More than 30,000 students were absent from classes on Monday in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools District as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations increased in the region, according to district data.
The absences occurred as federal authorities carried out “Operation Charlotte’s Web,” an initiative launched by the Department of Homeland Security over the weekend.
DHS officials reported that the operation produced more than 200 detentions across the area in its first days.
WBTV reported that federal agents made 81 arrests on Saturday, describing the total as “record-breaking,” with more than 130 illegal immigrants arrested within the first 48 hours of enforcement activity.
School officials said the absences were concentrated in neighborhoods and campuses with higher Latino enrollment.
Current district data shows that 31 percent of the district’s more than 140,000 students identify as Hispanic.
One teacher at an east Charlotte elementary school said that only four of his 16 students were present.
He explained that families told him parents were keeping children home due to fears of deportation as enforcement actions increased in surrounding communities.
#BREAKING: A Charlotte NC elementary teacher has just admitted on live TV that of his classroom of 16 students, only 4 showed up to school after immigration raids in the city.
The school district is now confirming that 21% of all students did not show up.
Similar reports came from other schools across the district, with absentee rates reaching 65 percent in some buildings.
Families asked the district to move classes online temporarily while ICE operations continued, but the request was denied during a CMS school board meeting on Tuesday, according to WCNC.
Board members did not approve any schedule changes or emergency remote learning plans.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security released a statement listing criminal histories tied to some of the individuals arrested during the operation.
The statement said, “Criminal records of those arrested include known gang membership, aggravated assault, possession of a dangerous weapon, felony larceny, simple assault, hit-and-run, possession of stolen goods, shoplifting, DUI, DWI, and illegal re-entry after prior deportation—a felony.”
District officials said there had been no immigration enforcement activity on school campuses and noted that federal authorities did not conduct operations or arrests at any district facilities.
School administrators said they are continuing to monitor attendance levels while communicating with families about the status of school operations.
Federal prosecutors have announced charges against two Texas men accused of planning an armed attack on Gonâve Island, part of the Republic of Haiti, with the stated goal of killing the men on the island and enslaving the women and children.
The indictment was detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
According to the indictment, Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, of Allen, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, of Argyle allegedly began planning a coup d’état against the inhabitants of Gonâve Island and intended to form a mercenary force to carry out the attack.
Prosecutors said the plan included recruiting and training homeless individuals from the Washington, D.C., area to participate in the operation.
The press release stated, “Weisenburg and Thomas intended to murder all of the men on the island so that they could then turn all of the women and children into their sex slaves.”
Prosecutors said the plan was intended to fulfill what they described as “rape fantasies.”
Federal officials said the pair made progress on several components of the plot.
The indictment states they studied the Haitian Creole language, recruited others into the scheme, and developed operational and logistical plans.
The plans included purchasing firearms, ammunition, and a sailboat to transport themselves and others to the island.
Investigators said Weisenburg enrolled in the North Texas Fire Academy in Rockwall in an effort to develop skills he believed would support the plan.
Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Air Force for the same purpose, according to prosecutors.
In addition to the conspiracy allegations related to the planned attack, Weisenburg and Thomas are charged with coercing a minor to commit sex acts on camera in August.
The indictment states that the planning for the alleged island operation took place between August 2024 and July 2025.
Gonâve Island has an estimated population of approximately 87,000 people and covers roughly 266 square miles.
Prosecutors said that if the alleged plan had been attempted, it would have posed a threat to the entire population.
If convicted of federal conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, both defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
They also face between 15 and 30 years in prison if convicted on the charge of production of child pornography.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that residents in Chicago have been calling to “bring in Trump” following a series of violent incidents in the city’s downtown area Friday night.
The statement came after a disturbance involving hundreds of youths resulted in multiple shootings and injuries to police officers.
A riot broke out in the Chicago Loop near State and Randolph streets shortly before 10 p.m. Friday, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
The activity followed the city’s official Christmas tree lighting ceremony earlier in the evening.
Chicago’s 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins said approximately 300 juveniles were involved, and several officers were attacked with mace and stun guns.
Hopkins confirmed that at least one officer was hospitalized with injuries.
Authorities reported that at least eight minors were shot during the unrest.
The victims included a 13-year-old, two 14-year-olds, a 15-year-old, a 16-year-old, and a 17-year-old.
Less than an hour after the initial reports, a 14-year-old boy was shot in a separate incident and later died at a hospital.
An 18-year-old man was also injured.
In a Saturday post on Truth Social, President Trump wrote, “Massive crime and rioting in the Chicago Loop area. Multiple Police Officers attacked and badly injured. 300 people rioting, 6 victims shot, one critical and one DEAD.” He added, “In the meantime, Governor Pritzker and the Low IQ Mayor of Chicago are refusing Federal Government help for a situation that could be quickly remedied. The people are chanting, BRING IN TRUMP!!!”
The Friday violence occurred days after another high-profile incident on the city’s transit system.
A woman was set on fire aboard a Chicago train in what officials described as a severe attack.
Lawrence Reed, 50, was arrested and charged with committing a terrorist attack or other violence against a mass transportation system. Authorities said he had “no business being on the streets.”
Records show Reed has been arrested dozens of times since 2017.
His prior charges include felony aggravated arson and multiple counts of battery.
Say her name: Bethany MaGee
Bethany was riding a CTA train when career criminal Lawrence Reed doused her with gasoline and set her on fire.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s annual Thanksgiving turkey distribution drew scrutiny this year after her appeal for contributions directed donors to a campaign fundraising page rather than to community groups coordinating the giveaway.
In an email sent two weeks before Thanksgiving, Ocasio-Cortez asked supporters, “Will you chip in $5 or anything you can today to help us bring the joy of the holiday season into homes around NYC this year?”
Selecting the link in the message led to an ActBlue page prompting a one-time or recurring political donation.
TikTok Screenshot-AOC
The page included a disclosure that it was “paid for by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress” and reminded contributors that donations were not tax-deductible.
AOC is already campaigning for Senate by using donations to hand out turkeys to districts “far and wide” in NYC and slapping her sticker on the boxes.
Of course, turkeys will go to many illegals. She doesn’t mention Americans once in her video.
Records show that since 2019, Ocasio-Cortez has participated in turkey distributions similar to those held by numerous New York City officials.
In 2021, she reported raising $33,589.64 for three local charities by directing donors to support organizations conducting the drives.
This year’s fundraising method differed from that prior structure, as contributions were collected through her campaign committee.
Former City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli said, “A campaign is not supposed to be a pass-through for charitable work.”
He questioned how funds would be used if contributions exceeded the cost of turkeys, adding, “This is a clear case of why a campaign is not a charitable organization.”
City Councilman Robert Holden, who hosts turkey drives without asking the public for donations, also commented.
“Socialists like AOC and Mamdani love to promise everything for free, but somehow it always ends with them shaking down working people under the guise of community good will,” he said.
“It is a typical bait and switch, pretending to be for the people while quietly pillaging them for every dollar they can get.”
A review conducted by The Post found that among more than a dozen New York City elected officials who run annual turkey programs, Ocasio-Cortez and Rep.
Gregory Meeks were the only two using campaign funds. Ocasio-Cortez was the only one who asked constituents to contribute financially.
Other officials worked with local charities, community groups, or grocery stores that donated turkeys.
City Council Member Sandra Ung distributed 526 turkeys last year donated by area businesses.
Federal Election Commission data for 2024 show Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign made a $13,101 purchase at Westside Foods in the Bronx three days before Thanksgiving.
That expenditure may have been related to the distribution.
Paul Kamenar of the National Legal and Policy Center reviewed the structure of the solicitation.
“She’s pitching: give it to me to help out people, and then it says it’s going to her benefit,” he said. He described the project as “a shady deal she’s cooking up here” and stated, “It appears that AOC’s turkey giveaway project may be a fraudulent scheme to solicit donations for her campaign.”
He added, “Clearly, a full investigation and audit need to be conducted.”
The FEC told The Post that politicians who solicit donations on behalf of community organizations are not required to report how much money is raised or how those funds are spent.
That means there is no official accounting of how many contributions result in turkey purchases or how much remains with the campaign.
AOC has been handing out turkeys in Queens and wishing people happy Thanksgiving.
That’s strange, AOC used to say “we are standing on native land, and Latinos are descendants of native people.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign declined to explain why donors were directed to her political committee rather than to community groups, but her campaign manager Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben said, “For our Thanksgiving turkey fundraiser, we set a goal that we raise towards and if we surpass it then we order more.”
Ocasio-Cortez discussed the event in an Instagram story on Saturday.
“I want to talk to you all about all the contributions you’ve made,” she said.
“We’ve been able to provide over 1,600 turkeys in the Bronx, and then all of your support and fundraising has raised an additional $20,000 above our raise goal which we are giving 100% to local food pantries to help feed families this Thanksgiving.”
Past statements from the congresswoman list different totals for earlier years’ turkey distributions.
She wrote in her online pitch that she handed out 600 turkeys in 2024, while a campaign video from that year stated 1,000. She put her 2021 number at 650.
Her campaign did not answer follow-up questions about those figures.
Republican National Committee spokesperson Kiersten Pels commented on the arrangement.
“Ocasio-Cortez is running a con under the guise of a charity drive,” she said.
“Slapping a ‘turkey’ label on a campaign fundraiser to trick voters into thinking they’re helping charities is exactly the kind of scam that she and the socialist wing of the Democratic Party rely on.”
Meanwhile…
Who noticed The DNC is suddenly BROKE… right after USAID gets shut down. And now they’re out here begging for a $15 Million loan just to keep the lights on.
These people are TERRIBLE at everything — managing money, running a party, running the country, telling the truth…… pic.twitter.com/sZ5jX7IHhR
A newly disclosed $250,000 grant from the Open Society Foundations has revealed previously unknown financial support for the Center for Countering Digital Hate, the organization that authored the 2021 “Disinformation Dozen” report targeting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other vaccine critics.
The Washington Free Beacon first reported the grant on Monday, identifying it on the Open Society Foundations’ website as “general support.”
The foundation was created and funded by George Soros and is now led by his son, Alex Soros.
The disclosure provides rare insight into the nongovernmental organization’s finances.
According to the Free Beacon, the Center for Countering Digital Hate “does not voluntarily disclose its donors.”
Sayer Ji, chairman of the Global Wellness Forum and founder of GreenMedInfo, wrote on Substack that the Soros-linked support represents only one small portion of “a web of 20+ funders, pass-throughs, hidden trusts, foreign billionaires, and U.S.-U.K. political operatives” supporting the group.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate’s 2021 “Disinformation Dozen” report was cited across major media outlets as the basis for labeling Kennedy and other vaccine skeptics as major sources of online COVID-19 misinformation.
Some media organizations have since issued corrections to reporting based on the list.
In 2023, internal documents leaked by a whistleblower showed that the Center for Countering Digital Hate had planned to “kill Musk’s Twitter” — now X — and conduct “black ops” against Kennedy.
1) EXCLUSIVE DOCUMENTS: Working w/ @mtaibbi we report on @CCDHate documents showing the Labour Party’s political front’s objective is “Kill Musk’s Twitter” thru “Advertising focus” meaning harass his advertisers.
“Black ops” refers to covert operations that hide the identity of those involved.
Jim Hoft, founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, which the Center for Countering Digital Hate attempted to demonetize in 2021, said he was not surprised by the connection to Soros.
Hoft said he was “thrilled that this is finally exposed,” adding that Soros has backed “numerous anti-American protests and movements.”
Ji, who was listed in the “Disinformation Dozen,” told The Defender that the Soros connection is “far more than a simple financial disclosure — it’s the moment the curtain gets pulled back on an elaborate theater of manipulation that has been operating in plain sight, yet hidden behind layers of institutional camouflage.”
Ji said the organization “has never operated as an authentic civil society organization” and instead “functions as a sophisticated influence weapon.”
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, another individual named in the “Disinformation Dozen,” said, “Soros’ money seems to be in everything destructive to liberty and democracy.”
Investigative journalist Paul D. Thacker reported that the Center for Countering Digital Hate has long concealed its donors.
In 2021, the group reported $1,471,247 in donations in its first year operating in the U.S., including an anonymous $1.1 million contribution routed through a Schwab Charitable Fund.
Though the group holds nonprofit status, it is tied to a private Delaware corporation based in Washington, D.C., which does not have to disclose finances.
Thacker said the corporation pays for significant parts of the nonprofit’s operations, including payroll and legal services.
Thacker said, “CCDH does not report their Soros funding because this aligns with their policy of hiding their funders. It’s how Imran Ahmed has always operated since he founded CCDH years ago in London.”
1/ Remember the “Disinformation Dozen”?
In 2021, CCDH labeled 12 Americans—including RFK Jr., myself, and others—as targets for deplatforming.
They pressured Big Tech to silence us for questioning vaccines, challenging pharma narratives, and spreading MISSING Information.
Chiropractor Ben Tapper, also named in the “Disinformation Dozen,” said the group “when pressed, has refused to provide a full donor list.”
The Free Beacon reported that the Center for Countering Digital Hate received $415,000 in 2023 from the Skoll Fund, a philanthropic organization founded by former eBay President Jeff Skoll.
Two members of its board, Gayle E. Smith and Raj Panjabi, played roles in the Biden administration’s COVID-19 response.
A third board member, Shashi Buluswar, previously led GH Labs, a global health nonprofit created by Bill Gates.
Another $403,175 came from the Silicon Valley Communication Foundation, which the Free Beacon described as a donor-advised fund associated with the Skoll Fund.
The foundation does not publicly list its leadership structure.
Ji said the funding, which helped form part of the Center for Countering Digital Hate’s $2.1 million in 2023 revenue, is part of “a vast tapestry of dark money.”
Ji said the network includes Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss and various institutional donors, including those associated with Arabella Advisors and the Sixteen Thirty Fund.
Ji wrote that Wyss “seeded and financed the U.S. political dark-money machine.”
The New York Times reported in 2021 that Wyss “helped build a sophisticated behind-the-scenes operation that attacked Republicans and promoted Democratic causes.”
Ji described Arabella Advisors as distributing more than $2.5 billion to nonprofits and operating more than 350 “pop-up” groups.
Ji said the Sixteen Thirty Fund, managed by Arabella Advisors, is “Arabella’s political weapon.”
Additional organizations funding the Center for Countering Digital Hate include the Elevate Prize Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Pears Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Oak Foundation, and the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.
Ji said these entities are connected to “U.S. election influence, foreign policy networks, or digital policing initiatives.”
Ji also cited donor-advised funds and U.K.-based Prism the Gift Fund as means by which donors remain anonymous.
Thacker said the Center for Countering Digital Hate and Ahmed have close connections to the Democratic Party and the British Labour Party and have supported censorship legislation such as the U.K.’s Online Safety Act.
Ji wrote that the group forms part of “a transnational censorship-industrial complex.”
Hoft said, “They want us silenced. Now we have proof that Soros is one of many who are funding this.”
Alexander Soros, President of the Open Society Foundation, during the seminar “Globalization, Development, and Democracy” at the BNDES headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:08.20.2025
Thacker wrote that the group made “materially false” claims to the IRS when applying for tax-exempt status by asserting it was already a registered charity in the U.K., even though it was not.
Thacker said neither the IRS nor the Department of Justice has investigated the claim.
Thacker added that Ahmed is the only salary reported to the IRS — approximately $250,000 — even though internal documents show 28 employees.
“None of the other salaries are reported, as required,” he wrote.
Thacker said, “Very few of CCDH’s own employees know where the money comes from, and who actually pays their salaries.”
In 2023, Rep. Jim Jordan launched a congressional investigation into the Center for Countering Digital Hate and subpoenaed the group for its donor list.
An attorney for the group said it was funded entirely by private donors.
Thacker cited a report by The Telegraph showing that the U.K. government also provided funding.
The Trump administration has considered revoking Ahmed’s visa, according to reports, though Thacker said Ahmed “is trying, or has already gotten, a U.S. passport.”
Thacker wrote that the Department of Justice should indict Ahmed for “lying to Congress and filing materially false statements with the IRS.”
One person was killed and eight others were wounded Friday night in two separate shootings in Chicago’s Loop, occurring just hours after the city held its official Christmas tree lighting.
The incidents triggered widespread panic as crowds filled downtown for seasonal events.
The first shooting happened around 9:50 p.m. near State and Randolph streets, close to the Chicago Theatre.
Police on patrol heard gunfire directed into a large group of people, causing a stampede as attendees fled the area.
Seven victims, all teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17, were taken to Stroger Hospital and Lurie Children’s Hospital in fair to good condition.
Police have not released information regarding a motive, and no arrests had been made.
A second shooting took place approximately 30 minutes later near Adams and Dearborn, about four blocks from the first scene.
Officers found an 18-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the leg.
Another victim was transported to Northwestern Hospital and later died.
Alderman Brian Hopkins said on X that multiple officers were “attacked and injured with mace and stun guns,” noting that at least one was hospitalized.
Hopkins also reported that one gunshot victim suffered a life-threatening wound to the torso.
The shootings occurred during one of the busiest nights of the season.
JUST IN: At least 5 people shot after 300 teens started “rioting” following Chicago’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
“300 juveniles rioting in the Loop now, at least 5 victims shot, one critical with life threatening gunshot wound to torso,” said @AldermanHopkins.
Chicago has experienced several high-profile violent incidents in recent months.
On Halloween night in Oak Park, a gunshot was fired during a large gathering of teenagers.
In August, one person was killed and five others wounded during a shooting at a party in the Austin neighborhood that drew hundreds of attendees after being advertised on social media.
Friday marked the second consecutive year in which holiday events in the Loop were impacted by gunfire.
Last November, a woman was shot near Macy’s during Christkindlmarket’s opening weekend.
Violence also disrupted holiday festivities in Concord, North Carolina on Friday night.
Gunfire broke out shortly before 7:30 p.m. during the city’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Union Street S near Corban Avenue.
Four people were shot; three were critically injured, and one was in stable condition.
All were transported to local hospitals.
Police later announced that the shooting stemmed from a dispute between two suspects who knew one another.
Authorities identified 18-year-old Nasir Bostic as one of the shooters.
He remains hospitalized in critical condition and faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and inciting a riot.
A juvenile suspect, also in critical condition, faces similar charges.
A third individual, 17-year-old Keyvyonn Bostic, was arrested and charged as an adult with accessory after the fact and inciting a riot.
Two additional 17-year-old victims sustained gunshot wounds.
One was discharged from the hospital, while the second remained in critical condition.
Representative Mark Harris commented on the incident on X, writing, “My team and I are closely monitoring the active situation involving a shooting in Concord, North Carolina, this evening. We are praying for the safety of our brave law enforcement officers, first responders, and everyone on the scene.”
My team and I are closely monitoring the active situation involving a shooting in Concord, North Carolina, this evening.
We are praying for the safety of our brave law enforcement officers, first responders, and everyone on the scene.
Former President George W. Bush and key figures from his political network are laying out plans to reenter Republican politics in a significant way once President Donald Trump leaves office in 2029, according to a new report.
Report: The Bush family is planning to reclaim control of the Republican Party when the Trump presidency comes to an end pic.twitter.com/u69kfKaRdf
Since departing the White House, Bush has remained largely outside day-to-day political activity.
He has spent most of his time in Texas, where he has focused on charity events, golf, and sports.
Aside from campaigning for his brother Jeb Bush during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, he has offered few public comments on President Trump or ongoing political disputes.
Bush has criticized what he has called “nativism,” but has otherwise stayed away from policy fights.
In recent months, though, Bush’s public visibility has increased.
Former supporters have encouraged him to become more active.
During a recent MSNBC appearance, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said, “President Bush, please man, we could use your voice right now,” adding that Bush has “a voice that would resonate with a lot more Americans than some folks around you are telling you.”
A Daily Mail report says Bush’s circle has long believed they would have to “ride out” Trump’s second term before attempting to influence the party again.
The report states that “rumors are stirring of a plot to end the so-called ‘Bush Exile’ and take back the GOP from the so-called scourge of Trumpism.”
The outlet reported: “Behind the scenes, and still with deep connections around the country, a shadow Republican Party is lying in wait to take over when Trump is gone. And, while the former president is determined not to publicly criticize Trump – much to the frustration of some of his former aides – he may not be averse to quietly helping to shape the Republican Party’s long-term future.”
A source described as a former Bush official told the Daily Mail that President Trump “knows that there’s no third term option,” while acknowledging that Vice President J.D. Vance “has a head start” over potential rivals for 2028.
Polling for months has shown Vance with a substantial advantage over any other possible Republican contenders.
Despite Vance’s early lead, the same former Bush official predicted “there will be a big open field within the Republican Party” in 2028.
During Trump’s initial rise in the 2016 primary, he repeatedly criticized Bush’s foreign policy record and his handling of the war on terror.
Bush appeared occasionally during Trump’s first term to offer public comments, including in 2019, when he said during a policy discussion with former President Bill Clinton that Trump’s “isolationist” direction was destabilizing global affairs.
In a 2021 interview with CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell, Bush said he believed Trump “lacked the ‘humility’ necessary to be an effective leader.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara issued an apology Thursday at a press conference following comments he made during a Nov. 11 interview in which he referred to “groups of East African kids” while discussing ongoing crime investigations.
The remarks were made to local station WCCO as O’Hara provided updates on an Oct. 31 homicide case.
MPD chief cites ‘East African kids’ from ‘out of town’ in ongoing Dinkytown, youth crime problems
In addition to the recent homicide, there has been a rash of other crimes and disturbances in the area adjacent to the University of Minnesota campus that have included assaults,… pic.twitter.com/EocKUiZZiL
A petition on Change.org calling for an apology collected 629 signatures.
Before O’Hara spoke at the press conference, two Somali community leaders made remarks through interpreters.
O’Hara addressed his relationship with the Somali community during his statement.
“The Somali community here in Minneapolis has been welcoming and has shown love towards me, and I appreciate it,” he said.
“Over the last three years we have been working together to try and address some of the real serious problems that we have in our community.”
He later added, “We have to be honest at times with the problems that we’re having in our community, and we need our community to help us fix those problems together because it’s real and it’s serious. At the same time, if people have taken anything that I have said out of context in a way that’s caused harm, I apologize, and I’m sorry for that because that’s not my intention at all.”
During the Nov. 11 interview, O’Hara told WCCO that gang activity was part of the issue, along with the fact that many individuals involved in crimes such as vandalism and carjacking were not Minneapolis residents.
He also said lenient prosecutorial and judicial practices in the city have made crime response more difficult, according to Alpha News.
O’Hara said, “They aren’t the poor kids from Minneapolis that are our residents, these are kids coming down in mommy’s Mercedes-Benz to Dinkytown, and they don’t know where they are.”
He noted that the person killed in the Oct. 31 shooting, as well as one of the individuals wounded, were not from Minneapolis.
In the Nov. 11 interview, O’Hara stated, “Groups of kids, groups of East African kids that are coming from surrounding communities and not just one community, kind of all over the place.”
The press conference came shortly after another high-profile incident in the city.
Democratic City Councilman Jamal Osman was carjacked on Nov. 10, one day after winning reelection on a platform focused on “restorative justice” and “violence prevention programs.”
Authorities continue to investigate that carjacking and other recent cases involving juveniles and groups operating in areas such as Dinkytown and surrounding neighborhoods.
Federal Election Commission filings show the Democratic National Committee borrowed $15 million in October, a loan taken as the committee ended the month with $18.3 million in cash on hand.
The filing describes the loan as an unusually large amount this far from a major election.
LMFAO! The DNC is so BROKE that they just took out a $15 million dollar loan – an unusually high amount with the 2026 election being nearly a whole YEAR away…
…while the RNC raised $15M in October ALONE and has a stunning $91M war chest!
The committee spent $16.9 million in October, its highest monthly total this year.
More than $6 million of that spending went toward gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison’s executive director, Sam Cornale, defended the decision to take on the loan.
“We can’t win elections or fight back against Trump if the DNC downsizes operations like it often does after a presidential cycle,” he said.
“I made a bet that investing early would build power, rack up wins and rally supporters back to the table. That bet is paying off.”
Party officials have pointed to victories in New Jersey and Virginia, though both states are traditionally Democratic.
The financial filings also reflect broader challenges inside the party’s fundraising operation.
Major donors have remained on the sidelines as the committee works to rebuild following the 2024 cycle.
According to Politico, the DNC has taken on debt in past cycles but not typically at this point in the timeline or at this size.
During President Trump’s first term, the DNC reported $3.2 million in debt in November 2017 and more than $7 million a few months later.
The committee has not reported more than $15 million in total debt since February 2014.
The DNC raised $7.5 million from donors in October.
That figure is close to what the committee raised in October 2021, but filings show donor participation slowed earlier in the year as the committee worked through outstanding obligations.
The party spent part of 2025 paying down expenses linked to Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign.
The committee covered $18 million in remaining campaign costs from that race.
Those payments, according to party officials, reduced funds available for organizing efforts ahead of the next cycle.
The Republican National Committee reported $86 million in cash reserves at the end of September with no debt.
The filings show a significant financial gap between the two national committees entering the next phase of the cycle.
The DNC’s October report lists the loan, spending totals, donor contributions, past debt comparisons, and payments on prior-cycle obligations as the committee continues its fundraising efforts heading into 2026.
The American Farm Bureau’s 40th annual survey shows the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner has dropped to its lowest level since 2021.
The organization reported Thursday that a classic holiday meal for 10 people will cost $55.18 this year, a decrease of five percent compared to 2024.
The annual survey, conducted since 1986, relies on volunteers across all 50 states and Puerto Rico who record local prices for a set list of traditional items.
Those items include turkey, cubed stuffing, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, frozen peas, fresh cranberries, celery, carrots, pumpkin pie mix and crusts, whipping cream, and whole milk.
According to the Farm Bureau, prices rose sharply in recent years.
Inflation accelerated to its fastest pace in four decades during the presidency of Joe Biden, pushing the cost of the standard Thanksgiving meal up 14 percent in 2021 to $53.31.
JUST IN: President-elect Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden share Thanksgiving message: “We know that a small act of staying home is a gift to our fellow Americans.” pic.twitter.com/5YToWq9HsK
The price decline followed predictions that trade and immigration policies under the Trump administration would lead to higher food costs, projections that did not materialize in the Farm Bureau’s findings.
President Trump’s economic policies are working to make Americans’ Thanksgiving more affordable this year – from their commute to the dinner table. And more relief is coming in the months ahead:
⛽️The national average price of a gallon of gas on Thanksgiving Day is projected to… pic.twitter.com/5ycqy1ik0d
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