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Whistleblower: ‘Entire Republican Apparatus’ Targeted by Jack Smith with 197 Subpoenas
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Whistleblower: ‘Entire Republican Apparatus’ Targeted by Jack Smith with 197 Subpoenas

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Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley announced Wednesday that former Special Counsel Jack Smith and his team issued nearly 200 subpoenas as part of a wide-reaching federal investigation that he said targeted “the entire Republican apparatus.”

Speaking at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Grassley detailed new disclosures showing that the Department of Justice and the FBI used their authority to investigate Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, and multiple conservative organizations through an operation known as “Arctic Frost.”

According to internal DOJ and FBI documents first released earlier this year, the probe was launched in April 2022 and focused on Trump’s post-2020 election activities, including the alternate elector efforts in several battleground states.

As part of the investigation, agents reportedly seized government-issued cell phones belonging to both Trump and Pence and conducted numerous interviews across the country.

Grassley said the newly obtained materials indicate that the operation extended far beyond those directly connected to the Trump campaign, reaching into conservative networks, donors, and affiliated organizations.

“I’ve obtained through legally protected whistleblower disclosures,” Grassley said, “197 subpoenas were issued by Jack Smith and his team. These subpoenas were issued to 34 individuals and 163 businesses, including financial institutions.”

Grassley said the subpoenas sought information and communications relating to more than 430 individuals and organizations, all tied in some way to Republican or conservative activity.

The list reportedly includes entities such as Turning Point USA and the Republican Attorneys General Association.

Grassley identified former FBI agent Walter Giardina as one of the main points of contact named in many of the subpoenas.

“One subpoena to Apple sought records related to Trump and the ‘January 6th Prison Choir,’” Grassley said, referring to a group of inmates who were detained for their involvement in the Capitol breach.

“Some subpoenas to individuals and businesses sought statistical data and analysis relating to donors and fundraising efforts,” Grassley continued.

“Contrary to what Smith has said publicly, this was a fishing expedition.”

Grassley said the scale of the operation demonstrates that the special counsel’s team used investigative tools beyond what was justified by the stated purpose of the inquiry.

“If this had happened to Democrats, they’d be as rightly outraged as we are outraged,” Grassley said.

According to Grassley, the records show that the Department of Justice used taxpayer funding to execute the operation under the Biden-Harris administration, targeting political opponents under the pretext of an ongoing criminal investigation.

“Operation Arctic Frost” was one of several federal efforts that have drawn scrutiny from Republican lawmakers over concerns about the politicization of federal law enforcement.

In response to Grassley’s remarks, President Trump issued a statement on Wednesday calling for investigations into the officials involved in “Operation Arctic Frost” and related cases.

“Former FBI Agent Walter Giardina is a DIRTY COP! He should be, along with Deranged Jack Smith, the sinister team of Lisa Monaco and Andrew Weissmann, Liddle’ Jay Bratt, Norm Eisen and his FAKE Charity, CREW, Christopher Wray, Merrick Garland, Thomas Windom, who dreamt up the corrupt J-6 Witch Hunt, should be investigated, immediately,” Trump said.

“They are a disgrace to our Nation,” Trump added.

“Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The Justice Department has not publicly commented on Grassley’s disclosures. Congressional aides said the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to request additional documents from the DOJ and FBI to determine whether political considerations influenced the scope of “Operation Arctic Frost.”

Grassley’s findings come amid a broader congressional review of past and ongoing Justice Department investigations involving political figures and campaigns.

Lawmakers are expected to question senior DOJ and FBI officials about the program’s authorization and oversight in upcoming hearings.

Chicago Dem Candidate Indicted Over Attack on ICE Agent at Broadview Facility
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Chicago Dem Candidate Indicted Over Attack on ICE Agent at Broadview Facility

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Federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment charging six individuals, including congressional candidate and former Media Matters activist Kat Abughazaleh, Cook County Board candidate Catherine “Cat” Sharp, and Democratic committeeman Michael Rabbitt, for their alleged involvement in a violent confrontation outside a federal immigration facility in Broadview, Illinois.

The indictment, filed in the Northern District of Illinois and unsealed Wednesday, accuses the defendants of conspiring to obstruct a federal officer assigned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Prosecutors allege that the six “prevented by force, intimidation, and threat” an ICE agent from performing his lawful duties during the September 26 protest at the Broadview Processing Center.

According to court documents, the group surrounded a federal vehicle entering the facility, struck the hood and windows, and damaged its exterior by scratching the word “PIG” into the side.

The indictment states that protesters broke the vehicle’s mirrors and windshield wipers while blocking the agent’s path, forcing him to move “at an extremely slow rate of speed” to avoid hitting individuals in the crowd.

The Broadview ICE facility, located just outside Chicago, is used for processing illegal aliens detained in the region.

The site has been a recurring location for weekly demonstrations organized by anti-ICE activists.

Authorities said the September 26 protest escalated when agitators blocked entry and refused to disperse, prompting federal officers to deploy pepper balls and tear gas to clear the area.

Along with Abughazaleh, Sharp, and Rabbitt, three others — identified as Andre Martin, Brian Straw, and Joselyn Walsh — were charged under Title 18 of the U.S. Code, Sections 111(a)(1), 372, and 2, covering assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers and conspiracy to interfere with federal law enforcement operations.

Each count carries potential prison time if convicted.

Following the unsealing of the indictment, Abughazaleh released a video on X acknowledging the charges.

“I have been charged in a federal indictment sought by the Department of Justice. This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights. I’m not backing down, and we’re going to win,” she said.

In a longer video statement, Abughazaleh identified herself as a candidate running in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District and characterized the prosecution as politically motivated.

“This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt to silence dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment,” she said.

“This case is a major push by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish anyone who speaks out against them.”

Abughazaleh went on to allege that protesters have been “hit, dragged, thrown, shot with pepper balls, and tear gassed” by federal officers during immigration enforcement demonstrations.

“The Trump administration wants you to be afraid of speaking out against it and its anti-democratic power grabs,” she said, vowing to fight the charges and continue her campaign.

Prosecutors, however, maintain that the defendants’ actions went beyond constitutionally protected speech.

The indictment describes a coordinated effort to physically obstruct and intimidate a federal officer and damage government property during the course of official duties.

ICE officials confirmed that the September 26 incident caused significant disruption to enforcement operations at the facility and resulted in property damage to multiple government vehicles. No officers were seriously injured.

All six defendants were arraigned this week and released on bond pending trial.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on ongoing litigation but confirmed that additional evidence, including video recordings from the scene, will be introduced as part of the case.

Federal officials have reiterated that while peaceful protest is protected, violence, intimidation, and obstruction of federal agents constitute criminal conduct.

The case will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for later this month in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

Democrats Panic as Karine Jean-Pierre’s Book Tour Goes Off the Rails
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Democrats Panic as Karine Jean-Pierre’s Book Tour Goes Off the Rails

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Several Democratic officials and former Biden White House staffers are expressing frustration over former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s ongoing book tour, according to a report published Wednesday by Politico.

Jean-Pierre, who served as press secretary during former President Joe Biden’s administration, is promoting her new memoir, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.

The book details her time in the administration and her decision to leave the Democratic Party.

However, her recent media appearances have drawn criticism from within Democratic circles, with some allies privately questioning her ability to effectively communicate her own message.

According to Politico, multiple former Biden aides have exchanged messages expressing concern over what they described as a lack of clarity in Jean-Pierre’s interviews.

“A car crash is fascinating to watch,” one anonymous Democratic communications strategist told the outlet.

“She was the top communicator for the president of the United States and she can’t get through basic interviews.”

The same strategist compared Jean-Pierre’s interview with The New Yorker on Monday to “watching Mike Tyson fight a baby,” describing her responses as unprepared and disjointed.

Jeremy Edwards, a former White House spokesperson under Biden, publicly echoed those concerns, writing on X that Jean-Pierre’s New Yorker interview was “objectively bad.”

Another former colleague, speaking anonymously to Politico, said, “It’s like watching a toddler jump into the deep end of the pool,” while a separate ex-White House official added that Jean-Pierre “doesn’t seem to have any idea what she’s arguing” in her memoir.

The book tour comes at a time when Democratic leaders are attempting to refine their message ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Some Democrats cited in the report expressed concern that Jean-Pierre’s focus on divisions within the party could distract from broader campaign goals.

“It’s a sad commentary on where things are,” one former Biden-Harris administration official told Politico.

“The premise of the book doesn’t really make any sense, it’s sort of illogical. Being back out there and regurgitating those three weeks: it’s just unhelpful right now and we need to be focusing on the things Democrats need to be doing to fight back against Trump.”

The same source criticized the language used in Jean-Pierre’s recent interviews, describing it as “very identity focused” and out of step with the communication approach Democrats hope to use moving forward.

“It’s bringing us back in time and we need to be going forward and focused on communications that we know will work in this era,” the official said.

Not all Democrats were critical, however.

Jennifer Palmieri, who served as White House communications director under former President Barack Obama, defended Jean-Pierre’s perspective.

“The truth is that Karine has always been an independent voice throughout her career in politics, so I don’t find her views all that surprising,” Palmieri said.

“But in the end I think people who hear about the book will consider it to represent one woman’s view and it won’t have any impact on the party one way or another.”

Jean-Pierre’s memoir also revisits internal tensions from the final months of the Biden-Harris administration, including debates over Kamala Harris’s role in the 2024 election.

In the book, Jean-Pierre writes that calls for an open Democratic primary following Biden’s withdrawal from the race were “an insult” to Harris.

Outside of Democratic circles, Jean-Pierre’s public remarks have drawn commentary from media figures.

SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly criticized her for frequently emphasizing her identity as “black and queer,” while former CNN anchor Jim Acosta questioned her about Biden’s age and fitness for office during an Oct. 22 appearance on The Jim Acosta Show.

The controversy comes as the Democratic Party faces increasing pressure to consolidate messaging and voter outreach ahead of the next election cycle.

Party strategists have warned that internal divisions and inconsistent messaging could hinder efforts to compete with Republican candidates in key congressional and gubernatorial races.

Sen. Thune Had Enough, Goes Ballistic on Dems 13 Votes to Keep Government Shutdown
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Sen. Thune Had Enough, Goes Ballistic on Dems 13 Votes to Keep Government Shutdown

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) delivered a forceful speech Wednesday on the Senate floor, criticizing Democrats for continuing to block government funding measures as the current shutdown nears the longest in U.S. history.

The shutdown, now in its 29th day, is approaching the 35-day record set in 2019.

Thune accused Senate Democrats of refusing to pass clean temporary funding bills — known as continuing resolutions (CRs) — despite repeated opportunities to do so.

According to Thune, Republicans have brought 13 clean funding measures to the floor since the shutdown began, each one rejected by Senate Democrats.

The impasse has left multiple federal programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), without funding.

“People should be getting paid in this country. And we’ve tried to do that 13 times. And you voted no 13 times,” Thune said.

“This isn’t a political game. These are real people’s lives that we’re talking about. And you all have just figured out, 29 days in, that, oh, there might be some consequences.”

Thune added that while federal agencies have managed to operate temporarily on reserve funds, those resources are nearly depleted.

“There are people who are running out of money,” he said.

“Yeah, we’re 29 days in. And they’ve done their best to make sure that a lot of these programs are funded. But at some point, the government runs out of money. Thirteen times, people over here voted to fund SNAP. Thirteen times, they voted to fund WIC.”

The South Dakota senator criticized Democrats for holding out in pursuit of broader policy goals unrelated to government operations.

Republican leaders say Democrats have conditioned their votes on the inclusion of provisions extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which are set to expire under the terms of the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022.

The deadlock has also impacted other federal benefits programs and pay for certain federal employees, prompting growing frustration in both parties.

In the evenly divided Senate, Republicans need at least eight Democratic votes to overcome a filibuster and advance a funding bill.

So far, only three Democratic senators have joined Republicans in voting to reopen the government.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has voted against the proposed CRs, citing concerns about spending levels, but Thune said the broader obstacle remains Democratic opposition.

“What Democrats are doing here,” Thune said, “they’re making plans to keep the shutdown going.”

The senator also pointed to what he described as a double standard in the Democrats’ approach to government shutdowns.

He noted that leading Democrats — including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — have previously condemned Republicans for using funding debates as leverage in policy negotiations.

In September 2023, when several conservative lawmakers threatened to block a CR, Schumer accused Republicans of “recklessly marching our nation to the brink of a shutdown.”

He said then, “If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most.”

Weeks later, during a December 13 speech, Schumer argued that Congress should “pass a clean CR to keep the government open,” rejecting Republican efforts to attach policy riders.

Thune said those same arguments now apply to Democrats, who have rejected clean funding bills to push unrelated provisions.

“We have tried again and again to keep this government open,” Thune said.

“It is Democrats who are standing in the way.”

As the shutdown continues into its fifth week, congressional leaders from both parties are facing increased pressure to reach an agreement.

SNAP and other nutrition programs are expected to run out of funds within days if no action is taken.

The Senate is expected to hold another procedural vote on a funding resolution before the weekend.

The White House has not issued a formal statement on the Senate impasse.

Treasury officials have warned that extended inaction could delay payments to federal contractors and furloughed employees if no resolution is reached in the coming days.

Federal Appeals Court Halts Judge’s Wild Ruling Against Border Patrol Chief
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Federal Appeals Court Halts Judge’s Wild Ruling Against Border Patrol Chief

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A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked an order issued by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis that required Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino to meet with her in person every weekday evening to discuss enforcement activities in Chicago.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit granted an administrative stay Wednesday following an emergency request from the Department of Justice, which argued that Judge Ellis’s order “far exceeds the recognized bounds of discovery” and interferes with the lawful duties of federal immigration enforcement officials.

The dispute stems from a case involving the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Midway Blitz, a joint federal and local operation conducted in Chicago.

The court action followed allegations that Border Patrol and other federal agents used tear gas and crowd control measures against protesters, journalists, and clergy in violation of a temporary restraining order issued by Judge Ellis earlier this year.

During a hearing on Tuesday, Ellis expressed frustration with what she described as repeated violations of her order and directed Commander Bovino to appear before her in person each weekday to “go over the events of the day” until a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for November 5.

Attorneys for the Department of Justice immediately sought emergency relief, calling the requirement “extraordinary” and asserting that it interfered with Bovino’s ability to perform his duties.

In filings to the Seventh Circuit, government lawyers wrote that the order “significantly interferes with Commander Bovino’s function, which is ensuring the Nation’s immigration laws are properly enforced.”

The Justice Department also argued that Ellis’s directive was “untethered to the plaintiffs’ underlying claims” and “goes beyond reasonable necessity to ensure compliance” with existing court orders.

The appeal requested an immediate stay while the department prepares a broader challenge to the ruling.

The Seventh Circuit granted the DOJ’s request, pausing enforcement of Ellis’s order until further review.

The stay temporarily relieves Bovino of the requirement to meet daily with the judge, though the case remains active.

The original temporary restraining order, issued earlier this year, limited the use of tear gas and other riot control measures during immigration-related enforcement actions involving public gatherings or demonstrations.

The plaintiffs—comprised of activist and media groups—accused federal agents of violating that order during recent enforcement operations in Chicago, prompting Judge Ellis to expand court oversight.

Court filings indicate that Ellis’s order requiring daily meetings was intended to ensure transparency and accountability in ongoing enforcement actions.

However, federal attorneys contended that the directive created an operational burden on DHS leadership and effectively placed day-to-day immigration enforcement under direct judicial supervision.

The appeals court’s administrative stay will remain in place while a three-judge panel considers the Justice Department’s full motion to vacate the order.

Legal experts say the panel could determine whether the lower court exceeded its authority in imposing direct oversight on a federal law enforcement official.

The preliminary injunction hearing remains scheduled for November 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

The Seventh Circuit has not yet indicated when it will issue a final ruling on the stay request.

Neither the Department of Justice nor representatives for Judge Ellis commented publicly on the appeals court’s decision.

The Department of Homeland Security has not provided additional details regarding the ongoing enforcement operation or the scope of the court’s restrictions.

The case highlights the ongoing tension between federal immigration enforcement agencies and judicial oversight of crowd control and protest-related actions, particularly in major urban areas where DHS operations intersect with local law enforcement and activist groups.

DOJ Sues Eight States Over Dirty Voter Rolls as Harmeet Dhillon Cracks Down
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DOJ Sues Eight States Over Dirty Voter Rolls as Harmeet Dhillon Cracks Down

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Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon announced this week that the Department of Justice has filed lawsuits against multiple states for failing to comply with federal requests to review their voter rolls, part of an effort to ensure that only eligible U.S. citizens are registered to vote.

“We’ve been asking states to produce the data of their voter rolls, to be able to make sure that they only have citizens on the rolls and that they don’t have duplicates and have people voting in multiple jurisdictions,” Dhillon told Just The News.

“So we’ve had to file eight lawsuits throughout the United States to enforce our data requests, which is something that they have to comply with under the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act of 1960.”

The lawsuits were filed against California, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New York, Oregon, and Maine.

According to Dhillon, these states have not complied with requirements under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), both of which require states to maintain accurate and up-to-date voter registration lists.

The Department of Justice is seeking access to full voter registration data, including names, dates of birth, addresses, state driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers, to determine whether voter rolls include duplicate registrations or noncitizens.

Dhillon said the goal is to ensure election integrity by confirming that all individuals on state voter rolls are legally eligible to vote.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly emphasized the need for accurate voter rolls and stronger election oversight since widespread concerns over the 2020 election.

Dhillon said her division is now prioritizing voter roll enforcement as a key step in restoring public confidence in election systems.

“This is an important task and tool that has really been neglected,” Dhillon said.

“In fact, when we started to bring these cases, some of the legacy lawyers in the Civil Rights Division told us that they were unfamiliar with how to do these cases. They’ve never been done in the Civil Rights Division before. So we were proud to bring back these statutes and enforce them.”

The move marks the first time in decades that the Civil Rights Division has taken this kind of direct enforcement action under the statutes.

Dhillon said her team is working to ensure compliance across all 50 states ahead of major elections next year.

In addition to the lawsuits, Dhillon said the Justice Department will also be deploying federal attorneys to monitor upcoming elections in several jurisdictions at the request of candidates.

Federal poll watchers will be present in areas of California, where a redistricting measure is on the ballot, and in Passaic County, New Jersey, where voters will choose assembly members and a governor in a statewide election on November 4.

Dhillon said the Department’s decision to send monitors has faced pushback from some Democratic state officials.

“This has met with some resistance by some state officials,” she said.

“[California] Governor Newsom has gone nutso on criticizing this, but I don’t recall ever hearing him object, or prior Democrat governors objecting when the Democrat Department of Justice sent election monitors to these jurisdictions.”

“And so turnabout is fair play,” she added.

“We’re just responding to requests from folks. I don’t know why anybody should be concerned about federal monitors when this is something that’s been done in many elections in the past.”

State officials in several of the targeted jurisdictions have raised objections to the Justice Department’s demands, arguing that federal requests for voter registration information may violate state privacy laws.

Officials in Michigan and Pennsylvania have signaled that they intend to challenge the lawsuits in court.

The Department of Justice maintains that the information sought is within its legal authority under the NVRA and the Civil Rights Act.

The law, passed in 1960, requires that states make voter registration records available for federal review to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.

Dhillon said the effort is part of a broader initiative under President Trump’s administration to strengthen election oversight, enforce voter integrity laws, and ensure equal protection under federal election statutes.

“We’re using every lawful tool available to make sure the system works as intended,” Dhillon said.

Bill Gates Confesses He Was ‘Completely Wrong’ on Climate Change, Trump Declares Victory
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Bill Gates Confesses He Was ‘Completely Wrong’ on Climate Change, Trump Declares Victory

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President Donald Trump declared victory Wednesday in what he called the “War on the Climate Change Hoax” after Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates publicly stated that climate change “will not lead to humanity’s demise.”

Posting on Truth Social, President Trump wrote, “I (WE!) just won the War on the Climate Change Hoax. Bill Gates has finally admitted that he was completely WRONG on the issue. It took courage to do so, and for that we are all grateful. MAGA!!!”

The president’s comments came after Gates published an open letter ahead of the upcoming United Nations COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil.

In the letter, Gates argued that while climate change remains an important global challenge, it is not an existential threat to humanity and should not overshadow urgent issues such as poverty and disease.

“Although climate change will hurt poor people more than anyone else, for the vast majority of them, it will not be the only or even the biggest threat to their lives and welfare,” Gates wrote.

“The biggest problems are poverty and disease, just as they always have been.”

The 70-year-old billionaire philanthropist, who has invested heavily in clean energy and climate initiatives through his Breakthrough Energy venture, called for a shift in priorities toward improving global health and living standards.

He argued that efforts to reduce emissions should not come at the expense of other humanitarian causes.

“To be clear: Climate change is a very important problem. It needs to be solved, along with other problems like malaria and malnutrition,” Gates continued.

“Every tenth of a degree of heating that we prevent is hugely beneficial because a stable climate makes it easier to improve people’s lives.”

Gates noted that significant progress has already been made toward reducing emissions and improving environmental sustainability.

“People will be able to live and thrive in most places on Earth for the foreseeable future,” he wrote.

“Emissions projections have gone down, and with the right policies and investments, innovation will allow us to drive emissions down much further.”

He added that policymakers and global leaders should focus on reducing suffering rather than solely pursuing numerical temperature goals.

“Our chief goal should be to prevent suffering, particularly for those in the toughest conditions who live in the world’s poorest countries,” Gates wrote.

In his remarks, Gates said that health and development funding should not be sacrificed for climate goals, emphasizing that measurable improvements in quality of life—such as eradicating diseases and providing access to basic healthcare—should be treated as equal priorities.

According to the Financial Times, Gates later told reporters, “If you said to me, ‘Hey, what about 0.1 degrees versus malaria eradication?’ I’ll let the temperature go up 0.1 degrees to get rid of malaria. People don’t understand the suffering that exists today.”

The comments represent a notable shift from Gates’s earlier stance. In his 2021 book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, he warned of dire long-term consequences if global emissions were not drastically reduced.

Over the past two decades, Gates has spent billions of dollars on climate-related projects, including investments in more than 150 clean energy startups.

Gates launched Breakthrough Energy in 2015 to support clean technology innovation and later added a policy division in Washington to advocate for emissions reduction initiatives.

Earlier this year, the company announced significant cuts, including the elimination of its climate policy group, signaling a change in focus.

Despite his new emphasis on balancing priorities, Gates said that clean energy research and development would remain vital to global progress.

“Temperature is not the best way to measure our progress on climate,” he said.

Climate scientists and advocates have reacted sharply to Gates’s remarks. Michael Oppenheimer, a Princeton University professor of geosciences and international affairs, told The New York Times that Gates’s framing was “a misleading narrative usually propagated by climate skeptics.”

“Despite his efforts to make clear that he takes climate change seriously, his words are bound to be misused by those who would like nothing more than to destroy efforts to deal with climate change,” Oppenheimer said.

Others disagreed. Johannes Ackva, who leads climate work at Founders Pledge, told the outlet that Gates’s perspective reflected a pragmatic shift.

“He saw the U.S.A.I.D. situation as more pressing, and something where he could be more effective,” Ackva said.

In his open letter, Gates wrote that COP30 provides an opportunity for world leaders to adopt a broader and more balanced view of global challenges.

“It’s not too late to adopt a different view and adjust our strategies for dealing with climate change,” Gates said.

“COP30 is an excellent place to begin, especially because the summit’s Brazilian leadership is putting climate adaption and human development high on the agenda.”

Trump Urges Republicans to Go ‘Nuclear’ to End the Democrats’ Shut Down
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Trump Urges Republicans to Go ‘Nuclear’ to End the Democrats’ Shut Down

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President Donald Trump on Thursday called on Senate Republicans to invoke the “nuclear option” to bypass the 60-vote filibuster rule and allow legislation to reopen the federal government to pass with a simple majority vote.

The president’s call came as the shutdown entered its 30th day, with both chambers deadlocked over a temporary spending measure.

“It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

The president said the move would allow the Senate to approve a short-term funding bill that Democrats have repeatedly blocked.

Trump explained that the issue came up frequently during his recent Asia trip, which included meetings in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea.

“The one question that kept coming up, however, was how did the Democrats SHUT DOWN the United States of America, and why did the powerful Republicans allow them to do it?” he wrote.

The president said he reflected on that question during his return flight from South Korea.

“The fact is, in flying back, I thought a great deal about that question, WHY?” he wrote.

In his post, Trump praised Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson for their handling of negotiations but blamed Democrats for prolonging the shutdown.

“Majority Leader John Thune, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, are doing a GREAT job, but the Democrats are Crazed Lunatics that have lost all sense of WISDOM and REALITY,” he wrote.

“It is a sick form of the now ‘legendary’ Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) that only comes from losing too much.”

Trump said Democratic demands in the shutdown negotiations “will hurt American citizens, and Republicans will not let it happen.”

The Senate has held multiple votes on a Trump-backed continuing resolution that would temporarily restore federal funding at pre-shutdown levels, but Democrats have blocked it more than a dozen times since Oct. 1.

Under current Senate rules, most legislation requires 60 votes to advance, leaving Republicans five votes short of the total needed to move their funding bill forward.

The president said the 60-vote requirement is preventing the government from reopening and argued that Democrats themselves had tried unsuccessfully to eliminate the rule when they held power.

“Just a short while ago, the Democrats, while in power, fought for three years to do this, but were unable to pull it off because of Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona,” Trump wrote.

“Never have the Democrats fought so hard to do something because they knew the tremendous strength that terminating the Filibuster would give them.”

The president also warned that Democrats would use a simple-majority system to push through sweeping structural changes if given the chance.

He cited potential moves to “substantially expand (PACK!) the United States Supreme Court, make Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico States (Thereby automatically picking up 4 Senate seats, many House seats, and at least 8 Electoral Votes!), and many other highly destructive things.”

Trump said eliminating the filibuster now could both end the shutdown and advance other administration priorities.

“Well, now WE are in power, and if we did what we should be doing, it would IMMEDIATELY end this ridiculous, Country destroying ‘SHUT DOWN,’” he wrote.

He added that ending the rule would also allow for faster confirmation of nominees, saying it would secure “the best Judges, the best US Attorneys, the best of everything.”

The president noted that the filibuster debate dates back to the Obama administration.

“[T]his was a concept from years ago of then President Barack Hussein Obama and former Majority Leader Harry Reid in order to take advantage of the Republicans. Now I want to do it in order to take advantage of the Democrats….” he wrote.

In a separate post, Trump reiterated his position: “BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE GONE STONE COLD ‘CRAZY,’ THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE ‘NUCLEAR OPTION,’ GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Senate Majority Leader Thune, who reaffirmed his support for preserving the filibuster in January, has so far dismissed calls to remove it.

Earlier this month, he said he had not discussed the nuclear option with the White House.

The stalemate continues as the government shutdown stretches into its fifth week.

DHS Captures 46 Illegal Aliens in Single New Jersey Workplace Raid
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DHS Captures 46 Illegal Aliens in Single New Jersey Workplace Raid

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Federal authorities confirmed Thursday that 46 illegal aliens were taken into custody during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operation at a freight warehouse in Avenel, New Jersey. The action took place Wednesday as part of a broader federal initiative targeting immigration compliance at commercial facilities.

According to DHS officials, law enforcement personnel executed an inspection at a federally authorized container freight station in Avenel.

The inspection was part of an ongoing campaign designed to verify compliance with federal immigration and security regulations across the supply chain.

During the operation, agents identified 46 workers who were in the United States illegally—representing roughly 22 percent of the facility’s total workforce.

All 46 individuals were taken into federal custody and now face immigration proceedings, officials said.

The agency did not disclose details about their countries of origin or current detention locations, citing privacy and procedural considerations.

Surveillance footage from the scene reportedly showed groups of workers being escorted into waiting federal vans as officers secured the perimeter of the warehouse.

The operation involved multiple federal units and was described by authorities as a coordinated enforcement action focusing on both immigration and facility security compliance.

In a statement, DHS said the inspection was part of its continuing efforts to “safeguard the integrity of the supply chain and verify that warehouse operators are adhering to all applicable security requirements.”

A DHS spokesperson added, “DHS is committed to maintaining the highest levels of security and accountability within bonded facilities to protect both U.S. commerce and the public.”

Officials did not identify the company operating the Avenel warehouse and declined to comment on whether the employer could face administrative or civil penalties.

The agency also did not specify if additional arrests or inspections are expected as part of this enforcement effort.

The Avenel operation follows a series of similar federal actions this year aimed at tightening workplace oversight.

Nearly two months earlier, agents conducted a large-scale operation at a Hyundai-LG battery manufacturing facility in Georgia, where 475 individuals—mostly South Korean nationals—were detained on suspicion of working illegally in the United States.

That operation was one of the largest workplace enforcement efforts carried out under the current administration and signaled a renewed focus on labor-site immigration enforcement nationwide.

Officials have described these actions as part of DHS’s broader goal to ensure that bonded warehouses, factories, and other high-security commercial operations remain in compliance with both immigration and trade-related requirements.

The agency has emphasized that enforcement efforts are intended to protect legitimate businesses, maintain national security standards, and uphold the integrity of federally regulated facilities.

As of Thursday, DHS said the 46 individuals arrested in New Jersey remain in custody pending the outcome of their immigration cases.

The investigation into the Avenel facility’s employment practices remains ongoing.

Trump Finalizes Major Trade Agreement With South Korea During Summit
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Trump Finalizes Major Trade Agreement With South Korea During Summit

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President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the United States and South Korea have reached a trade agreement, signaling a breakthrough in negotiations that had lingered for months and temporarily boosting the value of South Korea’s currency, as reported by Newsmax.

Speaking ahead of a dinner hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Trump confirmed the news when asked whether a deal had been struck.

“We did, we did. We did reach a deal,” he said. The president later added, “We made our deal, pretty much finalized it,” though he did not provide specific details about the agreement.

President Donald J. Trump speaks with members of the press prior to boarding Marine One to begin his trip to South Carolina. Washington, D.C. – February 28, 2020

Following Trump’s remarks, the South Korean won rose 0.54% against the U.S. dollar as of 10:01 GMT, reflecting investor confidence in the announcement and the potential relief it could bring to one of Asia’s most trade-dependent economies.

Prior to the deal, South Korean automakers and steel producers faced a 25% U.S. tariff rate, compared to the 15% rate negotiated earlier in July.

Without an agreement, South Korean companies risked falling behind Japanese competitors, who currently benefit from a similar 15% rate under Tokyo’s trade arrangement with Washington.

The Trump-Lee summit took place as part of the president’s three-nation Asia tour, which began in Malaysia during a meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The South Korea stop was viewed as a crucial opportunity to finalize terms and solidify economic ties between the two countries.

South Korean officials noted that while the overall framework of the deal is complete, differences remain regarding the structure of a $350 billion investment package tied to the agreement.

Officials in Seoul said the two sides remain “sharply” divided over the proportion of cash investments versus loans and loan guarantees. South Korea has been pushing to reduce its upfront cash contribution by increasing the share of financial guarantees.

The new deal is expected to provide greater clarity for manufacturers and exporters in both countries, easing uncertainty that has weighed on the region’s trade markets.

Further details on the terms of the agreement and the structure of the investment package are expected to be released in the coming days following final administrative review by both governments.


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