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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

ICEBlock Owner After Apple Removes App: ‘We Are Determined to Fight This’  —  The developer of ICEBlock, an app that lets people crowdsource sightings of ICE officials, has said he is determined to fight back after Apple removed the app from its App Store on Thursday.

Raskin Statement on Trump Administration's Use of Federal Departments and Agencies for Propaganda Purposes; Possible Violations of the Hatch Act  —  Washington, D.C. - Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08) released the following statement:  —  “I have been contacted by numerous constituents outraged …

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 …

ICE Agents Rappel from Helicopter in Overnight Chicago Raid, Dragging Kids from Beds to U-Hauls  —  “It was heartbreaking to watch,” said a neighbor who described seeing “buck naked” children getting separated from their mothers during the raid on a South Side apartment building.

‘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 …

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 …

Oregon to lose an additional $400 million in federal climate grants  —  Oregon is set to lose an additional $400 million in federal grants awarded for climate action and is among more than a dozen Democratic states losing federal funding after the Trump administration terminated nearly $8 billion for those states this week.

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 …

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 …

South Shore Residents Return To Ransacked Apartments After ICE Raid: ‘It Looks Like Hell’  —  A “now renting” sign outside touts granite countertops.  Inside, residents are trying to make sense of the raid that made their already neglected building even worse.  — Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

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.