Desmond Milligan

Donald Trump has launched his latest attack on America’s elections, vowing to sign an executive order to end what he referred to as the “corrupt” practice of mail-in voting. “You can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday. Earlier in the day, the president also falsely stated on social media that the United States was “the only Country in the World that uses Mail-In Voting.” Following those remarks, Nicolle Wallace offered a fact-check of Trump’s baseless claims about U.S. elections. After Wallace played a short clip of Trump’s comments, she told viewers, “We’re going to just cut it right there, because all of that is completely false,” noting that the “United States is one of many countries that uses mail-in voting, including Canada, the U.K., Germany, Australia and Switzerland.” The “Deadline: White House” host also pointed out that the president himself has voted by mail in past elections. Wallace also took issue with Trump’s repeated false claims about widespread voter fraud in U.S. elections, which she said he had “zero evidence” to back up. Wallace rebuked Trump for spending time during a “high-stakes diplomacy” meeting talking about “one of his longest-standing and most dangerous, unfounded delusions that he didn’t actually lose the 2020 presidential election.” But Wallace didn’t stop there, pointing out a major hole in the president’s plan to end mail-in voting by executive order. “Another fact-check,” she continued, “Trump literally does not have the power to do any of this. According to the Constitution, the power to set the ‘Times, places and manner’ of elections lies with the states, and only Congress has the ability to override state laws on voting.” You can watch Wallace’s fact-check in the clip at the top of the page. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com View the full article

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu held a raucous press conference in Beantown on Tuesday, daring Attorney General Pam Bondi to follow through on her letters to blue-city leaders threatening federal action over sanctuary city policies. Wu, a Democrat, accused the Trump administration of being a party that "doesn’t follow the law." "At a time when this federal administration is already causing so much fear and harm in our communities, these threats are serious and consequential," she said. The remarks came after the Trump administration warned it could sue or cut federal funds if cities refused to cooperate on immigration enforcement. Wu noted Bondi demanded all recipients respond by Tuesday and offered her formal response verbally: Trump Admin Slams Aclu For Comparing Ice Center To Japanese Internment Camp: Deranged And Lazy Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, left, and Attorney General Pam Bondi"Stop attacking our cities to hide your administration's failures. Unlike the Trump administration, Boston follows the law… You are wrong on the law, and you are wrong on safety." Read On The Fox News App Wu went on to say the political right has it "wrong on cities." "The cities that live in your minds are totally foreign to the residents living in our cities. And we are picking up the pieces of your failures to deliver on your promises," before accusing the Trump administration of increasing costs on Americans. "Good news on our economy has been as hard to find as the Epstein list," she said to cheers from the crowd, which included a Mariachi group that performed in Spanish prior to her speech, a local preacher, and Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass. Wu then referenced Boston’s role in the Revolution, addressing Bondi once more and knocking her home state of Florida as late to the constitutional party. "We are gathered here today to show you who we are in Boston. More than 100 years before your home state was founded, Bostonians were across the street in Faneuil Hall, setting the foundation for our democracy and rule of law. One hundered years before that, Bostonians were founding the first public school and public park in the country." Biden Team Left Thousands Of Migrant Kids With Unvetted Sponsors, Records Reveal "This has always been a city of revolution, of innovation, of standing up for the public good and never bowing down to tyranny. With me today, our fellow public servants and veterans, public safety and faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and labor union members, teachers and business owners, entrepreneurs and artists, youth and seniors." "This is our city. This is our country, and I'm so proud and grateful to show the world who our community is here in Boston and what we're made of." Wu was not the only leader to respond to Bondi’s letters. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson received an identical missive from the Justice Department and promised a full response later Tuesday but hinted at his stance earlier in the week: "Washington state has no intention of changing our values in the face of threats from the Trump administration," Ferguson said. "The federal government’s relentless targeting of law-abiding immigrants is wrong." Cook County, Illinois – which includes Chicago – as well as Philadelphia, New York and other sanctuary cities received the same document from Bondi. In another preliminary response, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong told CT Insider that "any claim or suggestion that Connecticut has violated or is not in compliance with federal law is false." "Connecticut is prepared to pursue all legal rights and remedies to defend our sovereignty and the people and families of Connecticut from federal overreach," Tong said. In Philadelphia, the city’s attorney claimed to WCAU that America’s birthplace is not a "sanctuary" but a "welcoming city." "We are aware that the Department of Homeland Security has published a list of jurisdictions across the country, including Philadelphia and other cities and counties in Pennsylvania," Philadelphia City Solicitor Renee Garcia said. "Philadelphia has not received any formal notification from DHS. We will review any communications carefully." Original article source: Boston’s Wu fires back at Bondi, citing Revolution, as other cities slam feds over ‘sanctuary’ warnings View the full article

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A federal judge ruled in favor of those who are challenging certain provisions of Mississippi’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. According to court documents, U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate ruled that House Bill 1193 is at odds with the First and Fourteenth Amendments and that its enforcement would “cause irreparable injury to the named plaintiffs and the classes they represent.” Wingate ordered a preliminary injunction pending the final resolution of the matter. MS governor sets special election for Clarksdale’s Ward One commissioner House Bill 1193 bans public schools and colleges from requiring or promoting DEI statements or programs. Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) signed the bill in April, and it took effect immediately. However, Wingate issued a temporary restraining order on July 20 before issuing the preliminary injunction on August 18. “We are pleased that this law is preliminarily enjoined,” said Joshua Tom, legal director at the ACLU of Mississippi. “The State’s attempt to impose its preferred views – and ban opposing views – on Mississippi’s public education system is not only bad policy, it’s illegal, as the Court has preliminarily found today.” According to the ACLU, the broad prohibitions in the bill could have banned discussions of slavery, the Civil War, the civil rights movement, the women’s rights movement and discrimination in a wide array of forms. 250818_Dkt-74_Order-Granting-PIDownload “It is an enormous relief that the court has sided with academic freedom, free speech, and due process in its recent decision,” said Deanna Kreisel, Associate Professor of English at the University of Mississippi and a member of the United Campus Workers, one of the plaintiffs in this case. “The fight is not over, but at least for the time being, the students of Mississippi can continue to learn in an environment free of ideological constraints and partisan censorship.” Attorney Lisa Repetto, who represented the state, argued that the law does not violate free speech rights. She said the law simply allows state government to direct the policies of public schools and universities. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily NewsCopyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. View the full article

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Scammers are once again targeting Mississippi citizens regarding jury service. In the Southern District of Mississippi, which includes the Jackson-metro area and all counties and municipalities along and south of Interstate 20, residents reported receiving professional-sounding phone calls with threats of fines or jail time for failing to appear for jury service in federal court. “In recent weeks we have seen an increase of impersonators calling the public and using names of actual law enforcement officers and even federal or state judges informing the public they have missed jury duty and a fine or bond must now be paid,” said Chief Deputy U. S. Marshal Shermaine Sullivan, of the Southern District of Mississippi. Final defendant sentenced for card skimming scam in Mississippi Members of the public also are warned about any request to provide confidential information in response to callers or to an email. The Southern District does not ask for sensitive information in a telephone call or email. “The public should know that while jury service is mandatory and important, no one from law enforcement or the courts will contact a juror who fails to appear by phone and demand payment of a fine,” Chief Judge Sul Ozerden stated. “While the clerk’s office may occasionally reach out to jurors by phone, it never does so to request payment. Such a request is a key indicator that the call is a scam.” Phone contact by federal court officials to potential jurors will never include requests for Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or any other sensitive information. Scammers may sometimes provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officers and federal judges, and courthouse addresses. They may even claim that an “arrest warrant” has been issued for you. The U.S. District Courts has provided these tips to keep residents safe from these scammers: The U.S. Marshals and the U. S. District Court will never ask for credit, debit, or gift card numbers; wire transfer details; or bank routing numbers for any purpose Don’t divulge personal or financial information to unknown callers Report scam phone calls to your local FBI office You can remain anonymous when you report If a scammer provides a court order, authenticate it by calling the clerk of the court’s office of the U.S. District Court in your area and verify the court order given by the caller Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily NewsCopyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. View the full article

Thousands of workers and activists will take to the streets on Sept. 1 as part of a nationwide Labor Day mobilization calling for economic justice and corporate accountability. The Workers Over Billionaire rallies will span major cities and local communities, targeting corporate offices and congressional buildings, seeking to build momentum for workers' rights and broader economic reform. In Alabama, at least four Labor Day actions are planned across the state, including events in McCalla, Huntsville, Montgomery and Mobile. Here's what to know about the Workers Over Billionaires protest. What is the Workers Over Billionaires protest?Unlike traditional Labor Day celebrations, this year's actions will center on collective resistance, not only through voting or legal action, but through direct, organized efforts in the streets and workplaces. Protesters plan to gather outside corporate headquarters, congressional offices and local power centers to demand economic justice, better wages and policies that put people over profit. This includes labor unions, teachers, climate activist, healthcare advocates and working families from all walks of life. Organizers say this Labor Day is different because it's not just union-led, it's worker-led, rooted in the everyday struggles of people trying to survive. The heart of the movement is a demand to tax billionaires, reverse corporate tax breaks and restore funding for essential public services like healthcare, education, childcare and food assistance. For many, this movement is about more than wages, it's also about protecting democracy itself. Organizers are encouraging workers and families everywhere to take part in the Sept. 1 actions. Where in Alabama you can participate in an eventIn Huntsville, a coalition including 50501 North Alabama DSA and the North Alabama Area Labor Council is leading a demonstration at 3 p.m. on September 1 at 2620 Clinton Ave. W. Organizers say the event will offer tools for workers, tenants and students to start their unions while calling attention to economic injustice and political corruption. The event emphasizes nonviolent direct action with peaceful participation. In McCalla, the Central Alabama Labor Federation, West Alabama Central Labor Council and the Alabama AFL-CIO will host the 30th annual Labor Day celebration at Tannehill State Park. The event will be held at 10 a.m. at Farley Field and will offer food, fellowship and family-friendly activities. In Montgomery, a Workers Over Billionaires event will take place at 4:00 p.m. at Vaughn Road Park, located at 2858 Fieldcrest Dr. The event will center around a clear set of demands focused on racial and economic justice, healthcare, education and protecting public services. In Mobile, organizers will gather at Spanish Plaza Park at noon, joining the Labor Day push with a focus on political accountability, redistribution of wealth and solidarity across working-class communities. Participants are urged to come prepared for a peaceful protest. Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at [email protected]. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama Labor Day protests 2025. When and where across the state View the full article

COLUMBIA, Miss. (WHLT) – Bond has been denied for the man accused trying to kill a law enforcement officer in Columbia. According to officials, bond was denied for 32-year-old Daniel Chiodini, of St. Louis, Missouri, because he is considered to be a flight risk. He faces charges for aggravated assault and resisting arrest in Indiana and North Carolina. Man arrested for attempted murder of Columbia officer Columbia police responded to a vandalism call on old Foxworth Road around 5:30 p.m. on August 17, 2025. Columbia Police Chief Adrien Fortenberry said officers were advised of possible squatters at a neighboring property. When they went to investigate, the chief said a person escaping to the rear of the home observed a Columbia police patrol car and fired a shot into the driver’s side window and door. The officer was not injured. Daniel Chiodini (Courtesy: Marion County Jail)Police said Chiodini fled the scene toward the Pearl River. Fortenberry said he concealed the shotgun in foliage of the east side of the river. Chiodini was spotted swimming across the river toward the Highway 98 boat ramp on the west side. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, and Chiodini was taken into custody. He was charged with burglary of a dwelling, possession of a stolen firearm and attempted murder on a law enforcement officer. His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for August 28, 2025. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily NewsCopyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. View the full article

The Indiana Fever announced Tuesday that guard Sophie Cunningham will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury she suffered against the Connecticut Sun over the weekend. This story is being updated. View the full article

My taste in cars is way different now from when I first started driving. I’ve gone through phases: a truck phase, a Volkswagen phase, and back to the first one in recent years. I still love trucks, to be clear, but nowadays, I just want something that works. I thought that’s what I was getting with my second-gen Prius when I bought it last year, but that silly thing hasn’t moved for months thanks to various hybrid battery gremlins. I’m looking to replace it with something simpler, and in my search, I stumbled across a 2003 Honda Element that I’m pretty sure I’ll be driving home tonight. Suffice to say, I’m stoked about it. My sister drove an Element back in high school, and I remember it being extremely roomy. There are only four seats, which isn’t ideal since we’re a family of five, but we can all fit in my wife’s Expedition. Plus, the Element’s rear seats not only fold flat, but they fold up onto the sides?! How did I not know that? Honda ElementHonda ElementHonda ElementHonda ElementHonda ElementThe seller has supposedly owned this car for the past 16 years, which seems like a good sign. Mileage is pretty high at 268,000 or so, but I’m less concerned by that; I’d be more worried if the car had sat for most of its life. And its maintenance record seems clean, as they mention new struts, ball joints, axle seals, and headlights in the last year. One thing I plan to ask more about is the K24’s cylinder head replacement they had done “recently” after learning it needed a new head gasket. Was that a preventative or a reactive job? Who did the work? Is it a sign of something more? It also looks super clean in the photos. I don’t see a dent or a scuff in the listing’s 18 photos, and amazingly, the interior looks just as well-kept. Take a peek at the skylight above the backseats. Via Facebook MarketplaceIt has a few aftermarket upgrades, but nothing too crazy. The stock head unit has been replaced with a larger one that displays a backup camera feed. They added a remote start system, and it comes with two keys. All simple stuff. I really want this one to be a winner because every vehicle I buy breaks. I’ve written about this before, back when I had a small fleet of dump trucks that caused me fits every time I started them up. Now, I have a 1996 Ford F-350 and the aforementioned Prius that don’t like to move. It’s getting old, and having dealt with diesel and hybrid headaches for the past couple of years, it’s time to buy something clean and simple. That’s what I’m hoping to get with the Element, which will hopefully be a better blend of reliability and niftiness. Honda ElementHonda ElementIn the end, I don’t care what “cool” mods are out there for this car because I want to keep it simple, stupid. (I’m talking to myself there, to be clear.) So what if you can get custom cabinetry to go in the back for camping? And who cares that you can buy a swivel mount so the front seats swing around to create a cool conversation space? OK, those are both super cool, but I’m not touching the engine, suspension, or drivetrain unless strictly for maintenance. I’ve had enough of that in my life. I’ll keep you guys posted. Expect an update tomorrow! Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: [email protected] View the full article

Movies often feature cars that us real-world mortals can barely dream of. Human-vehicle hybrids, six-wheeled tanks, an AMC Pacer that runs without issue; those vehicles often remain forever out of our grasp, but fans of the last of that list may well get their day later this week — or, at least, the chance to own an AMC Pacer with a licorice dispenser and a Queen cassette in the deck. One of three "Wayne's World" Mirthmobiles is hitting the auction block as part of the liquidation of Rodz & Bodz, a movie car museum out in Colorado, and it's not alone. Screen-used vehicles from "Austin Powers," "The Flinstones," "Fast & Furious," "Ghostbusters," and more are all going up for sale this Saturday. The auction features 56 vehicles, nearly all of which have some provenance in film or TV. Many are replicas or were used only on the promotional tours for films, but some have apparently been properly screen-matched to their respective media. Highlights include a villain snowmobile from "Spectre," a Corbin Sparrow from "Goldmember," and Dominic Toretto's own Dodge Charger from "Fast & Furious" and "Fast Five." The replica cars go further still, with vehicles from "Knight Rider," Stranger Things," and "Zombieland" featured. Even the early Fast movies get their due, with replicas of Brian's Eclipse, Jesse's (dad's) Jetta, and the heist Civics appearing in the auction. Read more: These Are The Car-Related Movie Mistakes That Really Bother You The Replicas Are Neat, But Screen-Used Is Where It's AtBrian O'Conner's Mitsubnishi Eclipse replica - Kraft Auction ServicesThe replicas aren't always perfect — Brian's Eclipse wore one-piece Axis Se7en wheels in the film, not these Motegi FF7s — but they're still neat to see. The actual screen-used cars, though, are the really interesting ones. You could own a Ford Gran Torino that really had Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson's butts in it! That's worth something. Probably. To someone. Movie cars are extremely neat, and owning one is an opportunity few will ever have. Days ahead of the auction's end, though, these bids still seem reasonable — that screen-used "Fast & Furious" Charger is only up to $20,000 at time of writing. The Ecto-1, admittedly from the 2016 "Ghostbusters" rather than the 1984 original, has only been bid up to $12,000. You, dear reader, could own a genuine movie car used by the genuine movie stars. h/t The Drive Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik. View the full article

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday commended President Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week. “Alaska was a show of force by President Trump. He invited President Putin to land that the Russians used to own. He displayed a huge amount of military hardware and then did a flyover,” Bessent said during a Tuesday morning appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “It was kind of like inviting your uncontrollable neighbor to your house and showing him your gun case,” he added. The Treasury secretary said the swift follow-up meeting Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House signaled strong strides toward peace between Russia and Ukraine. “We had a very good meeting with him in and his team in the Oval [Office] for about an hour and a half, and then we met with the European leaders who were an incredible group to have in the White House, all led by President Trump,” Bessent said. “And yes, the culmination of that was a call with President Putin, and my strong belief is that there will be a bilateral meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky,” he continued. “And that’s the only way to end this conflict, is to get the two sides talking.” The Kremlin’s strikes on Ukraine have continued amid peace negotiations as Russian leaders have urged NATO not to deploy forces in eastern Europe. On Monday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said troops from NATO member nations “could lead to an uncontrollable escalation of the conflict with unpredictable consequences.” Some world leaders have maintained that the Trump-Putin summit benefitted Moscow more than the U.S. Former British Ambassador to Russia Laurie Bristow said the bilateral meeting “produced nothing for Mr. Trump and gave Mr. Putin most of what he was looking for,” according to The Associated Press, while Zelensky pegged the meeting as a photo-op. Still, Bessent said economic pressures on Moscow will force the more than three-year war to end. “I think the sense is that both sides are ready for this terrible conflict to end, and one of the ways to make President Putin want it to end is on the economic side,” he told CNBC on Tuesday. “The Russian economy has 20 percent plus inflation. Right now, it is a war economy. I think more than 25 percent of the GDP [gross domestic product] is coming from the military buildup. So, you know, it’s a very imbalanced economy,” he continued. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefed the press Tuesday afternoon as peace talks in the Russia-Ukraine war have largely dominated President Trump’s agenda in recent days. The briefing came after Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a group of European leaders in subsequent meetings Monday in the Oval Office to discuss a potential ceasefire and potential security guarantees. Trump also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, though he said little progress toward a deal was made. During a hot mic moment on Monday, however, Trump was seemingly more optimistic that Putin would come to the negotiating table. He later called the Russian leader to set up a one-on-one meeting with Zelensky. The event was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. EDT. Watch the video coverage above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

FBI agents patrol the Navy Yard area of Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. (Andrew Leyden / Getty Images)The FBI was once known for taking down gangsters like Bonnie and Clyde. But in recent years, its targets have been more like the Boston Marathon bombers. After the Sept. 11 attacks, then-Director Robert Mueller reorganized the bureau around national security and intelligence, with the top priority stopping another terrorist attack on American soil. Now the Trump administration is changing that, as Trump-appointed FBI Director Kash Patel is moving to reorder the agency’s priorities with little input from Congress or the public. Patel, who often refers to FBI agents as “cops” — a label they tend to shy away from — is taking steps to get the bureau more involved in investigating violent crime, even as he is carrying out a plan to dramatically slash the workforce. Current and former FBI officials tell MSNBC the changes are coming at the expense of the FBI’s role protecting the U.S. from terrorists, hackers and spies — as well as its traditional missions of fighting white-collar fraud, public corruption and child sex crimes. If more agents are working on violent crime cases as their total number is being reduced, these officials say, there won’t be the manpower left to devote the same level of resources to national security and other threats. Multiple current and former FBI officials say they have already seen that happening over the past several months, as agents have been diverted to immigration enforcement and veterans with years of experience have left the bureau.” “This is putting the nation in jeopardy — they seem to be making national security threats secondary,” said Rob D’Amico, a retired FBI agent and MSNBC national security and law enforcement contributor. “They are effectively making the FBI a national police force,” said one senior agent, who declined to be named for fear of retaliation. “Who will address the missions the FBI has focused on for decades? There is no other entity that does them.” Last week, top FBI official Jodi Cohen informed the heads of more than 50 FBI field offices that Patel plans to equip FBI agents with Tasers; that all agents are expected to spend time investigating violent crime; and that the bureau will begin allowing other federal law enforcement agents to join the FBI after an abbreviated training, whether or not they have a college degree, one current and four former officials briefed on the call told MSNBC. In addition, the FBI plans to cut around 15% of its workforce — 5,800 people from a total of around 37,000, the FBI field office leaders were told, according to the sources. (The bureau employs around 13,700 special agents, according to the Department of Justice.) Coming at a time when FBI agents have been ordered to devote time to immigration enforcement, and when dozens have been required to patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., each night as part of the attempted federal takeover of that city’s police force, news of the changes is sparking alarm among current and former senior bureau officials, the sources said. They say the national security threats facing the U.S. are more acute than ever, from Chinese espionage to lone-wolf terrorism to ransomware attacks that could take down critical infrastructure. They worry that fraud and corruption will bloom as the FBI cuts back on investigating it. The Justice Department also slashed its public integrity section and stopped pursuing certain kinds of corruption cases. Speaking on condition of anonymity because they fear retaliation, current and former FBI officials say that Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, don’t understand the FBI’s mission and are making decisions based on Trump’s political agenda. “You have the top two decision-makers, both with limited exposure to the law enforcement and legal system, solely making long-impacting decisions based on social and political rhetoric, conspiracy theories rooted in 'deep state' cleansing, and lack of understanding of the true implications of the decisions which they will soon walk away from and leave for others to clean up,” one former senior agent said. The FBI declined to comment. Patel has said the FBI remains committed to its national security mission, but he has made no secret of his desire to steer the bureau more intensively into combating violent crime. After spending years denouncing the FBI as a corrupt tool of a “deep state” plot to frame Trump, Patel now says it’s important “to let good cops be cops.” He has overseen changes to the FBI website elevating “crush violent crime” above other traditional priorities though on the same level as "defend the homeland." Violent street crime historically has been the purview of state and local police, while the FBI has focused first on national security threats such as espionage and terrorism, as well as civil rights, white collar crime, public corruption and organized crime. The bureau also specializes in battling child sexual exploitation and other specific crimes that demand its expertise, such as kidnapping, serial killers and bank robberies. An FBI webpage devoted to some of the bureau’s most famous cases is a compendium of notable moments in American history — very few of them violent street crimes. From the 1955 murder of Emmett Till to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill to mortgage fraud in the 2007 housing crisis, the FBI is often called upon to deal with complex cases of national import. For years after 9/11, Justice Department documents listed the FBI’s top priorities in this order: terrorism, espionage, cyberattacks, public corruption, civil rights, transnational criminal organizations, white collar crime — and then violent crime. While Trump has portrayed crime as out of control in many parts of the country, the FBI’s own data shows that violent crime rates nationally aresignificantly lower than they were two decades ago. A spike in violent crime during the Covid pandemic has abated, the data shows. While some FBI agents are former police officers, many more joined the bureau after earning degrees in law and accounting. A bachelor’s degree has been required to become an FBI agent. In Washington, D.C., some FBI agents are frustrated over being ordered to go out at night on anticrime foot patrols, something they are not trained for, current and former officials said. FBI agents, for example, are armed with pistols but not equipped with less-lethal options, such as Tasers. The plan to change that that sources have described is sparking concern, because it suggests leadership believes more FBI agents should be policing the streets like beat cops. “Morale is low and people are stressed,” one FBI official in Washington said in a text, adding that a senior colleague reported that “people are coming into her office in tears talking about how they are really uncomfortable with these orders and their supervisors are at a loss to help them.” Subscribe to the Project 47 newsletter to receive weekly updates on and expert insight into the key issues and figures defining Trump’s second term. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com View the full article

President Trump says he's having an executive order written “by the best lawyers in the country” to end all mail-in ballots. Trump's announcement comes after he said he discussed mail-in voting with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Staff Writer at The Atlantic Mark Leibovich and Senior Adviser at The Lincoln Project Stuart Stevens join Chris Jansing to explain more on how Trump’s threats could actually hurt Republican candidates in the 2026 midterms. View the full article

WASHINGTON (AP) — The seasonably adjusted unemployment rate in Washington, D.C., was the highest in the nation for the third straight month, according to new data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. D.C.'s jobless rate reached 6% in July, a reflection of the mass layoffs of federal workers, ushered in by President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, earlier this year. An overall decline in international tourism — which is a main driver of D.C.’s income — is also expected to have an impact on the climbing unemployment rate in the District. Neighboring states also saw an uptick in unemployment rates in July — with Maryland at 3.4% (up from 3.3%) and Virginia at 3.6% (up from 3.5%), according to the state-by-state jobless figures. Since the beginning of Donald Trump's second term, federal workers across government agencies have been either laid off or asked to voluntarily resign from their positions. Those actions have drawn litigation across the federal government by labor unions and advocacy groups. In July, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Trump administration plans to downsize the federal workforce further, despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. The latest D.C. Office of Revenue Analysis figures show that payments made to unemployed federal workers have been climbing month-over-month. In April, unemployed workers received $2.01 million in unemployment payments. By June, that figure reached $2.57 million. The DC Fiscal Policy Institute argues that the federal worker layoffs will exacerbate D.C.’s Black-white unemployment ratio. The latest nationwide unemployment rate according to the BLS is 4.2% — South Dakota had the lowest jobless rate in July at 1.9%. In addition, international tourism, a major source of D.C., to the U.S. is declining. Angered by Trump's tariffs and rhetoric, and alarmed by reports of tourists being arrested at the border, some citizens of other countries are staying away from the U.S. and choosing to travel elsewhere — notably British, German and South American tourists, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. A May report from the organization states that international visitor spending to the U.S. is projected to fall to just under $169 billion this year, down from $181 billion in 2024 — which is a 22.5% decline compared to the previous peak. The latest jobs numbers come after the Republican president and a group of GOP governors have deployed National Guard troops to D.C. in the hopes of reducing crime and boosting immigration enforcement. City officials say crime is already falling in the nation’s capital. View the full article

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) and House Appropriations Commitee Chair Ann Bollin (R-Brighton). Feb. 5, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance After months of infighting and barbs thrown at the opposite respective chambers of the Michigan Legislature, the state’s House of Representatives appears poised to release the rest of its budget plan as soon as next week. The announcement came Tuesday from state Rep. Ann Bollin (R-Brighton), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, who said the lower chamber’s plan would be “responsible” and embrace national Republican talking points like eliminating waste and reallocating resources – likely through cuts that legislative Democrats would outright oppose. “As we wrap up our review of the state’s finances, one thing has become clear: Michigan taxpayers deserve better than the wasteful habits that have taken root in state government,” Bollin said in a statement. “Departments are sitting on slush funds created by phantom jobs that never get filled, and they’re rolling over hundreds of millions of dollars in work projects year after year. These dollars were meant to serve the people, not to be stashed away by bureaucrats. We’re putting a stop to that.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The budget negotiations this year hit a brick wall due to inaction from the House on its full budget, releasing and passing only a K-12 and higher education funding plan, and the Senate’s unwillingness to release a fully fleshed out road funding plan, although the Senate did pass a full government budget, including education funding, in May. Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump also did the Michigan Legislature no favors when they passed and Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will likely blow a $1 billion hole in the state’s budget. Lawmakers had a July 1 deadline to get their respective – and complete – plans passed and moved to the negotiating table with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, but the chambers blew past that deadline and have been pointing fingers on which chamber was to blame. Some of the House’s logic on waiting was to see what fallout the federal budget might create for Michgian, although members of the Democratic-led Senate said their plan accounted for the steep cuts that were likely under Trump this year. ‘I can’t punch air’: budget chasm continues as Michigan Legislature fails to hold session The war of words between the two chambers worsened last week without any real sign of movement on the full House budget, but Bollin on Tuesday signaled that the first phase of the process may conclude soon. Bollin noted the House Republican belief that Senate Democrats rushed their budget, coming up with a plan to spend $86 billion, which Bollin claimed was far more than the state can afford without raising taxes. The forthcoming House budget, Bollin said, took months to “carefully review every line of the budget.” “We did the hard work of going through this budget line by line,” Bollin said. “That extra time allowed us to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and to make smarter investments in the things that matter most to people across Michigan.” Bollin said the House plan prioritizes $3.1 billion annually to repair the local roads in the worst condition, while also creating the Public Safety and Violence Prevention Trust Fund to send state dollars directly to local communities for public safety programs. “It ends unfair taxes on tips, overtime pay, and retirement income,” she added. “We’re boosting education funding with more flexibility so schools can shrink class sizes, strengthen mental health services, and invest in the programs their kids need most. And we are making the necessary adjustments to ensure Medicaid remains available for every qualified Michigan resident who needs it.” Bollin said the House’s approach would make a difference to tax payers in the long run. “Every dollar we cut from bureaucracy and waste is a dollar we can put toward the real priorities of Michigan families,” she said. “You’re going to see a budget that respects taxpayers and focuses on fixing roads, keeping our communities safe, making life more affordable, and ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed.” In response to Bollin’s announcement, Tracy Wimmer, spokesperson for the House Democratic Caucus, said, “we would have loved to have read this in June.” Messages seeking comment from Senate Democrats were not immediately returned. Communication breakdown: No end to budget impasse in sight as leaders spend day throwing jabs The mention of the roads plan was a signal that the House may be ready to move on with its budget plan without seeing the Senate’s roads plan first, as the upper chamber has yet to release its approach to funding roads in the coming fiscal year and beyond. Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks said last week that the Senate needed to see the House’s full budget before it could start nailing down a funding fix to the looming road repair cliff. The House moving its plan forward could mean the Senate’s roads plan might be imminent, as well. Meanwhile, Whitmer has been playing harder ball to get both sides to an agreement on roads, noting in a recent press conference that no state budget plan was complete without funding for roads. On Tuesday, the governor’s office released the results of a constituent survey on roads, which showed residents wanted a comprehensive and bipartisan plan. The continued kicks in the rear from the executive office could also help break the gridlock. “A majority of Michiganders want safe, reliable roads so they can go to work, drop their kids off at school, and run errands without blowing a tire or cracking an axle,” Whitmer said in a statement. “While people acknowledged the progress we’ve made over the last five years, they also shared hundreds of stories about how much poor road conditions cost them and how much safer they would feel if we kept our foot on the accelerator. We’ve fixed a lot of major roads since I took office, but our work is not over.” Among several questions, the one geared toward the Legislature’s role in moving a roads plan forward saw 72% of participants say a bipartisan deal was very important to them, while 17% said it was somewhat important and another 3% saying it was not important at all. Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to questions from Michigan Advance on the number of residents polled in the governor’s survey and in what areas of the state residents were polled. In another new poll conducted by Glengariff Group, Michigan residents of all political strips were frustrated that the Legislature failed to pass and complete a negotiated schools budget by the July 1 deadline. Of the participants in the Glengariff poll, 83% said they support the Legislature’s self-imposed July 1 statutory deadline and 89% said that a budget must be completed now before school starts after Labor Day. Another 74% of participants said voters would choose to have public school funding fleshed out before a roads funding plan, and 89% of participants ranked school funding as their top priority for the Legislature. While the blame game continues, nearly two-thirds of participants in the Glengariff poll said they would blame everyone – the House, the Senate and the governor – if the crisis veers into a government shutdown. A total of 600 likely Michigan voters were polled by Glengariff on behalf of The K-12 Alliance of Michigan, with a relatively equal number of Democrats and Republicans but fewer independent voters. The poll had a 4% margin of error with 95% confidence level. Robert McCann, the alliance’s executive director, said the voters’ message to the Legislature was clear. “Do your job and pass a school budget immediately that puts every single dollar where it belongs – investing in our K-12 classrooms and kids,” McCann said in a statement. “This stalemate exists because too many in Lansing still view the School Aid Fund as a piggy bank to raid for other projects. Voters could not disagree more. Public school funding must be treated as the top priority inside the Capitol – just as it clearly is for families across Michigan. Anything less ignores the clear will of Michigan voters.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE View the full article

(The Center Square) – Questions from a triple fatality on the Florida Turnpike about 50 miles north of West Palm Beach are centered on Harjinder Singh’s citizenship status, a work permit, and where he obtained a commercial driver’s license. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom do not agree on eligibility. Not in dispute are the charges and arrest detainer. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said Singh, driving an 18-wheeler, tried to U-turn on the Florida Turnpike through a point in the divided highway marked “official use only.” The speed limit at mile marker 171 is 70 mph. Homeland Security’s link to video from Breaking911, shot from inside the truck, shows the graphic collision that followed. A Chrysler Town & Country minivan slams into the trailer that suddenly blocked its lanes. All three inside the minivan were killed – a 30-year-old man from Florida City driving, and a 37-year-old woman from Pompano Beach and a 54-year-old man from Miami. Singh was not injured. He is facing three counts of vehicular homicide. Homeland Security says Singh does not have a legal right to be in the United States and obtained a commercial driver’s license in California. The Florida Highway Patrol said he crossed the Mexico border into California in 2018. On Monday, the U.S. Marshals Service said Singh, 28, was arrested in Stockton, Calif., on Saturday. He and a passenger in the truck flew to Sacramento on Wednesday, the day after the crash. The warrant for his arrest was issued Thursday. “The actions taken by the defendant while operating a commercial tractor-trailer are both shocking and criminal,” said Dave Kerner, executive director of the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department. “Three people lost their lives as a result of his recklessness, and countless friends and family members will experience the pain of their loss forever. Harjinder Singh is in custody on state vehicular homicide charges and immigration violations. He will no longer be able to damage and destroy the lives of Floridians and visitors. At the conclusion of his state charges, he will be deported.” San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow, according to ABC10 in Sacramento, said Singh was illegally in the country. He also said Senate Bill 54 in California “does not allow me to honor the ICE hold.” “Three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California Department of Motor Vehicles issued an illegal alien a commercial driver’s license – this state of governance is asinine,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for Homeland Security. “How many more innocent people must die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the American public? We pray for the victims and their families.” SB54 is colloquially known as the California Values Act, passed in 2017, and prevents local lawmen from using resources to help federal immigration agencies. Newsom was lieutenant governor from 2011-19 while Democrat Jerry Brown was governor, then won election to governor in the 2018 midterms. View the full article

NEED TO KNOWThe young women murdered by Bryan Kohberger arrived home from a Starbucks run to find their door unlocked and ajar less than two weeks before their deaths Dylan Mortensen, one of the two surviving roommates, told Idaho State Police that the women then armed themselves with Ethan Chapin's golf clubs to search the house They did not find anyone inside, but two weeks later Kohberger would break in and murder three of the women: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle Nine days before their murders, the three young women killed by Bryan Kohberger, along with their two surviving roommates, found themselves searching their home for a burglar. One of those surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen, recalled the incident while speaking with Det. Vicki Gooch of the Idaho State Police in a newly unsealed interview obtained by PEOPLE. Mortensen told Det. Gooch that all of the roommates had gone to Starbucks together, and returned to their Moscow home to find the front door "wide open." The group — Mortensen, Bethany Funke, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen — did not believe they had left the door open and became even more concerned when they discovered that the washing machine was on, Mortensen said. The group decided the best thing to do was search the home and "went to get Ethan [Chapin]'s golf clubs to protect themselves." Funke also spoke about the incident, saying it occurred on Nov. 4, 2022, and that Kernodle's father came over to fix the broken door a few days later. Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Bethany Funke (l to r)Mortensen also said there was another incident around the same time involving Kaylee Goncalves and a man she said was following her at the supermarket. "Kaylee told her about a male subject who followed her from the Winco store all the way to Kaylee's car, even when Kaylee went to leave, the subject was standing by Kaylee's car," wrote Det. Gooch. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The roommates did not ultimately find a burglar at the house, but this all occurred at a time when they had been made aware of odd occurrences happening just outside their home. Mortensen and Funke both told investigators with the Moscow Police Department about at least one incident when Goncalves felt she was being watched and followed as she took her goldendoodle out for a walk. Funke told police that Goncalves described the incident to her by saying she saw an "unknown male up above their house to the south who was staring at her when she took Murphy out to go potty." Zach Wilkinson/Moscow-Pullman Daily News/ap Police at 1122 King Road on the day of the murdersOther friends of Goncalves said that around this same time, Murphy would suddenly run off into a nearby wooded area — something he had never done before. One of those friends told investigators that both she and Goncalves felt like Murphy was running in the direction of someone in the woods. A neighbor also noticed something concerning around this time, telling police she spotted a man who “looked nervous“ walking through her backyard and then returning along that same route. The man allegedly ignored her as she informed him he was trespassing on private property. She told police that she was 92 percent certain that this man, who had "curly hair with a large nose," was Kohberger. Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson has said that Kohberger did appear to be casing his victims' neighborhood in the weeks and months before the murders based on the location of his cell phone, and floated the possibility that he might have broken into their home on this day. Two weeks after the women came home to find their door open, Kohberger would break into their home and murder Mogen, Goncalves, Kernodle and Chapin. Kohberger is now serving four life sentences after prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty as part of a plea deal. Read the original article on People View the full article

NEED TO KNOWDevon Hogan Flanagan, a special assistant attorney general in Rhode Island, was detained by police last week after a trespassing incident at a Newport restaurant Flanagan argued with officers who responded to the call, instructing them to turn their body cameras off She repeatedly told the officers, "I'm an AG," and warned, "You're going to regret this" A Rhode Island assistant attorney general was captured on police body cameras telling officers they would "regret" detaining her during a trespassing dispute last week. Devon Hogan Flanagan, who, according to her LinkedIn profile, has worked as a special assistant attorney general in the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office for the last seven years, was confronted by officers at the Clarke Cooke House on Bannister’s Wharf in Newport, R.I., last Thursday, Aug. 14. After responding to a call about an "unwanted party" at the restaurant, Newport Police officers encountered Flanagan and her friend, who was identified as Veronica Hannan. According to body camera footage obtained by NBC10 WJAR, Flanagan immediately requested the officers turn their cameras off. “I want you to turn your bodycam off. Protocol is that you turn it off. It’s a citizen request that you turn it off,” she said. Getty The Clarke Cooke House in Newport, Rhode IslandPolice were heard asking an employee of the restaurant if he wanted the women trespassed from the property. When the man answered in the affirmative, an officer told Flanagan and Hannan, “You’re trespassed, and we got to leave now, unless you want to be in handcuffs.” Flanagan replied, “We’re not trespassing. You haven’t notified us that we’re trespassing.” The officer then warned the women that if they didn't leave, they would be arrested. Flanagan replied, “You’re not going to arrest us,” asserting her status as an assistant AG. She continued to argue, repeating, “I’m an AG. I’m an AG,” to which the officer responded, “Good for you. I don’t give a f---. Let’s go.” Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Ultimately, police put Flanagan into the back of a cruiser, as she continued to threaten them. “Buddy, you’re going to regret this. You’re going to regret it. I’m an AG," she said as the officer shut the door. NBC10 contacted Flanagan's phone number, receiving a "no comment" response. On Monday, Aug. 18, the attorney general's office told the outlet they were in the process of reviewing the incident and had no updates to share. A manager at Clarke Cooke House had no comment to NBC10 about what led to Flanagan and Hannan initially being trespassed from the restaurant. According to Rhode Island state law, there is no policy that states a police officer needs to turn their body cameras off when requested. Law enforcement and security expert Todd McGhee told NBC10 that officers are instructed to record their interactions with citizens and detainees for transparency reasons. "I would venture to say that any violation of this policy by a police officer, they would face disciplinary actions. The law is very clearly written," McGhee said. "The fact that someone holds a certain title or office doesn't change the circumstances." A lawyer for Hannan, John Grasso, told NBC10 that his client is "overwhelmed and embarrassed" by the arrest going public. “Watching the video recording has been difficult to say the least,” Grasso wrote to the network in response for comment. PEOPLE reached out to Flanagan, the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office, and Hannan's lawyer for comment. Read the original article on People View the full article

Dan Gilmartin, CEO and executive director of the Michigan Municipal League, speaks at a news conference announcing the MI Home Program, which would ask the Michigan Legislature to provide $160 million in various grants and new funds in partnership with local leaders and home builders to address Michigan's housing crisis. Aug. 19, 2025 | Photo by Ben Solis/Michigan Advance A new approach to solving Michigan’s housing crisis was pitched on Tuesday, with a $160 million legislative funding request that supporters said would be a bold new strategy for new and rehabilitated attainable dwellings. Dubbed the MI Home Program, the plan would leverage partnerships with local governments, developers and the Michigan Legislature with fewer barriers to boost housing construction and rehabilitation, supporters said at a news conference hosted Tuesday by the Michigan Municipal League. The goal was to also revamp local zoning rules to help accelerate new home builds across the state. The $160 million investment pitched at the news conference – which would need legislative approval and is not yet a part of the state’s upcoming budget, which remains in limbo – would span five years and could lead to the development of 10,000 housing units within reach for Michigan residents. Dan Gilmartin, CEO and executive director of the Michigan Municipal League, said the proposal addresses the need for attainable housing, which has grown to a topic of discussion all across the state. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX “Here in Michigan, we’ve identified the need to put forward a statewide housing plan, made significant investments and changed policy to help each of these has been successful,” Gilmartin said. “But we must continue to work together if more progress is to be made.” Gilmartin said the proposal includes four targeted programs that would fund updates to zoning regulations, provide grants to fill finance gaps on a short-term basis, create a revolving loan fund to address long term gaps, and ongoing funding for the employer assisted housing fund. Eligible properties would include single use unit houses, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, town homes, row houses, condos in a complex, condos in a community, dwelling units in a mixed use structure and modular homes, Gilmartin said. Under the plan, properties that would be awarded grants would be sold or rented to individuals who have an annual income of not more than 120% of an area’s median income. “It also ensures the property stays attainable for no less than 10 years,” Gilmartin added. The readiness incentive grants would need an investment of $5 million, while base level home grants would need an investment of $95 million in the first two years of the plan, increasing to a $145 million investment in years three through five. Those latter grants would fill the gap when building or rehabbing homes. The revolving home fund would need a $50 million investment in the first two years that can be layered with grant dollars to address other gaps. The employer-assisted housing fund would need $10 million annually to continue operation, all with the aim of matching employer investments toward workers securing housing. Aside from Gilmartin and other members of the Michigan Municipal League, the news conference also featured state representatives including Republican Mark Tisdel of Rochester and Democrats Samatha Steckloff of Farmington Hills and Amos O’Neal of Saginaw, respectively. “This is a housing development strategy that chooses partnership over preemption,” Steckloff said. “It’s about empowering local decision makers to meet the unique housing needs of their communities and ensuring they have the resources and flexibility to get the job done.” Brian Farkas, director of workforce housing with Allen Edwin Homes, said the plan was about building more homes and building them the right way, in partnership with communities. “By aligning resources, incentives, and local leadership, we can continue to work to address today’s housing needs and set the stage for long-term economic vitality across the state.” When asked if Democrats and Republicans in the Michigan Legislature, who have shown a clear unwillingness to get a budget down quickly in a new era of divided government, could guarantee that the funding proposal would pass in a fractured environment, Gilmartin said nothing is guaranteed in Lansing. Tisdel added that the money would only be awarded after communities have engaged in the type of zoning and code ordinance overhauls that the proposal calls for. “The governor has rightly told us several times how many hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars we’ve spent over the last several years in generating more housing,” Tisdel said. “This is a relatively small portion of that. It’s not up front money. This is money after results.” View the full article

President Trump has long promised to deliver better deals — ones that put American interests, industry and strength first. Coming on the heels of his Alaska meeting with Vladimir Putin, a historic drone megadeal between the U.S. and Ukraine — reportedly valued between $10 billion and $30 billion — offers Trump the chance to pressure Moscow while securing a deal that advances U.S. strategic interests. This deal isn’t just a defense contract. It is a strategic bridge between America’s current industrial limitations and the wartime production capacity the we need to deter future conflict. It is also a warning shot to China that the U.S. is getting serious about scaling military drone innovation at speed and cost. America’s unmanned drone arsenal is not ready for a prolonged fight in the Indo-Pacific. Despite advances in AI and autonomous systems, we face a dangerous gap — we lack the industrial base to produce the volume of smart, expendable and networked uncrewed systems required for high-intensity, multi-domain conflict. That’s where this deal comes in. America’s industrial base needs time to build factories, establish supply chains that are compliant with Pentagon rules and iterate on product designs to deliver the necessary unmanned systems needed for a fight in the Indo-Pacific. Ukraine, out of sheer necessity, has become the world’s most advanced proving ground and manufacturer for uncrewed military systems. In 2024 alone, it produced over 1.7 million drones — fielded, iterated and improved in combat conditions that mirror the future of warfare far more closely than American test ranges in Hawaii or Arizona ever could. From low-cost first-person vehicles to strategic sea drones and long-range deep-strike capabilities, Ukrainian engineers have led the charge for uncrewed systems and what Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth rightly called “the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation.” The U.S. shouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, we should springboard off Ukraine’s hard-earned experience to accelerate our own industrial and technological transformation. (Full disclosure: My firm does consulting work in Ukraine, but I have no financial ties to Ukrainian drone companies.) This deal offers three critical advantages. First, it is a strategic bridge to reindustrialization. Building a new defense industrial base in America will take years, if not decades. The Ukrainian drone deal buys us time, capability and breathing room. It delivers operationally relevant drones at scale today, while we rebuild factories, train workers and realign acquisition models to fit a 21st-century fight. It’s not a handout — it’s a hedge against our current vulnerabilities. Second, the operational gains generated by this deal will have applicability in a potential war in the Pacific. Ukraine’s drones, as successful as they have been in trench warfare, won’t map one-to-one to a theater characterized by vast maritime distances and denied environments. But Ukraine’s deep-strike and naval drone programs — already disrupting Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea — have direct applications for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Integrating these capabilities into U.S. doctrine will enhance our lethality, expand the kill chain and signal to Beijing that American deterrence is not theoretical. Third, this deal gives us access to the world’s best combat-proven drone engineers. And this is where the real opportunity lies. Through long-term partnerships, American companies — from major defense contractors to venture-backed disruptors — can tap into Ukraine’s top-tier talent. These are engineers who have lived through a decade’s worth of research-and-development cycles over the last two years. Given the multi-year scope of the deal, this isn’t a one-off purchase — it’s a pipeline of talent, innovation and battlefield iteration aligned to U.S. warfighting priorities. If the U.S. partners deeply with Ukraine on drone innovation, it also denies Beijing access to a combat-proven technology base. It ensures that battlefield-proven AI, swarming tactics and electronic warfare capabilities stay in U.S.-aligned hands. And it turns Ukraine into an asset to help anchor American technological and industrial advantage in a world increasingly defined by great-power competition. Some will argue this is just another foreign entanglement. That is a misread. This is not about subsidizing a foreign war — it’s about integrating battlefield-tested systems into American force design, doctrine and war-fighting functions. It’s about readiness. And it’s about building the industrial muscle to back up our strategy with actual mass. Trump has a unique opportunity to redefine American defense procurement — not as a bureaucratic bottleneck, but as a competitive advantage. This deal embodies his “Peace Through Strength” doctrine: hard power, smart economics and global signaling all in one move. If Trump leans in, he won’t just be supporting Ukraine. He’ll lay the groundwork for America’s reindustrialization, reshaping deterrence in the Pacific and putting the U.S. back in command of the battlefield technologies of tomorrow. The deal is on the table. The question is, will he seize it? Sam Scanlon, a former Army explosive ordnance disposal officer, is the co-founder of Vyryn Technologies. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

President Trump said late Monday he is in discussion with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, over the issue of missing children — a key concern for Ukrainians after 3 /12 years of war against Russia. “Ursula von der Leyen, the distinguished and Highly Respected President of the European Commission, and I have been discussing the massive Worldwide problem of missing children,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “This is, likewise, a big subject with my wife, Melania,” Trump added. “It is a subject at the top of all lists, and the World will work together to solve it, hopefully bringing them home to their families!” Trump did not specify whether the discussion centered on the more than 19,000 Ukrainian children who are reported to have been abducted from their homes since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and forced to acclimate to Russian society. But the U.S. president noted that the issue is important to first lady Melania Trump, who recently wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin raising concerns about the plight of Ukrainian children. “Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger,” the first lady wrote in the letter, which President Trump delivered to Putin ahead of their high-stakes summit in Alaska on Friday. “A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation’s descendants begin their lives with a purity – an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology,” the first lady wrote. “Yet in today’s world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them – a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future.” “Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter,” the first lady added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — who was in Washington for a high-stakes summit with President Trump and other European leaders on Monday— responded to Trump’s Truth Social post by thanking the first lady “for her attention to one of the most painful and difficult issues of this war — the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia.” “We deeply appreciate her compassion and her letter to Putin,” Zelensky said in a post on the social platform X. ”This issue lies at the heart of the war’s humanitarian tragedy – our children, broken families, the pain of separation.” Zelensky said he gave Trump “a letter of gratitude” on Monday to pass along to Melania Trump that the Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska, wrote in response to her counterpart’s plea to Putin. “Her voice matters, and her care gives strength to this cause,” Zelensky said about Melania Trump. “We are working tirelessly to bring every child home. The same applies for our prisoners of war and civilians held in Russia for years, some since 2014, in very bad conditions.” “Thousands of people still need to be freed – and this is a part of making peace. We will work to negotiate all-for-all prisoners of war exchange, and we are grateful to have strong friends who help,” he added, tagging the president of the European Commission’s X account. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

A federal judge late Monday dismissed portions of a lawsuit brought by Alligator Alcatraz detainees, handing the Trump administration a partial win in its pushback on allegations that the migrants aren’t being given sufficient access to attorneys. U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz agreed the administration’s new designation of a Miami-based immigration court to handle the detainees’ cases makes their Fifth Amendment claims against the federal government moot. “This is a classic case of mootness,” wrote Ruiz, who was appointed to the bench by President Trump. As for the detainees’ separate First Amendment claims, which allege they aren’t able to communicate confidentially with counsel, Ruiz said those remain a live controversy that can proceed. Still, the judge agreed with the administration that those issues should go before the federal judicial district in Florida that covers the Alligator Alcatraz site, rather than Ruiz’s courtroom in Miami. “The job of the District Court is not to rule first and ask questions later,” Ruiz wrote. “Instead, it must ensure that it is imbued with the ability to decide such a case in the first instance, pursuant to the limits on judicial power imposed by Article III and Congress’s statutory limitations on venue,” he continued. Ruiz was assigned the case filed by a group of migrants detained at Alligator Alcatraz and several immigration legal services organizations. They are represented by Americans for Immigrant Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union. They sued soon after officials opened Alligator Alcatraz in early July to house thousands of migrants in the facility surrounded by the Florida Everglades. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has cast it as a model for state-run immigrant detention facilities elsewhere in the country. The plaintiffs urged Ruiz to issue an injunction guaranteeing that migrants can promptly communicate with their attorney confidentially as the litigation proceeds. Monday’s ruling landed just hours after the judge convened a multihour hearing in the case. At the hearing, lawyers for both the Trump administration and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) administration contended that the detainees for weeks have been able to receive a meeting and there are now no complaints. “Plaintiffs would have Your Honor go to Alligator Alcatraz and become the warden,” Nick Meros, an attorney representing Florida, told the judge. Some of detainees had also claimed their Fifth Amendment protections were violated because the administration had failed to identify an immigration court with jurisdiction over their cases. The Justice Department over the weekend, however, designated Krome Detention Center in Miami to handle the migrants’ cases. The detainees still raised alarm that the administration could change course again, but the judge declined to intervene by finding the matter moot. The lawsuit is one of two major legal challenges to Alligator Alcatraz. Environmental groups convinced another judge to temporarily block new construction at the site over accusations it violates federal law, but that case hasn’t impacted officials’ ability to detain individuals. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Monday said President Trump’s crackdown on crime in Washington using the National Guard is “a recipe for chaos.” “Now they’re mobilizing the National Guard, they’re bringing the National Guard in from South Carolina, from Ohio, from West Virginia, from all these states, why?” Raskin, whose congressional district borders the District, said on MSNBC’s “The Weeknight.” “And what’s the precedent for that? I’m not even sure what the authority for that is, under whose direction are they serving? Are they being directed by the governors of those states or are they under President Trump’s direction now?” Raskin added. “But does that mean they’ve been federalized, because I don’t believe they’ve been federalized. So, this is just a recipe for chaos, and if this is the template for what he wants to do in all of these other so-called ‘Democrat-run cities,’ it is a recipe for chaos.” Trump last week declared a “crime emergency” in D.C., mobilizing 800 members of the National Guard, taking control of the city’s police department and sending federal agents to patrol the streets, despite a drop in crime since 2023. Multiple states with Republican governors are sending National Guard troops to the District to participate in Trump’s crime crackdown. About 1,100 members of National Guard units based in six states had been announced by Tuesday morning, with multiple governors stating that the federal government is financially supporting their assistance and that the Trump administration asked for reinforcements. Dan Tierney, deputy director of media relations for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), said in an email to The Hill that “Ohio has traditionally helped the District of Columbia, Ohio mayors, and other states when they request assistance from the Ohio National Guard or the Ohio State Highway Patrol.” “Ohio has provided National Guard before to assist the District of Columbia with the inaugurations of both Donald Trump (R) and Joe Biden (D) as well as during the George Floyd protests,” Tierney added. The Hill has reached out to West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s (R) and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s (R) offices and the White House for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

When Donald Trump decided to deploy National Guard troops to the streets of Washington, D.C., the purported rationale was straightforward: There’s a “public safety crisis” and “public safety emergency” in the District of Columbia, the president claimed, generated by “rising” and “out of control” crime rates in the nation’s capital. None of this was true, of course, but the week after Republicans peddled the discredited claims anyway, the White House pressed GOP governors to help out by deploying National Guard troops from their states to D.C. Three Republican governors — Ohio’s Mike DeWine, South Carolina’s Henry McMaster and West Virginia’s Patrick Morrisey — quickly complied, and as The Associated Press reported, three more soon followed. Three more Republican governors authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington on Monday, part of President Donald Trump’s escalating show of force that he says is designed to crack down on crime and boost immigration enforcement in the nation’s capital. The announcements by Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana brought the number of state troops detailed to the president’s effort to more than 1,100 — and the number of states to six. For what it’s worth, Vermont’s Republican governor, Phil Scott, politely declined both of the White House’s recent requests for deployments. At this point, we could talk about how there is no actual crisis in Washington, D.C. Or we could talk about the dangers of Trump’s radical militarization efforts. We could even have a conversation about how wrong it is for six GOP governors (and counting) to disrupt the lives of these troops and their families for a pointless, performative exercise. But as important as those details are, there’s another dimension to this that shouldn’t get lost in the shuffle: Crime is actually lower in D.C. than it is in the states these Guard troops are leaving. Philip Bump, who wrote a data-driven political column for The Washington Post for many years, explained this week, “If there really is an emergency in D.C. that necessitates the use of the National Guard and other federal agencies, that would suggest that crime in D.C. is exceptional. ... Data released by the FBI earlier this month, though, shows that a lot of other places ... had higher rates of violent crime and homicide than did D.C.” This includes cities in — you guessed it — Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina and West Virginia. In fact, focusing specifically on homicides, Jackson, Mississippi, has the nation’s highest murder rate, with conditions far worse than in D.C. In other words, we’re dealing with a situation in which Republican governors are deploying National Guard troops to the nation’s capital to address a crime crisis that doesn’t exist, while overlooking the inconvenient fact that crime rates are worse in their own home states. Since Trump announced this policy, the president’s critics have argued that the entire endeavor has nothing to do with actually addressing crime or keeping Americans safe. These governors are helping to prove the critics right. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com View the full article

The “most significant heatwave of the summer season” is coming to Southern California as some of the region faces chances of monsoonal thunderstorms starting Thursday, Aug. 21. It comes as parts of Southern California set daily record highs earlier this month. The National Weather Service San Diego and Los Angeles offices have placed much of the region under extreme heat warnings or watches, largely effective beginning either Aug. 20 and Aug. 21, as meteorologists warn of “dangerously hot conditions” and triple-digit temperatures. Some of these extreme heat alerts will last through the weekend, revealing that Southern Californians aren’t likely to see relief from scorching temperatures right away. “The most significant heatwave of the summer season, so far, is on the way for the middle to latter parts of this week and into the upcoming weekend, from Wednesday through Saturday,” the NWS Los Angeles said. Meanwhile, the chance of thunderstorms and showers begin Aug. 21 for parts of Southern California but increase Aug. 22-25, according to the NWS San Diego. How hot is it going to be tomorrow? See forecasted highs across Southern CaliforniaHere are the forecasted daytime highs in Southern California for Aug. 20, according to the National Weather Service. Colors on the map depict the following: Green: temperatures are between the 70s and 80s Yellow: temperatures are around the mid-80s to mid-90s Orange: temperatures are near 100 degrees or just above Red: temperatures greater than 100 degrees Forecasted highs across Southern California for Wednesday, Aug. 20.How hot will it be? See highs forecasted for ThursdayHere are some of the highs forecasted for Aug. 21, according to the NWS San Diego as of Monday, Aug. 18. This is when much of the region covered by this NWS office — San Diego, Orange and portions of San Bernardino and Riverside counties — is under an extreme heat alert. El Centro: 114 degrees Borrego Springs: 113 degrees Thermal: 111 degrees Palm Springs: 113 degrees Victorville: 106 degrees San Bernardino: 105 degrees Hemet: 105 degrees Lake Elsinore: 105 degrees Joshua Tree National Park: 102 degrees Ontario: 101 degrees Riverside: 101 degrees Beaumont: 101 degrees Hesperia: 100 degrees Ramona: 98 degrees Temecula: 97 degrees Anaheim: 96 degrees Escondido: 92 degrees Big Bear Lake: 88 degrees Red flag warning issued for Los Angeles, Ventura counties as region faces risk of wildfiresA red flag warning for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties will go in effect the morning of Aug. 20 through the night of Aug. 23 due to “an unseasonably hot and unstable air mass capable of producing explosive fire behavior,” the NWS Los Angeles said. A fire weather watch will go in effect the morning of Aug. 21 through the evening of Aug. 23 for the same reason for parts of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. A red flag warning means “fire-weather conditions are expected to be favorable for developing explosive fire behavior.” What is an extreme heat warning? What is an extreme heat watch?An extreme heat warning is the most urgent heat-related alert issued by the National Weather Service, in which “extremely dangerous heat conditions are expected or occurring.” People are urged to avoid outdoor activities, or at least drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in the shade if they must be outside. An extreme heat watch is issued when “conditions are favorable for an extreme heat event, but its occurrence and timing are still uncertain.” What are heat stroke symptoms?Heat stroke is the “most serious” form of heat injury caused by your body overheating, typically by being in high temperatures for too long, according to the Mayo Clinic. People with heat stroke should seek medical treatment immediately, as it can cause damage to the heart, brain, kidneys, and muscles if it goes untreated. People with heat stroke can face “serious complications or death” the longer treatment is delayed, said the Mayo Clinic. While waiting for emergency treatment, people experiencing heat stroke should go indoors or get into the shade, remove excess clothing and try to cool down. A few options to cool yourself down include a cool shower, getting sprayed by a garden hose, and placing ice packs or cold towels on the heat, neck, armpits, and groin. Symptoms of heat stroke, the Mayo Clinic said, include: The main sign of heat stroke will be a core body temperature of 104 degrees or higher Altered mental state or behavior Skin feels hot and dry to the touch, or profuse sweating if the heatstroke is brought on by strenuous exercise Nausea and vomiting Flushed skin Rapid breathing Racing heart rate Headache Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at [email protected]. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: SoCal heat wave: See timing, weather forecast, red flag warnings View the full article