Good evening, everyone. It was an exceptionally busy news day, and I have all of it covered for you. Minnesota and Illinois have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration in an effort to block further ICE enforcement actions.
The White House is now in full damage-control mode as the investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell continues to backfire. President Trump has imposed a 25 percent tariff on any country doing business with Iran. Senator Mark Kelly has filed a lawsuit against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. And that is only the beginning.
This week, I will also be bringing you several important interviews, including a conversation with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, so stay tuned for that. I am also working around the clock to obtain more information on the Epstein files, a story that remains front and center and will continue to be pursued aggressively.
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Here’s what you missed:
The White House is scrambling, according to Politico, to reassure financial markets after the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into whether Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell misled Congress about Fed headquarters renovations, a probe that blindsided aides, raised fears about central bank independence, unsettled markets, and prompted internal concern that threats to Powell’s job could spook the bond market.
Powell has denounced the investigation as politically motivated pressure to cut interest rates, while officials insist Donald Trump did not order the inquiry, amid internal finger-pointing, scrutiny of FHFA Director Bill Pulte’s role, and worries the episode could undermine confidence in the administration’s economic agenda ahead of midterm elections.
Republican Rep. French Hill, chair of the House Financial Services Committee, defended Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as “a person of the highest integrity,” warning that any criminal pursuit against him is an unnecessary distraction that could undermine central bank independence and weaken the government’s ability to conduct sound monetary policy and support economic growth.
Republican Sen. John Kennedy expressed skepticism about the Justice Department’s criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, warning “we don’t need this,” as concerns grow within the GOP that the probe could disrupt markets and stall the confirmation of future Fed nominees, with Banking Committee Republican Thom Tillis vowing to block nominations while the investigation remains open.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump has repeatedly complained in private to aides that Attorney General Pam Bondi is weak and ineffective, reflecting a broader effort by the president to pressure the U.S. Department of Justice to more aggressively pursue his political and law-enforcement priorities.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly sued Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, seeking to block what he calls a chilling and unconstitutional effort to demote him and cut his military pension in retaliation for criticizing the Trump administration, arguing that the censure over alleged “seditious” remarks urging service members to resist unlawful orders violates free speech, separation of powers, and legislative independence.
Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to stop a surge of ICE agents in the state, calling it a “federal invasion” that has shut down schools and businesses, led to at least 20 alleged unlawful detentions by ICE, and made communities less safe; the suit follows protests after an ICE agent fatally shot Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good, with Ellison accusing agents of poor training, unconstitutional arrests, excessive force, and suggesting Minnesota was targeted by the Trump administration for political reasons.
Illinois sued the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security, alleging that U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement used unlawful and dangerous tactics—including warrantless arrests, excessive force, and indiscriminate use of teargas—during an immigration crackdown that led to more than 4,300 arrests in 2025.
According to the New York Times, the deputy prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Robert McBride, was fired after declining to lead the controversial prosecution of James Comey—one of several high-profile cases pursued by the office, including against Letitia James—amid turmoil following a judge’s ruling that acting U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan was unlawfully appointed, with senior U.S. Department of Justice officials backing McBride’s dismissal.
Arizona Republicans held a press conference today in support of ICE. They were quickly shut down by protestors.
According to Axios, Donald Trump is leaning toward ordering U.S. strikes on Iran in response to the killing of protesters but has not made a final decision, as his administration weighs military options alongside renewed diplomatic outreach and nuclear talks, while simultaneously escalating pressure with new secondary sanctions imposing 25% tariffs on any country doing business with Tehran.
Donald Trump announced a sweeping trade action imposing a 25% tariff on imports from a broad group of countries—including China, India, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and several others—signaling a major escalation in protectionist trade policy with wide-ranging global economic implications.
A US judge ruled that Ørsted may proceed with its offshore wind project near Rhode Island, blocking the Trump administration’s suspension of the Revolution Wind lease that was part of a broader Interior Department halt on five projects over vague “national security” concerns, marking a significant legal setback in Donald Trump’s ongoing effort to curb offshore wind development since returning to office.
According to The Guardian, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons will lead a bipartisan congressional delegation, including Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, to Copenhagen to meet Danish officials amid renewed rhetoric from Donald Trump about annexing Greenland, which the White House has framed as a national security priority tied to concerns about Russian and Chinese influence.
Politico has confirmed that Governor Katie Hobbs reversed her earlier support for Arizona’s data center tax breaks, calling to repeal what she labeled a $38 million corporate handout and to impose new water-use fees on data centers tied to the Colorado River, arguing the booming, energy- and water-intensive industry should pay more amid rising utility costs, drought pressures, and growing public backlash, even as Republicans control the legislature and the tech sector remains central to the state’s economic strategy.
Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, will step down early to become CEO of the Asia Society after a strained and openly hostile relationship with Donald Trump, including a public White House exchange in which Trump told him “I don’t like you either,” underscoring diplomatic tensions despite Australia’s close alliance with the US.
Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado is scheduled to visit the White House to meet Donald Trump, despite Trump previously declining to back her after US strikes in Caracas and questioning her domestic support, as he signals openness to talks with Venezuela’s interim leadership, touts US influence over the country’s future, and courts international recognition while weighing renewed military and economic engagement.
According to the Guardian, more than 100,000 residents in El Paso, Texas were left with little or no water after an unprecedented break in a 36-inch main water line, forcing boil-water notices, school cancellations, and emergency distribution centers as officials warned repairs could take until midweek and said the cause remains under investigation.
