1.‘Unforgivable’: Trump’s ‘piggy’ insult is stoking more outrage than usual

Rachel Leingang

Analysis

**‘Unforgivable’: Trump’s ‘piggy’ insult is causing more anger than usual**

Rachel Leingang

The clip of the US president on Air Force One last Friday spread quickly, even without much help from the media.

Wed 19 Nov 2025 21.36 GMT

It's just one more thing to be angry about in a time full of them.

“Quiet, piggy,” Donald Trump told a female reporter during a press event, pointing at her in anger.

This wasn’t the first time the US president has attacked the media. It's also hard for any story to get attention with the administration's flood the zone approach. It feels like nothing sticks. But the quiet, piggy clip got popular days after it happened on Air Force One last Friday, and without much help from the media.

“I’m not sure why the ‘Piggy’ thing is bothering me so much,” wrote Hank Green, a YouTuber and author. “It’s just one more bad thing in a list of many bad things, but I’ve been upset about it for the last 12 hours.”

Trump has been having a tough time lately. Democrats are winning elections, he had to change his mind about the Epstein files, Republicans won't get rid of the filibuster to end the shutdown, and the economy is struggling. He might be losing his strong image, and his control over the right might be weakening.

The anger he showed in the clip could mean he's feeling pressured. He may have been overreacting to a question from Bloomberg's Catherine Lucey, who was asking why Trump was against releasing the Epstein files if there's nothing bad in the files. The files that Congress has released show that Epstein often communicated about women in a negative way with his well-known friends. For Trump to lash out at a female reporter with an insulting name, during a news cycle focused on people arguing over a man who ran a sex-trafficking operation, felt very relevant.

At the same time, the clip was being shared online as Trump told another female reporter that it was rude to ask Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The CIA found that the crown prince ordered Khashoggi's murder.

“You’re talking about someone who was very controversial,” Trump said about Khashoggi, answering a question from ABC News’s Mary Bruce. “Many people didn’t like him. Whether you liked him or not, these things happen. But he didn’t know anything about it, so we can just leave it there. You don't have to embarrass our guest by asking that kind of question.”

The combination of two angry outbursts at female journalists in one news cycle – for asking about a child sex abuser and a murdered reporter – was worse than Trump's usual attacks on the media.

Some of the anger could be because no one in the press event stood up for Lucey in the video. This shows that those attacked by Trump are often alone, while others are afraid of being next. The media, which stood up to him in his first term, has become weaker in his second term because of exhaustion and Trump-friendly owners. The criticisms of Trump and praise for the reporters came later.

“These events aren't isolated. They're part of a clear pattern of hostility, often aimed at women, that hurts the important role of a free press, the Society of Professional Journalists said in a statement on Wednesday.

The White House has defended Trump's comment, saying Lucey behaved in an inappropriate and unprofessional way toward her colleagues on the plane, without giving more details. If you can dish something out, you have to be able to take it, they said.

The clip is powerful because it shows that left-leaning media and its creators are starting to get attention and promote stories that bigger media outlets aren't focusing on. As Democratic digital strategist Parker Butler said on X, the “quiet, piggy” clip got millions of views on social media four days after it happened. He added that it got almost no coverage when he said it and that a viral post can change the news cycle.

Some Democrats, like California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office, are using Trump's own tactics against him, Photoshopping Trump's face onto pigs and tweeting quiet, piggy repeatedly.

In Trump 2.0, it's hard to know which offenses will stick in people's minds. But this one seems to have a symbolism that people are reacting to.

“Portland has brought back the frog as a symbol of its fight against Trump’s attempts to militarize the city,” former US attorney and commentator Joyce Alene wrote on X. “Maybe women should claim the glamorous Muppet Miss Piggy, a famous diva with a strong karate chop, as their symbol.”

2.Best Vehicle Brands of 2025

**Top Brands in the U.S. News Best Car Rankings**

Over the years, some brands have become known for flashy designs or for building super dependable cars. But what matters most is how good a brand's cars are *right now*, not what they did in the past.

We looked at how different car companies measure up today in four areas: cars, SUVs, trucks, and luxury vehicles. The top brand in each category is the one whose cars get the best average score from U.S. News. If you're trying to figure out where to start your car search, these awards can point you to the brands that have the best choices in the type of vehicle you want.

The winners are the brands that do best in combining things like how well the car drives, how nice the inside is, and how safe and reliable it is. If you're shopping for a car and thinking about a brand's reputation, it's a good idea to see how their current cars really compare to others.

**How We Picked the Best**

These awards are based on how good a brand is in cars, SUVs, trucks, and luxury vehicles. The brand scores come from the U.S. News Best Cars scores for each car. Those scores are based on ratings from car reviewers, as well as safety and reliability info.

**Best Car Brand: Honda**

Honda's been the Best Car Brand for four years now, mainly because the Civic and Accord are still so good.

The Civic is still one of the best all-around small cars you can get. The inside is comfy and easy to use, and it gets great gas mileage. Plus, it's useful, with lots of room in the hatchback version. It also drives nicely.

If you want to spend less on gas, the Civic Hybrid is just as good as the regular Civic, but it gets up to 49 miles per gallon. Or, if you want a car that's more exciting to drive, the Civic Type R is known as one of the best front-wheel-drive sports cars you can buy.

Like the Civic, the Honda Accord is a leader in its class because it just does so many things well. It's usually at the top of the midsize car rankings because it has comfy seats, good tech, and feels well-made. It also rides smoothly, which makes it great for everyday driving or weekend trips. The Accord Hybrid gets even better gas mileage, up to 48 miles per gallon.

Check out the Honda deals page to find the best deals for financing or leasing these cars.

**Best SUV Brand: Hyundai**

Hyundai won this award because they have a number of good SUVs in different sizes. The Ioniq 5 electric SUV is a class leader because it's fun to drive, has a roomy interior, and has easy-to-use tech. You can get it with different motors and batteries, including a 601-horsepower Ioniq 5 N. The Kona Electric is another good choice from Hyundai, with similar tech, a smaller size, and a more normal look.

The Tucson is one of Hyundai's best SUVs. It's even won some of U.S. News' biggest awards. The 2025 version has a stylish and well-built interior, lots of room for people and stuff, and a lot of features for the money.

The Tucson also comes in two hybrid versions. The regular hybrid gets up to 38 miles per gallon, and the plug-in hybrid gets 35 mpg on gas. The plug-in hybrid can also drive up to 33 miles on electricity alone.

Hyundai also makes bigger SUVs, like the updated Santa Fe. It has tons of room for everyone and their gear. It's also got all the newest tech and looks good inside and out. The Santa Fe's one of the top three midsize SUVs right now.

The Palisade is even better than the Santa Fe inside, and it costs about the same. It's also packed with tech and safety features. It's a comfortable ride, and all the seats are good.

Take a look at the Hyundai deals page for the best deals on these SUVs.

**Best Truck Brand: Ram**

Ram's been the Best Truck Brand for six years running because their trucks mix luxury with the ability to get the job done. The Ram 1500 is the brand's best-selling model and is currently at the top of the U.S. News full-size truck rankings. You can get the 1500 in different versions, from a basic work truck to a super fancy everyday vehicle. The Ram 1500 has one of the nicest interiors in its class for the price.

You can pick from two six-cylinder engines, either a V6 or an inline-6. The inline-6 can even be tuned to make over 500 horsepower. The 1500 also rides better than a lot of other trucks.

The 1500 is nice to drive, but it can still work hard. When it's properly equipped, it can tow up to 11,560 pounds or haul up to 2,300 pounds. Those aren't the highest numbers in the class, but they're still competitive and are just one of the things that make this truck so good.

If you need to tow more than the 1500 can handle, the Ram 2500 is the next step up. It comes standard with a bigger gas V8 engine, and you can also get a powerful six-cylinder turbodiesel. With the diesel, the 2500 can tow almost 20,000 pounds or haul up to 3,150 pounds in the bed.

The 2500 can also be very luxurious inside, and it rides better than many other heavy-duty trucks.

Check out the Ram deals page for the best deals on these trucks.

**Best Luxury Brand: Porsche**

Porsche has always been seen as one of the best luxury brands, and their current cars prove that's still true heading into 2025. Whether you're looking at sports cars or SUVs, Porsche has some of the best choices out there.

Their smallest cars, the 718 models, are some of the best-built and most capable luxury sports cars you can get for the money. You can customize the engine and interior the way you want. Whether you pick a base Boxster or a Cayman GT4 RS, you'll be driving one of the best-handling cars around.

The Porsche 911 is getting a hybrid engine for the 2025 model year. It's still a great performance car, though. Like the smaller Porsches, the 911 is well-built, comfortable, and fast.

Porsche's success isn't just about speed. Their more practical four-door cars are also a big reason. The Panamera, for example, has a comfortable back seat and a trunk while still being one of the best-performing cars in its class. The Taycan is an electric car that's also practical, and you can even get it as a wagon.

If you need even more space, the Macan is the smallest and most affordable Porsche SUV. It's in the middle of the luxury compact SUV rankings, with good seating and more cargo space than the sedans. For 2025, there's also the Macan EV, which is an electric Porsche SUV.

The bigger Cayenne is even more practical. It's one of the highest-ranked luxury midsize SUVs, with a great interior and comfortable seats. It also performs well, with different engine and suspension options. The base Cayenne is fast, but the top Cayenne Turbo GT is one of the fastest SUVs ever made.

**More Car Shopping Help**

Now that you know the best brands for cars, SUVs, trucks, and luxury vehicles, you can read more about their cars in the new car rankings. You can even check out other brands that weren't mentioned here. The U.S. News & World Report car rankings are based on what car reviewers say, as well as safety and reliability info.

When you're ready to buy a new car, check out the new car lease deals and financing deals pages. There, you'll find a list of the best deals that manufacturers are offering right now.

The U.S. News Best Price Program connects people who want to buy or lease a new car with local dealerships. It can help you save money with pre-negotiated prices, home delivery, and online sales.

A recent poll shows that about half of U.S. adults aren't happy with how democracy is working in the country. Only around a quarter think it's going well, which is a big shift from past decades when most felt democracy was doing fine.

The Kettering Foundation-Gallup survey found that around two-thirds of Americans generally agree democracy is the best system. Not many disagree, but about a third don't have strong feelings about it. Even though most still like the idea of democracy, they don't think the country's leaders care about it or that the government listens to them. Most U.S. adults believe other Americans want a strong democracy, but they're less sure about their political leaders. Over 40% don't think leaders are dedicated to democracy, and about 30% aren't sure.

Just about a quarter of adults believe government decisions actually reflect the people's wishes or try to do what's best for citizens.

This poll is part of a Kettering Foundation and Gallup project studying Americans' experiences with democracy. The report, released Thursday, is based on a July-August survey of over 20,000 U.S. adults. It comes at a difficult time in American politics, marked by division, rapid social changes, and economic worries, as the country prepares for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year.

People across the political spectrum are unhappy with how democracy is working.

Democrats, who are currently out of power, particularly feel this way. Doug Perry, a 55-year-old in Florida, thinks things are falling apart. He blames President Donald Trump and the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, seeing them as proof that many have lost faith in democracy.

Only strong Republicans are much more likely than Democrats and independents to say democracy is doing well. Still, Bobbi Black, a Republican retired nurse in Iowa, disagrees.

She pointed to the recent government shutdown and Congress's trouble reaching agreements as signs of trouble. She's also concerned about how Joe Biden's age affected him as president and how he was elected despite that.

Black asserted that democracy failed us, saying Biden should never have been in that spot.

Biden won the 2020 Democratic primary against many candidates and then beat Trump in the election.

Another Gallup poll in 2023 showed that only about 30% of U.S. adults were happy with how democracy was working, compared to about 60% in 1984, when Gallup first asked the question.

Gallup's results line up with other surveys that show worries about democracy in the U.S. and worldwide. Yet, a 2024 Pew survey also showed that people in other democratic countries still prefer it to other systems.

The Gallup survey found that in the U.S., people with money troubles are more likely to see democracy in a bad light.

The disappointment with democracy also goes to the country's institutions.

No more than a third of Americans think any of the country’s systems, government sections, or democratic ideas are doing well. Only about 20% think Congress, the justice system, the power balance between federal, state, and local governments, and the separation of powers are doing well. About the same number say all people are treated fairly by the law.

Antonio Gonzalez, 39, who works in marketing, commented that most institutions are barely holding on. He continued that we have a fast-changing world, but older people run most of these institutions.

The poll also showed that Americans feel distant from their elected officials.

Many aren't sure if the government's decisions reflect the people's needs or care about people like them. This is especially true for older people, LGBT adults, and those struggling financially.

On a positive note, most Americans think elections are administered at least okay.

Only about 30% think election officials likely acted wrongly if election results are surprising. About a third neither agree nor disagree, and another third disagree.

Just about 10% think voting rules make it hard for people like them to vote. Black people, young adults, and those with money problems are less likely to say voting is easy for them.

Jesse Sutton, 54, who works in school finance in Detroit, finds voting easy in Michigan. Still, he worries that some Republican-run states made it harder to vote.

The Democrat, who is Black, believes the ability to participate in democracy depends on the state.

___

The Kettering Foundation-Gallup survey of 20,338 U.S. adults took place in English between July 7 and August 25. The Gallup Panel, which uses probability sampling, found 9,157 respondents for the study and added 11,181 respondents from another sample source. The margin of error for the total sample was 0.9%.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri is pushing to grab Chinese government assets in the U.S. The state is asking the current administration for help collecting about $25 billion from a court ruling related to the COVID-19 situation, something Beijing has refused.

State Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said Wednesday that Missouri wants the State Department to tell China that the state plans to target assets fully or partially owned by the Chinese government to cover the judgment. The lawsuit claims China hoarded protective gear early in the situation, harming Missouri and its people. A federal judge agreed with Missouri earlier this year after China didn't participate in the trial, calling the lawsuit “very absurd” when it was filed in 2020.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier this year that its actions during the situation aren’t subject to U.S. law and it doesn’t accept the ruling.

Some legal experts doubt Missouri can collect, since federal law tends to protect foreign nations from lawsuits in U.S. courts.

Hanaway expects a long road.

“We think the state was hurt. We want our money back,” Hanaway said. “It costs money to provide health care and other aid to people because of the epidemic.”

As a first step, Hanaway's office sent a letter Wednesday to a federal court asking it to send copies of the judgment to the secretary of state's office to be delivered to China.

She said her office is putting together a list of Chinese properties that could be targeted. Missouri is looking at properties fully owned by the Chinese government, and those owned by companies in which the Chinese government has a stake.

Read: Lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene Blames Trump for Threats Against Her After Their Split

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in a statement Wednesday that China's actions during the situation were “acts of national sovereignty and are not subject to the law of U.S. courts.”

READ: The 10 Oldest U.S. Presidents

“The so-called situation compensation lawsuits created by some groups in the U.S. ignore basic facts and break basic legal ideas; they are purely mean, small lawsuits and political games, with very bad reasons,” Liu said. “China strongly disagrees with them and won't accept any so-called default judgments.”

The State Department didn't respond right away to a request for comment Wednesday.

The case has had a strange history. U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh initially threw out the lawsuit in 2022, saying Missouri couldn’t sue China or the other defendants. But an appeals court allowed one part of the lawsuit to continue: the claim that China hoarded protective gear, like respirator masks, medical gowns, and gloves.

After Chinese officials didn’t respond, Limbaugh accepted Missouri’s calculation of past and potential damages of over $8 billion, tripled it as federal law allows, and added 3.91% interest until it’s paid.

The lawsuit was first filed by state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Trump supporter who later won election to the U.S. Senate. It was continued by Attorney General Andrew Bailey, another Trump supporter who stepped down in September to become co-deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Hanaway, a former U.S. attorney and Missouri House speaker, took over the case when she was made state attorney general by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe.

For close to two months, federal agents have been conducting surprise raids in Chicago, following the Trump administration’s immigration plans. They've been using unmarked cars in neighborhoods to stop and hold people, leaving residents shocked.

The arrests have been rough, even violent. Agents have hit people who were restrained, used tear gas near schools, and pointed pepper spray at protesters. People are scared, with some too afraid to go outside, especially in Latino communities. Many have shared their shock at the agents' actions on social media and in interviews.

Since early September, Operation Midway Blitz has led to over 3,300 arrests, according to lawyers for those detained. Besides people who were in the country illegally, a number of U.S. citizens have been caught up in this, too.

The operations seem random. Agents have been targeting both rich and poor areas. They've stopped at schools, workplaces, and grocery stores. Even Millennium Park, where The Bean is located, has seen arrests.

This crackdown has united Chicagoans, who are working to protect their neighbors. They've been recording videos on their phones to document what’s happening.

The Associated Press has gathered some of these videos. For this report, details about those arrested, like their names, ages, and immigration status, came from interviews, local news, and court records.

The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn't reply to emails asking for info and comments about the agents' actions. But officials in the Trump administration have often defended the agents' actions.

An Arrest on the South Side

On October 14, on the far South Side of Chicago in the East Side area, Jose Aguilar heard from family that federal agents were nearby. He then saw four agents in uniform following two people into a pharmacy.

“That guy just ran inside a Walgreens,” Aguilar said while recording a video from his car. “Here comes the other one.”

“God, please protect our people,” he said.

Soon after, an agent chased a Black teen out of the store and tackled him as people gathered and yelled at the agents.

“What is wrong with you? He’s a citizen!” a girl shouted.

“You don’t know what’s going on, so get the f— back!” the agent yelled while on top of the teenager.

The teen was held for hours before being released, according to local news.

Peace Interrupted in Lakeview

On October 24, in Lakeview, near Wrigley Field, federal agents used tear gas on a street with expensive homes.

Skip Yates was in his home office when he heard screams and the whistles Chicagoans use to signal that immigration agents are nearby. He looked out to see big vehicles and tear gas on the street.

Yates shut the door, coughing and with burning eyes.

“Skip,” a woman said firmly from inside the house, “Do not go outside.”

Down the street, construction workers were taking a break when a white SUV pulled up. Before the agents got out, the workers knew what was happening and ran off.

Quickly, the quiet street turned into chaos. One worker eating lunch ran back, watching from the porch as the agents chased the contractors while people yelled.

A woman came out of the house to see what was happening.

“Excuse me, you don’t have a warrant,” she told the agents in her yard. They didn't care.

A Family Member Detained

The next morning in Old Irving Park, Uriel Villegas and his brother were working on a house when agents asked if they had papers.

Villegas did, but his brother, Luis, didn’t. He ran to avoid getting caught, and four agents chased him.

“Chill! That’s my brother!” Villegas yelled, running after them. He saw the agents pinning his brother down on a lawn.

“Get off of me!” Luis said as agents pushed Uriel away.

A resident told agents to get off his property as people gathered and recorded the agents.

“Don’t get away, don’t get away,” Villegas pleaded, watching the agents put his brother into a white SUV.

The crowd grew, and the agents got more aggressive. Villegas recorded two more arrests, showing agents holding two people on the ground. One was a 70-year-old man who was jogging and whose ribs were broken by agents kneeling on him, according to his running club.

Villegas’s brother is now in Michigan, waiting for a hearing on December 6.

Resistance in Evanston

On October 31, in Evanston, video showed a Border Patrol vehicle crash. Agents began arresting people, and people screamed as an agent punched a man in the head while he was held down.

“You’re punching him! You’re punching him!” a woman yelled.

As agents pushed people back and pointed pepper spray, many began chanting and surrounding the agents' vehicle.

“Shame! Shame! Shame!” they chanted.

The Associated Press discovered that the U.S. Border Patrol is using a secret program to watch millions of American drivers nationwide. The goal is to spot and stop individuals whose travel patterns seem suspicious to them.

Here’s what the AP investigation found:

The Border Patrol's program uses algorithms to predict who might be a threat, leading to stops, searches, and sometimes arrests. Cameras scan and record license plates. The system flags vehicles based on where they started, where they're headed, and the roads they take. Then, federal agents might alert local police.

Drivers might get pulled over for minor reasons, like speeding or a broken tail light. Then, they face intense questioning and searches. They often have no idea that their route triggered law enforcement's attention.

The AP's investigation is the first to detail how this program works on American roads. It's based on talks with eight former government officials who had direct knowledge of the program. They spoke anonymously because they weren't allowed to talk to the media. The AP also spoke with many federal, state, and local officials, lawyers, and privacy experts. They looked through thousands of pages of court and government papers, state grant and law enforcement info, and arrest reports.

What does the government say?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees Border Patrol, said they use license plate readers to find threats and disrupt crime groups. They claim it's governed by a stringent, multi-layered policy framework, as well as federal law and constitutional protections, to ensure the technology is applied responsibly and for clearly defined security purposes.”

The agency said they won't share specific details for national security reasons. While the Border Patrol usually works within 100 miles of the border, they're legally allowed to operate anywhere in the United States.

What’s the program's background?

The Border Patrol's surveillance used to be limited to border areas. Now, it reaches into the country's interior. Instead of just focusing on wanted people, it watches regular Americans' daily activities for anything unusual. It started around ten years ago to fight illegal border activity and trafficking. It has grown a lot in the last five years.

According to two people familiar with the program, Border Patrol has been hiding information about its license plate reader program for years, trying to keep it out of court papers and police reports. The readers are often hidden in traffic safety gear along highways.

The Border Patrol decides what makes a driver's behavior suspicious or linked to trafficking. They might stop people for driving on back roads, using a rental car, or taking short trips to the border region. Their cameras now cover the southern border in Texas, Arizona, and California. They also watch drivers near the U.S.-Canada border.

Lately, the Border Patrol has become more powerful by working with other agencies. They get data from license plate readers run by the Drug Enforcement Administration, private companies, and local law enforcement programs funded by the government. Documents show that Texas police have asked Border Patrol to use facial recognition to ID drivers.

This active role beyond the borders is changing U.S. Customs and Border Protection into something like a domestic intelligence operation. With increased immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, CBP is set to receive over $2.7 billion to expand border surveillance systems such as the license plate reader program by layering in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

What do critics say?

Although courts have generally supported collecting license plates from cars on public roads, some legal scholars believe that large surveillance networks like Border Patrol's raise constitutional issues.

Andrew Ferguson, a law professor at George Washington University, said that courts are starting to realize that large-scale surveillance technology that’s capturing everyone and everywhere at every time might violate the Fourth Amendment.

Nicole Ozer, the executive director of the Center for Constitutional Democracy at UC Law San Francisco, was alarmed by the AP's findings.

She said, They are collecting mass amounts of information about who people are, where they go, what they do, and who they know. These surveillance systems do not make communities safer.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Nvidia's sales for the chips that run AI have gone way past what stock market experts expected. This good news may calm recent worries that the tech boom is about to end and bring down the world's most valuable company.

The report released late Wednesday checks in on how much people are spending on AI. This spending has boosted the stock market and the economy since OpenAI launched ChatGPT three years ago. Nvidia has been winning big because its processors are must-haves for building the AI systems needed for what could be the biggest change in tech since the iPhone came out in 2007.

But lately, some people have started to think that the AI expectations might be too high. This could lead to a big letdown, as Nvidia's worth jumped from under $400 billion to $4.5 trillion by the end of Wednesday.

Nvidia's report for the August-October period made people feel better and could help the stock market get back on track.

Sean O’Hara, president at Pacer ETFs said that the market should be relieved, given the nervousness.

After the numbers were revealed, the company’s stock price went up by over 5% in extended trading on Wednesday. If the shares do well on Thursday, it could add about $230 billion to stockholder wealth in just one day.

Nvidia made $31.9 billion, or $1.30 per share, up 65% from last year, with revenue up 62% to $57 billion. FactSet Research analysts said they expected earnings of $1.26 per share on $54.9 billion in revenue. The Santa Clara, California, company also said it expects revenue for November-January to be about $65 billion, which is almost $3 billion more than what analysts predicted, so there's still a huge demand for its AI chips.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that orders for Nvidia's Blackwell chip are very high. He added that the market is in a virtuous cycle. Nvidia CFO Collette Kress said that by the end of next year, the company will have sold about $500 billion in AI chips in two years. Kress also thinks that trillions more will be spent by the end of the 2020s.

Huang used his conference call to argue against people who doubt that tech is about to change the world. Huang said that there’s been talk about an AI bubble, but he sees something different and celebrated Nvidia's growth.

These good results show how important Nvidia is to the economy. Huang has used this position to build relationships with President Donald Trump, even though the White House's trade war has made it hard for Nvidia to sell chips in China.

Trump is relying on the tech sector and AI to help his economic plans. Despite Trump’s claims that his tariffs are creating investments, much of the foreign money is going to data centers for AI or the power plants to run them.

Jay Woods, chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets, said that it's an understatement to say that Nvidia is the most important stock in the world.

The boom has helped Nvidia become the first company worth over $5 trillion before the bubble worries caused a 10% drop. As OpenAI and other tech companies buy Nvidia's chips to build AI systems and invest in related services, their values have increased. Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet Inc. (Google's parent), and Amazon are all worth between $2 trillion and $4 trillion.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Big Easy, New Orleans, is a tourist hotspot known for its jazz scene, lively parades, and tasty Creole cuisine. But now, the city is getting ready for the Trump Administration's next big deportation operation.

Swamp Sweep, an immigration crackdown, is expected to kick off in southeast Louisiana on December 1 and will last for months. New Orleans, which is run by Democrats, is getting ready for about 250 federal troops to show up as early as Friday. The state's Republican governor supports this move.

Governor Jeff Landry has been working to get New Orleans to work with federal immigration enforcement through laws and legal challenges. Sending Border Patrol agents is the latest move to increase pressure. This past Wednesday, the New Orleans Police Department was freed from a federal reform agreement. This means officers no longer have a legal reason to avoid participating in immigration enforcement.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security operation will be headed by Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, who has already run similar operations in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

A Republican Governor Wants to Act

Landry, who has good relationships with top immigration officials, has made immigration enforcement a key thing he wants to do.

Louisiana doesn't share a border with another country, but it has become a big detention center for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It can hold over 6,000 people. Back in September, the state opened the Louisiana Lockup inside a prison known for its issues, specifically to hold immigrants that federal officials think are a threat.

The governor has also talked about crimes where the suspect's immigration status is in question, like the killing of a French Quarter tour guide by a group that included a Honduran man who entered the country illegally.

New Orleans' Immigrant Communities

New Orleans' Democratic leaders often disagree with Landry and other state officials. These officials say the city isn't enforcing the law strictly enough and have pushed for working with the Trump Administration's immigration crackdown.

Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, who is a Mexican-American immigrant, shared with The Associated Press that there is a lot of fear in her city. She also mentioned she is working to ensure people who might be targeted by federal agents are aware of their rights.

Moreno said she's worried about due process being ignored and racial profiling happening.

New Orleans is a mix of French, Spanish, African, and Native American cultures. It's home to more than 10,000 Vietnamese people who came after the Vietnam War. There's a city monument that recognizes the Latino workers who helped rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. South Louisiana’s Cajun culture comes from French-speaking colonists who were forced to leave their homes in the 1700s.

In September, Landry requested the National Guard to be sent to New Orleans, because he said violent crime was up. But city police say crime is down, and elected leaders don't think federal troops are needed. Landry said on Newsmax this past Wednesday that Swamp Sweep is about getting dangerous criminals off the street.

A Landry spokesperson didn't share anything with the AP about Border Patrol operations.

Rachel Taber, an organizer with the New Orleans-based advocacy group Union Migrante, said the arrival of federal agents would be a bad thing.

Taber stated that the same people pushing for this attack on immigrants are the ones who benefit from immigrant labor and taking advantage of immigrants. She questioned who they think will clean the hotels after Mardi Gras or clean up after their fancy Mardi Gras parade.

Disagreement Over Immigration Policies

In August, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, claiming the city has sanctuary policies that get in the way of federal immigration enforcement. Jim Craft, who is the executive director of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (which hands out federal funds), shared that the city has been blocked from getting certain federal law enforcement grants. Cantrell didn't respond to a request for comment.

Under Landry, the Republican-controlled Louisiana Legislature has targeted New Orleans' immigration policies. They passed a law that threatens jail time for law enforcement officials who delay or ignore federal enforcement efforts. Another measure tells state agencies to check, track, and report anyone in the U.S. illegally who is getting state services. There's also a ban on city policies that stop cooperation with federal immigration agencies.

Republican state Sen. Jay Morris, who supported the law punishing obstruction of immigration enforcement, said that their enforcement of laws is random at best, and corrupt at worst. He added that apparently they have to have a law to tell people not to break the law.

The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s office and the New Orleans Police Department have been under federal watch for a while, which stopped them from participating in immigration enforcement.

The police watch ended Wednesday, which puts officers in a tough spot if they get different instructions from city and state leaders, according to the city’s Independent Police Monitor Stella Cziment.

Moreno, who will become mayor on January 12, said the city's police will follow state law. But, she pointed out that department policy sees immigration enforcement as a civil matter outside its control. New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said department policies that stop immigration enforcement don't go against state laws.

Kirkpatrick shared that she met with ICE officials this week and her department will work with federal agents to ensure public safety.

She said their support is to make sure they are not going to get hurt and that their community is not in danger.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, with the support of the Department of Justice, has asked for an end to federal watch of the sheriff’s office. She claims that it gets in the way of the state’s ability to enforce immigration law.

The sheriff’s office, which runs the city’s jail, has a policy under federal rule not to hold people for ICE unless they have committed a serious crime. Court papers show that since 2022, the jail has only followed two of the 170 detainer requests it received. Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork told AP she will follow state law if federal watch ends.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration is again trying to cut back on protections for endangered animals, plants, and their habitats. These are revisions to the Endangered Species Act that President Joe Biden had stopped.

One revision would get rid of the Fish and Wildlife Service's rule that now gives automatic safeguards to animals and plants as soon as they're labeled as threatened. If this happens, agencies would have to make specific rules for each species, which could take time.

Some in Congress, along with industries like oil and gas, mining, and farming, have pushed for these changes. They say that the Endangered Species Act, a major environmental law from 1973, has been used too much and hurts the economy.

But environmental groups warn that these revisions could make it harder to save animals like the monarch butterfly, Florida manatee, California spotted owl, and North American wolverine.

Stephanie Kurose at the Center for Biological Diversity said, “We’d have to wait until these animals are almost gone before we could start protecting them. That’s ridiculous and sad.”

Scientists and government groups say animals are dying off faster around the world because they're losing their homes and facing other problems.

Trump had pushed for more oil and gas production and tried to get rid of environmental rules that block development. Other ideas would change the meaning of harm under the Endangered Species Act and might allow logging in national forests and on public lands without considering species protections.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said that the administration is bringing the Endangered Species Act back to its original intent, while also respecting the jobs of Americans who rely on our land and resources.

Burgum said that the revisions end years of legal fights and overregulation, giving certainty to states, tribes, landowners, and businesses, while making sure conservation is based on good science and common sense.

Another possible change would make officials think about the money involved when deciding if a habitat is critical for a species to survive.

A lizard's situation shows what could happen if these revisions go through.

Temperatures are rising fast, which has hurt the number of Yarrow’s spiny lizards in Arizona’s Mule Mountains. The lizards are moving higher up the mountains, closer to the peaks and maybe to dying off.

Someone asked for the lizard to be protected and for its habitat to be recognized as critical. Supporters say that looking at the economic effects could delay protection. Finding critical habitat might be hard because the main problem for this lizard is climate change.

John Wiens, a professor at the University of Arizona and one of the people who asked for the protection, said that this species should be listed as endangered.

The Interior Department was sued over the blanket protection rule in March by the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The groups said the rule was against the law and kept states and landowners from helping species get better.

Species labeled as threatened under the rule automatically get the same protections as those labeled as endangered.

PERC Vice President Jonathan Wood said that this suggestion is a needed fix.

Wood said that this change admits that the blanket rule is unlawful and puts species recovery back where it should be in the Endangered Species Act.

Kristen Boyles, an environmental lawyer with Earthjustice, said that the revisions weaken protections. She said that the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service wouldn't have to count bad things that happen to species if those things aren't regulated by the agencies.

She said that the Services should stop bad things from happening to species, not pretend like those bad things don't exist.

During Trump's first term, his administration also weakened protections for species, like the northern spotted owl and gray wolf.

The spotted owl decision was changed in 2021 after officials said that Trump’s people used bad science to justify opening up millions of acres of West Coast forest to logging. Protections for wolves in most of the U.S. were put back by a federal court in 2022.

The Endangered Species Act protects more than 1,600 species in the U.S. It's been credited with saving the bald eagle, California condor, and many other animals and plants from dying off since President Richard Nixon signed it into law.

The Senate committee moved forward on Wednesday with the nomination of Thomas March Bell to be inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services. Even though the job is usually nonpartisan, Bell is a known supporter of President Donald Trump.

The Republican-led Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 to send Bell's nomination to the full Senate, which Republicans also rule. He's expected to be confirmed to head the office in charge of looking into any shady activity in Medicare and Medicaid.

Some folks are wondering if Bell can stay neutral, since he's openly supports Trump and has worked for Republican politicians in the past. The job requires a careful eye to prevent fraud in some of the country's biggest programs. A few Democratic lawmakers have spoken against Bell's nomination.

This nomination keeps up Trump's habit of picking loyal people for jobs across his administration, especially for ones that should be independent. Earlier this year, Trump canned watchdogs from several government positions, which raised some legal questions about his power to do so. One of those he got rid of was the HHS inspector general.

Bell is a lawyer who's currently working as senior counsel for investigations on the Republican-led House Administration Committee. If confirmed, he says he'll support the plans of Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In his prepared statement, Bell said he knows the role is supposed to be independent. Still, he plans to provide info to help the President and Secretary make changes for better health for everyone in America.

When asked questions, he said he's all about following the law. He also said he'll conduct checks, evaluations, inspections, investigations, and audits to be sure that the programs passed by Congress are running as smoothly as possible, without any fraud.

As HHS inspector general, Bell would also have the duty of checking hospitals and insurers to see if they're following the rules. The office has the power to hand out big fines.

Bell has spent years working for Republican politicians and congressional offices. During Trump's first term, he was also chief of staff in the HHS Office of Civil Rights.

Back in 1997, he was fired from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality after a state audit figured out that he wrongly approved a payment of almost $8,000 to the agency's ex-spokesman, as reported by news outlets back then.

In 2016, Bell took a leadership role in the House Republicans' probe of Planned Parenthood's use of fetal tissue for medical research.

On Wednesday, a group of 60 abortion rights and other groups sent a letter asking senators to vote against Bell's nomination. They claimed that Bell has a history of being unethical and overly partisan, abusing his power in ways that have hurt taxpayers, spread false info, and endangered reproductive healthcare providers.

During his confirmation hearing, Bell said he'd be willing to keep an eye on abortion clinics as HHS inspector general. He believes it's the duty of an inspector general to stick to the law and the facts, even when it's not a popular thing to do.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Larry Summers once had so much influence that people called him a member of the Committee to Save the World. Now, he's increasingly isolated.

Summers took a break from his teaching job at Harvard University on Wednesday. This followed the release of emails last week showing he had a friendly thing going with Jeffrey Epstein well after the financier admitted guilt to soliciting prostitution from a underage girl in 2008. Summers, who is 70, used to be the U.S. treasury secretary and wanted to lead the Federal Reserve. He was already pulling back from public life after the emails came out. But his choice to stop teaching at the university where he used to be president was especially worth noting. This is because he was a key—and sometimes divisive—person in Washington and academia.

Here's what you should know about Summers.

Emails Showed Connections to Epstein

The emails that came out last week showed many of Epstein's friends, including Summers, stayed in touch long after he admitted what he did in 2008. One email from 2019 showed Summers talking to Epstein about a conversation he had with a woman. He wrote, “I asked what she was doing, and she said she was busy and being awfully coy.”

Epstein, often wrote with errors in his spelling and grammar, replied: “you reacted well.. annoyed shows caring. , no whining showed strentgh.”

When questioned, Summers issued a statement saying he has “great regrets in my life” and his association with Epstein was a “major error in judgement.”

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while waiting for his trial on charges of sexually abusing and trafficking young girls.

President Donald Trump, who has also been questioned about his relationship with Epstein, asked the Justice Department and the FBI to look into Summers' and other prominent Democrats' ties to Epstein. Those other democrats include former President Bill Clinton and donor Reid Hoffman. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she told a top federal prosecutor to lead that investigation just months after her department said it didn't have enough reason to investigate Epstein's friends further.

In the days following the email release, Summers’ office said he would step down from the board of OpenAI, the company that makes ChatGPT. People from the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, and the Budget Lab at Yale also verified that Summers was no longer involved with their groups.

Summers Was a Key Economic Adviser During the Clinton Years

People in economics already knew Summers well before Clinton got to the White House in 1993. He was one of the youngest professors to get tenure at Harvard, at 28 years old. He then got a high-up job at the World Bank.

But he became more well known when he worked in the Clinton administration, holding senior jobs at the Treasury Department. As deputy treasury secretary, he played a big part in the U.S. effort to stop a financial crisis that spread through Asia. That led to him being on the cover of Time magazine with then-Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan. People famously called the three the Committee to Save the World, which showed how highly people thought of U.S. economic leaders back then.

Summers was Clinton's last treasury secretary when both parties in Washington were pushing to get rid of regulations. He was one of the Democrats who supported laws that wiped away or weakened many financial rules that had been governing Wall Street since the Great Depression — something that would later cause problems for Summers.

He Didn't Become Fed Chairman

After the Democrats left the White House, Summers went back to Harvard in 2001 as the university's president. His time there was rocky, especially after a speech he gave in 2005 about improving diversity in science and engineering. He said that women were less represented in those fields because of their natural abilities.

People said his comments were sexist. Summers left his job as Harvard president at the end of the 2006 school year because he had disagreements with the faculty and because of the backlash from the comments about women.

When Summers went back to Washington in 2009, the U.S. was in the middle of the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. President Barack Obama chose him to be director of the National Economic Council. But many Democrats didn't like him, especially the rising progressive wing of the party. They blamed Summers for helping cause the financial mess, saying he was among those who supported the deregulation laws that removed many protections on the banking system.

Even Clinton told ABC News in 2010 that while he took responsibility for signing the deregulation law, he thought Summers and Rubin were wrong to push him not to regulate derivatives. These complex financial tools were blamed for adding to the financial instability.

Summers stayed close to Obama, who strongly considered him to take over from Ben Bernanke as Fed chair. But the comments about women and the criticism of his role in financial deregulation were too much to overcome in the Senate, where it was clear he wouldn't get confirmed.

Summers took his name out of consideration, and Obama ended up picking Janet Yellen as the first female leader of the central bank.

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a few weeks off, the U.S. House is back, but things aren't going as planned. Instead of passing laws, they're caught up in a mess of punishments, investigations, and name-calling.

With not many bills to think about and no quick solution to rising health insurance costs, the House is spending its time on lawmakers wanting to penalize each other for bad behavior, both in public and behind closed doors.

“I feel bad for this group,” said Del. Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat who represents the U.S. Virgin Islands. Republicans tried to censure her and remove her from the House Intelligence Committee, but it didn't work.

On Wednesday, just before the House Ethics Committee said they would look into him, someone tried to censure Rep. Cory Mills, a Republican from Florida. The House voted to send the issue to the committee.

Punishments taking up time

This increase in political fighting means the House has little time left to finish its work before the end of the year. One big question is what will happen to the health care tax credits that expire on Dec. 31. If they expire, millions of Americans might not be able to afford health insurance next year.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said that once the government was up and running after the shutdown, he would talk to President Donald Trump about health care. But this first week back hasn't shown much progress on that or other important things, like funding the government and avoiding another shutdown.

“It’s time for the House to do things that matter to Americans,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries at his weekly press conference.

Jeffries said the House Republicans were “forced to crawl back into the Capitol” after being gone for almost seven weeks during the shutdown. He added, “they still haven’t brought a single bill to the floor that deals with the high cost of living in the United States.”

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“What is wrong with these people?” he asked.

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Health care and government funding at risk

Johnson is trying to keep control of the House, where Republicans have a narrow majority. But regular lawmakers are testing his leadership in new and combative ways, using the tools they have to work around him.

Johnson had to change his mind and support the vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files after many lawmakers demanded it. What started as a small effort by a few lawmakers became a nearly unanimous vote, sending the bill to the Senate and then to Trump to become law.

“Now that we've forced the vote, none of us want to be accused of not wanting maximum transparency,” Johnson said. “Of course, we want maximum transparency.”

Epstein files bring more attention

Republicans, including those from the Freedom Caucus, started a campaign against Plaskett because of text messages she received from Epstein during a committee hearing with Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, in 2019.

GOP Rep. Ralph Norman, who is running for governor in South Carolina, said the text exchanges were not right. He wanted to remove Plaskett from her role on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

“She did it to herself,” he said during Tuesday's heated debate.

But Plaskett, who used to be a prosecutor in New York and worked for the Department of Justice during the Bush administration, defended her actions. She said she was just talking to a constituent. Epstein owned two small islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and she was getting many texts during the high-profile hearing. She explained that it wasn't publicly known at the time that Epstein was being investigated.

The effort failed, with three Republicans joining the Democrats to oppose the resolution to censure her and remove her from the Intelligence Committee. An effort by the Democratic leadership to send the issue to the Ethics Committee for review also failed.

GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, who is also running for governor in South Carolina, filed her resolution against Mills on Wednesday, saying he brings “discredit” to the House because of a long list of alleged misdeeds. A Florida judge has issued a protective order against Mills at the request of a former girlfriend, who said he threatened to release nude pictures of her and hurt her future boyfriends after she broke up with him.

Mills said he believes “all the accusations and false things that are being said will be proven to be absolutely false.”

Late Wednesday, GOP Rep. Greg Steube of Florida said he plans to file a motion to censure Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat from Florida, who was charged by federal prosecutors with stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds and using some of the money to help her 2021 campaign.

Earlier in the week, the House voted to reprimand Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Democrat from Illinois, after his chief of staff was the only candidate to submit the paperwork needed to run for his congressional seat when he announced he wasn't running for reelection.

A new normal of problems in the House

There have been at least six efforts this year to censure or otherwise punish lawmakers, mostly by Republicans trying to punish Democrats. But Democrats have been retaliating with their own threats to take action against Republicans.

Jeffries said there’s “not enough time in the legislative calendar if Republicans want to go down this road.”

Lawmakers from both parties have used the discharge petition strategy to force issues, like the Epstein files, to the forefront, even when the GOP leadership doesn't want to.

Johnson has complained about the problems he hasn't been able to control and said he wishes he could be speaker of a “normal” House. But others think this is just how things are now.

“I think it shows how the House has been for a while,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee. “And that’s on purpose. Nothing gets done.”

Rep. David Schweikert, a Republican from Arizona who had his own issues with the Ethics Committee in 2020, said the process “is being used as a weapon.”

“Back and forth. Back and forth,” he said. “In the past, the speaker would have told you, ‘Please don’t do this.’”

Christy Morrill, deeply troubled, described his experience as a year where everything fell apart. For months, his body was attacking his brain.

This condition, called autoimmune encephalitis, hits at the core of who we are, and it can come on fast. Morrill was biking with friends on the California coast and stopped for lunch. No one suspected a thing, and neither did Morrill, until his wife asked about the ride, and he couldn't remember it. After that, things went downhill quickly. As confusion and memory loss grew, he said he felt disconnected and like he was struggling to see light.

Autoimmune encephalitis is one of the most confusing ways the immune system can go wrong, harming the body instead of protecting it. People who seem perfectly healthy can suddenly get confused, lose their memory, have seizures, or even become psychotic.

The good news is that doctors are getting better at spotting it. They're finding more and more of the problem antibodies in blood and spinal fluid that can help with a diagnosis. Dr. Sam Horng, a neurologist at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, says they're finding the responsible antibodies all the time. He's treated a lot of patients with different kinds of this strange illness.

Typical treatments try to reduce swelling, but there are two big studies testing more focused treatments.

It's still hard to diagnose. The symptoms can be mistaken for mental health or other nerve problems, which means people don't get the care they need as quickly.

Dr. Horng says that strange behavior paired with a decline in mental state should be a warning sign. He says finding it early is important since this condition can be treated.

Some patients can get completely better with quick diagnosis and care. Others, like Morrill, go back to normal life but still have some lasting damage. He lost decades of personal memories. This 72-year-old can still remember facts and figures from a long time ago and is making new memories every day. But even looking at family photos can't bring back key moments in his life.

He wonders why he can remember random facts but not his son's wedding.

Encephalitis means brain swelling, and symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. It's often caused by infections, which need to be treated with medicine for viruses or bacteria. But, if infections aren't the cause, doctors should think about an autoimmune cause, especially if symptoms show up fast.

Autoimmune encephalitis is a general term for a group of diseases named after the antibodies that cause them, like anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

These aren't new diseases. Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis got its name in 2007 when Dr. Josep Dalmau, who was working at the University of Pennsylvania at the time, found the first responsible antibody, which led to a search for others.

This type often affects younger women and can be started by an ovarian cyst.

These cysts can sometimes look like brain tissue, Dr. Horng says. The immune system might make antibodies that target certain proteins from the cyst. If these antibodies get to the brain, they can mistakenly attack NMDA receptors on healthy brain cells. This can cause changes in personality, behavior, and even hallucinations.

Different antibodies cause different problems, depending on whether they mostly target areas of the brain that have to do with memory and mood or areas that have to do with feeling and movement.

Dr. Horng says that, in general, these illnesses seem to hurt different parts of a person's identity.

Treatments involve taking out the harmful antibodies from the blood, putting in healthy ones, and using high doses of steroids to reduce swelling.

Kiara Alexander in Charlotte, North Carolina, had never heard of this brain illness when these antibodies attacked her. At first, she didn't think much of some strange things, like forgetfulness and zoning out. But then she had a seizure and ended up in an ambulance.

The first hospital thought she was dehydrated. After another seizure, a doctor at a second hospital knew the signs and ordered a spinal tap, which showed the responsible antibodies.

As Alexander started treatment, her symptoms got worse. She barely remembers her month-long stay in the hospital: They said I would just wake up screaming... It was like a nightmare, like the devil trying to catch me.”

Later, she would ask about her daughter and when she could go home, only to forget the answer and ask again.

Alexander feels lucky she got diagnosed quickly, and she had the ovarian cyst removed. Still, it took over a year to get fully better and go back to work.

In early 2020, doctors needed months to figure out what was causing Morrill's sudden memory issues in San Carlos, California. He could remember facts and speak well but was losing memories of personal events. This unusual combo made Dr. Michael Cohen, a neurologist at Sutter Health, send him for more tests.

Dr. Cohen said it's rare for someone to only have trouble with personal memories, so he had to think about unusual conditions.

Meanwhile, Morrill’s wife, Karen, thought she noticed small seizures. One finally happened in front of another doctor, which led to a spinal tap and a diagnosis of LGI1-antibody encephalitis.

This type is most common in men over 50. The problem antibodies mess with how neurons talk to each other, and MRI scans showed they had targeted a key memory center.

By that time, Morrill, who had been guiding kayak tours after retiring, couldn't safely get on the water anymore. He had stopped reading, and as his treatments changed, he got agitated and had scary delusions.

Morrill says he lost all his mental ability and fell apart.

He used haiku to try to understand what was going on. Months into treatment, he wondered if the medicine was really helping.

The Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance lists about two dozen antibodies known to play a role in these brain illnesses, and the list keeps growing.

Clinical trials are testing drugs used for other autoimmune diseases to see if lowering antibody production can help encephalitis.

Alexander says it's important to make people know about these rare diseases. She looked for other patients because it's awful to feel alone.

Five years later, Morrill still misses the decades of lost memories: family gatherings, a year studying in Scotland, and travels with his wife.

But, he's making new memories with his grandkids, is back outside, and runs a support group for the AE Alliance. He uses his haiku to chart his from falling apart to where he is now: he focuses on the present and can keep hoping.

Morrill says he's getting back to enjoying life. That wasn't his goal; he just wanted to stay alive.

NEW YORK (AP) — Target’s profit took a hit in the third quarter as the store has trouble getting shoppers in the door due to still-high inflation.

The Minneapolis-based company shared on Wednesday that it thinks its sales slump will keep going through the important holiday shopping time. The company also said that they are planning to put another billion dollars into fixing up stores and building new ones next year, making the total cost for the upgrades $5 billion. Investors haven't been happy with Target’s stock lately, dropping it by 45% over the last year. Shares went down $2.47, or almost 3%, to end at $86.06 on Wednesday.

Fixing the 19% profit drop in the most recent quarter is the newest challenge for the new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, who has been with the company for 20 years. He's taking over for Brian Cornell in February. This change happens as Target tries to turn around a lasting sales problem and get back its image as a place to go for good-looking products that don't cost too much.

Sales at stores open for more than a year and online went down 2.7% in the last three months. That's not as good as the 1.9% drop in the quarter before and the third time sales have gone down in a row.

Target’s problems are very different from what's happening at Walmart, its rival and the biggest store in the country, which is doing well. Walmart is sharing its latest quarterly numbers on Thursday.

Target said in October that it was cutting about 1,800 jobs at its headquarters to make choices faster and move ahead with company plans. The cuts are about 8% of Target’s corporate staff.

To boost sales, Target is putting out more than 20,000 new things to buy, which is twice as many as last year. It has also lowered the prices on thousands of groceries and other must-have items.

“The situation we're in keeps changing, whether it’s shoppers wanting different things, competitors changing, or bigger money problems,” Fiddelke said on a call about earnings on Wednesday. ”But I want to be clear. We aren't waiting for things to get better. We are making the changes happen ourselves right now.

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With about 1,980 stores in the U.S., Target has had a hard time since inflation caused people to cut back on spending that isn't necessary. At the same time, Target shoppers have said that the stores are messy and don't have the cheap stuff that made the store famous as “Tarzhay” a long time ago.

Since late January, Target joined Walmart and other big American brands in cutting back on efforts to make their companies more diverse and inclusive. This led to people boycotting the store, making things even harder.

Other, more recent problems are hurting all stores.

For almost a year, stores have been dealing with President Donald Trump’s tariffs on goods coming into the country and his tighter rules on immigration that could lead to fewer workers for U.S. businesses.

The recent 43-day government shutdown is also expected to hurt the economy. The government is giving out fewer contracts, and many people getting food aid have had their benefits stopped, which can reduce how much people spend at places like Target.

Fiddelke told reporters that the company saw sales drop in September, but he said it was “hard to tell” what caused it.

The store’s profit went down to $689 million in the three-month period ending Nov. 1, or $1.51 per share. With some changes, the profit was $1.78 per share. That's better than the $1.71 that people on Wall Street expected, according to a poll by FactSet, but not as good as the $1.85 per share that the company made in the same time last year.

Sales went down 1.5% to $25.27 billion, which was a little less than what analysts thought.

More sales of food and drinks didn't make up for less spending on things that people don't need. Shoppers are worried and are buying more important items, even during the holidays.

For example, people bought candy and costumes for Halloween this year, but spent less on decorations, said Rick Gomez, who is in charge of what Target sells.

Gomez thinks they will make similar choices during the winter holidays.

We think people will spend money on what goes under the tree more than what goes on the tree,” he said.

Target also said on Wednesday that it is working with OpenAI, so people can look at Target items through the tech company's ChatGPT app. When people are ready to buy, they'll go to the Target app.

Target thinks that sales at stores open for more than a year will go down a little bit in the fourth quarter. It now thinks that earnings per share for the whole year will be between $7 and $8, which is less than the $7 to $9 it said before.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is looking at a projected $18 billion shortfall next year. This poses a problem for Gov. Gavin Newsom as he tries to protect his key policies, especially with a possible presidential run on his mind.

The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), a nonpartisan group, released a report Wednesday with this estimate. If it holds true, this would be the state's fourth straight deficit. The report says that state spending is growing faster than income, and changes to federal rules about aid for healthcare and food for low-income people will raise California's costs by about $1.3 billion.

Newsom will share his own budget ideas in January as he presents his spending plan for the next fiscal year. Sometimes, his office disagrees with the LAO and paints a better financial picture. His last term as governor ends in January 2027, so this budget will be his last chance to direct spending in the state. California governors can only serve two terms.

Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek said at a briefing that new federal tariffs, high borrowing costs, and slow job growth are hurting corporate and sales tax income.

The one good thing is investments in artificial intelligence. These have brought in billions more in personal income tax than expected. But most of that money has to go to schools and paying off state debt. The report also warns that the income from AI investments might not last.

“It’s risky to think these good things will just keep happening, Petek said. He also said that the budget situation is relatively weak right now.

For Newsom, how he balances the budget while keeping key Democratic programs will affect his image as he thinks about running for president.

Last year, he already had to cut back on a healthcare program because of a $12 billion shortfall. This was a setback for universal healthcare, a top goal for state Democrats. The state-funded program, started in 2024, provides free healthcare to immigrants in California, no matter their legal status. Starting next year, those without legal status won't be able to enroll, and some will have to pay a premium in 2027.

In the past few years, state Democratic leaders have avoided big cuts by borrowing from special funds and delaying payments. But they're running out of quick fixes.

More healthcare cuts could be coming since they are a large expense in the state budget. In the past, the governor rejected raising taxes to fix budget issues. Lawmakers have until June to approve a balanced budget.

“We are refining our ideas for the Governor’s January budget, but the LAO has again made clear the problems that we’ve talked about all year: federal issues, market ups and downs, and growing costs for state programs,” said H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for the California Department of Finance, in a statement.

The LAO report said that California might see an even bigger shortfall, up to $35 billion, the year after.

Republican legislators said that the budget troubles are because of bad spending choices.

“The state’s deficit keeps growing because the ruling party can’t stop overspending, said Republican state Sen. Roger Niello in a statement.

Lawmakers approved a $321 billion spending plan last year after Newsom and Democratic leaders reached an agreement.

Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón, a Democrat, said that lawmakers will work with the governor to create a responsible state budget that protects core programs, like education, childcare, safety net, healthcare, and public safety.”

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed a bill that requires the Justice Department to share its case files on Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. This could be a big step forward after years of survivors pushing for a public accounting of Epstein's abuse.

The House and Senate both voted for the bill by a large margin this week. Trump changed his mind after months of opposing it and said he would sign it. Now that he has, the Justice Department has 30 days to release the Epstein files.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Wednesday, This bill tells the president to be fully open, to be honest, and give the American people the whole truth.

Schumer added that Democrats will push back if they think the president isn't being fully open.

In a social media post on Wednesday, when he announced he had signed the bill, Trump wrote, Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party, to try to distract from our AMAZING Victories.

Congress acted quickly and with support from both parties this week because the public wants the Epstein files released. People are paying attention to his of ties to global leaders like Trump, former President Bill Clinton, and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, who has already lost his title as Prince Andrew because of this.

People are very curious to know what the files might show. But this bill will probably lead to a very rare look into a large federal investigation, and that could lead to some unexpected results.

What will the bill do?

The bill orders Attorney General Pam Bondi to release almost everything the Justice Department has collected from multiple federal investigations into Epstein, as well as Ghislaine Maxwell, his longtime friend and girlfriend. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein find teenage girls. A federal judge who has seen the case files said there are about 100,000 pages of records.

It will also force the Justice Department to share all internal communications about Epstein and his associates, as well as his death in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while he was waiting to be charged with sexually abusing and trafficking many teenage girls.

The law does leave out some things from the case files. The people who wrote the bill made sure the Justice Department could keep private the personal information of victims, child sexual abuse materials, and information that the administration considers classified for national defense or foreign policy reasons.

We will continue to follow the law with as much openness as possible while protecting victims, Bondi told a news conference on Wednesday when she was asked about releasing the files.

The bill also lets the Justice Department keep back information that could put active investigations or prosecutions at risk. Some who support the bill are concerned that the department might start active investigations into people named in the Epstein files in order to keep that information from the public.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who used to be a strong supporter of Trump but now disagrees with him over the bill, said on Tuesday that the administration's actions on the bill will be the real test.”

Will the Department of Justice release the files, or will it all stay tied up in investigations? she asked.

In July, the FBI said in a memo about the Epstein investigation that, we did not find evidence that would allow us to investigate uncharged third parties.” But Bondi recently followed Trump's orders and told a federal prosecutor to look into Epstein's of ties to the president's political enemies, including Clinton.

Still, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky who sponsored the bill, said, “there’s no way they can have enough investigations to cover” everyone he thinks was involved in Epstein's abuse.

“And if they do, then good,” he added.

The bill also requires the Justice Department to provide reports on what materials it held back, as well as any redactions that were made, within 15 days of releasing the files. It says that officials can't hold back or redact anything “based on embarrassment, damage to reputation, or political reasons, including for any government official, public figure, or foreign leader.”

Who might be named?

Many people expect that many names will come up in the case files from investigations that lasted over ten years. Some are worried that if someone is named, they will automatically be seen as guilty or involved.

Epstein was an important person who spent time with heads of state, powerful politicians, academics, and billionaires. The release of his emails and messages by a House Oversight Committee investigation recently showed his connections with Trump and many other powerful people, as well as private conversations about them.

But federal prosecutors have clear rules about what information they share publicly and at trial. This is to protect victims and make sure the legal system is fair. House Speaker Mike Johnson raised concerns about the bill this week, saying that it could reveal unwanted information about victims and others who were in contact with investigators.

Still, Johnson didn't actually try to change the bill and voted for it.

For those who support the bill, the point is to have a public accounting of the investigation. Some survivors of trafficking from Epstein and Maxwell have been trying to name people they say were involved, but they worry about being sued.

Massie said he wants the FBI to release the reports from its interviews with the victims.

These reports usually have information that hasn't been checked, but Massie said he is determined to name those who are accused. He and Greene have offered to read the names of those accused on the House floor, which would protect their speech from legal action.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Justice Department said Wednesday that there was no misconduct by the prosecutor appointed by President Donald Trump who got an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey. They're asking a federal judge not to make prosecutors give Comey's defense team secret grand jury info.

In court documents and statements to the press, the department defended Lindsey Halligan. Trump had picked her to be the acting U.S. Attorney for Virginia's Eastern District after the previous person in that role was pushed out for worrying about the evidence in the case.

A Justice Department official stated that the U.S. Attorney and grand jury on this case followed the law. There is nothing to advise of wrongdoing, or any issues. Claims that advise otherwise are false.

This defense of the case came after U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick in Alexandria, Virginia, said on Monday that Halligan might have made serious legal mistakes when presenting evidence and instructing grand jurors about charging Comey. Fitzpatrick told prosecutors to give the grand jury info to Comey's lawyers.

Comey is one of three high-profile critics of the Republican president who have been hit with criminal charges by the Justice Department recently. Earlier on Wednesday, Comey's attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff to toss the case, claiming Comey is being improperly targeted for criticizing the president.

Comey pleaded not guilty in September after being charged with making false statements and blocking a congressional investigation.

Related: 10 Safest States in America

Fitzpatrick, who is deciding on some pretrial issues in Comey's case, brought up quite a few procedural errors that could put the case in danger.

Among the problems he mentioned were prosecutors looking at evidence the FBI seized years ago but didn't get a new warrant. Also, they let an FBI agent testify to the grand jury, even though the agent may have seen material protected by attorney-client privilege, which keeps legal advice between lawyers and clients private.

Fitzpatrick also found that Halligan said things to grand jurors that hurt Comey's legal rights. He wondered if she presented the latest version of the indictment Comey is facing to the grand jury, since it rejected a criminal count in an earlier version.

At Wednesday's hearing before Nachmanoff, prosecutors admitted that the current indictment wasn't presented to the whole grand jury, but was signed by the jury foreperson. This raises questions about whether the case is valid.

Grand jury materials are secret and rarely shared with defense lawyers in criminal cases. Fitzpatrick, in ordering the material be turned over to the defense, knew that he was going beyond typical protocol.

Nachmanoff has for now stopped Fitzpatrick's order asking prosecutors to hand over grand jury materials to the defense, after the Justice Department objected.

Prosecutors wrote in a court filing on Wednesday that the magistrate judge's opinion is wrong and based on misinterpretations.

None of the reasons stated for revealing the material make sense. The U.S. Attorney didn't misstate the law, the grand jury wasn't misled, and the transcript shows the indictment was presented as per practice.

A federal judge stated on Wednesday that he plans to quickly start a contempt investigation into the Trump administration. The issue? Planes carrying Venezuelan migrants were sent to El Salvador instead of being turned around in March.

Judge James Boasberg in Washington said that a Friday ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit allows him to move forward with the inquiry. This investigation will decide if there's enough proof to recommend prosecution. He wants attorneys to submit lists of witnesses and plans for conducting the investigation by Monday. He hopes to begin hearings around December 1. The judge has previously mentioned he might seek prosecution of administration officials.

Back on March 15, Boasberg ordered the planes carrying accused gang members back to the U.S. Instead, they landed in El Salvador, where the migrants were held in a well-known prison.

I can proceed just like I wanted to back in April, the judge said during Wednesday's hearing. He later added, I want to know what happened that day.

Boasberg thinks having witnesses testify under oath is the best way to do the contempt investigation. He also said the government could provide written statements explaining who ordered the defiance of his ruling. He mentioned a possible witness: a former Justice Department attorney who filed a complaint claiming a top official suggested the Trump administration might ignore court orders as it deported Venezuelan migrants accused of being gang members.

The Trump administration denies any wrongdoing, saying the judge's order to return the planes was verbal in court and not in his written order. Justice Department attorney Tiberius Davis told Boasberg the government doesn't want any more contempt proceedings.

Boasberg had earlier found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt of court. This ruling showed a big clash between the judicial and executive branches, but an appeals court panel sided with the administration and dismissed the finding. The two judges in the majority were appointed by President Donald Trump.

On Friday, a larger panel of judges on the D.C. Circuit said the earlier ruling didn't stop Boasberg from doing his contempt investigation. Boasberg's contempt finding was a reasonable and necessary response, Judges Cornelia Pillard, Robert Wilkins, and Bradley Garcia wrote.

Following court orders is key for the judiciary to do its job as set out in the constitution, they wrote. Court orders aren't suggestions; they're binding commands that the Executive Branch, like everyone else, must follow.

The Trump administration used an 18th-century wartime law to send the migrants, accused of being in a Venezuelan gang, to a mega-prison in El Salvador called the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT. They argued that American courts couldn't order their release.

In June, Boasberg ruled that the Trump administration must let some of the migrants challenge their deportations. They hadn't been able to formally argue against the removals or the claims that they were in Tren de Aragua.

The judge wrote that proof had come up showing that many of the migrants weren't connected to the gang and were stuck in a foreign prison based on weak accusations.

Later, over 200 migrants were sent back to Venezuela in a prisoner swap with the U.S.

Their attorneys want Boasberg to issue another order requiring the administration to explain how it will give at least 137 of the men a chance to fight their gang label under the Alien Enemies Act.

The men are in danger in Venezuela and are afraid to talk to attorneys. Attorneys have contacted about 30 of them, but they really want to pursue their cases, said Lee Gelernt, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, on Wednesday.

Davis said it might be hard to take the men back into custody because of tensions between the U.S. and the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Boasberg didn't immediately decide on the matter.

Steyer started his campaign promising to help the economy and saying his political history shows he supports consumers, working people, and the environment.

“People in California should be able to afford to live here,” he said in a video Wednesday morning. “But the people who keep this state going are getting crushed by the cost of living.”

This puts Steyer against other candidates like Katie Porter, a progressive congresswoman, Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, and Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Porter was once thought to be a frontrunner, but now the race seems open to anyone. Steyer’s wealth could help him reach voters through TV and online ads in a big state with almost 40 million people and many media markets. But having a lot of money hasn't always meant winning in California elections. Carly Fiorina, who used to be the CEO of Hewlett-Packard, lost to Barbara Boxer, a Democratic U.S. Senator, in 2010. Meg Whitman, a former CEO of eBay, spent over $100 million of her own money but still lost the governor's race that same year.

Steyer’s money quickly became something his rivals attacked him for.

“Tom Steyer tried to buy the presidency — and he failed. He's not going to get the California governorship as a consolation prize,” said Betty Yee, a Democrat and former state controller.

Steyer talked about his wealth on Wednesday, saying his businesses made “billions of dollars.” But he also sounded like he was on the side of regular people.

He said, “The richest people in America think they did it all on their own, before saying that was a load of bull. “That's so ridiculous.”

Steyer said he would “make companies pay their fair share again,” and his campaign mentioned his past work on ballot measures with similar goals. Steyer was a big supporter of a 2012 ballot measure that made it harder for companies to avoid certain taxes. The money from this went to energy improvements in California's public schools.

Steyer also helped lead the 2016 campaign that raised the tax on tobacco products by $2 per pack. The money went to state health care programs, including efforts to prevent tobacco use. And Steyer was a major opponent of a 2010 ballot measure that would have undone California's clean air and climate law, which is seen as a model for the rest of the country.

Villaraigosa released a digital ad Wednesday that called attention to Becerra’s link to a scandal in Sacramento, as the two compete for votes, including those of Latinos. Prosecutors say that Sean McCluskie, a longtime aide to Becerra, was at the center of a plan to take money from one of Becerra’s old state campaign accounts to increase his salary after he became Becerra’s chief of staff in Washington. Becerra isn't accused of anything, but the ad tries to make people doubt his judgment and includes clips from a TV interview where Becerra said he knew payments were being made from his account but didn’t know they were being used improperly.

Steyer spent millions of his own money traveling the country and pushing for Trump's impeachment during Trump's first term. He then ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, spending over $200 million and not winning any delegates. After doing poorly in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, Steyer spent a lot of money in South Carolina, only to finish third behind Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. Steyer then ended his presidential campaign and supported Biden's reelection in 2024 before Biden stepped aside for Kamala Harris, another Californian.

Steyer's latest campaign comes as some Democrats are questioning Porter’s campaign after her tense exchanges with a TV reporter went viral in October. Steyer has long been rumored as a potential strong candidate, along with Harris and Alex Padilla, who could join the race.

Harris, who is on a national tour promoting her 2024 book, has said she doesn't plan to run, suggesting that any future campaign would be for president.

“I will be voting,” she told The Associated Press on Oct. 17 when asked about running for governor. When asked if she liked the field as Porter faced criticism, Harris only said she wanted Democrats to have “the best and the brightest running and winning” and that she was “not actively involved.

Padilla has said he will stay in the Senate.

By Diana Novak Jones

CHICAGO (Reuters) —A U.S. appeals court sided with the Trump White House on Wednesday, blocking a judge's order that limited how ICE agents could use tear gas and other weapons on people protesting immigration policies in Chicago.

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago issued a short opinion. It granted the government’s request to stop the order, which said federal immigration agents had to warn people before using tear gas and other weapons. The order had also stopped agents from arresting or breaking up groups of journalists and required agents to wear body cameras with clear IDs.

The court agreed with the government that the judge was overmanaging federal law enforcement in Chicago, saying its real result is to stop all law enforcement officers within the Executive Branch.

A lawyer for the protesters, journalists, and clergy members involved in the case declined to comment.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the ruling was a win for the law and for the safety of law enforcement officers.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis in Chicago made the order on November 6. She sided with the protesters, who said they were being targeted with violence, violating their rights to free speech, assembly, and religious freedom under the U.S. Constitution.

Ellis made the ruling after hearing testimony from protesters, journalists, and clergy members. They talked about violence they faced during protests outside an immigration detention center in Broadview, Illinois, and on residential streets in Chicago. People said that agents pointed guns at their heads when they filmed them, and a pastor said he was shot in the face with a pepper ball while praying. Ellis also heard from federal immigration agents about violence aimed at them at the protests.

Ellis said the government’s claims about violent protesters weren't believable. She pointed to cases where federal agents had lied about what the protesters did.

The appeals court panel said they thought Ellis' order interfered with the separation of powers, but they weren't saying the protesters didn't have a valid case. They suggested that an order that more specifically addressed the constitutional issues might be better.

Trump has focused on Chicago as part of his administration's push for stricter immigration enforcement since September. As part of “Operation Midway Blitz,” federal agents have used tear gas in neighborhoods and forcibly subdued protesters while trying to arrest people suspected of being in the country illegally.

Trump sent National Guard troops to Chicago in September, but a federal court stopped their deployment on October 16. The U.S. Supreme Court is looking at that ruling. Defense officials told Reuters on Sunday that the Pentagon is taking some National Guard troops out of Chicago and Portland, after Trump sent them to fight what he called rising crime.

Ellis’ order, which was supposed to last until the end of the lawsuit, followed a similar temporary restraining order she issued last month.

The U.S. appeals court’s ruling puts Ellis’ order on hold while the court reviews her reasoning. The panel said they will speed up the case. Two of the judges on the panel were appointed by President Donald Trump.

(Reporting by Diana Novak Jones; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Alexia Garamfalvi and Lincoln Feast.)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans, voted without opposition on Wednesday to kill a rule that let senators sue federal investigators for up to $500,000 if they felt their phone records were searched without warning. This vote shows some division among Republicans, even after 10 months of Donald Trump's second term as president.

The Senate rule, which received criticism, was slipped into a funding bill used to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history last week. It would let eight Republican senators try to get millions of dollars for supposed privacy breaches. These breaches came from the Joe Biden administration's investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump's supporters.

Every one of the 426 Republican and Democratic lawmakers present voted to get rid of the rule. The Senate will likely have to talk about it, since Republican Majority Leader John Thune had said earlier that it was important to protect senators from federal agencies that might step over their constitutional powers.

This is the second time this week that Republicans have shown disagreement since Trump became president back in January. Just recently, the House and Senate strongly supported a measure that forces the Justice Department to share its non-classified information on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This happened after much arguing and opposition from Trump.

We'll see what our friends in the Senate want to do, Thune said to reporters. There's a lot of interest in dealing with the federal government being used as a weapon, especially the Biden Justice Department here.

JOHNSON CRITICIZES 'LOOKING BAD'

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was surprised and upset by the Senate's rule and called for it to be removed. He later said that the wording should be changed to fix what he called looking bad.

House Republicans and Democrats both went against the Senate's rule on Wednesday, calling it an unacceptable way for public officials to get rich. Some mentioned comments from Republican Lindsey Graham, one of the senators involved, who said he would sue the Justice Department for tens of millions of dollars.

Republican Representative Austin Scott, who wrote the repeal, said the Senate's rule was probably the most selfish thing I've ever seen in any law.

TRUMP WANTS MONEY FROM DOJ

Last month, the New York Times said that Trump wants $230 million from the Justice Department to cover legal costs from federal investigations against him.

Democrats said that the eight Republican senators who were being looked at for the January 6 situation had all supported Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Biden.

These are senators who may have known about, or even been involved in, trying to reverse the 2020 presidential election – efforts that ended in an attack on this very building, said Democratic Representative Joseph Morelle.

Even though Johnson was angry about the Senate's rule, Thune said that he and his House partner get along, telling reporters: I'd say we have a very strong working relationship for the most part.

But not all House Republicans were willing to let their Senate colleagues off easy.

“Here’s a message to the Senate: take this up and pass it, or you won’t get any support from me for any of your bills,” said Republican Representative Chip Roy.

A new study suggests that if we keep using fossil fuels, sea levels will likely rise. By the end of the century, this could flood thousands of places in the U.S. that contain dangerous stuff, which could hurt people living nearby.

Researchers think about 5,500 places that store things like sewage, oil, and gas are in danger of flooding by 2100. Past pollution has already made many of these consequences unavoidable. By 2050, over half of these spots might be underwater. The biggest risks are for low-income areas, minority groups, and other vulnerable people.

The study says that even small cuts in pollution could save around 300 of these sites by 2100.

Lara J. Cushing, a professor at UCLA and one of the study's authors, said we need to get ready for this issue. She mentioned that we still have time to lower the risks and plan for what’s coming. She spoke about this at a media briefing. The EPA paid for the study, which was published in Nature Communications and builds on earlier work done in California.

Climate change makes sea levels rise faster as glaciers and ice sheets melt and the water expands as it warms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that some coastal areas in the U.S. are seeing sea levels rise faster than usual because of things like erosion and the ground sinking from groundwater being taken out.

Thomas Chandler, from Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness, thinks the study is important. He believes the public, politicians, and government groups should pay attention to it.

Derek Van Berkel, a professor at the University of Michigan, wasn’t surprised that the risks aren't equal. But he is really concerned about the knock-on problems that flooding could cause.

The researchers started by finding and sorting thousands of locations with dangerous materials along the coasts of Puerto Rico and 23 states. They figured out the flood risk for each spot in 2050 and 2100. They based this on past sea level info and predictions for the future under different pollution situations. Communities were considered at risk if they had homes within 0.62 miles of a dangerous site with a high chance of flooding. These communities were compared to coastal neighborhoods that didn't have risky spots nearby.

The study didn’t look at every kind of dangerous spot, like oil and gas pipelines. It also didn’t consider groundwater issues or big storms. So, the risks could be even worse than what they reported. On the other hand, the flood-risk model might have overestimated the number of sites in danger.

Chandler pointed out that past disasters, like Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Harvey, caused pollution from oil and gas pipelines.

The 5,500 locations at risk include fossil fuel ports and terminals (44%), power plants (30%), refineries (24%), and sewage treatment plants (22%). About 80% of these spots are in Louisiana, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, California, New York, and Massachusetts.

Sacoby Wilson, a professor at the University of Maryland, warned that people near farms or sewage plants who are exposed to floodwaters could get sick from bacteria like E. coli. This can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and fever.

Wilson added that people near industrial sites like refineries could be exposed to heavy metals and chemicals. This could cause rashes, eye and throat irritation, headaches, or tiredness. Floods could also make existing health issues worse for vulnerable people.

These exposures might raise the long-term risk of cancer, liver, kidney, or other organ damage, and reproductive problems.

Chandler said we need to spend money to lower the risks. He added that federal, state, and local governments need to handle these problems by planning for resilience and encouraging local governments to include climate risk assessments in their plans.

23.Arrests now top 250 in immigration crackdown across North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that federal agents have now arrested over 250 people during an immigration enforcement action in North Carolina, mainly around Charlotte, the state’s biggest city.

This operation, which started over the weekend, is the most recent part of President Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations. This plan has involved sending military and immigration agents into cities run by Democrats, like Chicago and Los Angeles.

Since January, immigration officials have been active across the country, pushing detention numbers to record levels above 60,000. Both big cities and small towns are seeing this daily, along with bigger actions in places like Portland, Oregon, where over 560 immigration arrests happened in October. Smaller enforcement bursts have also occurred in other areas.

Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell mentioned on social platform X late Wednesday that “border patrol enforcement seems to be over” in the city. DHS hasn't said anything about changing its presence and didn't quickly reply to requests for comments.

The number of arrests in Charlotte and nearby areas during Operation Charlotte’s Web, was about twice as many as DHS officials had mentioned earlier in the week. The department stated that agencies are still focused on some of the most dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”

They're targeting people who don't have legal permission to be in the U.S. and those who supposedly have criminal records.

Federal officials haven't shared many details about those arrested. They've also been quiet about how far these enforcement operations are reaching across North Carolina and where agents might show up next, leaving communities worried.

The enforcement in Charlotte has caused some resistance and protests.

On Wednesday, about 100 people gathered outside a Home Depot in Charlotte, where federal agents have been seen multiple times since the increase in activity began. Protest organizers briefly entered the store with signs that stated, “ICE out of Home Depot, Protect our communities.”

The arrests in Charlotte and the Raleigh area have made immigrant neighborhoods nervous. School attendance has decreased, and small stores and restaurants have closed to prevent issues between customers and federal agents.

David Rebolloso, who owns a laundromat, said that customers left their clothes behind in the machines and haven’t returned after agents visited a Charlotte shopping center on Sunday.

Even though agents didn’t target his laundromat, it still reduced his profits and shut down nearby shops, said Rebolloso, a Mexican American born in Brownsville, Texas.

“We’re open only because I’m an American citizen, so it doesn’t bother me,” he said. “But business is down. I have no customers.”

Just days after starting the enforcement in North Carolina, Border Patrol agents were expected to arrive in New Orleans by the end of the week to begin getting ready for their next big operation in southeast Louisiana, based on documents gotten by The Associated Press and three people who know about the operation.

Around 250 federal border agents are planned to come to New Orleans in the coming weeks for a two-month immigration enforcement action expected to really start on Dec. 1.

Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander selected to lead the Louisiana sweep, has been in North Carolina this week, leading the operation there as well.

Louisiana Republicans expressed their support on Wednesday. Derek Babcock, the chair of the state party, said it shows that Trump and Republican Gov. Jeff Landry are serious about “keeping our citizens safe.”

The head of the state’s American Civil Liberties Union chapter said they were putting together information to help people understand their rights and working with legal services and groups connected to the immigrant community.

NEW YORK (AP) — On Monday, three men were arrested for allegedly offering a juror $100,000 to sway the Brooklyn drug trial of Goran Gogic, a former heavyweight boxer. Because of this, the federal judge dismissed the jury just before opening statements were about to start.

The trial will resume after a 30-day break with a new, anonymous jury, said John Marzulli, a spokesperson for federal prosecutors in Brooklyn. Judge Joan Azrack has scheduled a conference for December 17.

Gogic, from Montenegro, is accused of planning to move 20 tons (18.1 metric tons) of cocaine from Colombia to Europe through U.S. ports using cargo ships. He has denied these charges. His lawyer hasn't yet commented on the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Navarro told Azrack that the three men offered a juror $100,000 to vote not guilty. Fteja, Krasniqi, and Kupa didn't have to enter pleas during their first court appearances. Messages were left for their lawyers seeking their comments.

Law enforcement says Gogic is a major drug trafficker who worked on a mammoth scale.

From 2001 to 2012, Gogic had a professional boxing record of 21-4-2 in Germany, according to Sport & Note. He was listed as 6-foot-5 (1.96 meters) and weighed between 227 pounds (103 kilograms) and 250 pounds (113 kilograms). An FBI agent wrote in a Brooklyn federal court complaint that the bribery attempt happened between Thursday and Sunday.

According to court documents, Fteja already knew a juror, called John Doe #1 in the complaint, and called him several times on his phone on Thursday. The juror then agreed to meet him on Staten Island.

During their meeting on Thursday, Fteja told the juror that people in the Bronx would pay him to return a not guilty verdict, the complaint says.

Two days later, Fteja told the juror in a second meeting that they would pay him between $50,000 and $100,000 to rig the trial, the complaint said.

The complaint states that investigators have recordings of the defendants planning the bribery in both Albanian and English. The court papers include some quotes from these conversations.

Gogic is charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. If he is convicted, he could get 10 years to life in prison.

Prosecutors say Gogic and others worked with ship crew members to move cocaine in shipping containers. They moved the drugs from speedboats to the cargo ships near ports in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

U.S. law enforcement stopped three shipments, prosecutors said. This included 1,437 kilograms (3,168 pounds) of cocaine on the MSC Carlotta at the Port of New York and New Jersey in February 2019, and 17,956 kilograms (39,586 pounds) of cocaine—worth over $1 billion—on the MSC Gayane at the Port of Philadelphia in June 2019.

Prosecutors said the Philadelphia seizure was one of the biggest cocaine busts in U.S. history.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The prosecution of ex-FBI Director James Comey hit a snag Wednesday. The Justice Department is facing questions about how it got the indictment from the grand jury.

This issue makes an already difficult, politically-charged case even weaker. Comey’s lawyers have asked Judge Michael Nachmanoff to drop the case. They say the government is acting out of revenge. There's also a challenge to Lindsey Halligan, the inexperienced prosecutor who got the indictment.

The Justice Department admitted that the full grand jury didn't see the final indictment. This raises more questions about their handling of the case against a political rival of President Donald Trump. Trump fired Comey in May 2017 while Comey was leading an FBI investigation into possible ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign. Since then, the two have clashed publicly. Trump has called Comey names and called for him to be prosecuted.

Earlier in the week, another judge questioned what he called major investigative mistakes, He said the grand jury got wrong info about the law. The Justice Department says nothing went wrong during the process.

**The Story of Two Indictments**

Halligan first asked the grand jury for a three-count indictment against Comey. After they rejected one count, the Justice Department got a second, two-count indictment. This one accused Comey of lying and obstructing Congress. Comey has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing.

Judge William Fitzpatrick said he reviewed the grand jury transcript. He wondered if the full grand jury had seen the final two-count indictment.

Judge Nachmanoff asked the Justice Department about these concerns during a court hearing Wednesday. The hearing mostly focused on Comey's claim that the prosecution was revenge. Prosecutor Tyler Lemons said the revised indictment wasn't shown to all the grand jurors. He said he wasn't there, but that was his understanding.

Nachmanoff asked Halligan who was there when the final indictment was presented. She said only two grand jurors, including the foreperson, were present.

Comey's lawyer, Michael Dreeben, said that because the entire grand jury didn't see the final indictment, the case should be dropped. He said too much time has passed to prosecute the crimes.

Dreeben said this would prevent any future prosecution in this case.

Nachmanoff didn't make a decision right away. He said the issues were too important and complicated.

The Justice Department downplayed this in court filings Wednesday night. They said the two charges in the final indictment were the same as the two counts the grand jury had already approved.

The prosecutors said the case shouldn't be dropped. The grand jury had already voted on those counts.

**Claims of Revenge**

Dreeben also argued that the prosecution was revenge. He said it was based on Trump's desire for payback. He said the case should be dismissed because of this.

Dreeben said that the president using the Justice Department to prosecute someone who has publicly disagreed with him is unconstitutional.

These types of motions don't often work. But Comey's lawyers pointed to many verbal attacks from Trump. They want to show that the case is based on Trump's personal anger.

Trump has long called for Comey to be prosecuted. In September, he complained to Attorney General Pam Bondi on social media about the lack of action against his political opponents. He said they couldn't wait any longer and that JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!

Dreeben said in court that if that wasn't a direct order to prosecute, he didn't know what was.

That night, Trump said he would appoint Halligan as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia on an interim basis. Halligan is a White House aide who doesn't have much experience as a prosecutor. She replaced a prosecutor who was forced out of the job. The prosecutor did not charge Comey or another Trump opponent, New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Halligan got an indictment of Comey days later, right before the statute of limitations was up. The charges are about Comey's testimony. He testified about whether he told an FBI colleague to be an anonymous source for the news media.

Nachmanoff asked Dreeben if he thought Halligan was a puppet for the administration. Dreeben didn't use that word. But he did say that she did what she was told to do.

Dreeben said presidents have other ways to punish critics. But using the Justice Department isn't allowed.

He said the government can't use criminal prosecutions to silence a critic. This violates the First Amendment.

Lemons, the Justice Department prosecutor, said Comey was indicted because he broke the law, not because Trump ordered it.

Lemons said Comey isn't being tried for anything he said about the president.

Lemons said nobody told Halligan to prosecute Comey or seek his indictment.

He said it was her decision alone.

But Nachmanoff pointed out that Trump appointed Halligan right before she presented the Comey case to the grand jury.