Trump charts path to total control amid government shutdown  —  President Trump is seizing on the government shutdown as an “unprecedented opportunity” to consolidate control in the Oval Office, accelerating a trend toward unchecked power. … So far, the standoff is only emboldening the White House.

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 …

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.

MAGA's Top “Voter Fraud” Watchdog Votes in a Swing State.  He Doesn't Live There.  —  This article is a joint production of Slate and the Handbasket.  —  Jack Posobiec is very concerned about voter fraud.  An influential MAGA voice and prominent conspiracy theorist, he's perhaps best known …

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.

KFF Health Tracking Poll: Public Weighs Political Consequences of Health Policy Legislation  —  Authors: Grace Sparks, Alex Montero, Julian Montalvo III, Mardet Mulugeta, Ashley Kirzinger, Lunna Lopes, and Liz Hamel  —  News Release: Despite Budget Concerns, Three-Quarters of Public …

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 …

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 …

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 Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team  —  Documents show ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation.  —  United States immigration authorities are moving to dramatically expand …

The Jobs Report That Wasn't Leaves Economists Guessing  —  Policymakers will enter uncharted territory without employment data that the government is expected to withhold because of its shutdown.  —  Every month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics produces the most reliable gauge of U.S. employment.

White House freezes $2.1 billion in Chicago transit projects  —  The U.S. government has put $2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects on hold, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said on Friday, in another jab at a Democratic-led city during the government shutdown.

Trump Canceled 94 Million Pounds of Food Aid.  Here's What Never Arrived.  —  ProPublica obtained records from the Department of Agriculture that detail the millions of pounds of food, down to the number of eggs, that never reached food banks because of the administration's cuts.

Transcript: Chris Murphy's Dark and Unnerving New Warning about Trump  —  The following is a lightly edited transcript of the October 3 episode of the Daily Blast podcast.  Listen to it here.  —  Greg Sargent: This is the Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR Network.

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.

South Shore Residents Return To Ransacked Apartments After ICE Raid: ‘It Looks Like Hell’  —  SOUTH SHORE — He's an Army veteran now retired after three decades working for the U.S. Postal Service.  —  Federal agents pounded on the door of his South Shore apartment about 2 a.m. Tuesday.

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 …

National Guard presence may deter crime, but experts warn of the long-term costs  —  As the Trump administration expands its anti-crime initiative aimed at Democratic-led cities, criminologists are watching to see how effective the federal interventions will be in deterring crime.

Cori Bush launches comeback bid for Missouri seat  —  Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) is making a play for her old St. Louis seat in Congress, she announced Friday on X, a year after losing a primary in part due to her opposition to Israel.  “I ran for Congress to change things for regular people,” she said in a video announcement.

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 …

Supreme Court will consider overturning Hawaii's strict ban on guns on private property  —  The Supreme Court said on Friday that it will take up its latest gun rights case and consider striking down strict regulations on where people can carry firearms in Hawaii.

15,000 churches could close this year amid religious shift in U.S.  —  The U.S. could see an unprecedented 15,000 churches shut their doors this year, far more than the few thousand expected to open, according to denominational reports and church consultants.

October 2, 2025  —  At about 1:00 on Tuesday morning, federal agents from Border Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) raided an apartment building on Chicago's South Shore Drive.