Thune warns Democrats about Russ Vought: 'We don't control what he's going to do'  —  Senate Majority Leader John Thune isn't endorsing the slash-and-burn campaign White House budget director Russ Vought has planned for the federal government during the pending shutdown.

Trump ‘Determined’ the U.S. Is Now in a War With Drug Cartels, Congress Is Told  —  A notice calls the people the U.S. military recently killed on suspicion of drug smuggling in the Caribbean Sea “unlawful combatants.”  —  President Trump has decided that the United States is engaged in a formal …

Massive immigration raid on Chicago apartment building leaves residents reeling: ‘I feel defeated’  —  Dan Jones was jolted awake around 1 a.m. Tuesday to the sound of federal agents trying to break through his apartment door.  They couldn't get past his double lock, so he went back to bed.

Education Department employees surprised to find their email automatically changed to blame Democrats for shutdown  —  Five furloughed employees told NBC News they had put up nonpartisan out-of-office messages, only to see they were changed — without their permission — to partisan ones.

Paramount Officially Acquiring The Free Press and Making Bari Weiss CBS News Editor in Chief: Report  —  Paramount Skydance will be officially acquiring The Free Press and hiring its founder Bari Weiss as editor in chief of its CBS News division, with the deal to be announced this coming Monday …

Trump's ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion  —  On Wednesday, the Trump administration sent letters to nine major universities proposing a “compact.”  As The Times reports, the agreement would, among other things, require these universities to freeze tuition rates for five years …

The Energy Department canceled billions in funding.  Democrats say it's retribution  —  The Department of Energy is cancelling more than $7 billion in funding for hundreds of projects that the agency said don't address the country's energy needs and aren't economically viable.

Dave Chappelle Criticizes Free Speech in America at Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival  —  “It's easier to talk here than it is in America,” the comedian told an audience at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. … The comedian was one of more than 50 performers participating in the event …

‘A Crazy Moment’: Shock and Terror Spreads in Manchester Synagogue's Community  —  Many Orthodox Jews who live in the area reacted with horror to an attack that killed two people and seriously injured three on Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day.  —  Observant Jews generally do not use …

After Declining to Give Trump a Sword for King Charles, a Museum Leader Is Out  —  The departure of Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, came after the administration sought a sword from its collection as a gift for King Charles.

Trump making plans to send billions in cash bailouts to farmers with taxpayer money … Trump officials are still working on estimates of how big the first tranche of aid will be, according to the three people, who were granted anonymity to share private details.

Kash Patel fires FBI agent trainee for displaying gay pride flag  —  The FBI employee was fired on the first day of the government shutdown as President Trump threatened more terminations.  —  FBI Director Kash Patel on Wednesday fired an agent in training for displaying a gay pride flag …

Rejecting injustice: The jury's role in a politicized justice system  —  The acquittal of Brayan Ramos-Brito is more than just a legal victory for one individual; it is a powerful reaffirmation of the American jury system.  After a federal jury in Los Angeles took just over an hour …

Robert Morris, Texas megachurch pastor, pleads guilty to sexually abusing a child  —  Under a plea agreement, Morris was given a 10-year sentence, but he will serve only six months in an Oklahoma jail.  —  PAWHUSKA, Okla.— Robert Morris, the Texas megachurch pastor who built Gateway Church …

Trump embraces Project 2025 after disavowing it during 2024 campaign  —  President Trump referenced Project 2025 Thursday despite distancing himself from it during his 2024 campaign. … - Project 2025, never an official Trump platform, was built by some Trump allies and echoes moves from the early days of Trump's second presidency.

A Note About the Comey Case  —  In the wake of the Comey indictment, The Washington Post is reporting tonight that “Lawyers inside the high-profile U.S. attorney's office [for the Eastern District of Virginia] prosecuting former FBI director James B. Comey are unnerved by what they see as an unprecedented push …

Americans increasingly see legal sports betting as a bad thing for society and sports  —  Public awareness of legal sports betting has grown in recent years - and so has the perception that it is a bad thing for society and sports, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.