one has turned 18 since this happened) described having their photos turned into non-consensual CSAM material by Grok in a lawsuit filed in March.

79. Eventually, the anonymous user sent Jane Doe 1 a series of AI-generated images and videos which depicted her as well as other minor females. Jane Doe 1 was immediately disturbed by the sexually explicit content. At least five of these files, one video and four images, depicted her actual face and body in settings with which she was familiar, but morphed into sexually explicit poses. The images showed her entire body, including her genitals, without any clothes. The video depicted her undressing until she was entirely nude.

[snip]

90. On or about February 12, 2026, Jane Doe 2 learned through the ongoing criminal investigation that at least two of her images had also been used by the perpetrator to produce AI-generated CSAM using xAI. Local law enforcement informed Jane Doe 2, a minor, and her mother that these images included one photograph taken of Jane Doe 2 on the beach in a blue bikini which had been morphed to depict her without any clothes. Jane Doe 2 reviewed her Instagram photographs and found a series of images taken on October 12, 2025, depicting her in a blue bikini top in a beach setting.

[snip]

100. Local law enforcement informed Jane Doe 3, a minor, and her mother that the AI-generated images found on the perpetrator’s phone included one image of Jane Doe 3 which had been morphed to depict her fully nude.

Here’s how another victim described how hashed CSAM images of her created decades ago, when she was preschool-aged, got used and disseminated in Grok’s training set.

85. Plaintiff was preschool-aged when she was first repeatedly raped and sexually exploited by an adult male to produce CSAM to meet the demands of pedophiles on the internet. This abuse continued for years. The child sex abuse images and videos depicting her child sexual abuse will forever memorialize Plaintiff being forced to endure horrific crimes as a young child.

86. Plaintiff was repeatedly raped and sexually abused as a minor specifically to produce CSAM to share on the internet, which continues to circulate online to the present day. CSAM depicting Plaintiff has been previously hashed and included in the NCMEC Child Sexual Abuse Material Hash List and Plaintiff was identified by NCMEC in this material.

87. CSAM depicting Plaintiff has been found on xAI as part of investigative reporting, takedown request efforts, and criminal investigations, arrests, and convictions for violations of state and federal laws. Indeed, online forums of offenders include messages between offenders chatting about creating AI generated CSAM of Plaintiff and other similarly situated known, legacy, victims of CSAM.

88. CSAM depicting Plaintiff with its longstanding well-known hash values has been used as a part of the dataset used by xAI.

Another complaint (these will likely all be joined) describes how a photographer who did school photos in Arkansas used some of those photos to develop CSAM, including both girls and boys, using Elon’s robot.

107. On June 8, 2026, the Bentonville Police Department received a CyberTip from NCMEC reporting that X.AI LLC had flagged content associated with an account linked to Bloodworth.

108. On June 10, 2026, Bentonville police executed a search warrant at Bloodworth’s residence seeking, among other things, devices capable of accessing Grok. Upon accessing Bloodworth’s phone, officers discovered a hidden photo folder containing approximately 1,700 images and videos of prepubescent and pubescent children in various states of undress and in sexually explicit poses. Some of these images and videos were, on information and belief, produced using Grok, and others appeared to be genuine photographs.

112. During the relevant period, Jane Doe I was a young child enrolled at a school in Arkansas that had retained Bloodworth to provide school photograph services, including formal portraits and candid classroom photography.

113. Bloodworth photographed Jane Doe I on at least one occasion using a professional camera during a formal school photography session.

114. Law enforcement identified Jane Doe I among the images recovered from Bloodworth’s device and, in early July 2026, notified Jane Doe I’s guardians that images of Jane Doe I had been identified among the material recovered from Bloodworth’s phone.

A report in June described how Grok has increasingly relied on porn traffic to keep up with competitors.

• The report claims xAI is actively doubling down on its explicit video and image-generation tools and that adult-content dominance extends into Grok’s coding model, which The Information reports frequently receives requests for pornographic material.
• Well over half of Grok’s overall traffic is driven by pornographic images and videos, adult role-play chats or other such activity, according to the report, which Vital Knowledge analyst Adam Crisafulli called “a desperate attempt for relevancy.”
• The move comes as xAI has “fallen further behind” competitor chatbots from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta, per Crisafulli, and Grok recorded the largest drop in web traffic of any single AI model this year, Similarweb data shows.

Elon Musk is using nonconsensual porn to compete. And children are being abused in the process.

And the entire Republican Party is accepting his filthy money.

But that’s not all. Elon Musk committed visa fraud when he first started working in the US — the kind of alleged visa fraud Trump is using to target Ilhan Omar (with the critical difference that Omar was a child when she came to the US).

South African-born Elon Musk worked illegally in the United States as he launched his entrepreneurial career after ditching a graduate studies program in California, according to former business associates, court records and company documents obtained by The Washington Post.

[snip]

What Musk has not publicly disclosed is that he did not have the legal right to work while building the company that became Zip2, which sold for about $300 million in 1999. It was Musk’s steppingstone to Tesla and the other ventures that have made him the world’s wealthiest person — and arguably America’s most successful immigrant.

This is the kind of violation that Stephen Miller is using to deport other African immigrants, even while Stephen’s spouse remains one of Elon’s loudest propagandists.

Worse still for the right wing’s favorite African immigrant, DOJ has started filing denaturalization cases against immigrants. While most target people — like Ghislaine Maxwell, though she has not been targeted — who hid their crimes when they naturalized, the effort also focuses on people engaged in CSAM dissemination.

Elon Musk is at least accused of doing everything the far right claims to hate: An allegedly illegal African immigrant who came to the US and started preying on children.

Yet they are taking every cent he pays them in hopes to cling to power.

Elon Musk clings to AI porn to remain competitive, and self-imagined immigration hard-liners cling to him.

Dockets

As noted above, these cases are in the process of being consolidated. So far, these dockets are included in the motion to consolidate, with a request to certify a class.

Doe 1 v. X.AI Corp. (5:26-cv-02246): A man in Tennessee groomed three teenagers and used their photos, including a Homecoming photo and a yearbook photo, to generate CSAM (they are teenagers, though one has turned 18) on Grok; he then disseminated the images on Discord.

Doe I v. X.AI Corp. (3:26-cv-08567): A school photographer in Bentonville, Arkansas, Russell Bloodworth, used pictures he took at schools, of both girls and boys, to generate CSAM using Grok; xAI referred the photos to NCMEC.

DOE v. X.AI Corp. (5:26-cv-00772): The photo an adult woman in Denmark, South Carolina posted on January 2 was turned into nonconsensual porn on January 3; it took three days to get Xitter to take down the nonconsensual porn. Grok agreed that the photo was “shitty” and “invasive.”

Doe 1 v. X.AI Corp. (5:26-cv-09016): CSAM, including rape, created when a woman was preschool-aged, has been used to create new CSAM using Grok, with criminals discussing doing so in CSAM fora.

Jane Doe 1 v. X.AI Corp. (5:26-cv-09617): A Pennsylvania man accessed photos of three women from when they were teenagers from a victim’s Apple iCloud account and used Grok to make them into CSAM. [Content warning: Four particularly explicit descriptions of CSAM.] When arrested he said, “he was just using a computer program.”

 

The post GOP Accepts $296M Bribe to Protect African Immigrant CSAM Purveyor appeared first on emptywheel.

Guilfoyle has been under immense scrutiny after the Wall Street Journal reported on a series of questionable acts prior to securing her role in Athens

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Ahead of her White House podium debut, Katie Zacharia reportedly monitored Donald Trump’s public schedule every day, and monitored his Truth Social, and made sure she was on-air when she assumed he might be watching, according to Politico, citing a person familiar with the matter.

That source noted that and a number of high-profile conservative anchors – including from Fox News, Newsmax and OANN – also backed Zacharia for press secretary. She is now set to the sixth person to hold the role throughout both of Trump’s terms in office.

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Rising gas and diesel prices are a major reason Republicans risk losing the House and possibly the Senate in November, but President Donald Trump's energy deal with Russia will not fix that. It is too tiny and comes too late to change anyone's mind about the economy. Worse, it provides much-needed economic relief to a Russian war machine that continues its unrelenting attacks on Ukraine.

A US judge said on Monday that she was "furious" with Justice Department lawyers for ​their conduct in a lawsuit seeking to halt the Trump administration's takeover of a historic golf course in Washington, saying it was "inexcusable" that hundreds ‌of trees were removed from the course over the weekend. "More than being upset and furious right now, I am just deeply disappointed in the government," US District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington told government lawyers during a court hearing. "On what universe did anyone in your office think this was acceptable?"

Away from the public eye, deportation planes at Youngstown-Warren and Akron-Canton airports carry hundreds of immigrants daily amid Trump’s ICE crackdown

Just after 10.30am on a recent weekday morning, a Bombardier CRJ200 Air Wisconsin aircraft landed at Youngstown-Warren regional airport.

Having made the 75-minute flight from Milwaukee, the 50-seater came to a halt and its twin engines fired down next to another Air Wisconsin plane and a larger Eastern Air Express Boeing 737, planes that flew in the evening before from Alexandria, Louisiana.

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Trump’s reform law that seeks to make coverage harder to get, and to keep, includes working 80 hours a month

It is a date keeping US healthcare providers up at night: 1 January 2027.

As the midterm elections loom, everyone from hospital leaders and to patient advocates are focused on the New Year, when Republicans scheduled the most controversial elements of their healthcare reform law to go into effect.

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As the midterms approach, Donald Trump is continuing to make strongman moves: banning reporters from the White House; trying to remake Washington DC’s architecture in his name; putting "Dear leader"-style videos on television. But historian Timothy Snyder tells Kai Wright that what this really is, is a sign of weakness. And even as the Democrats seemed poised to win the midterms, Snyder argues that the Democrats need to take bold, decisive action if they do win. They have to investigate cases of obvious personal corruption among the people surrounding Trump and try everything they can to get money out of politics. Snyder is the author of On Tyranny and one of the first scholars to warn that the Trump movement presented a threat that looked like fascism.

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The pioneering computer scientist on why Trump is using ‘superintelligence’ wrong, whether AI could wipe out humanity – and how our biggest challenge will be accepting we’re not the only intelligent beings

Donald Trump is a “corrupt, senile felon” whose fixation on the term superintelligence proves he knows nothing about AI, said Geoffrey Hinton, “godfather” of the technology, in a wide-ranging interview where he doubled down on recent warnings that AI models pose an existential threat to humanity and scoffed at claims the industry could regulate itself.

The pioneering computer scientist, whose work helped lay the foundations of modern AI, has since become one of the technology’s most vocal critics. His latest remarks come after a tumultuous month during which a growing list of senior AI scientists and researchers have joined Hinton in ringing the alarm about how the technology he helped create could ultimately escape human control, sparking an industry crisis, the hasty assembly of congressional meetings and a rare global consensus that something must be done.

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An ancient giant that once stood over Haines Point for over 100 years. Photo: J. Zangas / DCMG

Washington DC—Hundreds of trees, some over 100 years old, were cut down over the weekend as plans seemed to get underway to convert East Potomac Park Links Golf Course near Haines Point into “one of the greatest golf courses in the world.” Giant pines, sycamores, elms, and white oaks were among those cut down and still lying on the fairway of the existing 18-hole golf course as of Monday afternoon.

Video taken at East Potomac Park near Haines Point Monday afternoon revealed scenes of scores of trees still lying on the ground. Nearby, a hundred or more other ancient trees not yet cut, were wrapped in yellow plastic tape, slated for future cut and removal. Along several of the central fairways, felled tree trunks were stacked and lined up for removal or milling. Five foot piles of mulched trees stood beside some of the cut trunks. Many trunks still oozed with fresh sap, or still had intact branches and leafing not yet showing signs of wilt, an indication they had been recently cut.

None of the equipment used in the massive tree removal project was visible in the park. There were no signs of any tree cutters, saws, trucks, milling equipment, or other equipment used for tree removal anywhere in the park.

On the golf course sports teams continued their golf rounds as if there was nothing amiss. The course appeared much more visually open than it had before the tree cut project began. Several golfers yelled out that the cutters had left the trees where they fell without removing them from along the fairway. The fairways were damp from a Sunday heavy rain.

The East Potomac Park golf course renovation project has been In the works since early 2026. The D.C. Preservation League filed suit against the Department of the Interior in February 2026, the respondent in U.S. National Parks Service (NPS) legal claims. U.S. Federal District Judge Ana Reyes was assigned to adjudicate the case. Part of the suit involved the dumping of hundreds of tons of debris and waste from the East Wing demolition of the White House. None of the East Wing debris was tested for toxins or other chemicals incompatible for a public park. The destruction of the White House East Wing is yet another suit ongoing in the courts.

In an earlier order, Judge Reyes instructed the NPS to give a reasonable notice if it planned to close the golf course or if it planned to cut down 10 or more trees. However, the NPS gave a 4:55 pm notice on Friday, October 9, just five minutes before the close of business that day, that it intended to begin cutting 525 trees the next morning. Its notice was also given a day before the beginning of a 3-day holiday weekend, which would give contractors time enough to progress substantially with the project before court would reconvene on Tuesday, October 13.

But Judge Reyes intervened anyway. In an emergency video hearing, an obviously angered Judge Reyes railed and raised her voice at government attorneys, saying, “I trusted you all to not do precisely what you did.”

The government attorneys said they had cut 400 trees before Judge Reyes ordered an immediate stop to the tree cutting. Their response to her question as to what justification they had was that the massive tree removal was part of a planned removal scheduled in 2019. This was something Judge Reyes did not accept as a justification to remove the trees.

“What has happened has caused the government to lose all credibility in this case,” said Judge Reyes. The judge further said she would proceed with contempt proceedings if any further tree removal continued before Tuesday morning.

A statement posted by Rebecca Miller, Executive Director of DC Preservation League website read, in part, “The DC Preservation League and two local residents are taking legal action to protect East Potomac Park and its golf course, challenging the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful and possibly hazardous dumping at the park as part of an effort to convert the public recreation space into an exclusive, high-end golf course. East Potomac Park is seen as a model for public golf courses in America, and is still the most used public golf course in Washington, D.C.”

The White House, via the Department of the Interior, terminated the lease enjoyed by National Links Trust, a nonprofit, to upgrade the golf course to a high end golf course, which would by its nature limit access to the public. Currently there is a miniature golf course, tennis courts, basketball courts, a swimming pool, bike paths, and public access to East Potomac Park. Most if not all of this public access would be eliminated under the current upgrade.

Riverbend Landscapes and Tree Service trucks were depicted on East Potomac Park on Saturday morning and into the afternoon as the cutting progressed. A check of the tree service website shows the company was fully licensed and equipped to handle a project this size. However it was not clear if there were other contractors involved in this massive project or if this company was a subcontractor to another contractor in this project.

DCMediaGroup reached out to Riverbend Landscape and Tree Service to give them an opportunity to comment on their involvement in the tree cutting project, but had not heard back from them before publication.

On June 28, President Trump first announced his plans to convert the East Potomac Links Golf Course into a world class golf course. It will no doubt result in drawing high fare players and increasing golfing round costs at the renovated course.

Haines Point History Dates To Early 1900s

Haines Point, which sits at the tip of East Potomac Park and juts into the Potomac, was named after Army Corps of Engineers General, Peter C. Haines, designer of the Tidal Basin. East Potomac Park, the name given to the human made island, is presently 395 acres, but was originally much smaller. In 1906 it was only 14 acres. It was infilled, extended, and used as a nursery for the Conress in 1910. It was opened to the public in 1912 and construction of a road along the Potomac began later that year. The road was finished in 1914 along Washington Channel. The Island is between the Potomac and Washington Channel, a waterway extending past Fisherman’s Wharf and Fort McNair. The island is about 1 1/2 miles long.

In 1915 the Army Corps of Engineers landscaped East Potomac Park. It planted 46,650 shrubs, plants, and 203 Japanese cherry trees.

In 1917, the center of East Potomac Park was turned over to the Boy Scouts of America and made into a Victory Garden. It is likely that the giant long needle pine trees cut down on Saturday were trees planted by the BSA as that type of tree was their signature planting for many years.

As for the other numerous giant trees felled, they were likely planted by the Army Corps of Engineers during the 1915 planting, making some of the giant trees felled over 115 years old.

Map of East Potomac Park. Courtesy of Apple Maps.

Consequence of Illegal Tree Cut

As for now there can be no undoing for the hundreds of ancient trees already cut and mulched or removed trees in opposition to the legal order from Judge Reyes. East Potomac Park has been forever changed. The trees already cut and still not removed must most likely be removed despite the judicial order.

This trend follows other irreversible actions by the White House in disregard of lower court orders at the East Wing of the White House, The Kennedy Center, and the Reflecting Pool.

DCMediaGroup coverage of the East Wing demolition here.

DCMG coverage of the reflecting pool here.

Coverage of the Kennedy Center here.

The post Hundreds Of Ancient Trees Felled In Haines Point Recast To World Class Golf Course appeared first on DCMediaGroup.

Are we really living through ‘end times fascism’? The authors Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor think so.

In a new series from the Guardian, the pair speak to Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty in an extended interview. From Trump 2.0 and the rise of the tech billionaire to Gaza and the ongoing climate emergency, Klein and Taylor argue we are not just lurching from crisis to crisis, but are in a new and dangerous moment in history. However, they have not given up hope of a fightback.

Radical Thinking will be published every Saturday in the Guardian UK’s Politics Weekly feed

Listen every week by following the Politics Weekly podcast feed

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Homeland Security Investigations police search the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 12, 2026.Andrew Leyden—Getty Images

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Welcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker…

Federal agents raiding Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home, Elon Musk pouring hundreds of millions into Republican campaigns, and Trump threatening to cut off intelligence and weapons supplies to Ukraine are among today’s top stories.

Today at a Glance

• Elon Musk pours more than $276 million into Republican campaigns.

• Trump threatens to cut off intelligence and weapons supplies to Ukraine.

• Taxpayer-funded Trump ads continue airing after a judge orders them stopped.

What We Need to Pay Attention To

Ilhan Omar says she will not be silenced after federal agents raid her home

What Happened: Federal agents searched Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home as part of a criminal investigation reportedly involving her immigration records. The raid came two days after Trump publicly attacked Omar.

Why It Matters: Federal agents raided the home of a sitting member of Congress just weeks before the midterms, following months of attacks by Trump and his cronies. The raid is part of Trump’s broader efforts to weaponize federal agencies against his political opponents.

Source: The Guardian

Corruption

Inside Elon Musk’s $276 Million Midterm Rescue Mission for Republicans

What Happened: Elon Musk has donated more than $276 million to Republican political groups since July, including $158 million to help Republicans keep control of the Senate and more than $76 million to his own super PAC to turn out Republican voters. His total contributions this election cycle are close to $366 million, making him the largest known donor in the midterms.

Why It Matters: Musk’s companies receive billions in federal contracts, and he previously held power inside the government. Now he is spending hundreds of millions to help Republicans keep control of Congress so that he can protect his financial interests.

Source: New York Times

At Davos, Kimberly Guilfoyle Boasted of Private Jet Trips, Luxury Stays

What Happened: U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle boasted about private jet flights and luxury accommodations paid for by wealthy Greek businessmen. One was Aktor Group CEO Alexandros Exarchou, whose business interests she promoted to European governments. Shipping executive Nikolas Tsakos reportedly paid for her stay at a luxury Paris hotel.

Why It Matters: Guilfoyle accepted luxury travel and accommodations from businessmen whose interests she promoted as U.S. ambassador, creating a direct conflict between her diplomatic responsibilities and private business interests. Another example of the mass corruption by Trump and his cronies.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Donor Says Kimberly Guilfoyle Sought Money From Him to Cover Debt

What Happened: Republican donor Eric Deters alleges that Kimberly Guilfoyle asked him for $100,000 to pay off credit card debt while awaiting confirmation as Trump’s ambassador to Greece. Messages obtained by The New York Times suggest she offered access to senior Trump officials, including the attorney general and IRS commissioner. She also asked him to keep the arrangement secret.

Source: New York Times

Power Consolidation

Trump Has Cast Doubt on Elections on 440 Days in His Second Term

What Happened: Trump lied about U.S. elections on 440 days, more than 70% of his second term. He repeatedly claimed the 2020 election was stolen, accused Democrats of widespread voter fraud, and attacked mail-in voting and election polls.

Why It Matters: Trump continues spreading election lies to undermine public trust in voting and justify new restrictions and federal interference in elections during the midterms.

Source: New York Times

Weaponization of Institutions

Feds Got Warrants to Use Fake Cell Towers to Hunt Down Don Lemon’s Producer

What Happened: Federal investigators obtained warrants to use cell site simulators, devices that mimic cellphone towers to track phones, during an investigation involving Don Lemon’s producer. Investigators also sought permission to use the technology against journalist Georgia Fort and a Minnesota state Senate candidate.

Why It Matters: Federal investigators continue to use invasive surveillance technology in cases involving journalists, putting reporters’ movements, contacts, and confidential sources at risk. This is a common tactic used in authoritarian states.

Source: WIRED

How the White House Manufactured a Narrative About a Trump Aide’s Call Logs

What Happened: A White House task force led by Trump ally John Solomon selectively released records from the classified documents investigation while withholding evidence that contradicted its accusations against federal investigators. The material was promoted through right-wing media and used by Trump to accuse the Justice Department of “weaponization.”

Source: New York Times

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Media Suppression & Authoritarian Tactics

Taxpayer-funded ads aired hundreds of times after judge ordered Trump to halt the push

What Happened: TV ads promoting Trump aired hundreds of times after a federal judge ordered them stopped Sunday evening. Court filings showed that $19 million in taxpayer money has already been spent on the campaign via Customs and Border Protection.

Why It Matters: Trump used taxpayer money to promote himself ahead of the midterms, and the ads continued airing after a federal judge ordered them stopped. Trump is treating public money as his personal campaign fund and court orders as optional.

Source: CNN

America’s Elected Officials Are Living in Fear

What Happened: Thousands of violent threats against elected officials were documented between 2024 and August 2026, targeting at least 44 governors, 70 senators, and 185 House members from both parties. Federal candidates have already spent $25 million on security this election cycle, compared with roughly $6 million in 2017–2018.

Why It Matters: Death threats and political intimidation are driving elected officials out of office, discouraging candidates from running, and interfering with their ability to govern. Violence and threats continue to be used to silence political voices and undermine democracy.

Source: New York Times

Human & Civil Rights Abuses

Air Force Major Who Called for Trump’s Impeachment is in Solitary Confinement 24 Hours a Day: Attorney

What Happened: Air Force Maj. Jason Watson has been held in military custody since August after publicly calling for Trump’s impeachment and removal. His attorney says he has been kept alone in his cell 24 hours a day and faces a court-martial on charges that include using contemptuous language against the president.

Source: Military.com

ICE agent strikes man with vehicle during pursuit in Texas, officials say

What Happened: Surveillance footage showed an ICE agent chasing Miguel Parra-Hernandez in Harris County, Texas, before striking him with a vehicle. Parra-Hernandez suffered a broken leg and was hospitalized. Local officials have demanded that ICE release footage of the incident.

Why It Matters: This is part of a broader pattern of excessive force by ICE agents, including shootings and deaths during immigration operations. Agents are injuring and killing people while DHS refuses to identify those responsible or release footage of what happened.

Source: The Guardian

Reshaped civil rights mission at Justice Department transforms its work, workforce

What Happened: Since Harmeet Dhillon took over the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, hundreds of experienced lawyers have left, political allies have been hired, and dozens of investigations into racial discrimination, voting rights, and police misconduct have been dropped. The division is now pursuing Trump’s election fraud lies, including more than two dozen lawsuits seeking voter data that courts have dismissed.

Source: NPR

Government Disruption

Judge Yells at Trump Administration for Cutting Down Golf Course Trees

What Happened: U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes halted further tree removal at Washington’s East Potomac Golf Links after Trump officials cut down as many as 430 trees despite her instructions to provide advance notice. Reyes ordered Interior Department officials to testify under oath and threatened contempt proceedings if further violations occur.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Sixth person who had measles has died in Pennsylvania, local coroner says

What Happened: A 39-year-old unvaccinated woman died after contracting measles in Pennsylvania, becoming the state’s sixth reported measles-associated death this year. The state has recorded more than 1,000 cases in the nation’s largest ongoing outbreak, with the latest death still under review.

Why It Matters: This is what happens when an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist is put in charge of public health. RFK Jr. has spent years undermining trust in vaccines. Now preventable diseases are spreading, and Americans are dying.

Source: The Washington Post

US maternity wards face wave of closures as Medicaid cuts kick in

What Happened: Fifty-two maternity wards have closed since Trump’s Medicaid cuts were announced in July 2025, with eight more closures planned. 31 rural hospitals providing maternity care are also at risk.

Source: The Guardian

Imperial & Geopolitical Watch

Burnham: Iran’s IRGC ‘highly likely’ to be behind RAF Fairford terror plot

What Happened: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said a suspected September 27 terror plot near RAF Fairford, a British air base used by U.S. bombers, was highly likely coordinated in Iran and directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Seven men were arrested and later released on bail. Meanwhile, Britain, the U.S., and 27 other countries condemned Iranian threats and attacks abroad.

Source: Politico EU

Iran Guards Ability to Build Missiles as Trump Eases Attacks

What Happened: Western intelligence assessments found that Iran preserved its missile and drone factories despite months of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, allowing it to replenish its arsenals. Russia is also reportedly supplying missiles to Iran, contradicting Trump and Hegseth’s claims that Iran’s military production capabilities had been destroyed.

Why It Matters: Trump and Hegseth claimed Iran’s weapons production had been destroyed, but Western intelligence says otherwise. Iran can rebuild its missile arsenal while Russia continues supplying weapons, leaving U.S. forces and regional allies exposed to further attacks.

Source: Bloomberg

Far-Right & Russian Influence Watch

US threatens to suspend intel sharing, weapons purchases if Ukraine continues Russia energy strikes, sources say

What Happened: Trump officials warned Ukraine and European allies that the U.S. could suspend intelligence sharing and block European purchases of American weapons for Ukraine unless Kyiv stops attacking Russian energy facilities. The threats followed Trump’s demands that Ukraine halt strikes on Russian refineries and his announcement of a diesel deal with Russia.

Why It Matters: Trump continues to assist Russia in its genocidal invasion. U.S. intelligence helps Ukraine detect incoming Russian missile attacks and warn civilians before they strike. Cutting off that intelligence would leave millions of Ukrainians with less warning to take shelter and result in even more killings.

Source: CNN

Economic News

Oil prices spike after Houthi attacks on Saudi airports

What Happened: Oil prices rose Monday after Iran-backed Houthis attacked two Saudi airports, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 320. Brent crude briefly reached $107.33 per barrel before settling near $106, while Trump said the U.S. could join Saudi Arabia in retaliatory strikes.

Source: The Hill

US consumer sentiment near record low as frustration over economy mounts

What Happened: The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 46.3 in October from 48.1 in September, approaching a record low. Lower-income households reported the sharpest decline, while 54% of consumers said they planned to cut back on major purchases amid rising prices and borrowing costs.

Source: Reuters

Resistance

Check out 50501 for local and nationwide events…

Source: 50501

By the Numbers

• $366 million — Elon Musk’s total political contributions during the 2026 election cycle.

• $100,000 — Amount Kimberly Guilfoyle allegedly asked a donor to pay toward her Amex bill while helping him contact senior federal officials.

• $19 million — Taxpayer money spent on ads promoting Trump ahead of the midterms.

• 440 days — Days Trump has spread lies about U.S. elections during his second term.

• 430 — Trees cut down at Washington’s East Potomac Golf Links despite a judge’s instructions.

• 52 — Maternity wards closed since Trump’s Medicaid cuts were announced in July 2025.

• $107.33 — Price per barrel of Brent crude during Monday’s oil price spike.

• 46.3 — University of Michigan’s October Consumer Sentiment Index, approaching a record low.

What to Watch Next

Trump Threatens Ukraine’s Intelligence and Weapons Supplies — Will Trump follow through on his threats to cut off U.S. intelligence and weapons supplies?

Federal Agents Raid Ilhan Omar’s Home — Will investigators disclose the basis for searching a sitting member of Congress weeks before an election and after months of public attacks by Trump?

Houthi Attacks Escalate Against Saudi Arabia — Will Trump order U.S. strikes against the Houthis as attacks on Saudi Arabia escalate and oil prices continue to rise?

Taxpayer-Funded Trump Ads Continue Despite Court Order — Will Trump officials face consequences for airing taxpayer-funded ads after a federal judge ordered them stopped?

Key Takeaways

Economic Strain — Rising oil prices, worsening consumer confidence, and higher living costs are forcing American households to cut spending while the Middle East conflict continues to expand.

Weaponization of Agencies — Federal agents raiding Ilhan Omar’s home, surveillance targeting journalists, and the DOJ abandoning civil rights investigations show federal law enforcement being used for Trump’s agenda.

Cronyism — Musk is pouring hundreds of millions into Republican campaigns while his companies hold billions in federal contracts, and Trump’s ambassador to Greece faces pay-to-play allegations involving luxury travel and access to senior officials.

Russia First — Trump is threatening Ukraine’s intelligence and weapons supplies while demanding an end to strikes on Russian oil facilities and easing sanctions on Moscow’s energy exports.

Public Health — Measles deaths, declining vaccination coverage, and maternity ward closures are putting more Americans at risk as RFK Jr. oversees federal health policy and Trump’s Medicaid cuts pressure hospitals.

Call to Action

Document Everything: Document purges, corruption, and power grabs. Share credible information with journalists, watchdogs, and legal experts. Silence enables authoritarianism—see something, say something.

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Contact Lawmakers: Demand accountability for Trump’s unchecked power and war on oversight.

Mobilize for Action: Organize or join legal efforts and resistance movements to protect democracy and human and civil rights.

Support Whistleblowers: Encourage legal defense funds for government workers facing retaliation for exposing corruption.

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Putin’s Pawns takes you on a journey from the earliest days of the Cold War and Soviet KGB active measures through Russia’s attacks on Western elections, the rise of the far right, Trump and Russia, the genocidal war against Ukraine, influence operations across Europe, and the shadow war unfolding today.

It is the story of how Moscow spent decades learning to exploit the weaknesses of democracies and how those tactics brought us to this moment.

Preorder now: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250796547/putinspawns/

Thanks for reading the Trump Tyranny Tracker. Stay tuned for more updates.

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DATA CENTRES have become a political bogeyman. Voters worry about congested power grids that could eventually push up utility bills and the broader impact of artificial intelligence.

Top House Democrats question the ‘corrupt weaponization’ of federal government against Trump’s adversaries

Ilhan Omar’s Democratic colleagues have condemned federal agents’ search of the Minnesota congresswoman’s home on Monday morning, describing it as “deeply disturbing” and emblematic of the Trump administration’s “corrupt weaponization” of the US government.

House Democratic leaders, including minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, party whip Katherine Clark and caucus chair Pete Aguilar, issued a joint statement excoriating the president for the search.

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Donald Trump’s deal to buy Russian diesel has been met with fury from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said it was ‘a weak decision’ and would generate ‘billions’ in extra revenue for Putin’s war effort. The Ukrainian president has also rejected US calls for an ‘energy ceasefire’, which would require Kyiv to stop striking oil refineries, saying Moscow must first end its attacks on energy infrastructure. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s senior international correspondent, Luke Harding – watch on YouTube

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Ana Reyes demands Trump officials explain East Potomac tree cutting saying it will probably cause ‘irreparable harm’

US district judge Ana Reyes on Monday ordered a 24-hour halt to tree cutting at the historic East Potomac golf course while she decides on an emergency order from plaintiffs concerned that Donald Trump’s plans for the course are moving forward despite a pending court case challenging them.

“Tree removal for routine maintenance is not exempt from this order,” Reyes wrote. “Plaintiffs are likely to suffer immediate and irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief.

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Three weeks is a lifetime in politics—in fact, three weeks can be three lifetimes in politics. So, let’s start with the premise that anything can happen between now and Election Day. But it looks like the hole in which Donald Trump and the Republicans find themselves is getting deeper by the day.

Pete Hegseth | Pre-loved | Marlborough man | Canterbury tale | Newt kids on the block

Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, has authorised the livestreaming of an execution by firing squad (Report, 9 October). Morally this is no different from a terrorist group posting a video of a beheading. It marks yet another step in the brutalising of American society under the second Trump administration. Britain stopped holding public executions in 1868.
John Boaler
Calne, Wiltshire

• I find nearly all the “pre-” expressions irritating, but the term pre-loved (Letters, 7 October) is, in this one instance, justifiable. Items that have been passed on due to the owner’s lack of affection are exactly in a state of “pre‑lovedness”, waiting for the buyer who will truly cherish them.
Paola McClure
Dundee

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Donald Trump’s deal to buy Russian diesel has been met with fury from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said it was ‘a weak decision’ and would generate ‘billions’ in extra revenue for Putin’s war effort. The Ukrainian president has also rejected US calls for an ‘energy ceasefire’, which would require Kyiv to stop striking oil refineries, saying Moscow must first end its attacks on energy infrastructure. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s senior international correspondent, Luke Harding – watch on YouTube

Continue reading...

Andy Burnham has started an almighty row by claiming that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

He also says he wants the UK to have closer ties to the EU.

The row is one of three major headaches for the prime minister ahead of his crucial budget at the end of October, with migration and Donald Trump’s erratic response to Ukraine and Russia being the other two

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Andy Burnham has started an almighty row by claiming that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum. He also says he wants the UK to have closer ties to the EU.

The row is one of three major headaches for the prime minister ahead of his crucial budget at the end of October, with migration and Donald Trump’s erratic response to Ukraine and Russia being the other two

You can watch this episode on Politics Weekly on our YouTube channel here

You can read Jessica Elgot’s article referencing Labour conference here

Please keep sending your comments and questions to Pippa and Kiran via politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com

Continue reading...

US authorities conducted a predawn raid on Monday on the Washington-area home of Democratic US Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump who has been the target of political insults by the Republican president, as part of an ongoing ​investigation, the Justice Department said. The raid followed a criminal fraud investigation into the Somali-born lawmaker's immigration paperwork, which was ​filled out by her late father when she was a child, Fox News Digital reported, citing ⁠unidentified sources...

Federal officials carried out a dawn raid at the home of a Democratic congresswoman who's long been a thorn in Donald Trump's side. The Homeland Security Investigations agency (HSI) searched 44-year-old Rep. Ilhan Omar's D.C.-area residence on Monday morning, sources familiar with the operation told Fox News...

As you’ve no doubt heard, HSI conducted a search of Ilhan Omar’s home this morning, purportedly as part of an investigation into the immigration paperwork her father submitted when she was a child. A lot of people are making much of the fact that HSI got a warrant to conduct the search.

But that means nothing, because there is a crime wave of HSI agents who have lied to frame Democrats or other Trump opponents, in one case on the direct orders of Todd Blanche’s office and in another after a wave of misconduct from Harmeet Dhillon.

There are at least 36 known affidavits attested by HSI agents targeting Democrats or Trump opponents that have included false claims, and when you count all the shenanigans in Minnesota, probably well over 50.

We have a crime wave — of HSI Agents who are lying to frame Democrats.

Rickey Patel: 2

Ricky Patel submitted the false affidavit used to justify the kidnapping of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on May 9, 2025. As Baraka laid out in his (unsuccessful, for Westfall reasons) lawsuit, Patel made two false claims in the affidavit.

40. Defendants Habba and Patel conspired, with others, to abuse their offices and effectuate the arrest premised upon a knowingly false Affidavit stating that “Ras Baraka, did, knowing that he was not licensed or privileged to do so, enter and remain in a place as to which notice against trespass was given. In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 13 and N.J.S.A. 2C:18-3.” The Affidavit further details that the Mayor “unlawfully entered and remained in the Delaney Hall Facility.” Criminal Complaint, United States v. Baraka, No. 2:25- mj-11131-AME (D.N.J. May 9, 2025). In fact, Mayor Baraka was invited onto the property by an agent of the private company that owns the property and was instructed by that agent to remain there for approximately forty-five minutes until he voluntarily and peacefully exited the private property.

41. Additionally, Mayor Baraka left Delaney Hall when ordered to do so by someone who was not a representative of the owner of the property. Neither element of trespass is met in this case.

Patel conducted that kidnapping on Todd Blanche and Kristi Noem’s orders.

1:16: I am arresting the Mayor, so.

1:16: 30: I got it, I got it. We’re taking him right now.

1:16:50: I’m going to take him right now.

[Hangs up phone]

1:16:55: Okay, even though he stepped out, I’m going to put him in cuffs.

1:17: Guys, listen to me. We’re going to walk out of the gates. I’m going to place the Mayor in handcuffs. We are arresting the Mayor, per the Deputy Attorney General of the United States. Anyone who gets in the way, I need you guys to get me a perimeter.

See this post for more.

Ryan Ribner: 2

Ryan Ribner is the Cybersecurity Agent who first assaulted, then arrested, SEIU CA President David Huerta on June 6, 2025.

When he first submitted a report excusing his assault and the subsequent arrest, he falsely claimed Huerta had assaulted his buddy, Casey Crook, who was the first person to assault Huerta.

SDDO C[rook] exited the gate area and walked toward HUERTA, SSA Ribner followed behind SDDO C[rook] acting as his cover agent for officer/agent safety purposes. SDDO C[rook] confronted HUERTA and placed his hands on HUERTA’s chest area and pushed HUERTA out of the pathway of the USG vehicle. HUERTA then placed his hands on SDDO C[rook] and pushed him back. At that time SSA Ribner attempted to grab HUERTA as he was falling backwards. SSA Ribner attempted to place HUERTA under arrest for impeding the vehicle and battery to a federal officer. HUERTA fell on the ground as SSA Ribner again attempted to grab his arm to place him in custody. SSA Ribner verbally informed HUERTA he was “under arrest” a few times. HUERTA made comments to SSA Ribner that he was not under arrest. HUERTA’s body shifted to the side as SSA Ribner started issuing verbal commands informing HUERTA to “stop resisting”.

Not only did video evidence debunk that claim, but Crook told a different false story to excuse his actions when he was interviewed, that Huerta had splayed himself across a van like an “X.” And the claim he made on the arrest affidavit offered still another false story (that Huerta resisted arrest).

Much later — and in association with the MN-15 investigation, Ribner and his HSI buddies falsely accused SEIU of being involved in terrorism financing to get a PATRIOT Act legal process targeting SEIU.

See this post for more.

Richard Berger: 24

As laid out in this post, Richard Berger wrote the arrest affidavits for the arrests of 24 anti-DHS protestors whose prosecutions have since fallen apart.

1. Kirubele Adbebe
2. Helicity Borowska
3. Dominique Boudreaux
4. Timothy Catlett*
5. Matrim Charlebois
6. Joshua Doyle
7. Gillian Etherington
8. Nitzana Flores
9. Joseph Franklin*
10. Ingred Hagberg
11. Mohamed Jama
12. Paul Johnson
13. LaMarguita Leach
14. Asia Littell
15. Abdikadir Noor
16. Christina Rank
17. Elizabeth Rose*
18. Margaret Sager
19. Brittany Stallings
20. Madeline Tschida
21. William Vermie
22. Quentin Williams
23. Ilan Wilson-Soler
24. Moustaphe Youssouf

Note, a disproportionate number of these arrests claimed an assault of CBP officers; Berger worked at CBP for years before joining HSI.

On April 14, Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright picked apart multiple ways Berger’s affidavit supporting the arrest of Kirubele Adbebe differed from the video evidence.

On April 28, Magistrate Judge David Schultz described Berger submitted a false affidavit about a different defendant, Gillian Etherington.

That affidavit was filed by Agent Richard Berger. And the affidavit states in paragraph 4 that “This affidavit is based on my personal knowledge, as well as information that I have learned.”

Now you, Ms. Stark, or the folks observing this hearing, may not be aware of this; but while I was on criminal duty in January, when a good number of these assault on federal officer cases were being filed by way of criminal complaint and we had affidavits from Mr. Berger, in all of them I became concerned with the veracity of the affidavits.

And so I questioned Mr. Berger about the basis for his affidavits, and specifically I asked him to outline the process by which he and other agents were conducting the information download at the Whipple Building.

It became quite clear, it is without doubt in the court’s mind, that Mr. Berger does not, did not have any personal knowledge of the events described in the affidavits that he has submitted to this court as sworn affidavits. He swore that the affidavit was based on “personal knowledge,” among other things. That’s a false affidavit.

At least 36 arrests made based on HSI affidavits (that is, 12 attested by people other than Berger, just one of whom seems to have the same kind of serial problems with sworn affidavits) have fallen apart.

Timothy Gerber: 8

According to filings from Georgia Fort, HSI Agent Timothy Gerber submitted at least eight affidavits falsely claiming that Fort chanted along with protestors at the Cities Church protest.

To make matters worse, Special Agent Timothy Gerber’s rejected application about Ms. Fort is predicated on materially false information. He falsely stated under oath in an affidavit in case number 26-MJ-206-JFD that “FORT went into the Cities Church, using her camera as the weapon to intimidate, threaten and scare the congregants.” See 26-MJ-206-JFD, ECF 3, ¶ 27. There is of course no factual (or legal) basis for such an assertion. Special Agent Gerber also falsely stated that Don Lemon’s livestream depicted Ms. Fort participating in various chants, including “ICE Out!,” “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!,” and “Stand Up, Fight Back!” Id. at ¶ 16. The agent’s statements about Ms. Fort are plainly contradicted by multiple livestreamed video streams from the church, including the Church’s own. In fact, those videos—and all other evidence produced so far by the government, including statements taken from eyewitnesses—shows the opposite, conclusively demonstrating that Ms. Fort did not chant with the agitators on January 18, 2026, and acted purely in her capacity as a journalist.

Regrettably, the government doubled down on these false assertions. For example, it repeated in numerous other investigative reports and sworn affidavits the allegation that “Broadcast video obtained from Cities Church shows” Ms. Fort “chanting with agitators,” including:

• 26-MJ-88-SGE;
• 26-MJ-89-SGE;
• 26-MJ-107-DJF;
• 26-MJ-108-DJF;
• 26-MJ-109-DJF;
• 26-MJ-113-DJF; and
• January 31, 2026 Pen-Trap submitted in E.D. of Pennsylvania.

He only started making that claim after Douglas Micko denied Gerber’s first attempt to get an arrest affidavit, making it more likely that Gerber lied because he had already been told there was not probable cause that Fort committed a crime.

A top Harmeet Dhillon lawyer, Robert Keenan, has confessed that the claim Fort chanted at the church is false. He claims it is just “inadvertence.”

The statement about Fort chanting was incorrect, but the error was due to simple inadvertence. The characterization of the camera as a weapon, though not ideal editing, is immaterial. Although the Government regrets any error and does its best to avoid them, mistakes are inevitable.

He did so, of course, after Harmeet engaged in multiple kinds of misconduct — disseminating AI slop, platforming people talking about betting on an indictment, lying about what the Eighth Circuit said, claiming she would hunt Don Lemon “to the end of the earth,” platforming false claims that defendants were terrorists, and exhibiting all kinds of animus towards defendants.

See these posts (one, two, three) for more.

The post HSI Agents Ricky Patel, Ryan Ribner, Richard Berger, and Timothy Gerber All Made False Claims to Frame Democrats appeared first on emptywheel.

New York judge also orders administration to cancel remaining portion of a $20m advertising purchase

A federal judge has ordered Donald Trump’s administration to temporarily halt the broadcast of taxpayer-funded television ads promoting the president ahead of the 3 November midterm elections.

Effective as of 6.45pm ET on Sunday, US district judge Jennifer L Rochon of the southern district of New York issued a temporary restraining order aimed at the ads that is meant to stay in effect for at least 14 days.

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Trump and key allies have accused Omar of immigration fraud, and have called to expel her from the country

Federal agents searched Representative Ilhan Omar’s home on Monday morning as part of a criminal investigation, according to the Department of Justice and reports in the Associated Press and Fox News.

In a social media post later on Monday, Omar criticized the raid as an attempt by the Trump administration “to target political enemies and weaponize law enforcement” and said she would “not be silenced”.

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Kimberly Guilfoyle, as America's newly minted ambassador to Greece, boasted at Davos about her close ties to two Greek tycoons and said they were bankrolling her high-rolling trips around the world. According to people who heard the conversation and an audio recording reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Guilfoyle was flexing her connections to wealthy Greek businessmen in January as she made an urgent request. She was being blocked from attending an upcoming dinner being held for Eric Trump, and she wanted to enlist an American businessman who was on the guest list to help get her in the door.

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considering firing U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a series of reports alleging she has engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens. A senior U.S. official said Sunday that Trump and Rubio are "extremely pissed off" by Guilfoyle's reported conduct and would likely decide on what action to take this week after Monday's Columbus Day holiday.

U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle may soon be fired amid reports she sought a six-figure credit card bailout from a Trump donor while offering access to administration officials, adding to mounting allegations over her conduct in Athens. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are "extremely pissed off" by Guilfoyle's reported conduct and are weighing her removal, The Associated Press reported Sunday, citing a senior U.S. official.

ABC News on Friday published a corrected version of an apparently deleted article from earlier that week which drew conclusions about the business dealings of President Donald Trump's eldest sons. Without an immediately clear public explanation, ABC News appeared to take down from its website an Oct. 7 report which attributed a $2.5 billion investment into U.S. defense contractor Anduril to 1789 Capital, a venture capital firm founded in 2022 for which Donald Trump Jr. serves as a partner...

Polls show that healthcare is high on the list of voter concerns. Right now, that's bad news for Republicans. Democrats are running ads accusing Republicans of cutting Biden-era subsidies for prescription drugs for the elderly and disabled on Medicare and cutting Biden-era subsidies for people who buy their own health insurance coverage. Fortunately, there is a powerful Republican response. It consists of four Trump administration ideas. Unfortunately, the administration has done little to explain the ideas, and most Republican candidates are ignoring the subject altogether...

President Trump said Sunday that his new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, will hold her first press conference on Tuesday. "I am pleased to announce that Katie Zacharia will be beginning her term as Press Secretary tomorrow, Columbus Day, and will be doing an introductory News Conference on Tuesday at 9:30 A.M. from the Press Briefing Room in the White House. Katie has been with me, in spirit, from the very beginning, and will do a fantastic job!" Trump said in a Sunday evening Truth Social post...

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considering firing U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a series of reports alleging she has engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens. A senior U.S. official said Sunday that Trump and Rubio are "extremely pissed off" by Guilfoyle's reported conduct and would likely decide on what action to take this week after Monday's Columbus Day holiday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Rubio had been particularly angry, not least because he visited Athens just last week and Guilfoyle attended most, if not all, of his events and greeted him on his arrival with a bear hug as the allegations swirled...

At a press conference on Thursday (8 October), the 42-year-old Vice President to Donald Trump was asked a simple question. However, his rambling answer descended into the completely unrelated topic of trans people in sports. "Oh man… It's honestly a hard term to define these days," Vance said, as captured by C-SPAN...

In July 2026, President Donald Trump's Department of Justice reportedly dispatched six federal prosecutors to oversee Arizona's primary elections, according to Democracy Docket, which cited records it had reviewed. The prosecutors were reportedly sent to the state's two most populous counties, Maricopa (home to Phoenix) and Pima (home to Tucson). This comes as the DOJ's Civil Rights Division said it will dispatch 1,000 monitors to the polls for the midterm elections, and as FBI Director Kash Patel continues to equivocate about whether FBI agents will be sent to the polls (even though federal law explicitly bans armed officers from polling sites)...

Ukrainian leader says he was surprised by Trump’s ‘energy ceasefire’ announcement, posted as Russian drones hit Kyiv

• Europe live – latest updates

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to respond to Russia’s continuing attacks on the Ukrainian power grid as European leaders rally around Kyiv amid a feud with Donald Trump over Ukraine’s strikes on oil refineries.

Speaking to a gathering of European security officials in Warsaw on Monday, the Ukrainian president said Kyiv would retaliate if strikes on its power grid continued: “If Russia does not agree to an energy ceasefire this winter, we will respond.”

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Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion in December 2025 to fund accounts for 25 million children;

Zelenskyy had proposed a 60-day total ceasefire to allow Ukraine to hold presidential elections

• Trump announces partial ceasefire in Ukraine war as Zelenskyy says deal is ‘news to me’

Addressing the conference virtually, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on Trump’s “sudden but very important” energy ceasefire declaration over the weekend.

He said it is clear that Putin “does not read Truth social”, the site that the US president posted his ceasefire declaration on.

Russia wants to ruin the existing security architecture in Europe to make sure that Russian domination comes back to where it was before 1989. We have no doubt about it.

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Now we will have televised executions – a glorious patriotic spectacle that sends ‘a message’ to the world

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• Get all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints

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A banner featuring an image of President Trump is displayed on the facade of the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Justice Department has been trying to force states to hand over sensitive voter data that it plans to share with the Department of Homeland Security. Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images

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Welcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker…

DOJ investigating major television networks, the Pentagon awarding hundreds of millions in contracts to a firm tied to a senior defense official, and Trump easing sanctions on Russian fuel while threatening Ukraine are among this weekend’s top stories.

This Weekend at a Glance

• The Justice Department investigates major television networks after White House press restrictions.

• Pentagon awards $350 million in contracts to a firm tied to a senior defense official.

• Trump eases sanctions on Russian fuel and threatens Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries.

What We Need to Pay Attention To

Trump’s DOJ probes major TV networks over response to White House ban of CNN

What Happened: The Justice Department opened an antitrust investigation into ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC after the networks refused to replace CNN in the White House press pool. Trump had banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the pool. The DOJ is demanding records about how the networks coordinate their coverage.

Why It Matters: Trump is using the Justice Department to punish news networks that refused to comply with his White House press restrictions. Using federal agencies to intimidate and silence the press is a classic authoritarian tactic.

Source: CNN

Corruption

The Pentagon Gave $350 Million in Contracts to a Firm Closely Tied to a Senior Defense Department Official

What Happened: The Pentagon awarded nearly $350 million in contracts to Alvarez & Marsal Federal, a consulting firm with business ties to a private equity company where senior Pentagon official George Kollitides continued working as an adviser. The contracts include a $281 million no-bid deal involving offices Kollitides oversees. His financial disclosures are not public.

Why It Matters: Hundreds of millions in taxpayer money went to a firm with business ties to a senior Pentagon official, including a contract awarded without competitive bidding. With Kollitides’ financial disclosures kept confidential, Americans have no way of knowing whether he benefits from the contracts.

Source: ProPublica

A Mysterious Nonprofit Run by SpaceXAI’s Top Lawyer Is Paying the Salaries of Government Workers

What Happened: At least two people working with the White House’s National Design Studio, which succeeded DOGE, are paid by the America by Design Foundation, a nonprofit allegedly run by SpaceXAI general counsel James Burnham. The nonprofit’s funding sources are undisclosed, and the workers entered government through a program that allows outside organizations to provide personnel to federal agencies.

Source: WIRED

Trump bought over $1 million in SpaceX debt days before unveiling space policy

What Happened: Trump purchased between $1 million and $5 million in SpaceX debt two days before signing a memorandum promoting commercial space launches that affect Elon Musk’s company. His financial disclosures also revealed more than 500 other transactions involving companies affected by federal policies.

Source: The Washington Post

Power Consolidation

Trump appoints committee to investigate statements by the Fed’s Lisa Cook

What Happened: Trump appointed a three-member committee made up entirely of his own appointees to investigate mortgage-related allegations against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Trump previously tried to fire Cook, but the Supreme Court blocked her removal. The committee will hold a hearing on November 5, two days after the midterms.

Why It Matters: Trump is again using his presidential powers to target a Federal Reserve governor he previously tried to remove. With no independent members on the committee, the investigation puts further pressure on the Fed’s independence from the White House.

Source: CNBC

How Trump’s Revenge Campaign Descended Into Turmoil

What Happened: The Justice Department investigation into officials who previously investigated Trump has been plagued by internal disputes, resignations, and a lack of evidence supporting allegations of a “criminal conspiracy.” Two senior figures, Joseph DiGenova and Kurt Olsen, have resigned, and around a dozen prosecutors are still pursuing the investigation.

Source: New York Times

Weaponization of Institutions

As Blanche hits the campaign trail, new DOJ memo relaxes rules around political conduct for Senate-approved appointees

What Happened: The Justice Department changed its ethics rules to allow Attorney General Todd Blanche and other Senate-confirmed officials to endorse political candidates and attend campaign events. The change ends decades-old restrictions as Blanche attends Republican campaign events ahead of the midterms.

Why It Matters: Trump is stripping away the rules that separate federal law enforcement from partisan politics, allowing senior DOJ officials to campaign for candidates while controlling federal investigations and prosecutions.

Source: PBS News

FBI post featuring El-Sayed runs afoul of Hatch Act, experts say

What Happened: The FBI released a video attacking Democrats, including Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, while promoting Kash Patel’s record as FBI director. Ethics experts say the video violates the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from using their official positions for partisan political activity.

Source: The Hill

Trump adviser Stephen Miller spoke to agents at recent FBI training on domestic terrorism, sources say

What Happened: White House adviser Stephen Miller spoke at an FBI counterterrorism training conference, urging agents to pursue more aggressive investigations of threats and harassment under Trump’s domestic terrorism initiative. His involvement broke with longstanding practices separating White House political officials from federal criminal investigations.

Why It Matters: White House officials are directing FBI agents on how to pursue domestic terrorism investigations, further eroding the separation between political power and federal law enforcement.

Source: CBS News

US judge rules Justice Department use of voter rolls unlawful

What Happened: A federal judge ruled that the Justice Department unlawfully sought state voter rolls to check against immigration records and pressure states to remove voters. The judge found that the effort threatened eligible Americans’ voting rights and interfered with states’ authority over elections. This DOJ has now lost 26 voter-roll lawsuits.

Source: Reuters

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Media Suppression & Authoritarian Tactics

US judge orders halt to taxpayer-funded ads featuring Trump

What Happened: Federal Judge Jennifer Rochon temporarily blocked taxpayer funding for television ads promoting Trump ahead of the November election. The ruling came after a lawsuit accused Trump officials of using public money to produce political ads benefiting Republican candidates.

Source: Reuters

All the Things You’re Not Allowed to Say In Texas

What Happened: Texas public universities are removing courses and degree programs covering race, gender, and sexuality under new state policies. Texas Tech is using AI to flag course materials, including works by prominent authors and historians, while the University of Texas at Austin is eliminating several ethnic and gender studies majors.

Why It Matters: State officials are deciding what professors can teach and what students are allowed to study, taking control away from universities and restricting academic freedom and free speech.

Source: The Atlantic

Human & Civil Rights Abuses

‘Chaos and cruelty’: the kids trapped in Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign

What Happened: ICE has detained more than 8,750 children since Trump returned to office. Arrests have more than doubled in the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Children have been held in detention centers, hotels, and temporary holding rooms, sometimes without their families or lawyers knowing where they are.

Why It Matters: Trump’s immigration crackdown is separating children from their families, denying them access to legal help, and exposing them to psychological trauma. Detaining children, especially when their families cannot find them, is cruel and causes lasting damage.

Source: The Guardian

For Ukrainians in the US, a last-ditch effort to forestall deportation

What Happened: Temporary Protected Status for more than 100,000 Ukrainians who fled Russia’s invasion expires on October 19. Trump officials have not announced whether protections will be extended or terminated, despite bipartisan calls not to deport Ukrainians back to a country under Russian invasion.

Why It Matters: Without renewed protections, Ukrainians who escaped Russia’s genocidal war face uncertainty over their legal status, employment, and whether they can remain in the U.S.

Source: Politico

ICE has quietly used this warehouse as a detention facility all summer, neighbors say

What Happened: ICE has reportedly been detaining immigrants in a Roxbury, New Jersey warehouse despite a court order blocking its conversion into a detention facility pending environmental reviews. A government contractor also alleged that DHS rejected more humane alternatives because Stephen Miller wanted detention conditions to be deliberately harsh.

Source: NPR

The GOP’s Message to Immigrants

What Happened: DHS celebrated declining immigration and naturalization numbers, while Republican officials praised a drop in immigration from Muslim-majority countries. Trump has prioritized refugee admissions for white South African Afrikaners while suspending admissions for refugees from other countries.

Source: The Atlantic

Government Disruption

Pentagon Again Increases Number of U.S. Casualties in Iran War

What Happened: The Pentagon revised its casualty figures for Trump’s Iran war to 21 U.S. service members killed and 865 wounded, adding three deaths and 98 injuries to its previous count. Hegseth has faced criticism for withholding casualty figures and attacking journalists who reported on the cover-up.

Why It Matters: Americans and Congress deserve an accurate count of the troops killed and wounded in Trump’s war. The Pentagon is using tactics long employed by Russia to hide military casualties and conceal the human cost of war.

Source: New York Times

Justice Department won’t enforce registration rules on silencers and certain guns after court ruling

What Happened: The Justice Department announced it will stop enforcing federal registration requirements for firearm silencers, short-barreled rifles, and certain other weapons. The decision follows a Texas judge’s ruling that applied only to the parties in that case, but the DOJ decided to extend the policy nationwide.

Source: Associated Press

America’s next breakthrough is already at risk

What Happened: Federal agencies are delaying or canceling approved research funding, while the National Science Foundation is on track to award its fewest new research grants in more than 40 years. The cuts affect research in medicine, technology, agriculture, and national security.

Source: USA Today

Millions Lose Private Medicare Plans and Face Rising Costs

What Happened: An estimated five million Americans will have to switch Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 as major insurers, including UnitedHealth and Centene, withdraw coverage from numerous markets. Older Americans face fewer plan options, higher medical and prescription costs, and reduced access to doctors.

Source: New York Times

New Trump rules will make it harder for farmers to access US funds for energy projects

What Happened: Trump is changing USDA rules to require farmers to complete energy projects and show a year of savings before applying for federal funding. Previously, farmers could receive grants covering up to half the cost before construction. The new rules take effect October 16.

Source: Reuters

Imperial & Geopolitical Watch

Trump Says U.S. May Join Saudi Strikes on Houthis After Riyadh Airport Attacks

What Happened: Trump said the U.S. may join Saudi Arabia’s strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis after attacks on Saudi airports killed at least 18 people and injured hundreds. The attacks have disrupted air travel as fighting continues around Red Sea shipping routes.

Source: TIME

US hits International Criminal Court with sweeping sanctions as part of drive to dismantle tribunal

What Happened: Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, cutting off its access to U.S. financial services, technology companies, and dollar transactions. U.S. companies have six months to end their business with the court.

Why It Matters: Trump is targeting an international court responsible for investigating war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The sanctions also threaten the court’s work pursuing Russian officials, including Putin, over the countless crimes in Ukraine and the kidnapping of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children.

Source: Associated Press

Iran scales up Hormuz attacks, raising pressure on Trump as midterms near

What Happened: Iran attacked at least nine vessels in the Strait of Hormuz last week, cutting oil shipments through the waterway by half despite expanded U.S. military operations. Brent crude rose roughly 5% to $105 a barrel Thursday, while Trump claimed oil was flowing at record levels and said he would not attack Iran before the midterms.

Source: The Washington Post

How a U.S. Diplomat Suppressed and Altered Reports Critical of Israel

What Happened: David Milstein, a senior aide to U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, reportedly blocked or rewrote embassy reports to portray Israel’s government more favorably. The suppressed reports covered West Bank settlement expansion, settler violence, and the killings of Palestinian Americans, including information requested by Congress.

Source: New York Times

Far-Right & Russian Influence Watch

Trump says Ukraine should ‘get a new president’ after U.S.-Russia diesel deal

What Happened: Trump called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be replaced, blamed him for prolonging Russia’s war, and demanded that Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil refineries. His comments came one day after announcing a diesel deal with Putin and easing sanctions on Russian fuel exports.

Why It Matters: This is what a Russian puppet looks like. Trump is threatening Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil infrastructure while easing sanctions on Russian fuel exports that help finance Moscow’s genocidal invasion. This is such a betrayal of Ukraine.

Source: Washington Post

Tillis says Trump’s Russian diesel deal may be illegal

What Happened: Republican Sen. Thom Tillis warned that Trump’s deal to import Russian diesel may violate a 2022 law banning Russian oil imports unless certain conditions are met, including Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine. Tillis also criticized Trump for blaming Ukraine instead of Putin for rising energy prices.

Source: Politico

Why Is Kash Patel Planning to Visit Russia?

What Happened: Kash Patel is reportedly planning to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg next week, with possible meetings with Russia’s FSB. Seventeen current and former U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials expressed concerns about the trip, and Democratic lawmakers Jamie Raskin and Jim Himes urged Patel to cancel it. The FBI has not confirmed the visit.

Source: The Atlantic

Unmasking RussiaIs Russia Preparing a Chemical Weapons Attack in Ukraine?While checking Russian media this morning, I came across something extremely disturbing…Read morea day ago · 249 likes · 34 comments · Olga Lautman

Economic News

Americans’ debt problems are flashing a warning not seen since the Great Recession

What Happened: A Federal Reserve survey found that nearly 20% of American families were behind on loan payments at the end of 2025, up from 12% in 2022 and the highest level since 2010. More than 8% were at least two months behind, while the wealthiest households saw their median net worth rise 31%.

Source: CNBC

US farm debt is at a record. Official data might be undercounting it

What Happened: U.S. farm debt has reached a record $605 billion, according to USDA estimates. The actual amount could be higher because federal data does not fully account for loans from nontraditional lenders. Farmers are also facing rising fuel and fertilizer costs and disruptions to export markets.

Source: Reuters

Resistance

Check out 50501 for local and nationwide events…

Source: 50501

By the Numbers

• $350 million — Pentagon contracts awarded to a consulting firm with business ties to a senior defense official.

• $1 million–$5 million — SpaceX debt purchased by Trump two days before announcing new space policy.

• 500+ — Additional financial transactions involving companies affected by federal policies.

• 8,750+ — Children detained by ICE since Trump returned to office.

• 21 — U.S. service members killed in Trump’s Iran war.

• 865 — U.S. service members wounded in Trump’s Iran war.

• 5 million — Americans expected to switch Medicare Advantage plans in 2027 as insurers withdraw coverage.

• $605 billion — Record U.S. farm debt, with the actual amount potentially higher.

• ~ 20% — American families behind on loan payments at the end of 2025, the highest since 2010.

What to Watch Next

Trump’s Russian diesel deal faces legal questions — Will Congress investigate whether the agreement violates the 2022 ban on Russian oil imports?

Kash Patel is reportedly planning to visit Russia this week — Who is Patel planning to meet with, and what is the reason for his visit weeks before the midterms?

DOJ is investigating major TV networks for possible antitrust violations — Will the investigation continue as the networks refuse to comply with White House press restrictions?

Iranian attacks have disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz — Will Trump order more military strikes if the attacks continue?

Key Takeaways

Political Weaponization — The DOJ is targeting news networks and political opponents while loosening restrictions on partisan activity.

Mass Corruption — Pentagon contracts, Musk-linked funding of government workers, and Trump’s SpaceX investments show the mass corruption.

Russian Puppets — Trump is easing Russian energy sanctions and attacking Ukraine, while Kash Patel reportedly plans a visit to Moscow.

Human Rights — ICE has detained thousands of children, reportedly defied a court order, and left Ukrainian refugees facing possible deportation.

Economic Pressure — American families are falling behind on debt, farm borrowing has reached record levels, and millions face Medicare plan changes.

Government Accountability — The Pentagon keeps revising Iran war casualties, Trump is sanctioning the International Criminal Court, and scientific research funding is being cut.

Call to Action

Document Everything: Document purges, corruption, and power grabs. Share credible information with journalists, watchdogs, and legal experts. Silence enables authoritarianism—see something, say something.

Defend Press Freedom: Support independent journalism by subscribing to and sharing reporting that challenges Trump’s power grab.

Mobilize for Action: Organize or join legal efforts and resistance movements to protect democracy and human and civil rights.

Support Whistleblowers: Encourage legal defense funds for government workers facing retaliation for exposing corruption.

Follow my work on YouTube → Subscribe to Unmasking Russia

https://youtube.com/@unmaskingrussia

Preorder My New Book…

Putin’s Pawns takes you on a journey from the earliest days of the Cold War and Soviet KGB active measures through Russia’s attacks on Western elections, the rise of the far right, Trump and Russia, the genocidal war against Ukraine, influence operations across Europe, and the shadow war unfolding today.

It is the story of how Moscow spent decades learning to exploit the weaknesses of democracies and how those tactics brought us to this moment.

Preorder now

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250796547/putinspawns/

Thanks for reading the Trump Tyranny Tracker. Stay tuned for more updates.

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The badges of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are seen as they patrol the halls of an immigration court in New York in May. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/File

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Welcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker…

DOJ targeting a key January 6 witness, ICE investigating millions of voter records, and a Russian oil deal involving investors connected to Trump’s inner circle are among today’s top stories.

Today at a Glance

• ICE reviewed close to 100 million voter records as part of Trump’s BS “election fraud” investigation.

• The Justice Department is investigating former January 6 witness Cassidy Hutchinson.

• A Russian oil deal involves investors connected to Jared Kushner and Trump’s other cronies.

What We Need to Pay Attention To

ICE reviewed tens of millions of voter records looking for noncitizen voters, records show

What Happened: Internal DHS documents show ICE investigators obtained two datasets containing approximately 99 million voter records and other records for a nationwide investigation into Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread election fraud. Investigators also targeted voter registration nonprofits and considered undercover operations, despite no credible evidence of widespread noncitizen voting. The documents also reference plans to use Palantir software.

Why It Matters: Trump is using ICE to pursue his election fraud lies. With the midterms approaching, immigration agents are accessing millions of voter records and investigating voter registration groups, expanding federal law enforcement’s involvement in elections.

Source: CNN

Corruption News

Photo shows top Trump aide’s daughter with pro-Russia politician in Bosnia

What Happened: Katie Wiles, daughter of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, was photographed with pro-Russian politician Željko Budimir, interior minister of the pro-Russian Republika Srpska, during her visit to Bosnia. Wiles works for a lobbying firm representing Republika Srpska. Two senior Trump political advisers also traveled to Bosnia to help Milorad Dodik’s party in local elections.

Why It Matters: Trump’s inner circle has extensive ties to Russia and its proxies. The connections to Dodik’s circle are another example of how deeply these relationships extend into Trump’s family, advisers, and cronies.

Source: CBS News

US consumer watchdog examiners adopt lighter touch amid pressure and threats, sources say

What Happened: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau examiners are conducting less rigorous reviews under pressure from Trump-appointed officials and threats to their jobs. More than half of examinations this spring received expedited reviews, and the agency selected about 70 companies for inspection this year, roughly half its usual number.

Why It Matters: Trump officials are weakening the agency responsible for protecting Americans from financial abuse. Banks and other financial companies face fewer inspections and less scrutiny, leaving consumers more vulnerable to predatory lending, hidden fees, and other abuses.

Source: Reuters

Power Consolidation

Elon Musk’s America PAC Is Quietly Funding November’s Most Consequential Elections

What Happened: Elon Musk’s America PAC is spending millions in closely contested Senate races ahead of the midterms. The PAC is spending nearly $3 attacking Democratic candidates for every $1 it spends supporting Republicans.

Why It Matters: Musk is pouring money into Senate races to help Republicans gain control of Congress. His spending is another example of how billionaires use their wealth to influence elections.

Source: WIRED

Weaponization of Institutions

DOJ grand jury investigating former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson

What Happened: The Justice Department is investigating Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide who testified against Trump during the January 6 investigation. Prosecutors have presented evidence to a federal grand jury and are investigating allegations that she lied to Congress, along with possible civil rights charges. The case is being handled by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division under Trump ally Harmeet Dhillon.

Why It Matters: The Justice Department is investigating a key witness who testified about his actions during the January 6 insurrection. The investigation puts other witnesses on notice that testifying against Trump can lead to federal harassment.

Source: The Washington Post

Homeland Security targets Democratic campaign after ICE arrest in Pennsylvania

What Happened: DHS issued a press release attacking Democratic congressional candidate Janelle Stelson after ICE arrested a Nigerian man in Pennsylvania, claiming he worked for her campaign. Stelson’s campaign denied any connection, and campaign finance records showed no payments to him. The watchdog group CREW filed a complaint alleging a violation of the Hatch Act.

Source: Associated Press

Why FBI Officials Are Worried About the Midterms

What Happened: More than 40 sources described growing concerns inside the FBI over Kash Patel’s focus on Trump’s 2020 election lies and investigations targeting his political opponents. Agents have sought legal guidance about possible election-related orders. This comes as the FBI has pulled back its normal election preparation.

Source: The Atlantic

Pentagon barred Qatar base access to hide Iran war damage, US senator claims

What Happened: The Pentagon recently denied Sen. Chris Murphy access to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Murphy accused Pentagon officials of hiding the extent of the damage by Iran and the war’s costs. The Defense Department cited existing restrictions on travel to the region.

Why It Matters: Congress has a duty to oversee military operations and spending. Blocking a senator from inspecting a U.S. base damaged during Trump’s war with Iran prevents lawmakers from independently assessing the damage and holding Trump and the Pentagon accountable.

Source: Military Times

Trump approved Ohio disaster aid ahead of rally

What Happened: Trump approved millions in disaster aid for Ohio one day before campaigning for Republican Sen. Jon Husted, with 15 other disaster requests still pending. At the rally, Trump credited Republican senators for securing the funding and suggested he would not help Ohio’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate.

Why It Matters: Trump is treating federal disaster assistance as a political reward. During the first 14 months of his term, he approved 89% of disaster requests from Republican-led states, compared with just 23% from states led by Democratic governors and senators.

Source: Politico

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Media Suppression & Authoritarian Tactics

Supreme Court, for Now, Sides With Trump Administration in TV Ad Fight

What Happened: Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily blocked a lower court order requiring the FCC to finish reviewing rules that would extend discounted television advertising rates to political parties and joint fundraising committees. Trump officials sought Supreme Court intervention after Democratic candidates challenged the changes ahead of the midterms.

Why It Matters: The proposed changes would allow wealthy political committees to buy more television advertising at discounted rates, giving parties with larger fundraising operations an advantage in the final weeks before the midterms.

Source: New York Times

Human & Civil Rights Abuses

Mamdani Says Child Was in Car When ICE Shot Man in New York

What Happened: An ICE agent shot and wounded a man during an immigration operation in New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said agents surrounded the vehicle and fired multiple rounds while a five-year-old child was inside. The child was unharmed, and Mamdani called on Trump to end ICE operations in the city.

Why It Matters: ICE agents opened fire on a vehicle with a young child inside, putting the child’s life in danger. The shooting adds to growing scrutiny of ICE agents’ use of deadly force during immigration operations.

Source: Bloomberg

Pentagon Says Fort Hood Shooter Execution Will Be Livestreamed

What Happened: The Pentagon plans to livestream the December 3 firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. Trump approved the execution on October 2 at the recommendation of Hegseth, who said he wanted the public to watch.

Why It Matters: Trump and Hegseth are turning a military execution into a public spectacle, broadcasting state-sanctioned killing the same way terrorist organizations and brutal regimes do. Not to mention this will be a recruitment video for terrorists. This goes against everything America stands for.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Trump Administration Plans to Have Its Own Lawyers Represent Migrant Kids

What Happened: Trump officials plan to assign government lawyers to represent unaccompanied migrant children in immigration court, where other government lawyers are seeking their deportation. Trump previously canceled a contract with independent legal organizations after they refused to hand over confidential information about the children.

Source: Mother Jones

Judge Accuses ICE of Falsifying Documents to Cover Up Illegal Arrests

What Happened: Trump-appointed federal Judge Gary Brown ruled that ICE agents illegally arrested and detained a man in New York City, then falsified official documents to justify their actions. The judge found that agents fabricated an administrative warrant and gave testimony bearing “all the hallmarks of coordinated fabrication.”

Why It Matters: ICE agents illegally arrested someone, falsified government records, and gave false testimony to justify their actions. Federal agents continue to break the law and then try to cover it up, even in court.

Source: The Washington Sun

Government Disruption

How the Trump Administration Is Eroding Airline Passengers’ Rights

What Happened: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has rolled back or proposed weakening airline passenger protections covering hidden fees, ticket prices, flight disruptions, and disability accommodations. His department has also dropped investigations into major airlines and has not issued a single fine against an airline since he took office.

Why It Matters: Trump officials are stripping away passenger protections and letting airlines operate with less oversight. Americans will deal with more hidden fees, fewer options for compensation, and less protection when airlines mistreat them.

Source: New York Times

Trump administration paving way for temporary sale of some unapproved peptides

What Happened: Trump officials are developing a plan to temporarily allow compounding pharmacies to sell certain previously restricted peptides. RFK Jr. supports the move despite warnings from FDA scientists and medical experts that many of these products have not been adequately tested for safety or effectiveness.

Source: The Washington Post

Imperial & Geopolitical Watch

Pentagon Draws Up New Iran Strike Plans as Trump Hesitates

What Happened: The Pentagon has developed plans for a three-day bombing campaign targeting Iran’s missile and drone arsenals, energy facilities, and military headquarters. Three U.S. aircraft carriers are heading to the region. Trump has rejected five previous proposals for major strikes and said that he would not attack Iran before the midterms.

Source: New York Times

EU drops sponsorship of disinformation conference at Trump officials’ request

What Happened: The State Department pressured European governments to withdraw support from a disinformation conference in Lithuania after organizers scheduled a panel examining the United States as a potential source of foreign information manipulation. Lithuania, Canada, and the EU’s diplomatic service withdrew their sponsorship.

Why It Matters: Trump is pressuring American allies to shut down scrutiny of U.S. disinformation and influence operations. His interference also damages cooperation with European countries working to expose Russian propaganda and foreign interference.

Source: The Guardian

Rubio Says US Unapologetic About Power in Warning to Europe

What Happened: Marco Rubio told European allies during a speech in Greece that the United States would pursue national power “unapologetically.” He warned of Western decline and criticized European countries for weakening their militaries and surrendering sovereignty to international institutions.

Source: Bloomberg

Far-Right & Russian Influence Watch

In Trump’s Russian Oil Deal, Middle East Funds Are the Biggest Owners

What Happened: A proposed multibillion-dollar deal to acquire Russian oil giant Lukoil’s sanctioned international assets would give majority ownership to Middle Eastern investors, including business partners of Jared Kushner and investors connected to U.S. negotiators. Trump donor Todd Boehly is leading the investor group, while the U.S. government would receive a roughly 15% stake.

Source: New York Times

Economic News

U.S. Budget Deficit Jumps to Nearly $2 Trillion

What Happened: The federal budget deficit reached $1.993 trillion in fiscal year 2026, up 12% from 2025 and the highest since 2021, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Federal spending increased 6% to $7.4 trillion, while revenue rose just 3% to $5.4 trillion.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Inflation on many everyday items was entirely due to tariffs, NY Fed says

What Happened: New York Federal Reserve researchers found that Trump’s tariffs increased prices across 67 categories of consumer goods by 2.9 percentage points as of February 2026. Without the tariffs, prices for those goods would have fallen by nearly 1%.

Source: CNBC

Resistance

Check out 50501 for local and nationwide events…

Source: 50501

By the Numbers

• 99 million — Voter and other records obtained by ICE investigators for Trump’s nationwide BS election fraud investigation.

• $1.993 trillion — The federal budget deficit in fiscal year 2026, up 12% from the previous year.

• 2.9 percentage points — The increase in prices across 67 categories of consumer goods attributed to Trump’s tariffs.

• 89% vs. 23% — Disaster assistance requests approved by Trump from Republican-led states versus Democratic-led states during the first 14 months of his term.

• 15% — Approximate stake the U.S. would receive under the proposed deal involving Lukoil’s sanctioned international assets.

What to Watch Next

ICE Is Investigating Voter Records Ahead of the Midterms — How far will Trump expand federal immigration enforcement in elections?

Trump’s Justice Department Is Investigating a January 6 Witness — Will other witnesses who testified against Trump face federal investigations?

A Russian Oil Deal Awaits Treasury Approval — Will Trump lift sanctions to approve a transaction involving investors connected to his family and political allies?

The Pentagon Is Preparing New Strikes Against Iran — Will Trump authorize another major bombing campaign after the midterms?

Key Takeaways

Election Interference — ICE is investigating millions of voter records, the FBI is pursuing Trump’s election fraud lies, and the Justice Department is investigating a key January 6 witness.

Mass Corruption — A proposed Russian oil deal involves investors connected to Trump’s inner circle, while his political allies have ties to pro-Russian politicians abroad.

Civil Rights and Oversight — ICE agents are accused of falsifying records and violating constitutional rights, while Trump officials are cutting consumer protections and denying migrant children independent legal representation.

Rising Costs — The federal deficit has reached nearly $2 trillion, and Trump’s tariffs are driving up prices for consumers.

War and Alliances — The Pentagon is planning another major bombing campaign against Iran, while Trump officials are pressuring European allies over efforts to investigate disinformation.

Call to Action

Document Everything: Document purges, corruption, and power grabs. Share credible information with journalists, watchdogs, and legal experts. Silence enables authoritarianism—see something, say something.

Defend Press Freedom: Support independent journalism by subscribing to and sharing reporting that challenges Trump’s power grab.

Contact Lawmakers: Demand accountability for Trump’s unchecked power and war on oversight.

Mobilize for Action: Organize or join legal efforts and resistance movements to protect democracy and human and civil rights.

Support Whistleblowers: Encourage legal defense funds for government workers facing retaliation for exposing corruption.

Follow my work on YouTube → Subscribe to Unmasking Russia

https://youtube.com/@unmaskingrussia

Preorder My New Book…

Putin’s Pawns takes you on a journey from the earliest days of the Cold War and Soviet KGB active measures through Russia’s attacks on Western elections, the rise of the far right, Trump and Russia, the genocidal war against Ukraine, influence operations across Europe, and the shadow war unfolding today.

It is the story of how Moscow spent decades learning to exploit the weaknesses of democracies and how those tactics brought us to this moment.

Preorder now

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250796547/putinspawns/

Thanks for reading the Trump Tyranny Tracker. Stay tuned for more updates.

Leave a comment

Among FBI Director Kash Patel’s many extracurricular pleasures, he plays hockey in a DC-area beer league. His security team tags along. (João Fazenda for The New Yorker)

Strange Trip: Both present and former FBI and DOJ officials are troubled over FBI Director Kash Patel’s reported plans this week to visit Russia as a likely guest of the FSB, Moscow’s murderous domestic repression and foreign assassinations service— especially now with President Trump making nice with Vladimir Putin and urging regime change in Ukraine. After a recent ”quiet campaign” by senior FBI officials to dissuade Patel went unanswered, they reached out to the ranking Democrats on the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees, Jim Himes (CT) and Jamie Raskin (MD), who sent a letter to Patel asking him “to reconsider” and “call off this trip,” Sarah Fitzpatrick reported in The Atlantic, He hasn’t responded. (Maybe he was too busy playing beer-league hockey.) “Christopher O’Leary, a former senior executive in the FBI’s counterterrorism division [said] he and others found the timing of the trip bizarre, especially given the pressure that FBI leadership is putting on agents to substantiate election conspiracy theories at home that Russian intelligence services continuously amplify,” Fitzpatrick added. “If there was real concern about interference in our elections,” O’Leary said, “then the FBI director should be in the United States leading the effort around the clock,” not going to Moscow. SpyTalk’s Dolia Estévez reported Friday on a suspected Russian intelligence service plot to use Mexican hitmen to take out Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent exile based in Washington, D.C.

KGB Dump: Some 20 Finnish lawmakers suspect it’s Russian agents who’ve been breaking into their homes and leaving their legendary calling cards: a dump in their toilets. CIA officers in Russia have long found such fecal gifts awaiting them at home. Kash’s security team can expect the same.

Former German Spy Chief Arrested: A former head of the BND, Germany’s foreign intelligence service, who played a key role in the George W. Bush administration’s mistaken case for WMD in Iraq, has been arrested and charged with “treasonous espionage,” along with a former aide who’s been arrested for “aiding and abetting” the scheme. August Hanning, 80, led the BND 1998 to 2005 under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, followed by a term as state secretary in the Interior Ministry in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet until 2009, after which, according to Der Spiegel, he built up a roster of controversial clients, including Russian businessmen and bankers, and allegedly “prepared an analysis for the Azerbaijani intelligence service.” His former chief of staff (identified only as Manfred D. following German privacy rules) stayed on at the BND and was paid to supply him with a stream of classified information over a 12-year period until 2022, German prosecutors said. In 2002, according to reports, ”Hanning played a big role in the Curveball affair, the unnamed source for moveable WMD labs in Iraq, which Colin Powell mentioned in his speech to the UN making the case for war. It turned out to be false.” In his 2007 memoir, At the Center of the Storm, then-CIA Director George Tenet bitterly described how he was played by Hanning and his own aides. More schuhes to drop on this one.

Rush to Judgment: The CIA and Justice Department have settled on a plea deal to avoid a public trial of former senior CIA exec David Rush, who, beyond his admitted grand larceny, reportedly confessed that in late 2025 he had disclosed “certain descriptive information of a U.S. government clandestine human source” that could “endanger the safety and life of the human source and the U.S. government officers working with the source,” as well as jeopardize America’s “ability to recruit human sources, who rely on the U.S. government’s assurance of absolute secrecy,” as NBC put it.

Rush, while a senior exec in the Science and Technology Directorate, created a strictly compartmented, above-top secret, but phony program to siphon off $194 million in government funds, including roughly 600 pounds of gold bars he stashed in his basement, to facilitate his “maximum self-enrichment at the expense of the United States.” He faces up to 20 years in prison come sentencing in January.

Another U.S.-U.K. Base Plot: The Two Latvian men who were arrested early Thursday inside the perimeter of a British air force base that houses U.S. and NATO intelligence personnel have been released on bail, U.K. counterterrorism police said Friday. The base, RAF Molesworth, 70 miles north of London, houses U.S. warplanes but is also “home to the NATO Intelligence Fusion Center, as well as intelligence personnel from the U.S. Africa Command,” reported the A.P.. The incident follows last month’s arrest of five men on suspicion of targeting RAF Fairford, home to U.S. B-1 bombers used in some strikes against Iran. The bombers were evacuated in a rush last weekend over fears of a mutli-facted, Iran-sponsored attack with drones and hit squads. Defenses at other U.K air bases remain dangerously weak, an analysis by the iPaper found. “One joint RAF-US Air Force base that lays bare the security crisis is RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk. The Americans keep air tankers and support aircraft for Special Operations Command here but as at Fairford, they sit in the open with no hardened shelters, making them easy drone targets. If President Trump is serious about the Iran-backed drone threat, they will have to be moved.”

Red October: A U.K. sailor has been charged with spying for Russia. Teddy Young, 24, was “accused of trying to make contact with Russian authorities over the dark web, including drafting a message written in Russian containing classified information,” the British iPaper reported. Although only an Able Seaman, the lowest enlisted rank, Young worked in naval intelligence, with a “high level security clearance and intelligence-system access.” He was “first arrested on 21 May 2025, before being rearrested and charged this week. The alleged offences took place between 26 November 2024 and 21 May last year.” Russia has put the U.K. under increasing military pressure. More than 170 Russian “shadow fleet” vessels passed near or through U.K. waters this summer, with a Russian presence in the Channel almost every day, analysis by the i Paper found.

Burnham Fingers Russia: Prime Minister Andy Burnham revealed he launched his own investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit vote as soon as he entered 10 Downing in July and found that the Kremlin indeed secretly pushed Britain to leave the European Union. There’s been a lot of “misinformation and disinformation” emanating from Russia, he said on Britain’s The Rest is Politics show. “I don’t think we knew back then the extent to which there was state-sponsored interference in the British democratic process…and the clear answer is yes, there was, and these things are important now to put clearly on the record and to help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated by our enemies, namely Russia.”

Denmark Fingers Russia: Copenhagen accused Moscow of conducting sabotage attacks against its defense firms. “The shift reflects a significant escalation in Moscow’s hybrid warfare campaign, Josefine Christensen, lead analyst at the Danish national security and intelligence service (PET), told a homeland security conference in Copenhagen.” (Reuters)

Don’t miss the latest SpyTalk podcast, this one featuring CNBC’s Eamon Javers on a Chinese espionage plot that should serve as a cautionary tale for US officials.

FlyDubai Update: The political shift of rogue Omani pilot Hammam al-Hammami towards extremism and terrorism began a decade ago during his two years as a student at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, according to Dr. Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, attorney general of the UAE, where the would-be Islamic suicide aviator has been under interrogation. The A.G.’s statement, first reported by the state-run Emirati news agency, known as WAM, said al-Hammami told prosecutors “he…drew inspiration from the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001,” and practiced targeting Ben Gurion airport outside Tel Aviv on previous flights to Israel for FlyDubai. What role UAE authorities might have played in clearing al-Hammami to fly after he was grounded by Omani Air for his extremist views remains an open question. Like 9/11, there was an obvious intelligence failure by both UAE and Israeli security officials.

Islamist Plot on Mall of America: An apparently self-radicalized Minnesota teen was arrested Tuesday after expressing enthusiasm for attacking non-Muslims at the Mall of America and accepting a weapon and bullets to do it from an FBI employee posing as an Islamic State agent. The 18-year-old, Somali-born U.S. citizen “had been on the FBI’s radar since December 2024, when he began trading messages with a confidential informant,” reported the A.P. “A criminal complaint says he initially expressed an interest in traveling to Somalia to fight for al-Shabab militants. As his plans to instead attack the mall solidified, the complaint says, agents sold him the gun and ammunition on Tuesday and arrested him on the spot.”

Heart of Darkness: The reputation of Eric Prince has taken a hit in the Congo over his mercenaries’ flailing efforts to put down a Rwanda-backed rebellion and help Kinshasa regain control of its mining sector. “Among mercenaries, especially in Africa, Prince is derided because he has zero successful missions,” Sean McFate, a former private military contractor who is currently a fellow at The Atlantic Council, told the New York Times’ Declan Walsh.

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Havana Syndrome: A new book by 60 Minutes producers Michael Rey and Oriana Zill de Granados takes another, deeper look at the phenomenon that has felled scores of U.S. intelligence, diplomatic and other personnel and “the U.S. government’s effort to downplay and deny them.” The Guardian’s Shaun Walker, who got an advance look at The Havana Syndrome, highlights previously unreported, fascinating incidents of the suspected Russian microwave attacks, but notes: “Even people who have seen the intelligence on Havana syndrome can disagree on what it suggests.” Two sources that Walker consulted offered him “radically different interpretations of what the classified data shows on possible Russian involvement,” he writes. “One highlighted the lack of a ‘smoking gun’—a piece of human intelligence or an intercept that showed Russian operatives discussing a programme to use directed energy against Americans,” which would have been picked up because, the source said, “how strong our collection capabilities on Russia are”—like the one that picked up Putin’s war plans for Ukraine before his February 2022 invasion. “If this was really a large-scale Russian program, we would have expected to see something in some of these channels, but we didn’t,” the source said. Another former intelligence official disagreed: “If you’re waiting for an intercept of someone saying: ‘My name is Igor and I’m going to press the button on my secret laser’ before you have confidence [that it’s true], that’s probably never going to happen. But for any reasonable person who has access to the intelligence and knows how to read it, the Russian fingerprints are clear.” Then there’s this: In 2017, after then-CIA director Gina Haspel was briefed on various London incidents, “she allegedly complained it was not solid enough to take to the president, given how sensitive he was on Russia-related matters,” Rey and Zill report. “The meeting abruptly ended after Haspel shouted that if she took reports like this to President Trump, she would be fired as director.” Wow.

Over at the New York Times, however, reviewer Nicolas Niarchos faults the authors for not getting to the bottom of “one of the biggest questions at the heart of their story: Why, as the authors allege, were U.S. officials so keen to cover up the attacks?” Fingering Moscow could trigger a dangerous confrontation with Putin, they suggest. But Niarchos suggests something darker: “Could a highly placed enemy agent or agents be sowing confusion and stymying the investigation?”

I spend most of every weekend catching up with and curating all the truly alarming news on the intelligence front these days. I hope you find it useful, and if you haven’t done it already, you can show your support by taking out a no-obligation, 7-day free trial. Thanks!

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Outside the New York headquarters of Sullivan & Cromwell, at 125 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan (photo by David Lat).

This week’s Judicial Notice is sponsored by

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Greetings from Florida, where our family is spending a long weekend. Harlan has Monday and Tuesday off from school for a brief fall break, so we decided to celebrate his recent ninth birthday by bringing him and his little brother Chase down to Orlando. We’re hanging out with friends and checking out two of the area’s famed theme parks: Universal Epic Universe, which we visited yesterday, and Magic Kingdom, which we’re hitting tomorrow (recommendations welcome).

Speaking of recs, what’s my weekly wisdom for this edition of Judicial Notice? I’ll go with something controversial: if you’re a Wordle devotee, try out “CLASP” as your starter word. I’ve cycled through a number of them over the years, including “SLATE” and “AUDIO,” but “CLASP” is my current favorite.

I’m sure someone can explain why some other word is statistically superior. But my understanding is that once you reach a certain level of starter-word “reasonableness,” the differences are negligible, so there’s room for discretion and personal preference. I like “CLASP” because (1) it’s a “real” word, as opposed to a “word you’d use only in Wordle” word (like “SALET” or “TARES”), and (2) it’s viscerally appealing, unlike words such as “moist” or “crevice” (or, God forbid, “moist crevice”). “CLASP” makes me think of embraces and jewelry—what’s not to like?

Now, on to the news—which was, for the first time in weeks if not months, manageable to cover. But I’m still doing a Judicial Notice post and a separate supplement (for reasons related to our schedule while on this mini-vacation).

Lawyer of the Week: Mathew Rosengart.

In my podcast interview of Mathew Rosengart of Greenberg Traurig, one of the nation’s most in-demand litigators, we discussed how he decides which clients and cases to take on. He said he tries to find matters that “move the law”—cases that matter not just to the parties, but also to society at large.

Over his four decades of practicing law, Rosengart has handled many such matters—including his work helping to free Britney Spears from an onerous conservatorship five years ago this fall. And it looks like—oops!—he did it again.

Let’s begin with some background (via The New York Times). From 2018 to 2019, the Grammy-winning singer FKA twigs dated the actor Shia LaBeouf. The relationship ended badly, and in 2020, FKA twigs (born Tahliah Debrett Barnett) sued LaBeouf, alleging sexual battery and assault. That lawsuit was resolved in 2025—through a settlement that included a nondisclosure agreement.

In October 2025, Barnett told The Hollywood Reporter that even though her relationship with LaBeouf was in the rearview mirror, “I wouldn’t say I feel safe. I feel really passionate about being involved with organizations such as Sistah Space and No More, to help survivors in any way that I can.” Last December, LaBeouf brought an arbitration complaint against Barnett, alleging that these comments violated the NDA.

In March, represented by Rosengart, Barnett sued LaBeouf. She sought to invalidate the NDA for violating California’s STAND Act, a 2018 law generally banning confidentiality provisions in settlements of sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination cases. That statute was passed as part of a broader campaign for similar federal and state laws, as described in a Times guest essay by Gretchen Carlson—who famously sued then-Fox News CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment and later co-founded Lift Our Voices, a nonprofit focused on ending the use of NDAs and forced-arbitration agreements in cases involving workplace harassment.

Last Tuesday, Rosengart announced that Barnett was dropping her lawsuit against LaBeouf—after getting exactly the relief she sought from the start, namely, the ability to speak freely about their relationship. According to Rosengart, the resolution of the case “represents an important victory for the principle that women who speak out about sexual abuse should not be silenced by NDAs that contravene California law,” as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Congratulations to Rosengart on securing yet another successful outcome for a client—as well as his recent recognition as one of Forbes Magazine’s Top 250 Lawyers and one of The Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers (for the fifth time).

Judge of the Week: Judge James Ho.

In Pittsburgh Logistics Systems, Incorporated v. Glen Rose Transportation Management, a unanimous panel of the Fifth Circuit affirmed a judgment against PLS in a trade-secrets case, in a per curiam opinion that runs only a shade over three pages. But Judge James Ho filed a concurrence—and when Judge Ho writes separately, you know he won’t be boring (whether you agree with him or not).

A corporate representative of Glen Rose, the defendant in the case, sent a series of ex parte emails to Magistrate Judge Derek Gilliland (W.D. Tex.), complaining that the judge was moving too slowly in his handling of the case. One email said, “I have many friends who are… Texas congressmen, U.S. representatives, and one close U.S. Senator,” and went on to state that the email’s author was “consider[ing] asking my Texas friends to write to you and ask why I have to continue waiting.” As explained by Judge Ho, this email “was sent at a time when it was publicly known and reported by the media that [Judge Gilliland] was actively being considered and promoted in certain circles for appointment to the district court.”

For reasons not germane here, the ex parte communications ultimately had no bearing on the disposition of the appeal. But they did give rise to the concurrence by Judge Ho, in which he wrote as follows:

[T]he message [of the correspondence]—intended or not—was an indictment on the judge’s honor. It was effectively an accusation—fair or unfair—that the judge might be willing to use his rulings to further his own personal career ambitions….

Any judge who abuses his office to promote his own interests—including the desire for future appointment—has violated the judicial oath and doesn’t belong in his current post, let alone whatever new post he seeks.

There are, to be sure, both honorable and dishonorable people on the bench—just as there are in every other segment of life. Just as there are no doubt those on the bench who have strong ambitions for future office, there are others who are happy to be public servants, but who would be just as happy earning their living by some other means.

For the outside observer, however, it can be difficult to discern which is which. And therein lies the quandary for the dutiful judge. How should a good judge respond when it’s suggested that his exercise of judicial authority might be tainted by his private, personal desire for elevation to another post?

What’s the significance of this discussion, coming from Judge Ho? As explained by Jacqueline Thomsen of Bloomberg Law, Ho is a first-term Trump appointee “who is often accused of auditioning for the Supreme Court.”

So one can see why Judge Ho might have felt this situation merited comment. Later in the concurrence, he wrote these words—a not-so-subtle response to critics who call him an “auditioner”:

No one has the power to look into another man’s heart and ascertain his actual motivations or ambitions. So the accusation of auditioning is indeed irrefutable. Certain actions may seem like auditioning to some, but to others, it’s simply doing the job as the judge best sees fit.

There’s no solution. So the good judge simply accepts that criticism is a fact of life—and that unrebuttable charges come with the job. The First Amendment guarantees the right of every citizen to criticize public officials—whether the criticism is fair or unfair….

Speaking of Judge Ho and the First Amendment, check out his dissent from the denial of rehearing en banc in Evans v. Garza, as well as the dissental of a fellow SCOTUS shortlister who has also been accused of auditioning, Judge Andrew Oldham. These dissentals could be viewed as ringing defenses of the First Amendment or still more auditioning—or maybe both. Per Law360, Evans concerns “the constitutionality of enforcing a Texas privacy law against a plaintiff who tweeted a photo of a trans woman in a bathroom”—the sort of culture-war, hot-button issue that lends itself to auditioning.

Back to Judge Ho’s concurrence in Pittsburgh Logistics Systems:

Public criticism is not for everyone. But if it’s too much to take, you can always resign. Federal judges receive life tenure—not a life sentence.

I like this language—and could see myself quoting it at some point in the future. But Ho critics would probably dismiss it as the Article III version of a Deep Thought by Jack Handey (for those of you old enough to get that reference).

For additional perspectives on Judge Ho’s latest musings, see this positive Volokh Conspiracy post by Josh Blackman, who’s quoted prominently in the Ho concurrence, and this critical Above the Law story by Joe Patrice, who accuses Judge Ho of “hijack[ing] an opinion to indirectly vent about how it bruises his delicate feelings when he’s accused of turning his judicial office into a relentless and desperate bid to remain MAGA Employee of the Month.”

Job of the Week: an opportunity for litigation associates in San Francisco.

Lateral Link is working with a high-end litigation boutique founded by former Biglaw attorneys that is seeking an associate to join its San Francisco team. The firm offers a rare combination of sophisticated trial work, strong mentorship, competitive compensation, and quality of life, with just 1,650 billable hours required for bonus eligibility. Associates handle both plaintiff- and defense-side matters, including business contingency cases, intellectual property, and employment disputes. Teams are staffed leanly, providing meaningful responsibility, hands-on training, and direct access to trial-tested partners from day one. There is no formal in-office requirement. Flexible start dates are available for candidates who prefer to join in 2027 after receiving their year-end bonuses. If interested, please contact Sean Hamrin at shamrin at laterallink dot com to learn more about this unique opportunity.

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Senior official says president and US secretary of state are ‘extremely pissed off’ by conduct of US envoy to Greece

Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, are considering firing US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a series of reports alleging she has engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens.

A senior US official said Sunday that Trump and Rubio are “extremely pissed off” by Guilfoyle’s reported conduct and would likely decide on what action to take this week after Monday’s federal holiday.

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A message sent by Kimberly Guilfoyle to Eric Deters.

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Welcome to today’s Trump Tyranny Tracker…

An FBI whistleblower alleging White House pressure to investigate protesters, Kimberly Guilfoyle facing allegations of influence peddling, and Trump’s Iran war driving fuel prices higher are among today’s top stories.

Today at a Glance

• Trump ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle accused of seeking personal payments in exchange for access to federal officials.

• FBI whistleblower alleges White House pressured agents to investigate anti-ICE protesters

• Trump considers new strikes against Iran before the midterms as his war drives fuel prices higher.

What We Need to Pay Attention To

FBI whistleblower says White House pushed unconstitutional probe of protesters

What Happened: Former FBI supervisor Jill Fields alleges that the White House pressured the FBI to investigate Los Angeles protesters who warned residents about immigration raids and explained their legal rights, despite agents finding no basis for an investigation. Fields also alleges that agents were pulled from cartel investigations for operations intended to “make a show for the president.”

Why It Matters: The FBI is supposed to uphold the Constitution, not serve as a tool for Trump to target political dissent. These allegations describe another serious abuse of federal law enforcement power.

Source: NBC News

Corruption

‘Honey Please’: Kimberly Guilfoyle Pushed Donor to Wire $100,000 to Her Amex Account

What Happened: According to messages reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle asked former congressional candidate Eric Deters to pay $100,000 toward her American Express bill. She was helping him reach senior IRS and Justice Department officials about his legal and tax problems, and he had promised her up to $1 million if she succeeded.

Why It Matters: The allegations point to more blatant corruption, with a Trump-appointed ambassador allegedly seeking personal payments in exchange for access to senior officials.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Trump proposes Camp David-style presidential retreat at his private Florida golf club

What Happened: Trump proposed turning his privately owned West Palm Beach golf club into a presidential retreat similar to Camp David, where presidents would host official meetings and foreign leaders. The proposal has been submitted to local officials.

Why It Matters: Trump continues to use the presidency to grift and benefit his businesses. Now he wants to make his own golf club an official presidential retreat, bringing more government business to a property he owns.

Source: Associated Press

Inside the Albanian Village Fighting a Jared Kushner-Backed Luxury Resort

What Happened: Villagers in Zvernec, Albania, are protesting Jared Kushner’s plans to build a luxury resort with hotels, casinos, and a water park on land they have used for farming and access to the coast for years. Security guards were also filmed assaulting a resident during an argument over fencing that blocked access to the property.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Power Consolidation

Trump sows doubt about mail-in voting while encouraging it, as midterms approach

What Happened: Trump again lied that mail-in voting is plagued by widespread fraud while at the same time encouraging Republicans to vote by mail. Meanwhile, despite all the lies and conspiracies Trump has voted by mail twice in Florida elections this year.

Why It Matters: Trump is attacking the legitimacy of mail ballots weeks before the midterms while encouraging his own supporters to use them. His contradictory messaging gives him grounds to question mail ballots if election results do not go his way.

Source: ABC News

USPS Hires Security Service With History of Human Rights Abuse

What Happened: The Postal Service hired private security company Prosegur to deploy nearly 1,000 armed guards at more than 50 facilities ahead of the midterms. The company has faced allegations of human rights abuses abroad, and the postal police union warns that its guards will operate under private rather than federal supervision.

Why It Matters: Armed private guards will be stationed at facilities handling election mail without direct federal supervision. The arrangement creates accountability problems at a time when Trump is repeatedly attacking mail-in voting.

Source: The New Republic

Trump doles out billions to voters ahead of midterm elections

What Happened: Trump is distributing $2.35 billion in payments ahead of the November midterms, including $90 checks to 20.8 million Medicare recipients and $500 payments to 950,000 Obamacare enrollees. Reuters found that 71% of eligible Obamacare recipients live in states with competitive Senate or gubernatorial elections.

Source: Reuters

Congress’ Watchdog Finds Trump Illegally Withheld More Than $1 Billion in Federal Funds

What Happened: The Government Accountability Office found that Trump officials illegally withheld more than $1 billion in funding approved by Congress for Environmental Protection Agency and Health and Human Services programs in 2025. The findings follow earlier GAO rulings that Trump violated federal spending laws.

Why It Matters: Trump is withholding taxpayer money that Congress legally approved, violating federal spending laws and bypassing Congress’s constitutional authority over government funding.

Source: The Washington Sun

Weaponization of Institutions

DOJ Is Recruiting Prosecutors to Monitor Polling Places

What Happened: The Justice Department is recruiting criminal prosecutors as part of its plan to send 1,000 federal monitors to polling places during the midterms. DOJ has traditionally used civil attorneys and other staff for election monitoring, but criminal prosecutors have already participated in at least one primary this year.

Why It Matters: Sending criminal prosecutors to polling places introduces the threat of prosecution into an election monitoring program meant to protect voting rights. Former DOJ officials warn that their presence risks intimidating voters and election workers.

Source: The Washington Sun

Trump Officials Ramp Up Investigations Into Voter Registration Groups

What Happened: Internal DHS documents show Trump officials investigated more than 150 nonprofit organizations suspected of registering noncitizens to vote, despite no credible evidence of widespread noncitizen voting. Officials also considered using undercover agents to investigate and disrupt the groups.

Why It Matters: Trump is directing federal investigative resources toward organizations that register voters, threatening to intimidate civic groups and discourage participation weeks before the midterms.

Source: New York Times

US proposes to boost transit funding to areas with higher marriage, birth rates

What Happened: Trump’s Transportation Department proposed increasing federal transit grants by 10% for communities with above-average marriage and birth rates, changing how funding is allocated to 40 major rail and bus projects. Projects in Washington, Boston, Silicon Valley, and Austin face potential cuts.

Source: Reuters

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Media Suppression & Authoritarian Tactics

Election deniers stoke Trump-driven ballot security fears before midterms

What Happened: Trump allies and election deniers are spreading lies that voting systems are compromised weeks before the midterms. Trump met at the White House with Tina Peters, who was convicted over a breach of Colorado voting equipment, while former Trump official Ed Martin warned that if Congress fails to pass Trump’s election legislation, “the president’s going to have to do what he’s going to do.”

Why It Matters: Trump and his allies are escalating lies of election fraud ahead of the midterms and pushing for greater presidential control over elections. They are also threatening executive action to change voting rules without Congress.

Source: The Guardian

DNC sues administration over taxpayer-funded pro-Trump TV ads

What Happened: The Democratic National Committee sued Trump officials over taxpayer-funded television ads promoting Trump, alleging violations of federal spending and anti-propaganda laws. After bipartisan criticism, Trump claimed he and his super PAC, MAGA Inc., would pay for future ads but did not say whether taxpayers would be reimbursed for those already aired.

Source: NBC News

Human & Civil Rights Abuses

Immigration agents thrust National Guard into huge raid with zero warning, document shows

What Happened: An internal Army report found that federally controlled National Guard troops were drawn into a major Southern California immigration raid with little warning or planning. The report suggests soldiers helped detain and transport people, potentially violating restrictions on military involvement in domestic law enforcement. U.S. Northern Command denies troops performed those duties.

Why It Matters: Trump is using military personnel in domestic immigration operations that are supposed to be handled by civilian law enforcement. The reported involvement in detentions puts longstanding legal limits on the military’s domestic role at issue.

Source: MS NOW

Government Disruption

Weeks before Election Day, the nation’s campaign finance regulator can’t enforce the law

What Happened: The Federal Election Commission has been unable to investigate campaign finance violations, issue fines, or enforce election laws since May 2025 because it lacks the four commissioners needed for a quorum. Its backlog has doubled to 307 cases, with no enforcement cases resolved or new civil penalties approved during that period.

Source: CBS News

As Trump focuses the FBI on immigration, counterintelligence is falling behind

What Happened: FBI counterintelligence squads in many field offices are operating with only 50% to 60% of positions filled, while some offices have cut their counterintelligence squads in half. Agents and analysts have been reassigned to immigration and violent crime operations prioritized by Trump and FBI leadership.

Why It Matters: Trump is diverting FBI resources away from tracking Russian, Chinese, and other foreign intelligence operations. The cuts leave fewer agents protecting U.S. secrets, technology, and national security from foreign espionage.

Source: NPR

Facing stonewalling from Russia, Trump admin struggles to plan for potential plague fallout

What Happened: U.S. officials say Russia has failed to provide clear information about the death of a worker at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute, leaving American officials unable to determine whether the incident poses a broader public-health threat. The State Department has requested answers from Moscow.

Source: CNN

Imperial & Geopolitical Watch

Trump Is Considering a Plan to Strike Iran Before the Midterms

What Happened: The White House asked the Pentagon to develop options for new strikes against Iran before the midterms. According to The Atlantic, officials are weighing the strikes partly in connection with Trump’s desire to show progress in the war and lower gas prices before the election. No final decision has been made.

Source: The Atlantic

Trump’s Retreat: From the Gulf to Britain, American Forces Pull Back

What Happened: The U.S. withdrew 12 B-1 bombers from Britain’s RAF Fairford base following intelligence warnings of a possible Iranian-backed drone attack. The Iran war has also forced American forces to abandon or restrict operations at bases across the Middle East, complicating military logistics and increasing costs.

Why It Matters: Trump’s war against Iran is forcing American military withdrawals and disrupting operations across multiple regions. The retreats are exposing vulnerabilities in U.S. defenses and limiting America’s ability to project military power.

Source: New York Times

“They hit us bad.” Newly obtained footage, witness accounts detail Iran attack — and U.S. retreat — at major post in Kuwait

What Happened: Newly obtained footage and military accounts show Iranian missiles, drones, and reportedly fighter jets repeatedly attacked Camp Buehring, a major U.S. military base in Kuwait. American soldiers ran critically low on ammunition, lacked adequate protection against mass casualties, and ultimately abandoned the base, relocating into the Kuwaiti desert.

Source: CBS News

UK Sees Trump’s Bomber Jets Move Boosting Iran and Russia

What Happened: Current and former British officials warned that Trump’s withdrawal of U.S. B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford following a suspected Iranian-linked attack plot risks encouraging Russia and Iran to conduct further sabotage through criminal proxies.

Why It Matters: British officials fear the withdrawal demonstrates that relatively inexpensive sabotage threats can disrupt Western military deployments, encouraging Russia and Iran to expand similar operations against NATO.

Source: Bloomberg

Far-Right & Russian Influence Watch

Unmasking RussiaMasked Men at Latvia’s Border as Moscow Builds a “Nazi” Narrative Around the BalticsMonday was another one of those days when individual events may not seem particularly unusual, but putting several things together paints a much more concerning picture. According to Latvian authorities, a group of armed, masked men appeared on the Belarusian side of the border and attempted to force around 20 migrants into Latvia, threatening Latvian soldiers who stopped them from crossing. The men stayed on the Belarusian side, but several hours later, masked individuals crossed into Latvia, damaged an electrical distribution panel, stole two surveillance cameras, and fled back into Belarus before Latvian border guards arrived. Latvia has dealt with migrant pressure from Belarus for years, but armed masked men threatening Latvian soldiers and then crossing the border and damaging infrastructure is definitely an escalation…Read more4 days ago · 204 likes · 17 comments · Olga Lautman

Economic News

High diesel prices may put ‘another squeeze’ on the consumer, economist says

What Happened: Average U.S. diesel prices reached $6.32 a gallon, up 68% since the start of Trump’s war against Iran, while gasoline prices have risen 47%. The war has disrupted Middle Eastern oil supplies and refining capacity, driving up transportation and production costs.

Why It Matters: Diesel powers the transportation of food and goods and is widely used in farming and manufacturing. Higher fuel costs are driving up prices across the economy, putting additional pressure on Americans already struggling with everyday expenses.

Source: CNBC

Inflation fears on the rise as one-year outlook in Fed survey hits highest level since May 2023

What Happened: The New York Federal Reserve’s latest survey found that Americans expect inflation to reach 3.9% over the next year, the highest reading since May 2023. Expected household spending growth also rose to 5.5% as rising energy costs put additional pressure on household budgets.

Source: CNBC

Resistance

Check out 50501 for local and nationwide events…

Source: 50501

‘We Have to Punch Back’: Top Nevada Official Prepares For Possible Election Havoc From Trump

What Happened: Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar has prepared lawsuits that can be filed immediately if federal agents attempt to seize ballots or interfere with polling places during the midterms. Aguilar says Nevada has received seven election-related DOJ subpoenas this year and that he is personally under federal investigation.

Source: TIME

By the Numbers

• $2.35 billion — Payments Trump is distributing to Americans ahead of the midterms

• $100,000 — Amount Kimberly Guilfoyle allegedly asked a former congressional candidate to pay toward her American Express bill while helping him contact senior federal officials.

• 1,000 — Federal election monitors the Justice Department plans to deploy to polling places

• 150+ — Voter registration organizations investigated by Trump officials

• 307 — Campaign finance enforcement cases backlogged at the Federal Election Commission

• $1 billion+ — Congressionally approved federal funding that the Government Accountability Office found Trump officials illegally withheld.

• 50–60% — Staffing levels in many FBI counterintelligence squads as agents are reassigned to other priorities.

• $6.32 — Average price of a gallon of diesel, up 68% since Trump’s Iran war began.

• 47% — Increase in gasoline prices since Trump’s Iran war began.

• 3.9% — Inflation Americans expect over the next year, the highest reading since May 2023.

• 12 — U.S. B-1 bombers withdrawn from Britain following intelligence warnings of a possible Iranian-backed drone attack.

What to Watch Next

DHS has investigated more than 150 voter registration groups — Will officials expand these investigations or deploy undercover agents against voter registration organizations?

The Justice Department plans to send 1,000 federal monitors to polling places — How will states respond if federal agents interfere with voting or ballot handling?

GAO found Trump illegally withheld more than $1 billion in federal funding — Will Congress take action to defend its constitutional authority over spending?

Kimberly Guilfoyle faces allegations of pay-to-play — Will Congress investigate, and what other instances of influence peddling might an investigation uncover?

Key Takeaways

National Security — American troops have had to leave bases during Trump’s war with Iran, with some running dangerously low on ammunition. Meanwhile, the FBI is taking agents away from counterintelligence work to focus on immigration enforcement.

Personal Profiteering — Kimberly Guilfoyle allegedly sought money in exchange for access to federal officials, Trump wants to conduct presidential business at his private golf club, and Jared Kushner is pursuing foreign business deals while working on U.S. foreign policy.

Foreign Threats — British officials warn that withdrawing U.S. bombers gives Russia and Iran an incentive to carry out more sabotage, while Moscow is withholding information about a possible plague incident.

Rising Costs — Diesel prices have risen 68% and gasoline prices 47%. Americans expect to spend more over the next year as prices continue to rise.

Military Overreach — An Army report suggests National Guard troops helped detain and transport immigrants during a California raid, despite legal restrictions on using the military for domestic law enforcement.

Call to Action

Document Everything: Document purges, corruption, and power grabs. Share credible information with journalists, watchdogs, and legal experts. Silence enables authoritarianism—see something, say something.

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Contact Lawmakers: Demand accountability for Trump’s unchecked power and war on oversight.

Mobilize for Action: Organize or join legal efforts and resistance movements to protect democracy and human and civil rights.

Support Whistleblowers: Encourage legal defense funds for government workers facing retaliation for exposing corruption.

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It is the story of how Moscow spent decades learning to exploit the weaknesses of democracies and how those tactics brought us to this moment.

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