Trump Had Unusual Call With F.B.I. Agents After Election Center Search  —  The phone conversation was arranged by the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who met with the agents a day after the search for reasons that remain unclear, The New York Times has learned.

How Mike Johnson is scrambling to keep the shutdown short  —  Speaker Mike Johnson is planning to meet with Rules Committee Republicans shortly before the panel convenes this afternoon to take up a massive shutdown-ending funding package, according to three people granted anonymity to discuss the private plans.

Justice Dept. demotes Ed Martin, stripping Trump ally of most authority  —  Martin will no longer head the Justice Department task force that pushed investigations into Trump's foes.  —  Top Justice Department officials have stripped Ed Martin of the bulk of his expansive responsibilities …

Bill and Hillary Clinton now agree to testify before Congress … Although both have said they had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes, they have maintained that the subpoenas were not tied to a legitimate legislative purpose, rendering them invalid.  They also complained the GOP-led exercise …

‘Crisis’: The fallout from Trump's surprise plan to close Kennedy Center  —  The president's announcement shocked artists and staff.  A message obtained by The Washington Post brought the National Symphony Orchestra's future into focus.  —  President Donald Trump's surprise Sunday announcement …

Peter Attia ‘Ashamed’ After Epstein Emails Become Public  —  The longevity influencer said he “never witnessed illegal behavior” but would not defend his crude remarks about women and comments on Jeffrey Epstein's “outrageous” life.  —  The physician and longevity influencer Peter Attia …

Defendant contacted police before freeway shooting  —  Charles Glen Simmons, 53, of Dillard, is in the Douglas County Jail on $1 million bail after Thursday morning's alleged crime spree.  According to a press release from the Oregon State Police, Simmons had contacted their office before at least one shot was reportedly fired nearby.

DHS's account of two Venezuelans shot by border patrol falls apart in court: ‘A smear campaign’  —  Immigration officials said agent shot two ‘vicious gang members’ in Portland, but records obtained by the Guardian reveal US prosecutor contradicted claims  —  Immediately after a US border …

Trump Drops Demand for Cash From Harvard After Stiff Resistance  —  The Trump administration has lowered the bar for a deal with the university, backtracking on its insistence on a $200 million payment to the government, The New York Times has learned.  —  President Trump has backtracked …

What it's like to see ICE tear gas kids  —  The Handbasket is now on Instagram!  Follow here for news updates.  —  If you want to support my 100% independent journalism, subscribe to The Handbasket for free now.  You can also become a premium subscriber or leave a tip.

ICE Employees Vent on Reddit, Saying They're Not Getting Paid and Still No Insurance Despite Promises  —  Staff claim promised bonuses and insurance have failed to materialise, with some reporting they cannot afford medical care for sick children  —  US Immigration and Customs Enforcement …

Trump ally Pirro threatens jail for anyone bringing a gun into D.C.  —  U.S. Attorney and President Trump ally Jeanine Pirro warned Monday that anyone who brings a gun into Washington, D.C., would face “going to jail.” … - “I don't care if you have a license in another district and I don't care …

Where are ICE and Border Patrol agents coming from?  —  ProPublica has identified the Border Patrol agents who shot and killed Alex Pretti as Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez, both of South Texas.  There have been numerous reports that the federal agents who've blanketed Minnesota …

Judge lifts order to preserve evidence in Alex Pretti shooting … “Though the record is not one-sided, the greater weight of the evidence shows Defendants are not likely to destroy or improperly alter evidence related to Mr. Pretti's shooting during the life of this case …

Wall St. Lawyer Brad Karp Says He Regrets Epstein Interactions  —  Newly released emails between Mr. Karp, the chairman of Paul Weiss, and Jeffrey Epstein reveal a number of social interactions between them.  —  Brad Karp, chairman of the giant law firm Paul Weiss, said on Monday that he regretted …

Man, 24, sparks evacuation at French hospital after doctors find 8ins-long live WW1 artillery shell in his rectum  —  A man sparked an evacuation at a French hospital after doctors discovered an eight-inch-long live World War I artillery shell in his rectum.

Feds Identify “Leader of Antifa”  —  This story is the first in a three part series on the government's war on American “terrorism” - please subscribe so you don't miss the next two (and to make this work possible!)  I don't have any corporate money, I just have readers like you; so please chip in if you are able!

Tulsi Gabbard accused of trying to ‘bury’ whistleblower complaint  —  Gabbard's press secretary said that the intelligence chief hadn't tried to stonewall Congress and that the whistleblower complaint was “baseless.”  —  Listen to this article with a free account

Father of 5-year-old detained in Minnesota disputes government assertion he abandoned the boy  —  The father of a 5-year-old boy who was detained by immigration officers and held at a federal facility in Texas denied government accounts Monday that he abandoned his son last month while being pursued by authorities.

Trump Tirade Over Protests Goes Off Rails as Crushing Fox Poll Hits … Donald Trump appears in deep denial about how widely hated his ICE raids have become.  He let out a strange, rambling tirade to reporters about how the “silent majority” is still behind what ICE is doing …

Anti-ICE Activists Cosplay As American Marines With Somali-Style Flag  —  Anti-ICE activists are under fire for recreating the iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising photograph — substituting the Minnesota state flag for the American flag — in a video posted to X on Monday.

U.S. Manufacturing Is in Retreat and Trump's Tariffs Aren't Helping  —  Levies on imports were supposed to bring back a golden age of U.S. manufacturing.  They haven't worked, so far.  —  The manufacturing boom President Trump promised would usher in a golden age for America is going in reverse.

'It's Been Brutal': Twin Cities Economy Suffers Under ICE Crackdown  —  Immigration raids have scared off customers and workers, a pattern repeated in other cities where federal officials have arrived in force.  —  For Henry Garnica, a traumatic visit from immigration officials was just the start …

Sloppy redactions in Epstein documents are traumatizing survivors  —  An abuse survivor whose sensitive personal information was released in latest drop calls the Justice Department's mishap “profoundly distressing.”  —  On Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the press …

Brazilian influencer who defended US immigration crackdown arrested by ICE  —  Trump supporter Júnior Pena falsely claimed migrants being rounded up, including Brazilians, were ‘all crooks’  —  A rightwing Brazilian influencer who claimed Donald Trump's immigration crackdown targeted only …