November 18, 2025 - Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman is in Washington, D.C. today, November 18, 2025, for an official visit to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump. The visit includes a series of high-profile events and discussions:

• White House Ceremony: The Crown Prince was greeted with a lavish arrival ceremony on the South Lawn, complete with a military honor guard, cannon salute, and a flyover by U.S. warplanes.

• Bilateral Meetings: President Trump and the Crown Prince are holding bilateral meetings to discuss various topics, including security ties, civil nuclear cooperation, and business deals.

• Investment & Business: Significant U.S.-Saudi business and investment deals are expected, with the Crown Prince announcing an increase in committed U.S. investment to almost $1 trillion.

• Middle East Peace: Discussions are underway regarding the potential for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, though Saudi officials maintain that a clear path to a Palestinian state is necessary.

• Evening Events: The day is expected to conclude with a black-tie dinner at the White House. 

• This visit marks the Crown Prince's first trip to the White House in over seven years, and it is drawing significant media attention due to its focus on deepening ties despite ongoing scrutiny over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A U.S.-Saudi investment summit is also planned for Wednesday at the Kennedy Center.

June 25, 2025 - Jewish Organization Urge Mass Evacuation After Zohran Wins Mayoral Primary in New York City

April 21, 2025 - Pope Francis (112th Pope) has died at age 88 - Pope Francis, whose time as head of the Catholic Church was noted for humility and outreach efforts to people of disparate backgrounds and faiths, has died at 88, the Vatican has confirmed. Francis' death on Monday comes after a series of worsening health problems, including a respiratory crisis that left him in critical condition in recent months. The Argentinian national was known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, when he was elected the Catholic Church's 266th supreme pontiff -- and the first ever from Latin America -- on March 13, 2013, replacing the retiring Pope Benedict XVI. Source 

April 16, 2025 - Due to the withdrawal of US support and the inability to secure new funding, the WHO is reportedly truly on the brink of collapse

April 5, 2025 - The U.S. government has declared that all visas currently held by individuals with South Sudanese passports will be revoked Source

April 4, 2025 - World Leaders 

• South Korean President Yoon removed from office over martial law attempt. Source 

• World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab to step down as chairman. Source 

April 3, 2025 - The White House Studies the Cost of U.S. Takeover of Greenland - The Trump administration is now actively assessing the price tag of acquiring Greenland—marking the first concrete step toward turning Trump’s long-held goal into U.S. policy. White House officials are calculating the costs of providing services to Greenland’s 58,000 residents, transforming the Danish territory into a potential U.S. holding. Source 

April 3, 2025 - King Charles, 76, will step back from royal duties due to failing health - afflicted by cancer, the Royal Court says the King ‘doesn’t want to stop working’ but must accept his limitations. Source 

March 23, 2025 - Elon Musk & Classified War Plans with China Updates: President Trump: "I don't want anybody seeing plans for a potential war with China. We don't want to have a potential war with China, but if we did, we're very well-equipped...but certainly, you wouldn't show it to a businessman... The NY Times is just as fake as CNN & MSDNC" - Source

• “Elon has businesses in China and he would be susceptible, perhaps, to that. But it was such a fake story.” Trump denies reports that the Pentagon will brief Musk on top-secret plans if the U.S. goes to war with China. Source 

• Elon Musk’s Pentagon briefing to include information on China, sparking controversy - A few weeks into Donald Trump’s second term, the president announced he was deploying Elon Musk, his top campaign donor, to conduct an audit of the Pentagon, which quickly became controversial for reasons the Republican didn’t appear to understand. Musk, among other things, is a defense contractor who does business with governments around the world. Common sense and a basic understanding of ethics would suggest just about anyone else would be better suited to oversee an audit of the Department of Defense’s finances. Other outlets, however, pointed in an even more alarming direction. The Wall Street Journal, for example, reported that Musk is poised to receive information on “the U.S. military’s top-secret war plans for China,” including “maritime tactics and targeting plans.” The Journal’s report, citing two unnamed U.S. officials, noted that the briefing — which is being held at the billionaire’s request — could give Musk “access to sensitive military secrets unavailable to business competitors.” Source

March 18, 2025 - U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi: "The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism" Source 

March 18, 2025 - Trump says he is authorizing the administration to start begin producing energy with coal - Source 

March 13, 2025 - Looming Government Shutdown - Unless Congress can pass a bill to fund the federal government (which Donald Trump then signs) before midnight on Friday, the federal government will be forced to shut down at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. It’s the first looming shutdown of the second Trump administration, and as of now we still don’t know how things are going to play out. Below are the latest developments along with analysis and commentary as the hours count down. It’s less clear how a government shutdown would affect the legal standing of both DOGE and OMB in pursuing the unilateral cuts in spending and personnel they are pursuing on parallel tracks. Federal courts are beginning to rein in DOGE a bit, and nobody really thinks SCOTUS will agree with Vought that the president can ignore Congress altogether and do whatever he wants to the public sector. A shutdown will muddy the waters even more, but one thing is for sure: it will get the public’s attention in a big way, and may cast light into the dark corners where Vought and Musk prefer to operate. Source

• Update: 3/14 - Government Shutdown Averted by Congress, 6 Month Bill Passed

March 13, 2025 - President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to quickly speed up mass deportations, per CNN. Source 

March 9, 2025 - Justin Trudeau replaced by Mark Carney as Prime Minister of Canada. Source; Canada’s Liberal Party has chosen former central bank chief Mark Carney as its new leader. Carney, a globalist financial elite with deep ties to the Bank of Canada, Bank of England, and the UN, inherits a Liberal government in freefall, with opposition parties eager to force a new election. His leadership comes at a critical moment, as Canada faces economic turmoil and a trade war with Trump. Carney has vowed to fight back against Trump’s tariffs with dollar-for-dollar retaliation while also acknowledging Canada’s economy has become too weak to resist U.S. pressure. With Canada’s Parliament returning on March 24, Carney’s hold on power could be short-lived. Source 

February 21, 2025 - Pope Francis is in critical condition, Vatican announces Source 

February 19, 2025 - Pope warns he 'may not survive' pneumonia as Vatican prepares for potential Conclave - Source

February 18, 2025 - Pope Francis diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, Vatican says. Source 

2/15/2025

• The U.S. confirms Ukraine will NOT join NATO and NO U.S. troops will be deployed to Ukraine - Source 

• President Donald Trump says he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to begin "negotiations" on ending the Ukraine war. Source 

• More tariffs on the way: Trump is taking additional action to upset the world trade system, with plans to sign an order as soon as Wednesday that would require that U.S. tariffs on imports match the tax rates charged by other countries.

  • • Inflation is getting worse: The consumer price index shows U.S. inflation accelerated last month as the cost of groceries, gas, and used cars rose. Trump said on social media Wednesday that interest rates should be lowered, but the tick up in consumer prices makes it less likely the Fed will cut rates anytime soon.

    • Senate confirms Tulsi Gabbard: The former Democratic representative was confirmed as the director of national intelligence by a 52-48 vote after Republicans who had initially questioned her experience and judgment fell in line behind her nomination. The only Republican to vote against her confirmation was former Senate leader Mitch McConnell. Gabbard is an unconventional pick given her sympathetic comments on Russia, meeting with now-deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad and previous supported government leaker Edward Snowden.

    • Trump to host India’s Modi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s longstanding friendly rapport with Trump could be tested as he visits Washington this week. Modi, who met with Vice President JD Vance in India yesterday, is eager to avoid tariffs that have been slapped on others. Source 

February 5, 2025 - Trump announces withdrawal from UN human rights body and halt to funding for Palestinian refugees - President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the United States will withdraw from the top U.N. human rights body and will not resume funding for the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees. The U.S. left the Geneva-based Human Rights Council last year, and it stopped funding the agency assisting Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, after Israel accused it of harboring Hamas militants who participated in the surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel, which UNRWA denies. Trump’s announcement came on the day he met with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country has long accused both the rights body and UNRWA of bias against Israel and antisemitism. Trump’s executive orders also call for a review of American involvement in the Paris-based U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, known as UNESCO, and a review of U.S. funding for the United Nations in light of “the wild disparities in levels of funding among different countries.” Source

January 2025

A freeze on federal grants and loans has been paused - But many facets of American life are left mired in uncertainty - As a federal judge temporarily blocks part of the Trump administration’s pausing of federal grants and loans Tuesday, a slew of advocacy groups, charities, foreign aid and public health programs are decrying a potential upending of American lives on an unprecedented scale. Hundreds of programs touching all corners of the US were placed under review, according to a document released by the Office of Management and Budget and obtained by CNN. The White House later issued a memo appearing to greatly limit the scope of the federal assistance freeze, targeting executive orders that it says address immigration, foreign aid, climate and energy, DEI initiatives, gender identity and abortion. Yet the freeze – which could later resume and trigger a potential showdown at the Supreme Court – has left organizations and government agencies on the local, state and federal levels in flux. Source 

Trump offers millions of federal workers eight months of pay to resign - President Donald Trump has offered buyout packages to almost all federal employees, a major move designed to shrink and reform the US government.

• In an email sent on Tuesday, his administration told workers they had to decide by 6 February whether they wanted to be part of a "deferred resignation" programme.

• If they agree by then to quit in September, the message said, they would receive about eight months of salary as a severance package. The Trump administration expects up to 10% of employees to accept the offer - which equates to about 200,000 of the more than two million people who work for the federal government, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News. Senior Trump officials told US media that the buyouts could save the government up to $100B. 

• The message from the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the government's HR agency, highlighted planned reforms including a requirement that most employees work in their offices five days a week.Since returning to the White House last week, Trump has already declared the end of Covid-era home working practices. The OPM said the offer was available to "all full-time federal employees" - excluding certain staff such as postal workers, members of the military, immigration officials, and some national security teams. Workers wishing to take the deal were asked to reply to the email with the word "resign" in the subject line. The offer includes both pay and benefits for workers until 30 September, and has been described as "very generous" by the White House. The message also warned of future downsizing that could impact those who chose to stay. "We cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity," it read. Source

1/28/2025 -  All federal grants and loan disbursement paused by White House - The White House budget office has ordered a pause on all federal grants and loans, according to an internal memorandum sent Monday, potentially impacting trillions in government spending and halting public programs that affect millions of Americans. Federal agencies “must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,” White House Office of Management and Budget acting director Matthew Vaeth said in the memorandum, a copy of which was obtained by CNN. The pause also blocks the issuance of new grants. The memo specifies that the pause will not affect Social Security or Medicare benefits, nor does it include “assistance provided directly to individuals.” The freeze on federal assistance is slated to take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday. It marks the latest move by the Trump administration to exert control over federal funding, even that which has already been allocated by Congress. “This temporary pause will provide the Administration time to review agency programs and determine the best uses of the funding for those programs consistent with the law and the President’s priorities,” Vaeth wrote. Source 

1/27/2025 

• TRUMP ORDERS ICE TO TRIPLE ARRESTS, TARGETING UP TO 1,500 DAILY - Frustrated with the slow pace of removals, Trump has directed ICE to ramp up enforcement, increasing arrests from a few hundred to 1,200–1,500 per day. Trump believes the mass deportation effort isn’t moving fast enough and is pushing for swift action to restore law and order at the border. The message is clear: illegal immigration will no longer be tolerated. Source: Washington Post

• Following President Gustavo Petro's refusal to receive two flights with deported Colombians, the U.S. Embassy in Colombia has decided to close the visa section indefinitely - President Donald Trump has just announced that he will be imposed massive emergency tariffs and sanctions on Colombia after they refused to accept deportation flights of their citizens. The measures include a 25% tariff on all Colombian exports to the U.S., set to double to 50% within a week if the issue is not resolved. Additional actions include a travel ban and visa revocations for Colombian officials and their allies, enhanced inspections of Colombian cargo and nationals, and financial sanctions targeting Colombia’s banking sector. Trump declared, “We will not allow the Colombian government to violate its legal obligations.” These decisive actions come in response to Colombia rejecting two deportation flights. Source 

  • • • Update: Colombia has announced that it will impose 50% tariffs on U.S. imports in response to President Trump’s sanctions. US State Department suspends processing visas at its embassy in Bogota, Colombia.

1/26/2025 - EGYPT REJECTS PALESTINIAN DISPLACEMENT, SHUTS DOWN TRUMP RESETTLEMENT PLAN - Egypt’s Foreign Ministry declared it categorically rejects any short- or long-term displacement of Palestinians from their land, reaffirming Gaza’s sovereignty. This comes after Trump suggested to Jordan and Egypt that they relocate Palestinians to “clean out” Gaza. Cairo warns forced displacement is a war crime and insists on a two-state solution to end instability. Source: Ahram Online

January 6, 2025 - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has officially announced that he will resign as Prime Minister (of Canada) as soon as the Liberal Party elects a new leader. Source 

January 6, 2025 - Congress meets to certify Trump's presidential election victory - Congress will meet to certify the results of the 2024 election and Donald Trump's win. The vote takes place four years to the day after a mob of Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol to disrupt the 2021 Electoral College count. Trump has repeatedly said he would pardon convicted rioters. Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the presidential election to Trump in November, will preside over this year's vote. She vowed to uphold the "sacred obligation." There are no major protests planned. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., encouraged lawmakers to stay in town through the vote despite major snowfall blanketing Washington, D.C. Source 

December 20, 2024 - White House Emergency? President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris Cancel Christmas Plans as They're Seen 'Rushing Back' to Washington, D.C. - What's going on at the White House? President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris abruptly canceled their upcoming holiday plans and appear to be handling some sort of crisis at the nation's capital.The public has grown concerned over whether there is an emergency underway after Harris' office released a statement on Thursday night updating her travel itinerary. The message said Harris would "not travel to Los Angeles, CA, and will remain in Washington, D.C." after she had been scheduled to leave for the airport at 9:15 p.m. ET and land in Southern California at 11:35 p.m. PT. While the White House has yet to address the concerning cancelation, Harris' office confirmed on Friday, December 20: "The Vice President will be in Washington, D.C. where she will receive briefings and conduct internal meetings with staff. These meetings will be closed press." Viral videos later surfaced of Harris' motorcade "rushing back to the White House," per a social media post. The update comes after reports revealed President Biden had also returned back to the White House and would no longer be spending Christmas at home in Delaware. Source 

December 4, 2024 - South Korea Declares Martial Law; First Time in 50 Years - It is a whole new world in South Korea where for the first in almost half a CENTURY an ’emergency martial law’ has been declared over a threat from North Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday said he had no choice but to resort to such a measure to safeguard free and constitutional order. He accused opposition parties for allegedly taking hostage of parliament to throw the country into a crisis and for sympathizing with North Korea. ‘I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order,’ he said. It has been reported that the parliament building has been shut, with entry and exit blocked to members. South Korean Democratic Party chair Lee Jae-myung says there is high possibility the military is mobilized to arrest members of National Assembly. Martial law involves the temporary rule by military authorities. It is usually invoked in time of war, rebellion, or natural disaster. Source; 

Updates (newest last):

• South Korean Army Chief-of-Staff General Park An-su has CONFIRMED martial law, with the suspension of parliament and political parties.

• Troops enforcing martial law in South Korea are attempting to enter the building of the National Assembly of the country, and there is a clash with citizens at the entrance. This was reported by the YTN television channel. Citizens gathered at the entrance, including members of parliament, are not allowing a small detachment of soldiers into the building. So far, the civilians have managed to hold back the soldiers.

• In the Martial Law Declaration, the President declared the South Korea parliament ‘dissolved’ But the South Korea Parliament just convened and held a vote to LIFT Martial Law.  The vote was 190 to zero.  Looks like they’re not complying.

• South Korean military is saying the martial law will remain in place until the president officially lifts it.

• South Korea stock markets are in shear chaos

• The situation in South Korea is significantly worsening.  The Military has told the Parliament that, under South Korean Law and the military chain of Command, Martial Law cannot be lifted or nullified by the Parliament; it can only be lifted when the President -- who declared it - decides to lift it.

• South Korea President Lifts Martial Law; Facing Impeachment and "Treason" Charges - In South Korea, MARTIAL LAW IS OFFICIALLY OVER, after President Yoon’s cabinet approved his decision to back down.

• The heads of government departments and senior secretaries of the South Korean presidential administration have resigned amid the situation with the introduction and lifting of martial law.

• The leading South Korean opposition party has stated that if the president does not resign, it will initiate impeachment proceedings.

• The opposition intends to accuse the President of South Korea of treason for declaring martial law.

December 5, 2024 - South Korea's opposition leader warns of another martial law attempt - South Korea's main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung warned that President Yoon Suk Yeol might make another attempt to declare martial law before parliament votes on impeaching him on Saturday. Yoon's brief imposition of martial law late on Tuesday sent Asia's fourth-largest economy into turmoil, with Lee's Democratic Party and other minor parties pushing to pass an impeachment motion against Yoon as early as Saturday afternoon. But Lee said there was still a possibility of another spontaneous late-night declaration to try to turn around the situation, though he did not offer substantive evidence. "The situation is getting worse, there are fewer ways to escape, and he might see it as a breakthrough to destroy the existing systems and create a situation where he can do whatever with his power, however unreasonable that might be," Lee said. Source 

December 2, 2024 - President Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden - Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden on Sunday night, a reversal for the president who repeatedly said he would not use his executive authority to pardon his son or commute his sentence. "I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice — and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision," Biden said in his statement. The president issued a "full and unconditional pardon" for any offenses Hunter Biden has “committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024," according to the White House statement. Source #politics 

December 1, 2024 - Rothschild Family Heir Will Dies in Los Angeles House Fire - A reclusive member of the famous Rothschild family died in a fire in Laurel Canyon, in the Hollywood Hills, on November 27. The Rothschild family is a European banking dynasty that became one of the most powerful and wealthy families in modern history. According to reports, neighbors identified the body found at the Lookout Mountain Avenue property as belonging to William Rothschild. A magazine found at the property was addressed to "WM DE ROTHSCHILD," according to the Los Angeles Times. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office is currently investigating the cause of death. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a fire on the 8500 block of Lookout Mountain Avenue at 4:40 p.m. PT. A team of 45 firefighters contained the blaze within 33 minutes. Some firefighters returned the following day to extinguish a small section of the home that continued to smolder. The property, a modest two-bedroom, one-bathroom home valued at approximately $1,076,000, according to Zillow, was reportedly vacant much of the time, with many neighbors unaware of the owner's presence. Source #elites 

• The Rothschilds, a prominent Jewish family from Frankfurt, Germany, rose to dominate European banking, with their English and French branches exerting significant influence in finance and politics, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries. The family built a financial empire that spanned multiple countries and significantly influenced global banking, finance, and politics. The family's fortune was established by Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), a Jewish banker and money changer in Frankfurt. He laid the groundwork for the family's financial empire by working with European royalty and aristocracy. 

11/10/2024: Word is leaking out of the FBI that Director Chris Wray will leave the FBI before President Trump is inaugurated. Source 

9/25/2024: UN officials have a strange feeling about the US presidential race - United Nations officials who have long worried about the return of former President Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency are experiencing a rare feeling now that Vice President Kamala Harris is in the race. It’s not joy. It’s not excitement. It’s definitely not confidence. The global anxiety at the U.N. is indicative of how urgently the world is watching the U.S. election — and how high the stakes are for multilateral institutions.“It just feels as if the world has pressed a pause button, waiting for the U.S. to decide its international fork in the road on Nov. 5,” said Heather Conley, a former State Department official now with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a D.C.-based think tank. “Until world leaders….understand which way the U.S. goes, it’ll be hard for them to plan what’s next.” Many diplomats gathered here this week worry about Trump’s “America First,” go-it-alone mentality and fear that in a potential second term, he will find new ways to disengage — and defund — United Nations bodies and initiatives. Such moves will make it harder for U.N. diplomats, aid workers and others affiliated with the institution to do their jobs, although many concede that the U.N. needs reforms to be more effective. Source

9/26/2024: Congress funds the government but faces another shutdown threat before Christmas - Lawmakers bought themselves some time before the elections, but funding runs out again on Dec. 20. Bipartisan negotiators have been trying to make progress on the 12 bills needed to fund federal agencies for the 2025 fiscal year. “We are not going to return to the Christmas omnibus spending tradition, and that’s the commitment I’ve made to everyone,” Johnson told reporters after the House passed a stopgap funding measure Wednesday. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., predicted that the two parties could come to a deal and avoid a shutdown in December. But he said the results of the election will dictate what eventually happens. Source 

9/23/2024: NYC Gridlock Alert Days start today for 2024, as U.N. General Assembly enters high-level week - New York City's Gridlock Alert Days start Monday for the 2024 season, as the United Nations General Assembly enters its high-level week on Manhattan's East Side. Security is also ramped up around the city, with President Joe Biden and more than 140 world leaders in town throughout the week. The city's Department of Transportation identified 20 days when traffic is expected to be at its worst. They include the U.N. General Assembly high-level week from Sept. 23 through Sept. 27, as well as the holiday tourism season. Source

9/12/2024: A Government Shutdown is Looming if Congress doesn't come to an agreement by September 30, 2024 - Negotiations are off to a tough start. A spending proposal from House Speaker Mike Johnson has already stumbled, "facing resistance from both parties," said The New York Times. His bill would extend federal funding through next March but would also include a provision "that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote" — an anti-immigration measure known as the SAVE Act. Hard-line Republicans on Johnson's right oppose the bill because it would continue funding at levels "they believe are too high." Even if passed, though, the bill would be "dead on arrival" in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Looming over these calculations is Donald Trump. The GOP presidential nominee is "pressuring Republicans" for a shutdown if they do not receive the SAVE Act as part of the spending bill, NBC News said. Source 

9/11/2024: Trump sentencing in New York hush money case postponed until after presidential election - Former President Donald Trump will not face criminal sentencing in New York for his state felony convictions ahead of the November election, according to a decision released Friday by New York Judge Juan Merchan. The New York judge said Friday the new sentencing date will be Nov. 26,  according to a letter he issued Friday. Merchan wrote that the court is “now at a place in time that is fraught with complexities,” referring to the fast-approaching presidential election and the consequential U.S. Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity that Trump’s legal team has now brought to the center of the New York case. Source

9/2/2024: U.S. seizes Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro's airplane in the Dominican Republic - The United States has seized Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s airplane after determining that its acquisition was in violation of US sanctions, among other criminal issues. The US flew the aircraft to Florida on Monday, according to two US officials. It’s the latest development in what has long been a frosty relationship between the US and Venezuela, and its seizure in the Dominican Republic marks an escalation as the US continues to investigate what it regards as corrupt practices by Venezuela’s government. In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that “the Justice Department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies.” Source

8/29/2024: Mexico pauses relations with US and Canadian embassies - Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is halting diplomatic relations with the US and Canadian embassies after their ambassadors criticized his proposal to have judges elected by popular vote. López Obrador announced the move during his daily press conference on Tuesday, saying the “pause” is with the embassies and not the countries. He said relations will be reestablished once the diplomats are “respectful of the independence of Mexico, of the sovereignty of our country.” Source 

8/19/2024: Biden committed ‘impeachable conduct ‘defrauded United States to enrich his family’ received $27 Million: House GOP report. House Oversight, Judiciary, Ways and Means committees have led impeachment inquiry against Biden. President Biden engaged in "impeachable conduct," House Republicans found in their months-long impeachment inquiry, declaring in their highly anticipated report that he "abused his office" and "defrauded the United States to enrich his family." "The Committees have accumulated evidence demonstrating that President Biden has engaged in impeachable conduct," the report, which lays out evidence gathered to date, says. Source 

• President Joe Biden and Jill Biden will not be attending Kamala’s nomination speech and plan to leave Democrat national convention after his farewell address later today. 

8/19/2024: The 2024 Democratic National Convention starts today. The convention begins Monday and runs through Thursday. Keynote speeches and programming begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. CT) on Monday. Evening programming begins at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) Tuesday through Thursday. Each night's festivities are expected to end around 11 p.m. ET, or 10 p.m. CT. This year's convention is in Chicago, a Democratic stronghold that last hosted the nominating convention in 1996, when then-President Bill Clinton was running for reelection. Events will be held at two venues — the United Center, which will host speeches and other events in the evening, and McCormick Place, which will host official party business and meetings during the day. Source

• 8/18/2024: As the Democratic National Convention is underway, local and federal officials are on high alert for a possible biochemical attack. CBS reported that the Department of Defense funded decontamination rooms to be set up at Rush University Hospital in preparation for such an event. Rush University is located in Chicago, Illinois, just minutes from the venue where the DNC will be hosted. Numerous store locations have boarded up their windows in anticipation of possible violence as thousands of protesters gather outside.

• 8/18/2024: Protest took place in Chicago Sunday evening ahead of the DNC on Monday

• 8/17/2024: Chicago ramps up security ahead of Democratic National Convention - An estimated 50,000 visitors are expected to attend next week's Democratic National Convention, with protest groups promising to bring tens of thousands of demonstrators to protest the Biden administration's support for Israel’s war against Hamas. NBC News' Shaquille Brewster has a closer look at the security measures being taken. Source

8/9/2024: Alleged Equipment failure forces Trump’s plane to make Emergency Landing in Billings, Montana [Developing Story] - He was originally scheduled to land at Bozeman Yellowstone Airport for a rally later today. The exact/detailed reason for the diversion is not yet known. Source

• Update [5:55pm]: President Trump’s plane has diverted to Billings, MT rather than Bozeman due to a “mechanical issue,” according to KTVH. Secret Service is reportedly doing a “sweep” of the airport before Trump boards another private plane to Bozeman.

7/30/2024: The Venezuelan Protest/Revolt Continues in Response to Monday's Election - Protests Erupt in Venezuela as Nations Denounce Election Result yesterday. President Nicolás Maduro’s government ejected seven diplomatic missions from countries that condemned his claim of victory, which he made despite reports of fraud.

7/23/2024: Netanyahu to Meet with Former President Donald Trump - Former President Trump is going to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, Trump announced on Truth Social. Why it matters: This will be the first meeting between Trump and Netanyahu since the fallout between them after the 2020 elections. The Israeli Prime Minister hopes the meeting with Trump will open a new page in their relations. Netanyahu will be the second world leader who meets Trump as a presidential nominee after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited the former president at Mar-a-Lago several weeks ago. Source

7/21/2024: Biden Formally Resigned from the Presidential Race & Endorsed Kamala - President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for reelection after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent’s fitness for office. The unprecedented announcement, delivered less than four months before the election, immediately upended a campaign that both political parties view as the most consequential in generations. The president — intent on serving out the remainder of his term in office — quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take on Trump and encouraged his party to unite behind her, making her the party’s instant favorite for the nomination at its August convention in Chicago. The announcement is the latest jolt to a tumultuous campaign for the White House, coming a week after the attempted assassination of Trump at a Pennsylvania rally. Source

7/18/2024: Reports from Inside White House say Biden to Resign from Re-Election Campaign this weekend. Speech said to be "already written" - According to these sources, Biden WILL NOT endorse Kamala Harris for President. Decision was allegedly reached today because of high level pressure from Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats, and numerous Democrat Party Donors who are refusing to give money until Biden leaves. Reports also say Democratic National Convention will be an "open convention" to nominate **anyone.** One set of sources says the announcement will be made "by 7:00 PM eastern time tomorrow (Friday)"; another set of sources claims it "will be done this coming Sunday." Source 

7/17/2024: Biden "Tests Positive for COVID" and will forgo Annual Conference Speech Tonight - President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday, the White House said. The president, who was delivering speeches in Las Vegas, “is experiencing mild symptoms,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. Biden “will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” Jean-Pierre said. Biden is vaccinated and boosted, she noted. Source 

7/17/2024: Biden is considering withdrawing from the election - Current US President Joe Biden, in an interview with CBS News, has stated that he might withdraw from this year's presidential election due to health issues. The American leader noted that he is ready to withdraw from the presidential race if doctors indicate health problems. "If there had some medical condition that emerged, if the doctors came to me and said you got this problem, that problem," he said. It is worth noting that there are ongoing debates between 81-year-old Democrat Joe Biden and 78-year-old Republican Donald Trump regarding their opponents' ages and how they affect their ability to lead the country. Source 

7/4/2024: Resolution in House of Representatives to Invoke 25th Amendment; Declare Biden "Unable to discharge duties of Office" - Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) filed a resolution (H.Res.1336) calling on Vice President Kamala Harris to convene the Cabinet and declare President Joe Biden as unable to carry out his duties as Commander-in-Chief. Representative Roy said, “I put forth a resolution calling upon the Vice President to immediately use her powers under section 4 of the 25th Amendment to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the Cabinet to declare the President of the United States is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office. Document; Source

• 7/3/2024: Dozens of Democratic lawmakers are considering to sign a letter calling on Joe Biden to withdraw from the race - Twenty-five House Democrats reportedly preparing to call for Biden to end re-election effort: ‘The dam has broken’ President Biden may soon face increased pressure from Democrats in Congress to drop out of the 2024 race, according to a report. At least 25 House Democrats are preparing to call for the 81-year-president to end his re-election bid in the wake of his disastrous debate against former President Donald Trump, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing a House Democratic aide. Source

7/2/2024: Politics

• Former president Donald Trump's sentencing has now been postponed until September 18 in the wake of the Supreme Court immunity ruling - The announcement underscores the far-reaching implications of Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, in which the court’s conservative wing found that presidents have absolute immunity for “core” presidential duties. The decision has thrown special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Trump on election subversion charges into doubt – and a trial before the November election is all but impossible now. The ruling could impact the indictments of Trump in the classified documents and Georgia election interference cases as well. Source

• Elected Democrat Calls for Biden to Resign - Texas Democrat Lloyd Doggett is the first Domino to fall; he has publicly called on Joe Biden to Withdraw from the Presidential Campaign.  “I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw,” Doggett said in his statement. “President Biden should do the same.” “My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved. Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.” Source 

7/1/2024: In a historic 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court said for the first time that former presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for their official acts and no immunity for unofficial acts -   The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that former President Donald Trump is entitled to immunity from federal prosecution for official actions he took while in office, a landmark decision in the height of an election season that could further delay the start of his criminal trial in Washington, D.C. The 6-3 decision tosses out a ruling from the federal appeals court in Washington that concluded Trump is not entitled to broad immunity from criminal charges stemming from an alleged scheme to hold on to power after the 2020 election. The justices sent the dispute back to the district court for further proceedings, and gave the court guidance about how to move forward. 

• The ruling is an expansion of presidential power, since it extends immunity from criminal prosecutions to former presidents for their official conduct. Never before had the Supreme Court considered whether a former commander in chief could face criminal charges as a result of conduct that occurred while in the Oval Office. 

• Trump is the first to have held the presidency and faced prosecution. He has pleaded not guilty to four charges stemming from an alleged effort to subvert the transfer of presidential power after the 2020 election.

6/27/2024: U.S. Presidential Debate: Donald Trump & Joe Biden

6/17/2024: Secret Democrat plot to replace Biden revealed: How Clinton, Obama, Pelosi and Schumer will topple the aging President and when they'll do it - if Joe stumbles in that first face-off with Trump or if his polling numbers keep falling, it'll take a united front of the liberal grandees to make Joe throw in the towel. Ironically, both Barack and Michelle Obama appear to have intentionally kept their distance from the Biden White House - knowing that their public appearances trigger nostalgia for the days when voters liked their nominees. Strategists theorize that Democrats would have to hold a public event to symbolically transfer power to the new candidate.  Biden, Obama, Clinton, Schumer, and Pelosi would publicly introduce and endorse the anointed nominee. If his party becomes convinced that he'll lose, they'll feel compelled to take drastic – perhaps even unimaginable – action. Related Article

6/11/2024: Hunter Biden, U.S. President's son guilty on all charges in federal gun case (facing up to 25 years in prison), charges are tied to the possession of a gun while using narcotics. Two of the counts carry maximum prison sentences of 10 years, while the third has a maximum of five years. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. No sentencing date has been set by Judge Noreika. She will set it at a later time, she said. Related News

6/11/2024: Update:: Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima and 9 others killed in plane crash, president says

• 6/10/2024: Airplane carrying Malawi's, South African Vice President Saulos Chilima Disappears from radar, search and rescue currently underway. A plane carrying Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine other people has gone missing after it failed to make a scheduled landing on Monday, according to the presidential office. The Malawi Defense Force Aircraft carrying Chilima and others left the capital of Lilongwe at 9:17 a.m. local time (3.17 a.m. ET), the presidential office and cabinet said in a statement. The plane had been scheduled to land at the Mzuzu International Airport, about 380 km (240 miles) to the north of Lilongwe, but did not arrive and is no longer detectable by radar, according to authorities. Related Article

6/10/2024: Protest in France After Election Upset - Far-left extremists are rioting in France tonight after the right-wing had a massive victory in the EU elections - France's President Emmanuel Macron has called a bombshell snap parliamentary election after being defeated by the far right in the European elections - in a night of drama that overall saw the centre-right tighten their grip on the EU Parliament. Europeans in 27 countries voted in these elections to elect the next EU Parliament - with the majority of voting happening on Sunday. The European Parliament is the direct link between Europeans and the EU's institutions. Related Article

6/2/2024: Trump Campaign receives over $200 Million in Total Donation since guilty verdict

• 6/2/2024: 3 Supreme Court Justices Recuse Themselves for 2020 Election case; Trump has called for the U.S. Supreme Court to step in after his conviction in his New York case.

• 6/2/2024: Former President Trump says he would declassify the Epstein, JFK, and September 11 files if elected in 2024. 

• 5/31/2024: Trump campaign raises record $34.8 million in donations after guilty verdict

• 5/30/2024: Former President Trump has been found GUILTY in the New York criminal trial against him - Guilty on all counts, Donald Trump becomes first US president convicted of a crime when a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence a porn star ahead of the 2016 election. Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11 (4 days before Republican convention). His donation site crashes due to surging traffic. US Secret Service says Trump's guilty verdict has no impact on its protective mission with the former president

• 5/29/2024: New York City is preparing for civil unrest and will deploy additional police once they are prepared to announce the verdict for President Trump tomorrow (5/30/2024); A verdict was not reached by the jurors today and deliberations will continue tomorrow morning at 9:30am. 

5/29/2024: Alfredo Cabrera, a candidate for mayor in the town of Coyuca de Benitez, Mexico, has been assassinated after gunfire erupted during a campaign rally in southern Mexico. Related Article

5/23/2024: Hospitalized King of Saudi Arabia Moved to Intensive Care and is in critical condition after being hospitalized with lung cancer. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud did not accompany the state delegation visits to China and Japan due to King's fragile state and expected power transition. Related Article

• 5/19/2024: Saudi Arabia’s 88-year-old King Salman, is ill - Saudi Arabia’s 88-year-old King Salman will undergo medical checks Sunday after suffering from a high temperature and joint pain, state media reported. King Salman will undergo the examinations at the Royal Clinics at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah, the Red Sea port city, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.

5/22/2024: RNC HQ Evacuated after Vials of Blood Delivered & Addressed to President Donald Trump - Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington went on lockdown for about two hours Wednesday morning after a suspicious package was delivered to the building. The United States Capitol Police’s hazardous incident response division cleared the package, which contained two vials of blood, just before 10 a.m., according to spokesperson Brianna Burch. USCP first responded to the incident at approximately 7:45 a.m. There was a heavy police presence and hazmat teams at the office near Capitol Hill, where staffers evacuated the building.  The package also contained leaking ice packs and the vials of blood were sealed. Related Article

5/20/2024: Iranian Officials confirmed the Helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister are deceased.

• Iran's former foreign minister Javad Zarif claims the US is 'one of the main culprits of yesterday's tragedy' due to sanction of 'aircraft and aviation parts to Iran', adding this will be 'recorded in the list of US crimes against the Iranian people'.

• Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif: "The United States is responsible for the tragedy of a major helicopter crash by preventing the sale of aircraft and their spare parts to Iran."

• Russian President Putin travels to Iran on Thursday for Raisi funeral. Putin's jet will be escorted with 4 Russian Sukhoi 35 flight jets all the way to and from Tehran.

• Evidence Is Now Appearing Indicating the Iran Presidential Helicopter Crash was an Assassination

• ‘Gold and copper have hit record highs, (and) silver jumped to an 11-year high... after the death of Iran’s president in a helicopter crash,’ noted Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Finalto trading group.

5/19/2024: Helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive search & rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray. Related Article

• Iranian Red Crescent team leader says it will take around 3 hours to reach site of helicopter crash

• Commander in region where helicopter carrying Iran's president crashed says that the 'rain is turning into snow'

• Turkey has sent specialized drone and helicopter resources to assist in search and rescue efforts after helicopter carrying Iran's president crashed

• Russia says it is ready to 'extend all necessary help' in search for crashed helicopter carrying Iran's president; Russia is sending two planes and helicopters and 50 rescuers to assist in operation over helicopter crash involving Iran's president

• Iranian television suspends regular broadcasting and airs recitations from the Quran in anticipation of an important announcement regarding the incident involving the president's plane.

• Turkish drone enters Iranian airspace to help find crashed helicopter of Iran's president

5/16/2024: Update on Shooting of Slovakia’s Prime Minister - Slovakia’s prime minister in stable but ‘very serious’ condition after assassination attempt

• 5/15/2024: Prime Minister of Slovakia has been shot multiple times in attempted assassination after a government meeting and is being treated in hospital. A suspect was in custody, the country’s president said in a televised statement. Related Article; 2pm Update: The emergency surgery of Slovak Prime Minister Fico after the assassination attempt was successful and he is in a stable condition; Just days ago Slovakia's Prime Minister Rejected the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic treaty

5/10/2024:  Rep. Cory Mills officially filed to Impeach Joe Biden - "In violation of his oath to faithfully execute the office of President and to uphold the Constitution, President Biden abused the powers of his office by soliciting a 'quid pro quo' with Israel while leveraging vital military aid for policy changes. This egregious action not only compromised the credibility of the United States but also undermined the interests of our longstanding ally, Israel. Therefore, President Biden's conduct warrants impeachment, trial, removal from office, and disqualification from holding any future office under the United States," Mills said in a statement. Related Article

5/6/2024: 'Unconfirmed' Assassination Attempt on Saudi Arabia of leader Bin Salman.  Large number of Royal Guard killed or wounded, status of de-facto leader unknown. (No independent confirmation on mainstream media, yet.)

4/6/2024: Biden could face issues getting on Ohio ballot over scheduling conflict related to the timing of the Democratic National Convention. The Ohio secretary of state’s office sent a letter to Ohio Democratic Chair Liz Walters on Friday asking for clarification of an “apparent conflict” in the state’s law regarding the deadline by which the party’s presidential nominee must be certified to Ohio’s secretary of state’s office and Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) nominating process. Related Article

April 22, 2025 - The Education Department will begin collection on student loans that are in default next month, including garnishing wages for up to 5.3 million borrowers. Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans. The Trump administration ’s announcement marks an end to a period of leniency that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. No federal student loans have been referred for collection since March 2020, including those in default. Under President Joe Biden, the Education Department tried multiple times to give broad forgiveness of student loans, only to be stopped by courts. “American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. Beginning May 5, the department will begin involuntary collection through the Treasury Department’s offset program, which withholds government payments — including tax refunds, federal salaries and other benefits — from people with past-due debts to the government. After a 30-day notice, the department also will begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default. “This is cruel, unnecessary and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center. Already, many borrowers have been bracing for obligations coming due. 

April 18, 2025  US FDA suspends food safety quality checks after staff cuts - Cuts of as many as 20,000 HHS staff upend public health research. FDA's program to improve bird flu testing in food was also suspended. Suspension affects tests for Cyclospora in spinach, glyphosate in barley. Trump aims to cut $40 billion from the HHS budget. Source 

April 17, 2025 - National Weather Service buyouts will leave gaps as storm season ramps up - “The Post spoke with 10 employees across the Weather Service … Concerned with leaks to the media, the administration is installing monitoring software on NOAA employees’ devices to track their communications, two current employees said.” Source 

April 15, 2025 - Over 20,000 more IRS agents have just accepted President Donald Trump’s resignation offer. Source 

April 11, 2025 - CDC's cruise ship inspectors laid off amid bad year for outbreaks - All of the full-time employees in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program are now off the job, multiple officials tell CBS News, gutting the agency's ability to investigate outbreaks and conduct health inspections on cruise ships. A smaller group of 12 U.S. Public Health Service officers will remain. The steep cuts to the program's inspectors baffled CDC officials since the small team's staff is not paid for by taxpayer dollars. Fees from cruise ships companies pay for the program, which is supposed to inspect large vessels at least twice a year. he epidemiologist tasked with leading the agency's outbreak response on cruise ships was included in the layoffs, multiple CDC officials said. The cuts come as the U.S. has been battling a record surge of norovirus, largely driven by a new strain of the virus. At least a dozen outbreaks have been documented so far this year on cruise ships, mostly from norovirus. Some of those outbreaks have made headlines for sickening dozens or even hundreds of people. There were 18 total outbreaks listed for all of last year. Agency staff were in the middle of responding to two outbreaks when they were let go, an official said. They were cut as part of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s layoffs across the nation's public health agencies, which included cutting around 2,400 employees of the CDC. An official for the Department of Health and Human Services claimed that the cruise ship work will be able to continue, since many commissioned officers from the U.S. Public Health Service in the program were not affected by the layoffs. Source

April 9, 2025 - FDA reverses course on telework after layoffs and resignations threaten basic operations - Weeks after ordering Food and Drug Administration employees back into the office, the agency is reversing course, allowing some of its most prized staffers to work remotely amid worries that recent layoffs and resignations could jeopardize basic functions, like approving new medicines. An internal email obtained by The Associated Press states that FDA leadership are “allowing review staff and supervisors to resume telework” at least two days a week. The policy shift was confirmed by three FDA staffers who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal agency matters. The message was sent Tuesday to some of FDA’s hundreds of drug reviewers. Staffers said a similar policy was communicated to reviewers who handle vaccines, biotech drugs and medical devices, although not necessarily in writing. It’s the latest example of the Trump administration’s chaotic approach to overhauling the federal health workforce, which has included firings, a scramble to rehire some employees, and then additional layoffs last week of an estimated 3,400 staffers, or more than 15% of the agency’s workforce. Source 

April 9, 2025 - FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly been removed from his position as a Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), after it was claimed he stop showing up to the Headquarters in Washington. Patel will be replaced by Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll, who will serve as Acting ATF Director until an official nominee is announced by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate. Source 

April 8, 2025 DOGE has found that the government gave illegals work authorization paperwork just a few months after filing for asylum here in the U.S, allowing them to work in this country for years before their legal hearing. The immigration department mailed them a Social Security card without any interview or identity verification. "DOGE also discovered that 1.3 million aliens are now receiving Medicaid. Millions received drivers licenses, some registered to vote and DOGE said some actually did vote.” Non-citizen Social Security numbers issued over the past 4 years (Source):

• 270,425 in 2021.

• 590,193 in 2022.

• 964,163 in 2023.

• 2,095,247 in 2024.

April 8, 2025 Supreme Court blocks order requiring Trump administration to reinstate thousands of federal workers - The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked an order for the Trump administration to return to work thousands of federal employees who were let go in mass firings aimed at dramatically downsizing the federal government. The justices acted in the administration’s emergency appeal of a ruling by a federal judge in California ordering that 16,000 probationary employees be reinstated while a lawsuit plays out because their firings didn’t follow federal law.The effect of the high court’s order will keep employees in six federal agencies on paid administrative leave for now. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson said they would have kept the judge’s order in place. It’s the third time in less than a week that the justices have sided with the administration in its fight against federal judges whose orders have slowed President Donald Trump’s agenda. The court also paused an order restoring grants for teacher training and lifted an order that froze deportations under an 18th century wartime law. Source 

April 3, 2025 - DOGE-related layoffs have topped 280,000  - A closely watched monthly report on layoff announcements in the U.S. puts a staggering number on federal government agency cuts - Placement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas said layoff announcements in the federal government totaled 216,215 in March, the vast majority of the 275,240 layoffs announced by U.S. companies overall. “Over the last two months, DOGE actions have been attributed to 280,253 layoffs plans of federal workers and contractors impacting 27 agencies,” Challenger said. “Another 4,429 job cuts have come from the downstream effect of cutting federal aid of ending contracts, mostly at nonprofits and health organizations.” The March total is third third-highest monthly total ever recorded going back to at least 1989, topped only by layoffs announced in April and May 2020, at the onset of the pandemic. Source

April 1, 2025 - $722K in food shipments to East Tennessee food bank canceled by U.S. Department of Agriculture - Twenty-one tractor-tailer loads of food coming to East Tennessee were canceled by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee shared. According to the food bank, the loads contained $722,000 worth of USDA commodities food and represented more than 377,000 lbs. of nutritious proteins and dairy. The shipments were scheduled to arrive between April and July before being canceled on March 24. The food was funded by the Commodities Credit Corporation (CCC), which is paused due to federal review. Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee serves 18 counties across the East Tennessee region. News Channel 11 reached out to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee, which serves local counties. Leadership was not able to provide any information on Monday as to whether the local food bank was affected by USDA changes. “While we’re concerned by the diminished capacity to serve our neighbors, we remain committed to strengthening food access for East Tennesseans and providing adequate nutrition for a healthy life,” said Streno. “This is a crucial time for our community to step up. We ask the public to continue supporting our hunger-relief efforts by hosting food drives and providing financial support. Together, we will provide adequate nutrition for more than 200,000 individuals who experience food insecurity.” Source 

April 1, 2025 - Government Layoffs - Update

• Officials just announced that all local and overseas USAID staffers and diplomats are to be fired immediately. Source

• Mass layoffs are underway at the nation’s public health agencies (nearly 20,000 people) - Employees across the massive U.S. Health and Human Services Department received notices Tuesday that their jobs were being eliminated, part of a sweeping overhaul designed to vastly shrink the agencies responsible for protecting and promoting Americans’ health. The cuts include researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff and senior leaders, leaving the federal government without many of the key experts who have long guided U.S. decisions on medical research, drug approvals and other issues. The layoffs are expected to shrink HHS to 62,000 positions, lopping off nearly a quarter of its staff — 10,000 jobs through layoffs and another 10,000 workers who took early retirement and voluntary separation offers. Many of the jobs are based in the Washington area, but also in Atlanta, where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is based, and in smaller offices throughout the country. Source

• Hundreds of HHS employees wait in a line stretching around the building to find out if their job is gone - As a biting spring wind whipped around them, staffers waited for as long as an hour outside the health department’s Washington offices to get scanned into the building. As many as 10,000 workers are expected to lose their jobs Tuesday and some are finding out as they try to enter the building that they no longer have jobs. Laid off staffers are being asked to immediately turn in their badges and cellphones at the door. Source

March 28, 2025 - The State Department is officially shutting down USAID - The State Department formally announced Friday it is closing the US Agency for International Development (USAID) after the Trump administration prevailed in a federal court case challenging the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) cost-cutting actions. “Foreign assistance done right can advance our national interests, protect our borders, and strengthen our partnerships with key allies. Unfortunately, USAID strayed from its original mission long ago. As a result, the gains were too few and the costs were too high,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. Ex-DOGE official Jeremy Lewin announced USAID’s shuttering in an internal memo earlier Friday — and said the State Department “intends to assume responsibility for many” of the agency’s functions and programs, according to ABC News. Source

March 27, 2025 - Trump administration to shrink federal health agencies by 20,000 employees - The Trump administration plans to shrink the workforce of the Department of Health and Human Services by nearly a quarter, the officials announced Thursday, as part of a major restructuring of the department. The changes announced Thursday amount to a workforce that will be around 33% smaller than it was at the end of the Biden administration, according to federal records. There were around 92,620 employees at the department in September 2024, up from 81,917 at the end of the Trump administration. Around 10,000 full-time employees will be cut through the layoffs, in addition to other vacant positions that will not be replaced. Thousands of full-time staff have already left the department in recent months, i[n addition to thousands more contractor and fellowship positions that were also eliminated. “When combined with HHS’ other efforts, including early retirement and Fork in the Road, the restructuring results in a total downsizing from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees,” the department said in a release, estimating that taxpayers would save $1.8 billion from the changes. Source

March 24, 2025 - Trump administration asks Supreme Court to halt judge’s order to rehire probationary federal workers - The Trump administration asked the Supreme Courton Monday to halt a ruling ordering the rehiring of thousands of federal workers let go in mass firings aimed at dramatically downsizing the federal government. The emergency appeal argues that the judge can’t force the executive branch to rehire some 16,000 probationary employees. It also calls on the conservative-majority court to rein in the growing number of federal judges who have slowed President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda, at least for now, by finding that his administration hasn’t followed federal law. The order came from U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco, who found the firings didn’t follow federal law and required immediate offers of reinstatement be sent. The agencies include the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury. The temporary restraining order came in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions and organizations as the Republican administration moves to reduce the federal workforce. Source 

March 18, 2025 - The Pentagon is set to cut up to 60,000 civilian jobs - Roughly 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs will be cut in the Defense Department, but fewer than 21,000 workers who took a voluntary resignation plan are leaving in the coming months, a senior defense official told reporters Tuesday. To reach the goal of a 5% to 8% cut in a civilian workforce of more than 900,000, the official said, the department aims to slash about 6,000 positions a month by simply not replacing workers who routinely leave. A key concern is that service members may then be tapped to fill those civilian jobs. But the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide personnel details, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to ensure the cuts don’t hurt military readiness. Source 

March 18, 2025 - Axios reports that the Social Security administration is set to cut its phone support. Source 

March 13, 2025 - US judges ordered the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of fired workers - On Thursday, federal judges in California and Maryland directed the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to restore the positions of numerous probationary federal employees who were terminated in widespread dismissals across various agencies. These consecutive decisions marked the most substantial setback to date for the initiative led by Trump and his key advisor, Elon Musk, to significantly reduce the size of the federal government workforce. Government agencies are under a deadline of Thursday to present plans for an additional round of large-scale job cuts and to reduce their budgets. Source 

February 28, 2025 - Federal Government Layoffs

• President Trump and DOGE are firing nearly all of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s 1,700 employees. Source 

• Around 600 workers laid off by NOAA, including workers from the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center Source

February 26, 2025 - IRS to shutter 120 offices nationwide - The Trump administration is moving forward with plans to shut down more than 120 IRS offices that provide taxpayer assistance as part of a broader effort to reduce the federal government’s footprint and cut costs. The decision, outlined in a letter from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) obtained by The Washington Post, comes at a crucial time—right in the middle of the federal tax filing season, which ends on April 15.This move follows the recent layoffs of approximately 7,000 probationary IRS employees and aligns with the administration’s push to decrease the agency’s headcount. The closures will impact at least 128 taxpayer assistance centers across the country, where filers can receive free, in-person tax help by appointment. It remains unclear whether these centers will be relocated or permanently closed. According to the letter, signed by GSA Commissioner for Public Buildings Michael Peters, all soft-term leases—those that can be terminated on short notice—will be ended unless deemed “public-facing.” These cases will be reviewed individually. Source

February 25, 2025 - U.S. Postal Office workers lined the streets of D.C. to protest President Trump's plan to take over the agency and make it efficient. "And to the White House, we say HELL NO! HELL NO! HELL NO! to dismantling the Postal Service." Video

February 22, 2025 - Federal Jobs: Employee Layoffs Updates

• Federal judge grants President Trump and DOGE authority to wind down operations of USAID. Source

• Elon Musk announces that the Trump administration is emailing every federal employee, demanding a report on their work from the past week—failure to respond will be considered a resignation. Source

• Pentagon announces that it expects to fire roughly 5,400 civilian probationary employees next week. Source 

• 1,000 NIH employees have been relieved of their duties. Source

February 20, 2025 - More than 200 TSA employees fired in Trump's push to cut federal workforce - More than 200 employees of the Transportation Security Administration were fired this week as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping layoffs across the federal workforce. The TSA on Thursday confirmed the terminations of 243 probationary workers who had been either hired or promoted within the year, citing "performance and conduct issues" with the employees during their trial period. The TSA, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, has about 65,000 employees and is charged with protecting the nation's transportation's systems. That includes screening passengers and baggage at 450 airports across the country for security purposes. Source 

February 18, 2025 Federal Government Layoff "Update"

• February 18, 2025  - FAA fires fewer than 400 workers, transportation chief says - The Federal Aviation Administration fired fewer than 400 employees out of its workforce of 45,000, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Monday, as questions rise around air traffic safety amid a spate of recent plane accidents. Duffy posted the number of layoffs in a social media post message on X, formerly known as Twitter, responding to a post by his Democratic predecessor Pete Buttigieg, who has been critical of the Trump administration's Department of Transportation. Source 

• February 18, 2025 - 10% of NASA's workforce has been laid off, according to ABC News 

• February 16, 2025 - FEMA Muzzles Employees Amid Mass Layoffs as New Disasters Strike - The Federal Emergency Management Agency barred employees from engaging with members of the media without permission from senior officials as layoffs, firings, and questions about the agency’s future rile its workforce. Cameron Hamilton, the political official leading FEMA on an acting basis, sent a memo to personnel Sunday saying a policy change was necessary in light of what he called “unbecoming” conduct of employees sharing information with the media. “Feeding nonpublic information to the media creates distractions, erodes the public trust, and harms the very people we are aiming to help on their worst day,” he said in an email. Source

• February 16, 2025 - About 700 people — not including those who accepted deferred resignations — have had their roles terminated at the CDC, multiple sources told ABC News. Source 

• February 15, 2025 - Trump offered them a buyout. Here's why they took it - Some of the 75,000 U.S. federal workers who the Office of Personnel Management says accepted a resignation buyout offer were ready to retire anyway. Others were motivated by looming federal workforce cuts or an order to return to the office. Many bristled at Donald Trump's description of the civil service as bloated and ineffective, saying in interviews with Reuters over recent days that they were proud of their government work and felt a responsibility to the American people. The Trump administration, which is pursuing various strategies to cut the civilian workforce of 2.3 million, including wide-ranging firings, had promised to pay workers who voluntarily left their jobs through September 30. A judge allowed the plan to proceed earlier this week. Each one of the tens of thousands of people who accepted the buyout had their own reasons for doing so and now are left to consider their next move, whether that's taking time off, searching for a new job or settling into retirement. Source

• February 15, 2025 - The Worst I’ve Ever Seen’: Trump’s Mass Layoffs Leave Federal Workers Baffled and Angry - A mid-level probationary worker with the U.S. Department of Agriculture read the letter in disbelief. It was from the USDA's human resources department explaining he no longer had a job. The letter said the decision had been made "based on your performance." But it didn't make sense to him. “There’s no way to tie me to a specific performance issue because I’m six weeks on the job," says the employee, who works out of Phoenix and, like others interviewed for this report, spoke with TIME on the condition of anonymity. He says no one had mentioned any issues with his work before receiving the letter. The USDA employee was among thousands of federal workers across the country hit with layoffs that began on Thursday with little prior notice, targeting probationary workers—those who have been employed by the federal government for less than one or two years and are easier to fire. The Trump Administration has ordered most agencies to let go of nearly all probationary employees who haven’t yet gained civil service protection. The layoffs have shaken both federal employees and the unions that represent them, prompting widespread condemnation and setting the stage for future legal battles. Many in the federal workforce see the aggressive nature of the cuts as proof that the Trump Administration isn’t just trying to cut costs, but dismantle the federal workforce and reduce its capacity to serve the public. Source 

Anti–Iran-War Protests

Nationwide “Emergency”­­–Style Protests - Prompted by U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, spontaneous anti-war protests erupted in New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and other cities. Demonstrators gathered at Times Square, outside the White House, and along Market Street in SF, chanting slogans like “Hands Off Iran” and “Stop the War on Iran” 

Washington, DC

• Sunday, June 22: White House/Lafayette Square: Hundreds, including veterans, assembled to denounce U.S. involvement in Iran and Israel’s conflict, citing "Remember Iraq" and demanding resources stay home. Metro police increased security but noted there were no credible threats tied to the protests

• Saturday, June 21 - Maxine Rebeles, a Navy veteran from Laredo, joined about 60 other veterans in a peaceful sit-in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, protesting federal militarization and high military spending—including the costly military parade the next day. Participants sat on Capitol steps before barricades were breached; police then arrested around 60 people, many of them elderly or injured during the arrests. This disruption briefly blocked access to the Capitol steps, creating a significant but temporary barrier at a key federal space .

Los Angeles – Westwood

• Sunday, June 22: A sizeable crowd gathered by the Wilshire Federal Building, arranged by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, calling out the strikes and warning of a potential expansion of war. Protesters pledged to organize more actions in the coming days

San Francisco/Bay Area

• Sunday, June 22: Embarcadero Plaza: Hundreds marched under banners like “Stop the War on Iran,” organized by ANSWER Coalition and Bay Area groups. They chanted for peace, solidarity with Iran, and to redirect funds from war to domestic needs. Additional smaller rallies took place in San Jose, Oakland, Livermore, led by various local groups. Hundreds marched peacefully, with speakers labeling the U.S. strikes as unconstitutional war crimes and affirming solidarity with the Iranian people. 

New York City: 

• Sunday, June 22: Times Square & Midtown: Hundreds of demonstrators rallied, marching to Columbus Circle with signs like “Stop the War on Iran” and “Hands off Iran,” criticizing the U.S. strikes as war crimes and warning of broader conflict. Social media footage captured protesters chanting “No war on Iran,” and news outlets described peaceful but determined energy 

Chicago: 

• Sunday, June 22, dozens rallied at Federal Plaza opposing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The event featured speakers from the No War on Iran Coalition, including Ali Farouk (Iranian American Council) and Andy Thayer (Gay Liberation Network), who emphasized diplomacy over bombing. Marchers later traversed the Loop, echoing concerns over the possibility of wider U.S. intervention 

• Upcoming: Organizers—through Anti-War Committee Chicago—are calling for another protest Monday at 5 PM back at Federal Plaza

Atlanta, Georgia

• Sunday, June 22 - Dozens gathered downtown (Centennial Olympic Park / Marietta Street), led by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, to denounce U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Demonstrators held signs like “Stop U.S.-Israeli Escalation,” emphasizing that resources should remain domestic. The federal strike targeting Iranian nuclear sites (“Operation Midnight Hammer”) sparked urgent sentiment. The protest remained peaceful, with no arrests reported

• Upcoming: No specific follow-up has been announced, but keep an eye on local chapters of PSL and leftist/anti-war collectives for potential evening or weekday actions.

Grand Rapids, Michigan 

• June 22 (Sunday): Around 100 people gathered at Rosa Parks Circle, organized by Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, to protest U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. They marched through downtown in 90°F heat, chanting against war and military escalation 

• Upcoming: Participants, led by Emerson Wolfe, plan a march from Grand Rapids to Lansing on June 26, culminating in a rally at the State Capitol on June 30

Anti–Ice Deportation Protests

Sunday, June 22, 2025 & Ongoing Actions

• In Los Angeles, resistance continues in peripheral zones and near workplaces—activists track and confront ICE operations, aiming to block individual detentions daily 

• ACLU’s lawsuit remains active, pushing for court‑ordered limits on DHS’s use of force 

• Similar solidarity actions across other U.S. cities—New York, San Francisco, Spokane, Denver, and more—are carrying forward the energy from the weekend “No Kings” rallies, maintaining pressure on immigration enforcement 

Friday, June 20 - Saturday, June 21, 2025

• Los Angeles - Activists from groups like Unión del Barrio and No Sleep for ICE have resumed daily actions in communities like Pico Rivera, staging escraches (public shaming) at ICE staging sites to disrupt raids and prevent deportations. One activist, Adrian Martinez, was arrested during such an effort to block the detention of a worker. Authorities report a 500 % increase in these direct actions 

  • • The City Controller of L.A. estimates the cost of responding to ongoing anti‑ICE protests at $32 million, mainly covering police operations and damage cleanup 

    • The ACLU of Southern California has filed a lawsuit against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing federal agents of using excessive force—rubber bullets, flash‑bangs, tear gas—against peaceful protesters, journalists, legal observers, and even minors 

• Laredo, TX hosted a regional “No Kings” Day defiance protest on June 20, drawing hundreds concerned about mass deportations, economic harm, and militarized enforcement tactics 

Thursday, June 19, 2025

• San Antonio, TX - ICE agents were reported at a construction site near the River Walk. Workers fled, abandoning equipment. Though no confirmed arrests, authorities are investigating amid the backdrop of “No Kings” weekend protests across San Antonio and South Texas 

• Seattle - Independent journalists Cameron Higby and Brandi Kruse sustained injuries while covering anti‑ICE protests. They accuse Antifa‑aligned agitators of physically attacking them—with sap gloves, water, even insecticide spray—and allege a disturbing lack of police response 

Days Prior

• • • Portland a violent move on an ICE facility on June 14 led to four federal officers being injured by fireworks and thrown objects at the building; police declared the assembly unlawful 

    • Manhattan, New Yorkers rallied near ICE offices on June 9; while largely peaceful, occasional confrontations resulted in arrests under heavy police presence 

no kings day: june 14, 2025

"No Kings Day" is a nationwide day of defiance coinciding with President Trump’s 79th birthday and the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary parade in Washington, D.C. It directly challenges what organizers call an "authoritarian spectacle" Over 1,500–2,000 protests are planned across 1,400–1,800+ cities spanning all 50 states (and U.S. territories like Puerto Rico) 

LA Update: Waymo has officially shut down operations in Los Angeles for the weekend.

Notable Locations

• No protests in D.C., to avoid conflicts with the military parade; instead, a flagship march in Philadelphia 

• New York City: Major rally at Bryant Park, marching down Fifth Avenue to Madison Square Park, plus additional actions at Columbia University and in suburban areas 

• Baltimore area: Multiple actions—Patterson Park (3–7 pm), Catonsville overpass (noon–1 pm), Columbia, Essex, Bel Air, Westminster, and more 

• Massachusetts: Dozens of local gatherings, from Bedford to Wellesley, timed throughout the day .

• Chicago: Rally at Daley Plaza (12–2 pm) as part of a nationwide coordination 

• The Dalles & Happy Valley, OR: Organized meets at noon and 12 pm PDT, respectively 

Key Themes

• • A commitment to peaceful protest, emphasizing de-escalation and nonviolence 

  • Focus on standing against what organizers perceive as military spectacle and authoritarian governance, contrasting with the military celebration in D.C. 

November 12, 2025 - The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is over. The government shutdown ended on November 12, 2025, after 43 days. The next stopgap funding deadline is January 30, 2026, which is approximately 10 weeks from today's date. 

• • Shutdown end date: The shutdown ended when President Trump signed a funding bill on November 12, 2025.

  • Duration: It lasted 43 days, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

  • Next deadline: The new funding measure is a stopgap that will keep the government funded through January 30, 2026. 

November 5, 2025 - Trump administration warns shutdown could force US airspace closures - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reportedly facing shortages of 2,000-3,000 air traffic controllers and tens of thousands of aviation / security staff working without pay. The Sean Duffy (Transportation Secretary) warned that if the shutdown continues another week, there could be “mass flight delays, … mass cancellations, and … we may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it.” The administration says the system remains “safe” for now, but the warning is that operational safety margins are narrowing due to unpaid staff, increased sick‐calls, and fatigue.

• The Houston Airport System issued a warning on Nov 2 that travelers should “expect extended security wait times … until further notice.” At IAH (George Bush Intercontinental), wait times at the security checkpoints have reportedly stretched to 3 – 4 hours in some cases. For example: “This is an absolute s-show… four-and-a-half hours just to make it through the line to get into the TSA security line. Missed our flight.” At William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), wait times were somewhat shorter — “over one hour” was cited. With the shutdown ongoing, many TSA officers are working without pay; there are reduced open screening lanes (at IAH only Terminals A & E open security lanes as of report) and fewer screening staff. Passengers have posted videos showing lines “wrapped around” terminals, some even extending outdoors. Social media complaints highlight missed flights, families with children waiting hours, etc. The Houston Airports Director urged caution: arrive early, plan for extra time, be flexible.

Saturday, November 8, 2025 

Flight Delays

• The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to cut thousands of flights across the U.S. ahead of this weekend as the agency deals with shortages of air traffic controllers during the longest government shutdown in history. 

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced that the Trump administration would cut 10% of flights at 40 "high-impact" airports nationwide. Airlines cut 4% of Friday's flights at those airports and are expected to ramp up to 10% next week.

• Duffy said Friday that the government's flight cuts could increase to 20% should the shutdown drag on.

• Many Airlines are waiving fees for flyers who want to change their plans or refund their tickets as they scrambled to meet the FAA's order.

Congress is in Session

• Senators are back on Capitol Hill for a rare Saturday session aimed at ending the government shutdown, with no signs of an imminent breakthrough. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that the chamber will continue meeting until the government reopens.

• A 15th vote on advancing the House-passed continuing resolution is not currently scheduled, but Thune said it could come up later in the day. The chamber adjourned on Friday after Democrats voted against advancing a bill that would pay all federal workers during the funding lapse.

• Both sides appeared to be far apart on reaching an agreement that would end the impasse. Democrats offered to reopen the government in exchange for a one-year extension of health care tax credits, a proposal that was swiftly rejected by Republicans. 

• "There's still only one path out — it's a clean funding extension," Thune said on the Senate floor Saturday.

• GOP senators have pushed a potential deal that would advance the government funding measure with the goal of including longer-term appropriations bills and extending the deadline for funding, in exchange for a future vote on health care. Thune said Republicans are close to releasing the text of the appropriations bills.

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Federal judge rules Trump must fully fund SNAP program by Friday -  A federal judge in Rhode Island on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to fully fund the nation's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food aid program by Friday, rejecting the administration's effort to only partially fund the benefits program for some 42 million low-income Americans. "People have gone without for too long," U.S. District Judge Jack McConnell said in court Thursday. He scolded the Trump administration for failing to comply with the order he issued last week, which required the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund the SNAP benefits programs before its funds were slated to lapse on Nov. 1, marking the first time in the program's 60-year history that its payments were halted. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a 10% flight capacity reduction at 40 major U.S. airports due to staffing shortages of air traffic controllers amid the ongoing government shutdown. The list of affected airports includes: 

• Anchorage International (ANC)

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)

• Boston Logan International (BOS)

• Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)

• Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)

• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)

• Dallas Love Field (DAL)

• Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)

• Denver International (DEN)

• Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)

• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)

• Newark Liberty International (EWR)

• Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)

• Honolulu International (HNL)

• Houston Hobby (HOU)

• Washington Dulles International (IAD)

• George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)

• Indianapolis International (IND)

• New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK)

• Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)

• Los Angeles International (LAX)

• New York LaGuardia (LGA)

• Orlando International (MCO)

• Chicago Midway (MDW)

• Memphis International (MEM)

• Miami International (MIA)

• Minneapolis/St. Paul International (MSP)

• Oakland International (OAK)

• Ontario International (ONT)

• Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)

• Portland International (PDX)

• Philadelphia International (PHL)

• Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)

• San Diego International (SAN)

• Louisville International (SDF)

• Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA)

• San Francisco International (SFO)

• Salt Lake City International (SLC)

• Teterboro (TEB)

• Tampa International (TPA) 

Senate will vote Friday to advance shutdown-ending deal, Thune tells Republicans. Democrats are expected to oppose the GOP plan as they seek a better deal. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told fellow Republicans in a private lunch that he plans to hold a vote Friday that could pave the way to end the government shutdown, according to two people in the room who were granted anonymity to describe his comments. The plan, the people said, is to bring up the House-passed continuing resolution that Democrats have repeatedly rejected and then seek to amend it with a new expiration date very likely in January as well as a negotiated package of three full-year spending bills.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025 - This is now day 36 and the longest government shutdown in US history. 

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 - The shutdown has officially entered its 35th day, tying the record for the longest U.S. federal shutdown in history. The U.S. Travel Association and some 500 other travel-industry organizations sent a joint letter to Congress warning of “Thanksgiving chaos” if the shutdown continues, citing disruptions to air travel (approximately 3 million passengers impacted) and large economic losses. The United States Senate rejected a Democratic proposal to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for November, as Republicans argued the only solution is reopening the government. The State of Maryland announced it will use state funds (~$62 million) to cover the federal SNAP benefits gap for November to ensure about 680 K residents are supported despite the shutdown. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agreed to allocate $4.65 billion from its contingency fund to partially cover SNAP benefits for November, but this will only cover ~half of what’s normally needed and only for existing recipients (no new applicants).       

• • • Trump says he’s withholding SNAP benefits until shutdown ends - in a post on his social media platform, Donald Trump stated that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits "will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!". This statement was made during an ongoing government shutdown and appears to walk back a previous announcement by his administration the day before (November 3, 2025), where the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it would use a contingency fund to pay about half of the November SNAP benefits, following court orders.

Monday, November 3, 2025 - The shutdown of the federal government continues, approaching a 35-day record set during President Donald Trump's first term. Trump administration says in court filing it plans to use emergency funds to partially cover November Snap benefits for millions. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program has received emergency funding despite the government shutdown. Specifically, the administration allocated $450 million in additional funding from unused tariff revenue (Section 32 funds) to keep WIC operating for the next few weeks.

Friday, October 31, 2025

• • The U.S. government has been shut down since October 1, 2025, and as of now, no deal has been reached to reopen it. Congress is still divided over several funding issues, and federal workers across the DMV are either furloughed or working without pay. This is now the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history. Essential services like Social Security and Medicare are still operating, but many other programs — including food assistance — are at risk.
  • SNAP benefits are scheduled to stop being funded at the start of November if no new funding is approved. The USDA has told states that the “well has run dry” for contingency funds sufficient to cover all November SNAP benefits.  Reports say that around 42 million Americans are at risk of losing food‐stamp assistance starting November 1 because of the funding lapse.  Some states and localities are responding with emergency measures.  
  • The government shutdown has put significant strain on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is operating with reduced staffing levels at air traffic control towers and centers.  Many air traffic controllers are working without pay, which has contributed to increased absences and fatigue.  The FAA is roughly 3,500 controllers short of its target staffing levels.  Air traffic controller absences are much higher than normal, driven largely by the shutdown (missed paychecks, fatigue, etc.). To maintain safety with fewer controllers, the FAA is imposing ground delays, ground stops, or reducing number of flights landing or taking off (capacity restrictions). The shortage is not just “a little bit off” — staffing is significantly under target, which means even moderate additional demand or minor emergencies can trigger delays or holds. 
    • • Orlando International Airport (MCO) - The FAA warned it could be without enough certified air traffic controllers to handle landings safely. Multiple landings were halted, and delays averaged over two hours. The issue is expected to persist into the weekend if staffing levels don’t improve.
      • Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Reagan Washington National (DCA) - Both airports were placed under ground delay programs due to controller shortages. Fewer takeoffs and landings allowed per hour to maintain safety.
      • Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) - Experienced a temporary ground stop caused by inadequate staffing in the control tower. Departures were halted for about 75 minutes, stranding hundreds of passengers. 
      • Nationwide (U.S. Airspace) - Over 8,000 flights were delayed on Sunday alone. Airlines most affected included Southwest, American, United, and Delta. FAA continues to issue rolling delay programs across major hubs to manage limited controller availability.

October 15, 2025

The federal government shutdown has entered its third week, today mark's the 15th day 

• • Air travel and aviation safety are under increasing strain: over 13,000 air-traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA agents are working without pay, contributing to a dramatic rise in flight delays (53 % of delays now blamed on staffing issues, compared to ~5 % normally). 

  • President Trump announced the administration will publish a list this coming Friday of what he calls “Democrat programs” to be permanently closed due to the shutdown. 

  • The administration reports that 4,108 federal workers have already been fired (not just furloughed) since the beginning of the shutdown. 

  • The Social Security Administration announced a delay to its cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) announcement (for ~70.6 million beneficiaries) from Oct 15 to Oct 24 because the September CPI data hasn’t been released due to the shutdown. 

  • elective funding is being maintained for certain priorities (e.g., military pay, law enforcement) while other programs are being withheld or cut — an approach described by analysts as “unlike any previous shutdown.” 

Services and programs interrupted or heavily impacted

• • Aviation/Transportation: Flight delays escalating due to staffing shortages at Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA). 

  • Social Security: Delay of the COLA announcement for tens of millions of beneficiaries. 

  • Layoffs & workforce reductions: Thousands of federal workers fired, not just furloughed, including staff at critical agencies such as Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within Department of Homeland Security (DHS) receiving cuts. 

  • Other services: While some essential operations continue, many federal programs, funding flows and infrastructure/permits are stalled because of the funding lapse. For example, environmental permits, flood insurance programs, etc have been flagged. 

Trump’s plan for additional cuts / program closures

• • Trump has declared that the shutdown will be used as a leverage point to eliminate what his administration describes as “egregious, socialist, semi-communist programs” supported by Democrats. 

  • He announced that the administration will release a list of “Democrat programs” on Friday that will be closed permanently if the shutdown continues. 

  • he execution-phase is already underway: layoffs have begun, program funding halted for selected states/projects (e.g., infrastructure funding in NY, climate-related projects in states that backed Democrats) as part of pre-emptive cuts. 

  • Thee budget Office (Office of Management and Budget, OMB) under Budget Director Russ Vought is playing a central role in choosing which programs continue and which are shuttered — moving the shutdown from a temporary funding lapse to a broader restructuring/downsizing of government programs.

October 8, 2025 - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued warnings about air traffic controller (ATC) shortages that are causing widespread flight delays across the country. Controllers are required to work without pay during the shutdown, and a rise in "sick calls" has led to staffing issues at multiple facilities, exacerbating a long-standing personnel shortage. Affected airports and regions, according to October 7–8, 2025 reports:

• Atlanta: The Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center reported staffing issues.

• Boston: Staffing problems caused delays in the Boston area and at the regional air traffic control center in Nashua, NH.

• Burbank, CA: The control tower operated for hours without staff on October 6.

• Chicago: Staffing shortages were reported at O'Hare International Airport (ORD).

• Dallas-Fort Worth: The regional air traffic control center reported staffing issues.

• Denver: Staffing issues led to ground delays.

• Houston: Staffing shortages affected both major Houston airports and the regional air traffic control center.

• Las Vegas: Staffing shortages were reported at the ATC facility.

• Nashville: The FAA issued ground delays and ground stops due to a shortage of controllers.

• Newark, NJ: The FAA reported significant delays and ongoing staffing issues at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

• Philadelphia: The control tower that handles traffic for the city was short-staffed.

October 8, 2025 - The U.S. government shutdown is in its eighth day, with no end in sight. Congressional Republicans and Democrats remain at an impasse, and the Senate is scheduled to vote again today on dueling proposals to fund the government. Both bills are expected to fail for the sixth consecutive time. The political deadlock: 

• Republican proposal: House Republicans passed a short-term spending bill to fund the government through November 21 but without providing the additional health care funding Democrats demand. Republicans have a majority in Congress and insist they have done their part to keep the government open.

• Democratic demands: Senate Democrats are blocking the Republican bill, insisting that any stopgap measure include an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. They argue the subsidies are crucial for preventing health care price spikes.

• Breakdown in talks: While some signs of discomfort are appearing behind the scenes, no public negotiations are underway. Both parties believe they have the political advantage in the stalemate.

Impact on federal employees

• Furloughs and back pay: About 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed. A memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget created confusion over whether they would receive back pay, which a 2019 law was intended to guarantee. However, congressional leaders from both parties have pushed back, insisting that furloughed workers will be made whole.

• IRS furloughs: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began mass furloughs on Wednesday after its initial funding lasted through October 7.

• First missed paychecks: Many federal workers are scheduled to miss their first paychecks this Friday.

Broader effects on the country

• Travel delays: Ongoing air traffic controller shortages are causing flight delays at major airports.

• National Parks closures: National parks and federally managed museums in Washington, D.C., are closed.

• Reduced government revenue: The shutdown is negatively impacting economic growth and government revenue.

• Delays in loans and payments: Processing for new farm loans has stopped, and disaster and conservation payments to farmers have halted. Federal program funds for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are expected to run out within the next week or two.

• Research suspended: Most government research activities have paused.

October 7, 2025  - Government Shut Down Updates: As of the past 48 hours, there has been no progress on resolving the government shutdown, which has now entered its second week. On Monday, October 6, the Senate rejected dueling funding bills for the fifth time, and the House is not in session this week. Some Republicans are reportedly eyeing October 15 as a new pressure point. This is when many federal workers are scheduled to miss their first full paycheck, no date of resolution can be projected at this point.

Lack of progress

• Failed Senate votes: On October 6, the Senate once again voted down both the Republican-backed and Democratic-backed funding proposals. Both bills failed to meet the 60-vote threshold required for advancement, with voting results largely falling along party lines.

• No negotiations: With Republicans and Democrats refusing to budge on their core demands, high-level negotiations between leaders have not been taking place. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that he might be open to negotiating a deal over health subsidies, but he later retracted the offer, saying Democrats must end the standoff first.

• Deepening stalemate: The stalemate revolves around Democrats' demand for a funding measure that includes an extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, a condition Senate Republicans have dismissed as a "nonstarter". 

Status of Congress

• House of Representatives: The House is not in session this week. Speaker Mike Johnson extended the recess until October 13, stating that the House has "done its job" and that there's nothing left for it to negotiate.

• Senate: The Senate has adjourned for the day and is scheduled to reconvene on Tuesday, October 7. However, based on the repeated failed votes, no clear path forward is currently visible.

October 3, 2025 - the U.S. government is still in a partial shutdown. Here's a summary of the key points and updates:

• • Budget and Funding Disputes - The House of Representatives and Senate have been unable to reach an agreement on a federal budget or a short-term funding bill, leading to a shutdown. The main sticking points have been spending levels, defense vs. non-defense funding, and border security. Republicans in the House have pushed for significant cuts to domestic spending, while Democrats have been advocating for more stability and funding for social programs.

  • Impact of the Shutdown - Federal workers: Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed or working without pay, particularly in non-essential government sectors. Essential services, like the military and border protection, are still operational, but other services like national parks and some public services are affected. Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare: These are still operational, but the shutdown has impacted other services related to health, education, and food assistance.

  • Congressional Action - There have been last-minute efforts in both the House and Senate to pass a temporary funding resolution (often called a continuing resolution), but they have not gained enough support due to partisan disagreements. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (Republican) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat) are under immense pressure from their respective parties to strike a deal. Both sides have been involved in negotiations, but no long-term agreement has been reached.

  • Key Deadlines - The shutdown is expected to last until mid-October 2025, with increasing pressure from the public and the business community to end it. Military pay has been a sticking point. Some lawmakers are pushing for military salaries to be guaranteed, even if other federal agencies are impacted.

  • Public Opinion and Effects - Polling suggests that public opinion is heavily divided: many blame Congress for failing to resolve the crisis, while others criticize the current administration’s handling of negotiations. Businesses are worried about the economic effects, especially in areas that rely heavily on federal spending.

September 30, 2025 - U.S. Government Shutdown Looms:

• Government heads toward a shutdown as Trump and Democrats trade blame

• Federal agencies will being to implement contingency plans if government funding lapses after 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday.

September 29, 2025 

• Funding for the federal government is set to expire at midnight on September 30, 2025. Without a new appropriations bill or a continuing resolution (CR), many agencies will have to stop or scale back operations as of 12:01 a.m. on October 1. 

• Negotiations are at an impasse. Republicans are pushing for a “clean” short-term funding bill (i.e. without extra policy changes), but Democrats are demanding that health care subsidies (especially under the Affordable Care Act) be extended as part of any deal. 

• The White House has told agencies to prepare for large-scale reductions in force (RIFs/firings) in the event of a shutdown, rather than only temporary furloughs. 

• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) clarified that agencies can continue work tied to reduction-in-force decisions (e.g. issuing layoff notices) even during a shutdown, though workers will not be paid until funding is restored. 

• Some key services and programs would not be affected: programs funded outside annual appropriations (like Social Security, Medicare, and veterans’ benefits) are generally safe. 

Other impacts:

• • Health agencies may furlough a large portion of their staff. 

  • Aviation sector could be hit — for example, hiring/training of new air traffic controllers may be halted during the shutdown. National parks, regulatory activities, and other discretionary services are likely to be disrupted or suspended. 

  • At the moment, the shutdown hasn’t formally begun, but with the deadline looming and negotiations unresolved, the risk is high.

April 17, 2025 -  Trump vs. The Clock: U.S. Could Run Out Of Money By August - The U.S. government might hit “oops, we’re broke” mode by August—or even as soon as late May—if Congress doesn’t raise the $36.6 trillion debt ceiling. The Congressional Budget Office says if tax money comes in light this spring, Treasury’s cash stash could vanish faster than expected. If Trump and Congress don’t sort it out? Get ready for delayed checks, missed payments, and a government that starts ghosting its bills. Wall Street’s already sweating. Credit watchdogs are lurking. Tick-tock, D.C. Source: Reuters

• The Congressional Budget Office warns the U.S. faces default as early as August unless Congress raises the $36.6 trillion debt ceiling. The estimate matches the Bipartisan Policy Center’s default window of mid-July to early October. Republicans have set no timeline, raising fears of another last-minute showdown that could rattle markets and trigger credit downgrades. Source: CBO

February 23, 2025 - Listening Devices Found in Oval Office—President’s Desk Removed for Security Scan - Washington, D.C. – February 21, 2025 - In a shocking revelation that has sent ripples through Washington, sources within the White House have confirmed that the Oval Office—including the historic Resolute Desk—was subjected to a high-level security sweep following suspicions of covert surveillance. The sweep reportedly uncovered sophisticated listening devices, leading to the immediate removal of the President’s desk for a comprehensive off-site scan. A senior official, speaking anonymously, revealed that the discovery followed routine electronic countermeasures that detected unusual signals. “The anomalies were subtle but consistent—enough to trigger a full investigation,” the source said. “We couldn’t risk compromising the integrity of the President’s workspace.” Specialized teams using cutting-edge radiofrequency detection technology were dispatched, and initial findings allegedly pointed to concealed audio surveillance devices hidden within the office. The Resolute Desk, gifted by Queen Victoria in 1880, was transported to a secure, undisclosed location for thorough inspection by counterintelligence and forensic tech experts. Early reports suggest at least one miniature transmitter—small enough to evade standard detection—may have been embedded within the desk’s structure. Official confirmation of this discovery is still pending. Source

February 18, 2025 - Trump looking to ban China from purchasing American farmland. Source

Post-Election Updates

Trump administration halts health agency communications - Officials on President Donald Trump's team have directed federal health agencies to pause external communications, including health advisories and scientific reports, The Washington Post reported Jan. 21, citing anonymous sources.

• The directive was issued Jan. 21 and is set to last through Feb. 1, according to an internal memo from Dorothy Fink, MD, interim HHS secretary, the Post reported Jan. 22. Agencies following the pause include the FDA and the National Institutes of Health.

• It applies to data updates on the CDC website, public health news releases from the National Center for Health Statistics, and the CDC's morbidity and mortality weekly report. Reports that had been scheduled included updates on the H5N1 avian influenza virus outbreak, the Post reported previously.

• Exceptions could be made for notices affecting "critical health, safety, environmental, financial or national security functions," Dr. Fink wrote in the memo, according to the Post.

• The Trump administration on Jan. 22 also canceled upcoming scientific meetings, including those to review grant proposals sent to the National Institutes of Health, The New York Times reported Jan. 22.

• Some health officials expressed concerns over the communications pause, citing efforts by the first Trump administration to control health agencies' communications during the pandemic. One suggested the move seems to be "more about letting them catch their breath" in the transition, thePost reported.

• "It's not unusual for a new administration to want to centralize communication," Richard Besser, MD, CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, told the Times. "It is unusual to pause all communication from an agency where one of its critical responsibilities is keeping the public informed."

Source https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/trump-administration-halts-health-agency-communications-report.html

Protest Against President Trump's Deportation Policy

February 3, 2025

• LAPD issues traffic advisory due to demonstration and march in downtown LA - A large crowd gathered Monday on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall and marched on streets in the area a day after protests spilled onto a downtown LA freeway. The LAPD issued a traffic advisory Monday morning for the area near City Hall, including Spring Street and the Civic Center area due to the permitted protest over President's Trump's immigration crackdown. A demonstration also formed in the Plaza of El Pueblo, causing delays on Spring, Main, Arcadia and Aliso streets. Source 

• Nationwide protest will be taking place for "A Day without Immigrants" by its supporters, the protest is "don't buy, don’t go out, don’t go to school in response to the rise in ICE raids and Trump deportations. Source 

February 2, 2025

• Salem, Oregon officer surrounded by Mexican nationalists at a protest on Feb. 1 against the U.S. for deporting illegal foreign nationals. After getting back in the car to drive away, they beat on his windows. Source 

• Los Angeles, California: Massive protest against Trump deportations forms in downtown L.A. causing ‘major gridlock’ - A massive protest formed in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday in response to President Trump’s crackdown on immigration and emphasis on deportations. The protest, which was organized and promoted on social media, originated on the Placita Olvera on Olvera Street near DTLA. Anti-ICE protesters are blocking both sides of the 101 Freeway near the Alameda Street exit in DTLA. The CHP has since closed that portion of the freeway. Source

• Atlanta, Georgia - Mass deportation protest shuts down traffic on Buford Highway - A pro-immigration protest in Chamblee ended with police arresting four people. Hundreds gathered at Plaza Fiesta to call for an end to President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. Chamblee police shut down part of Buford Highway for a few hours to try and clear the area after protesters flooded into the street.  Source 

1/23/2025

Topics: Border Control, Discrimination, Health & Terrorism

• President Trump has just signed an Executive Order shutting down all migrant entry across the southern border. That includes designated crossings and ports of entry.

• President Trump has repealed Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 executive order banning hiring discrimination based on race, color, religion, s*x, or national origin.

• Trump has ordered a "blackout" at health agencies CDC, FDA and NIH - Washington Post. For the time being, they cannot publish scientific reports, update their websites or issue health advisories.

• U.S. President Donald J. Trump has issued an Executive Order re-designating Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis located in Western Yemen, as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” which the Biden Administration removed in 2021.

❗Inauguration Day for the 47th U.S. President, Donald J. Trump (1/20/2025) - Donald Trump has been sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts as the 47th president of the United States, marking a political comeback after being convicted of felonies. His running mate, JD Vance, was sworn in by Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

• In his inauguration address, Trump vowed that “the golden age of America begins right now.” He listed his priorities — on trade, immigration and national security — while criticizing President Joe Biden as he sat nearby, and declaring “America’s decline is over.” He also recalled the assassination attempt last year that nearly claimed his life and said he was “saved by God to Make America Great Again.”

• Trump will sign actions to pull US out of Paris climate agreement and promote fossil fuels

• Trump administration shuts down border app that allowed migrants to legally enter US. Existing appointments have been canceled, according to CBP.

• Hours before the change in US leadership, Biden issued pardons for Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci and members of Congress who served on the committee investigating January 6. He also issued preemptive pardons for his brothers, James and Frank, his sister Valerie and their spouses.

President Trump is expected to sign as many as 100 executive orders within hours of taking office Monday afternoon. A desk where Mr. Trump may sign some of the orders was set up at Capital One Arena, where Mr. Trump is scheduled to speak later in the day. The directives are set to address a broad swath of American life, touching on immigration, climate and energy policy, and diversity initiatives in the federal government. Top advisers briefed reporters on many of them. Here are some of the major elements. Source

Immigration and the Border

• Close the border to asylum-seeking migrants. 

• Declare an end to birthright citizenship, a guarantee granted by the 14th Amendment, for the children of undocumented immigrants. The president cannot change the Constitution on his own, so it’s not yet clear how Trump plans to withhold the benefits of citizenship to a group of people born in the United States. The move is all but certain to be challenge in court.

• Involve the U.S. military in border security. This would draw immediate legal challenges because of the strict limits in American law for how the armed forces can be deployed inside the country.

• Declare migrant crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border to be a national emergency, which would allow Mr. Trump to unilaterally unlock federal funding for border wall construction, without approval from Congress, for stricter enforcement efforts. 

• Designate drug cartels as “global terrorists.” 

Federal Work Force

• End remote work policies and order many agencies back to the office 4-5 days a week.

• Gender and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

• Establish biological sex definitions for federal workers and as part of revised Title IX guidance to schools

• Remove protections for transgender people in federal prisons.

• Remove protections for transgender migrants in U.S. custody.

Tariffs and Trade

• • • Direct federal agencies to begin an investigation into trade practices, including trade deficits, unfair currency practices, counterfeit goods and a special exemption that allows low-value goods to come into the United States tariff free.

    • Assess China’s compliance with a trade deal Mr. Trump signed in 2020, as well as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which Trump signed in 2020 to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.

    • Order the government to assess the feasibility of creating an “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs and duties.

Energy and the Environment 

• Declare a national energy emergency, which could allow him to unlock powers to speed permitting for pipelines and power plants.

• Order the federal government to roll back regulations that impede domestic energy production.

• Signal an intention to loosen the limits on tailpipe pollution and fuel economy standards, which Mr. Trump refers to as an “electric vehicle mandate.”

• Roll back energy-efficiency regulations for dishwashers, shower heads and gas stoves.

• Open the Alaska wilderness to more oil and gas drilling.

• Eliminate environmental justice programs across the government, which are aimed at protecting poor communities from excess pollution.

Delaying the ban on TikTok

• President Trump vowed early Sunday to issue an executive order to give ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, more time to make a sale and satisfy a law that would ban it in the United States. The incoming White House officials previewing Mr. Trump’s executive actions on Monday did not address any executive action on the app.

January 14, 2025 -  Thousands to join weekend 'People's March' in DC to protest Trump inauguration - A demonstration to oppose President-elect Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration will be held this weekend in Washington, D.C.. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the Saturday rally, which will start at the Washington Monument. Trump will be sworn into the White House on Inauguration Day for his second term next Monday, Jan. 20. The rally is expected to begin at 10 a.m. on Jan. 18 and the march is set to take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., starting at the Washington Monument. It’s being organized by several activist groups, including Planned Parenthood, the National Women’s Law Center, Abortion Access Now and the Women’s March. Source 

January 10, 2025 - Donald Trump gets no penalty in ‘hush money’ case — but will still become first felon in White House - A Manhattan judge sentenced Donald Trump to no penalty Friday on his conviction for concealing a “hush money” payoff that hid a sex scandal from voters — making the president-elect the first person convicted of a felony to assume the White House. Justice Juan Merchan — who oversaw a trial in which jurors heard evidence that Trump paid off porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal to keep them quiet about alleged trysts — sentenced the Queens native to an “unconditional discharge.” “Sir, I wish you Godspeed as you assume a second term in office,” Merchan said. Source

December 30, 2024 - Trump threatens to reassert US control over the Panama Canal - President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to have the U.S. reassert control of the Panama Canal amid accusations that Panama is charging excessive rates for using the waterway. Speaking Sunday in Arizona, Trump also said he would not let the canal fall into the "wrong hands," warning of potential Chinese influence in Panama, Reuters reported. "Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal?" Trump said at AmericaFest, an annual event organized by Turning Point, an allied conservative group. "Because we're being ripped off at the Panama Canal like we're being ripped off everywhere else." Trump’s statements were denounced by Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, who said that his country would remain independent and that China was not influencing Panama. He also said market conditions were used to set passage rates. Source 

11/10/2024: Justice Department files charges in murder-for-hire scheme targeting Trump - Iran’s government orchestrated efforts to “target our citizens, including President-elect Trump, on U.S. soil and abroad,” the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York alleged.  The Department of Justice on Friday charged an Iranian man in a murder-for-hire plot to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump and two others in a plot to kill an American journalist critical of Tehran. Iran’s government directed these actors to “target our citizens, including President-elect Trump, on U.S. soil and abroad,” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a news release. The department said the plot was part of Iran’s efforts to exact revenge for the death of Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani during the Trump administration. The three who were charged are Farhad Shakeri of Iran; Carlisle Rivera of Brooklyn, New York; and Jonathan Loadholt, of Staten Island, New York. According to the criminal complaint, an official with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a military and counterintelligence agency designated as a terrorist organization by the first Trump administration, told Shakeri in mid-to-late September to focus on surveilling and assassinating Trump. Source 

11/6: Wednesday Night Protests due to President-Elect Donald Trump winning the election in the following areas  

• Chicago 

• Philadelphia 

• New York - NYU Students 

• Portland

11/6: Trump defeats Harris, securing a second term, NBC News Projects

• Former President Donald Trump has won the presidential election, NBC News projects. He is the second president to be elected to two nonconsecutive terms and the first convicted of felonies.

• Vice President Kamala Harrisunderperformed across the country, falling behind in several swing states that Joe Biden had won. She sent her supporters home early this morning without addressing the crowd. She is expected to speak later today. 

• Republicans will control the Senate. House control remains uncalled. 

• Separately, Democrat Angela Alsobrooks became the first Black woman elected to represent Maryland in the Senate, while Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester will be Delaware's first Black female senator. 

• Constitutional amendments to protect or expand abortion passed in seven of the 10 states where they appeared on the ballot Tuesday, NBC News projects.

Election Day

• Washington, DC Police responded today to a voting ballot drop-off box at Union Market (1300 5th Street NE) for someone who had tossed nails, screws & other objects into the roadway at the drop-off box. After an extensive clean-up, the debris was moved out of the roadway. Source 

• U.S. Capitol Police just arrested a man who was stopped during our screening process at the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). The man smelled like fuel, had a torch & a flare gun. The CVC is closed for tours for the day, while we investigate. We will provide more information when we can. Source 

• Fake sample ballots distributed at an Alexandria, Virginia precinct were made out to look like they were from Arlington, VA Democrats. Source 

• PG&E increases scope of planned outages across 17 California counties starting Election Day - On Election Day, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. announced it is increasing the number of customers who will have their power shut off due to increased fire risk. On Tuesday morning, the utility said it is increasing the number of impacted customers from 15,000 to roughly 22,000, affecting parts of 17 counties and four tribal areas. This round of outages could even impact five polling locations for Election Day. PG&E said they will have backup generators available out of an abundance of caution. No tabulation centers are expected to be impacted by the planned outages. Map and Source

• FBI charges Ann Arbor man for threatening mass shooting attack 'if Trump wins' - US Elections are underway, and authorities have arrested two men for making violent threats. In Ann Arbor, Michigan, federal authorities have registered another potential life threat against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. A 25-year-old man, Isaac Sissel, has been charged with making threats to carry out an attack against conservative Christians if Trump wins the election. Meanwhile, in Jackson, Michigan, Christopher Pierce, a 46-year-old man, has been arrested for allegedly making threats towards a political action committee (PAC) about the election. Source

• FBI: Polling location bomb threats in Georgia, Michigan, & Wisconsin appear to originate in Russia - The FBI said it appeared Russia was behind discredited bomb threats made in Georgia and other states on Election Day. “The FBI is aware of bomb threats to polling locations in several states, many of which appear to originate from Russian email domains,” the FBI said in a release Tuesday. “None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far.” The announcement came after Georgia officials had to evacuate two different polling locations. “We pretty well dispelled that very quickly,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a press conference Tuesday morning. “But we want to make sure everything stays safe. … That was this morning, and law enforcement jumped right on that and we knew it was coming from a foreign state actor.” Michigan and Wisconsin polling locations also received bomb threats. The FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment about what additional states have logged bomb threats. Source 

• About 24 states say they'll send National Guard troops to DC for vote certification and inauguration - More than two dozen states have indicated they would be willing to send National Guard troops to Washington if requested in the weeks following the presidential election and in the runup to the inauguration, Guard officials said Monday. The District of Columbia has not yet made any formal requests for Guard troops, but officials across the government have been preparing for the possibility that the U.S. Capitol could once again be rocked by violence around the certification of the election by Congress on Jan. 6 and the inauguration two weeks later. Source 

Pre-Election News

• Saturday, 12/1/2024 - Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has activated the National Guard in case of election related violence and riots - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday he had activated the Washington National Guard to assist local law enforcement and the Washington State Patrol as needed to quell any election-related unrest. The “purely precautionary measure” comes in response to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s nationwide warnings of threats to election infrastructure and a deliberately set fire that damaged and destroyed hundreds of ballots in a Vancouver drop box on Monday. Inslee, in a letter to Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the adjutant general, said the action was being taken “to ensure we are fully prepared to respond” to any potential civil unrest or violence. “Our state depends on these skilled individuals for critical support to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, to include support necessary to protect vital infrastructure related to carrying out free and fair elections and to respond to any unrest related to the 2024 general election,” Inslee wrote. Welsh, who oversees the 8,000 soldiers and airmen of the Washington National Guard, will decide how many people will be activated and serve on standby from Monday until just after midnight on Thursday, Nov. 7, according to the governor’s office. Source 

• Friday, 11/1/2024 - Maryland orders halt to mailings that have left voters ‘intimidated, shocked and ill-at-ease’ - The Maryland Attorney General’s Office sent a cease-and-desist letter Thursday to a national voter engagement organization that it says is sending out mailers that “threaten to publicly expose” voting records of Marylanders just days out from the 2024 election. The letter is in response to an unsolicited “Voting Report Card” that has been sent to people across the state by the Voter Participation Center, a nonprofit that claims to try to drive more voters to the polls, specifically unmarried women, people of color and young voters. A sister organization, the Center for Voter Information, has also been sending out mailers. The mailer that Marylanders have been receiving lists the voter’s name, address and voting records beginning with the 2016 general election. It also allegedly shows what it claims are voting records of neighbors, though names and addresses are censored. Source

• Thursday, 10/31/2024 - Congress gripped by fears of post-election violence - Lawmakers in both parties are bracing themselves for a tumultuous period after the Nov. 5 election, with many openly expressing fears of political violence. One House Democrat told Axios they are "extremely" concerned about violence and hired half a dozen state troopers to provide security at their election night event — a significant boost over past years. Republicans, on the other hand, claim the real threat will be from the political left being unable to accept another Trump term. State of play: Federal and local law enforcement are already ramping up security across D.C. ahead of the election, Axios' Cuneyt Dil reported. Source 

• Tuesday, 10/29/2024 - Republicans are frustrated over long lines, early cut-offs for in-person mail voting in Bucks County. It underscores limits of Pennsylvania law. Republican officials in Bucks County are urging election officials to come up with a plan to ensure that each voter who wants to cast their mail ballot in-person is able to before the state’s deadline to request a mail ballot at 5 p.m. Tuesday. In a Sunday letter to county officials, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and several GOP members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly argued that the county had disenfranchised voters on Saturday when voters who arrived to request a mail ballot at the Doylestown election office were turned away two hours before the county office offering the service was set to close. Source 

• Monday, 10/28/2024 - Ballot drop boxes set on fire in Portland, Oregan and Vancouver, Washington - Police said an "incendiary device" was found inside a ballot box in Oregon's largest city, while local officials said potentially "hundreds" of ballots were damaged in Vancouver. Ballot drop boxes in Portland, Oregon, and neighboring Vancouver, Washington, were set on fire early Monday morning, police said, just over a week out from Election Day. Local officials said three ballots were damaged in Portland while potentially “hundreds” were affected in Vancouver. Source

• Thursday, 10/24/2024 - Mailbox Arson Damages Ballots in Phoenix -  Arizona’s secretary of state said affected voters would be contacted to make sure they could get a new ballot. A curbside postal collection box in Phoenix was set on fire early Thursday, damaging an estimated 20 mail-in ballots before firefighters extinguished the blaze, the city’s Fire Department said. The arson came at a sensitive time in a tense presidential race in Arizona, a swing state, but a man arrested in connection with the fire said he did not intend to affect the election, according to the authorities. Source 

10/13/2024: Armed man arrested outside Trump’s Coachella rally — and sheriff says it was possible third assassination attempt - Local cops arrested an armed man outside Donald Trump’s Coachella Valley rally on Saturday, and the local sheriff said it may have been a third assassination attempt against the former president. The suspect — identified as 49-year-old Las Vegas resident Vem Miller — was caught at a checkpoint about a quarter-mile from the rally with fake VIP passes to the rally and fake press passes — as well as unregistered weapons, including a loaded shotgun, a handgun and a high-capacity magazine, according to the Riverside County sheriff’s office. Miller did not have a valid ID when he was stopped at the rally checkpoint, and was detained after police searched his vehicle and found the weapons, law enforcement sources told The Post. Source

9/15/2024: 2nd Assassination Attempt on Former President Trump today - President Trump was tackled by the Secret Service on the fifth hole of his golf course among shots being fired at him. The U.S. Secret Service said it was investigating and that the incident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. “The former president is safe,” according to the Secret Service “President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time," Steven Cheung, Trump Campaign Communications Director, said in the statement. “Within seconds, the Secret Service pounced on the president and covered him. You had snipers with tripods. They knew the direction where the shots had been fired, and they had eyes on the location where the shots had been fired.” The Secret Service then returned fire at the assailant. The Trump shooter has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh. (Multiple Sources) 

7/23/2024: Secret Service director steps down, heeding calls to quit after Trump assassination attempt - Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers had demanded the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle after a contentious hearing on Monday. In her resignation letter, obtained from a senior official who received it, Cheatle wrote that the "scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases." She added she takes "full responsibility for the security lapse." It's unclear when her last day will be. Source

7/14/2024 - Trump heads to convention as authorities investigate motive, security in assassination attempt -  Former President Donald Trump called for unity and resilience Sunday after an attempt on his life injected fresh uncertainty into an already tumultuous presidential campaign, while President Joe Biden implored Americans to “cool it down” in the final stretch and “resolve our differences at the ballot box.” The opponents’ statements followed an attack that shook the firmament of the American political system, causing at least a temporary detente in a heated presidential campaign expected to resume again in earnest amid the pageantry of the upcoming Republican National Convention. Source

President Joe Biden, in a rare address from the Oval Office, condemned the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and called on Americans “to lower the temperature in our politics.” Earlier, Biden ordered an independent review of security measures at the rally where Trump survived an assassination attempt. Trump, who says he was shot in the ear, was rushed off the stage to safety with blood on his face. The gunman and an audience member are dead, while two attendees who were injured are now stable, according to law enforcement. See how the assassination attempt unfolded. The FBI has identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The agency said that Crooks acted alone and that it is still actively investigating his background, including working to gain access to his phone. The Secret Service is now facing serious questions — and calls for congressional investigations — into the handling of security around the rally.

7/13/2024 - Assassination Attempt at Trump's Campaign Rally - Former President Donald Trump’s rally speech in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening began just as it had at dozens of rallies previously – his attendees chanted “USA! USA!” and Trump clapped and pointed to faces in the crowd before taking the lectern. About 150 yards to the north of the former president, a gunman was climbing onto the roof of a building outside the rally security perimeter. He had an AR-style rifle with him. Six minutes into the former president’s speech, the gunman took aim at Trump and squeezed the trigger. Source 

• What happened next was as miraculous as it was historic. The gunman, later identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired multiple shots, including one that Trump said skimmed his ear. Trump ducked to the ground. Five Secret Service agents rushed to the stage and covered the former president, as the “pop-pop” from another two additional bursts of gunfire rang out across the Butler Farm Show grounds.

• Forty-three seconds after the first shot was fired, a Secret Service agent said the shooter was down. Trump, his ear and face bloodied, was brought to his feet. He raised his fist in a defiant pose to his supporters to let them know he was OK before agents took him off the stage and into his SUV. 

• At least three rally attendees were shot, one of whom was killed.

April 6, 2025 - Idaho has authorized the de*th penalty by f*ring squad for pedophiles. Source 

March 27, 2025 - Mississippi governor signs income tax elimination bill - Governor Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) signed House Bill 1, which eliminates the state’s individual income tax. The signing took place at the Governor’s Mansion on March 27. “I am proud to sign into law a complete elimination of the individual income tax in the state of Mississippi,” said Reeves. “Let me say that again: Mississippi will no longer tax the work, the earnings, or the ambition of its people. The legislation I’m signing today puts us in a rare class of elite, competitive states. There are only a handful of states in the country that do not tax income. Today, Mississippi joins their ranks – and in doing so, we plant our flag.” The bill also reduces the grocery tax from 7% to 5% and raises the gas tax by a total of $0.09 over three years. “Regardless of the other features or how you feel about other aspects of the bill, there’s no denying it eliminates the income tax in as soon as 14 years. While that’s not fast enough for some, the House plan was a little faster than that—11 years,” said White. Democratic lawmakers in both the House and Senate have voice strong opposition to the bill, particularly because of its impact on the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Starting in 2026, new state employees would see their retirement contributions split between a traditional pension and a 401(k)-style plan. State Senator David Blount (D-District 29) argued that this change will hurt Mississippi’s public employees. “This bill is wrong for the retirement system, and it’s going to make it harder for school districts, for first responders, firefighters, law enforcement to be retained to do those vital jobs when their retirement benefits are not nearly what they are now,” Blount stated. According to White, the Senate invited a conference on Senate Bill 3095 last week. He is willing to negotiate about a trigger, but they want it to be reasonable. Source 

March 24, 2025 - Missouri is moving quickly to seize Chinese-owned farmland and other assets in a bid to collect its landmark $24 billion civil judgment against Beijing for harm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Attorney General Andrew Bailey says. Source 

February 23, 2025 - Trump officials prepare plans to revive Title 42 policy to expel migrants, documents show - The Trump administration has prepared plans to implement a policy that would allow U.S. immigration officials to swiftly expel migrants on the grounds that they could spread diseases like tuberculosis, according to internal government documents obtained by CBS News. The plans would revive a border measure known as Title 42 that the first Trump administration enacted at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to authorize summary expulsions of migrants. The Biden administration kept that policy in place amid record levels of illegal crossings at the U.S. southern border until letting it expire in 2023. Source 

February 21, 2025 -  Trump signs order blocking China from 'all US crown jewels'. Critical off-limit sectors now farms, food supply, natural resources, ports and security tech. Source 

February 21, 2025 - Trump just erased the first-ever federal police misconduct database — erasing records of terminations, abuse, and civil rights violations meant to keep problem officers from hopping to new agencies unchecked. The database, created in 2022 after George Floyd's murder, tracked thousands of these bad cops, who can now disappear and start fresh. Source