Trump says he would release video of Sept. 2 boat strikes; Democrats release fresh images and videos from Epstein's private island
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Trump said he is pardoning Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, who was indicted last year on bribery and money laundering charges, and his wife.
Highlights from Dec. 3, 2025
- BOAT STRIKES: President Donald Trump said this afternoon that he would be willing to release video of the second strike on an alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean on Sept. 2. The House and the Senate have both initiated inquiries into the strikes.
- TRUMP PARDON: The president said he is pardoning Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who was indicted last year on bribery and money laundering charges. Trump also said he would pardon Cuellar’s wife, Imelda.
- SIGNAL CHAT: The Defense Department’s inspector general concluded in a report that the information Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared on a group Signal chat about a pending military operation in Yemen was considered classified, according to two people who have read the report.
- EPSTEIN ISLAND: Democrats on the House Oversight Committee today released images and video clips showing what they say is the private island that was owned by the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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Trump pardons sports executive charged by his Justice Department
Trump has pardoned the former chief executive of the entertainment venue company Oak View Group months after he was indicted on a federal conspiracy charge.
Tim Leiweke, 68, who remains a shareholder of the company after he stepped down as CEO in July, expressed his “profound gratitude” to Trump for the pardon.
“This has been a long and difficult journey for my wife, my daughter, and me,” Leiweke said in a statement today. “The President has given us a new lease on life with which we will be grateful and good stewards.”
Leiweke was charged during the Trump administration.
Some House Republican women are in open revolt against Speaker Mike Johnson
Speaker Mike Johnson is staring down a revolt from House Republican women.
Several female lawmakers have been increasingly defying Johnson, R-La., on legislative matters and lobbing public broadsides at him — including a member of Johnson’s own leadership team.
This week alone, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., launched a discharge petition to go around Johnson and force a floor vote on a congressional stock trading ban, posting on X that she’s “pissed” that leadership isn’t moving fast enough on the issue while clarifying, “I like Mike.” Johnson prefers to go through regular order, and there has been an initial hearing on the issue.
Trump says he will roll back fuel efficiency standards for vehicles
Trump said today his administration would “reset” fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars to put a lid on rising auto prices as the administration battles inflation and an affordability crisis.
The previous rules, which sought to lower carbon emissions, “put tremendous upward pressure on car prices,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
Trump is under political pressure to address affordability concerns after Democrats swept major races last month, fueled by voters’ frustration with rising prices.
Overall inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, has risen every month since Trump announced sweeping tariffs on imported goods, including automobiles and car parts. Food prices have also been rising this year. In early November, the White House announced cuts to dozens of tariffs in a move aimed at cutting food prices.
Senate Democrats to unveil their health care proposal tomorrow
Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, will unveil their health care plan at a news conference tomorrow afternoon on Capitol Hill.
In a statement shared with NBC News, Schumer said Democrats’ plan will “protect ACA tax credits” and “lower costs for millions of Americans.”
Democrats’ plan does not have buy-in from Republicans. NBC News reported this week that hopes of a bipartisan deal to mitigate the pain of insurance premiums' spiking at the end of the month are fizzling among lawmakers in both parties.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., promised Democrats a vote on health care as part of a deal to reopen the government last month. Thune has said the vote will occur sometime next week, though the exact timing is still to be determined.
Trump disparages Somali immigrants for the second straight day, saying they’ve ‘destroyed our country’
For a second day in a row, Trump launched into a hate-filled rant against Somalia and Somali immigrants living in the U.S., saying they’ve “destroyed Minnesota” and “our country.”
Minnesota, Trump said, is “a hellhole right now. The Somalians should be out of here. They’ve destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain.”
The recent focus on Minnesota comes after it was reported that dozens of people of Somali descent have been convicted in fraud schemes related to Covid relief that netted over $1 billion. There are about 80,000 people of Somali descent in Minnesota.
State Department revokes visas and imposes visa restrictions on people in Mexico for allegedly facilitating illegal immigration to the U.S.
The State Department has revoked visas and made efforts to restrict visas from executives and senior officials of a Mexico-based transportation company who it alleges “knowingly provided travel services designed primarily for aliens intending to illegally immigrate to the United States.”
A State Department spokesperson said in a news release today that the officials and executives in question had "arranged transportation" for illegal immigrants from the Caribbean and elsewhere to transit points in Central America, where many of those travelers subsequently tried to enter the U.S.
The news release did not name the company.
“The Department is revoking visas and taking steps to impose visa restrictions to prevent these individuals from entering our country," the spokesperson said.
Virginia House speaker floats map with 4 new Democratic seats
Virginia state House Speaker Don Scott said today that the Legislature could propose a congressional map with four new Democratic seats, which would go beyond previous expectations.
“Our congressional delegation is 6-5 — six Democrats, five Republicans. Ten-1 is not out of the realm,” Scott said at an event hosted by the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. “Ten-1 is not out of the realm to be able to draw the maps in a succinct, community-based way.”
The suggestion is notable — it made moderator Larry Sabato chuckle — as most expected Virginia Democrats would be able to net only two or three seats with a redrawn map.
Scott clarified that he wasn’t joking, arguing that if Republicans continued to pursue new maps across the country, Virginia would respond.
"Congress is, like, a three-vote difference. If [Trump] keeps rigging these things by one and twos and threes, we have to push back," he said.
Virginia Democratic lawmakers took the first step in a complicated legislative maneuver to redraw the state’s congressional map in October, approving a proposed constitutional amendment that would pave the way for a mid-decade redistricting push. The measure needs to pass the Legislature again next year and then be put before voters in an election.
Trump blasts Democrats' messaging on affordability
At an event today in the Oval Office, Trump blasted Democrats who are campaigning on affordability and lowering prices, saying, "They never talk about, like, the specifics."
"They look at you and they say, 'Affordability.' They don't say anything else," he said just after having referred to GOP Rep.-elect Matt Van Epps' victory last night in a closer-than-expected special election in Tennessee.
Trump added that Democrats reflect on the Biden administration by saying, "Oh, their prices were so low."
"No, they had the worst inflation," he said.
Trump also accused Democrats of talking about affordability only during elections.
"When they use the word 'affordability,' they just say — they never say anything else. Just election's about affordability, and then they go into the next subject. It's a con job," he said.
Trump says Witkoff and Kushner had 'reasonably good meeting' with Putin
Trump said this afternoon that Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner had a "reasonably good meeting" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I don’t know what the Kremlin is doing. I can tell you that they had a reasonably good meeting with President Putin," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We’re going to find out."
Trump had tasked Witkoff with brokering a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war. NBC News reported that Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin for roughly five hours yesterday.
Trump won't say whether he supports killing survivors of boat strikes
Trump was asked more questions about the Sept. 2 follow-up boat strike that killed survivors of the first strike. Asked whether he supports the decision to kill survivors of U.S. strikes, Trump did not directly answer the question.
"I support the decision to knock out the boats. And whoever is piloting those boats, most of them are gone, but whoever is piloting those boats, they're guilty of trying to kill people in our country," Trump said.
Trump says 'we'd certainly release' video of second strike on alleged drug boat
Trump said this afternoon at a White House event on auto emissions that he would be willing to release video of the second strike on an alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean on Sept. 2.
"I don’t know what they have, but whatever they have, we’d certainly release, no problem. You know, we stopped every boat," Trump told reporters when he was asked whether he'd release video stemming from a second strike that killed the survivors aboard a boat that the Trump administration has alleged was carrying drugs.
The House and the Senate have both initiated inquiries into the strikes.
Trump's name added to sign on Institute of Peace building
Trump's full name has been added to the sign on the United States Institute of Peace building in Washington, D.C.
The addition of “Donald J. Trump” on the building comes amid an ongoing legal battle over whether the Trump administration can dismantle the institute.
In June, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit paused a lower court decision allowing the institute to be dismantled while the legal process moves forward.
“The President faces irreparable harm from not being able to fully exercise his executive powers,” D.C. Circuit Judges Gregory G. Katsas, Neomi Rao and Justin R. Walker wrote at the time.
“Because the Institute exercises substantial executive power, the Government is likely to succeed on its claim that the Board’s removal protections are unconstitutional,” they wrote, referring to the now-defunct board that ran the Institute of Peace.
“We agree with the Government that ‘[f]acilitating the foreign policy of the United States by brokering peace among warring parties on the international stage is plainly an exercise of executive power under our Constitution,’” the judges added.
A scheduled Court of Appeals hearing last month on the merits of the issue was postponed while the Supreme Court considers Trump v. Slaughter — a case adjudicating whether the president can fire board members of independent agencies. That case is scheduled to be heard at the Supreme Court next week.
Pentagon’s Signalgate review finds Pete Hegseth violated military regulations
The Defense Department inspector general concluded in a report filed yesterday that the information Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared on a group Signal chat about a pending military operation in Yemen was considered classified, according to two people who have read the report.
The report outlines the findings of a more than eight-month investigation into Hegseth’s use of Signal, an encrypted but unclassified messaging app, to share details of the planned U.S. strikes in March before they had begun.
It found that the information could have imperiled American troops had it been intercepted by a foreign adversary, the two people who have read the report said. The evaluation also concluded that Hegseth violated military regulations by using his personal phone for official business, according to those people.
Mike Lindell files paperwork for Minnesota governor bid
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has filed paperwork with the state Campaign Finance Board for a run for governor of Minnesota.
Lindell, a staunch Trump ally, told the Minnesota Star-Tribune in September that he was "99% there" in deciding whether to run.
Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat who was the party's 2024 vice presidential nominee, is running for a third term. Several Republicans have jumped into the race to oppose him.
Lindell, a prominent election conspiracy theorist, was a vocal supporter of Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In June, a federal jury found that Lindell defamed a former employee of Dominion Voting Systems, a top voting equipment company.
Dominion won a $787 million settlement against Fox News in 2023 and a $67 million settlement against the conservative cable network Newsmax in August in defamation lawsuits over false election-related claims about the company.
Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney says she plans to file petition seeking release from prison
According to a letter filed in Manhattan federal court, Ghislaine Maxwell intends to file a petition seeking her release.
In the letter, her attorney, David Oscar Markus, said that they understand “President Trump has signed the Epstein Transparency Act into law” and that “Ms. Maxwell does not take a position regarding the government’s request to unseal the grand jury transcripts and modify the protective order.”
Markus adding: “Maxwell respectfully notes that shortly she will be filing a habeas petition pro se. Releasing the grand jury materials from her case, which contain untested and unproven allegations, would create undue prejudice so severe that it would foreclose the possibility of a fair retrial should Ms. Maxwell’s habeas petition succeed.”
Lawmakers ask AG Pam Bondi for a status update on releasing the Epstein files
Five members of Congress from both parties and both chambers are asking Attorney General Pam Bondi for a briefing and a status update by the end of the week on the legally mandated release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Congress overwhelmingly passed a law requiring the Justice Department to release the documents within 30 days of the Nov. 19 enactment of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
“In light of the short 30 day deadline to release the Epstein Files, we are particularly focused on understanding the contents of any new evidence, information or procedural hurdles that could interfere with the Department’s ability meet this statutory deadline,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Bondi dated today and first obtained by NBC News.
Jack Smith's attorney says they're 'disappointed' GOP is rejecting offer for public testimony
House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith for a Dec. 17 deposition today, prompting Smith's lawyer to say they're "disappointed" Republicans rejected the Trump prosecutor's offer to provide public testimony.
“Nearly six weeks ago Jack offered to voluntarily appear before the House Judiciary committee in an open hearing to answer any questions lawmakers have about his investigation into President Trump’s alleged efforts to unlawfully overturn the election results and retention of classified documents," the attorney, Peter Koski, said.
"We are disappointed that offer was rejected, and that the American people will be denied the opportunity to hear directly from Jack on these topics," the statement continued. "Jack looks forward to meeting with the committee later this month to discuss his work and clarify the various misconceptions about his investigation.”
Smith had sought public testimony specifically to combat the “many mischaracterizations” about his investigations into Trump, his attorneys said at the time of his initial offer to testify.
In a letter to Smith today with the subpoena, Jordan wrote: "Due to your service as Special Counsel, the Committee believes that you possess information that is vital to its oversight of this matter. Based upon communications with your counsel, we understand that you are available to testify at a deposition on December 17, 2025."
Jordan also requested that Smith produce certain materials to the committee by Dec. 12.
Democrats release new images and videos from Jeffrey Epstein's island
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee today released several images and video clips showing what they say is the private island that was owned by the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The new photos and videos of the island, which is in the U.S. Virgin Islands, don't include any people. They instead show some exterior structures and interiors, including a pool area, some bedrooms and bathrooms, a phone with some labeled names redacted, a library with a large desk and blackboard, a marble shower room containing built-in benches, and the like.
Committee Democrats said in the news release that they have also received records related to Epstein from J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank, which they intend to release to the public after a review.
Calling the new images "disturbing," ranking member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said in the release that the committee's Democrats "are releasing these photos and videos to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes. We won’t stop fighting until we deliver justice for the survivors."
House Oversight Democrats
House Oversight Democrats
House Oversight Democrats
House Oversight Democrats
House Oversight Democrats
Garcia said the photos and footage were obtained through an Oversight Committee request to the Department of Justice.
Congress is waiting for the federal government's collection of files it has on Epstein, which Congress has required through legislation Trump recently signed into law.
Steve Kornacki: GOP warning signs and lessons for Democrats in Tennessee’s special election results
Republican Matt Van Epps held off a challenge from Democrat Aftyn Behn yesterday in the special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, with voters delivering both a result and a broader message.
The result preserves a House seat that the GOP badly needs, given how slim its majority is. But the margin — a 9-point win for Van Epps in a district Trump carried by 22 points last year — bolsters Democratic optimism heading into next year’s midterms.
CDC advisers could reverse newborn hepatitis B vaccine recommendations
A group of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing to vote on whether the agency should scrap its long-standing recommendation that every baby get a hepatitis B vaccination within 24 hours of birth.
The shot — universally recommended for newborns in the U.S since the early 1990s — is credited with driving down cases of acute hepatitis B infections in kids by 99%. The virus, which can be passed from mother to baby during childbirth, can lead to liver disease and early death. There is no cure.
Despite its success, the hepatitis B vaccine has become the latest target of skeptics who question whether the benefits of the shot outweigh potential risks.
A vaccine given on “day one has a risk of neonatal fever, which causes more interventions” like blood work to determine the cause of the fever, said Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist who practices at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Trump to announce 'reset' of federal fuel efficiency standards
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on X that Trump will unveil a rollback of federal fuel standards later this afternoon.
Leavitt linked to a Fox News report that said Trump’s announcement "will unveil a ‘reset’ of federal fuel standards that heightened under the Biden administration, which the White House said will save ‘$109 billion in total’ for American families.”
"Happening today at the White House," Leavitt wrote in the post before quoting the top of the article. Fox News was first to report Trump's announcement.
The action will target Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards that are set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those standards, first implemented in 1975 under President Gerald Ford, regulate the fuel efficiency of U.S. vehicles.
The CEOs of Stellantis and Ford will join Trump for the announcement, spokespersons for the companies confirmed to NBC News.
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said in a statement that he looks forward to working with the Trump administration on “environmentally responsible policies” that would allow customers to choose "the vehicles they want at prices they can afford."
Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement that the company appreciates Trump's efforts to align "fuel economy standards with market realities."
"We can make real progress on carbon emissions and energy efficiency while still giving customers choice and affordability," he said.
A General Motors spokesperson said in a statement provided by the White House that the company also supports the change.
"We have long advocated for one national standard that upholds customer choice and provides the auto industry long-term stability," the GM spokesperson's statement said. "As we review the proposal, we remain committed to offering the best and broadest portfolio of electric and gas-powered vehicles on the market.”
Trump says he is pardoning Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, who was indicted on bribery charges
Trump announced today that he would pardon Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who was indicted last year on bribery and money laundering charges.
In his Truth Social post, Trump accused Democrats of working to “attack, rob, lie, cheat, destroy, and decimate anyone who dares to oppose their Far Left Agenda, an Agenda that, if left unchecked, will obliterate our magnificent Country.”
“Because of these facts, and others, I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Imelda,” Trump said in the post, referring to Cuellar’s wife, who also faces charges.
Trump stands by Hegseth amid bipartisan scrutiny on boat strikes
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are distancing themselves from the growing controversy around the September attack when the military launched a second strike on an alleged drug boat in Venezuela, killing survivors of the initial attack. Hegseth said yesterday that he watched the first strike live, but left for other meetings before learning a second strike took place. NBC’s Peter Alexander reports for "TODAY."
Afghan visa votes come back to haunt Republicans in key 2026 races
During the final, chaotic days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., stood as an unwavering champion for resettling the Afghan nationals who had aided America and its allies.
“We have failed in our obligation to help many of these Afghans who risked their lives, and in many cases died, for the cause of their own country in assistance to the United States, and we owe them to help them get into our country with these visas,” Barr said then in an interview with Kentucky Educational Television.
Now a Senate candidate, Barr saw his remarks resurface and quickly go viral last week after the shooting of two National Guard members — one of whom died — in Washington, D.C. Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who served alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Lakanwal pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges including first-degree murder.
“I don’t believe we owe anything to foreigners from Afghanistan, but I do believe our politicians owe it to the American citizens that they’re supposed to represent, to not flood our country with thousands of people from the 3rd world who don’t share our values and never will,” businessman Nate Morris, one of Barr’s rivals in the GOP primary, wrote in a social media post sharing a clip from the interview.
The clash offered a preview of how the topic could jam other Republicans running in competitive primaries next year, from the already hostile Kentucky race to Sen. John Cornyn’s re-election battle in Texas and campaigns for governor in Florida and South Carolina.
It’s also a fight that reflects shifting goalposts for a GOP in which even legal immigration has become a source of debate. The attack on Guard members — which officials have said was targeted — validated warnings from several leading figures on the right, including Vice President JD Vance, who had argued that resettling Afghan refugees could yield tragic consequences.
Immigration operations underway in Minneapolis and New Orleans
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Minneapolis is currently underway, a senior law enforcement official said.
It comes one day after Trump said that Somalis should "go back to where they came from" and made disparaging remarks about Somalia. Minneapolis has a large Somali population, and NBC News previously reported that ICE was planning an operation in Minneapolis-St. Paul this week.
The Department of Homeland Security also announced this morning that, beginning today, federal law enforcement agents would be conducting immigration operations in New Orleans.
The FBI field office in New Orleans announced a joint enforcement effort with Louisiana State Police to deter assaults on federal officers and attempts to obstruct law enforcement actions during the immigration operation.
Mayra Macías to challenge Rep. Chuy García’s handpicked successor
Democratic Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García’s handpicked successor is officially getting a challenge.
Mayra Macías is a lifelong Democrat and Chicago native who has worked on Latino advocacy and promoting former President Joe Biden’s agenda. She announced her candidacy today as an independent in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District. If elected, Macías said she would caucus with Democrats.
“I’ve really focused my whole career on building and serving and making sure that we’re fighting for quality education, health care and affordable housing,” Macías said. “Under the Trump administration, we’re seeing a lot of this progress rolled back.”
García’s surprise retirement announcement in early November created a firestorm and drew a rebuke from his own party. His plans were known only to his chief of staff, Patty Garcia (no relation). Because the congressman announced his retirement after the filing deadline to run, Patty Garcia was the only one to file the required signatures before the deadline to run as a Democrat in March.
Putin meets with Witkoff and Kushner for five hours with no breakthrough on Ukraine peace deal, Putin adviser says
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Trump’s special envoy tasked with negotiating an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, as well as his son-in-law, for a “constructive” five-hour meeting yesterday, but more work needs to be done, Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to Putin, said in a video the Kremlin posted online.
Nearly four years after Putin’s full-scale invasion of his smaller neighbor, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are grappling with an empowered Russia, with Ukraine on the back foot both on and off the battlefield. Kyiv’s troops, facing a dire manpower crisis, cling to strategic hubs, and a major corruption scandal has shaken President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government and forced the removal of his top negotiator.
James Solomon is elected Jersey City mayor, turning away ex-N.J. Gov. Jim McGreevey’s comeback bid
James Solomon was elected mayor of Jersey City yesterday, thwarting former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey’s bid for a political comeback.
Addressing supporters who had gathered to watch returns and cheer him on, Solomon said: “Now, the mission is clear. The work begins tonight. And the work that we have to do is make Jersey City affordable.”
Solomon, a City Council member since 2017, defeated McGreevey in a runoff after they finished first and second in a general election last month with seven candidates on the ballot.
Trump administration threatens to withhold SNAP benefits from blue states over immigration data
The Trump administration indicated yesterday that it will begin withholding SNAP benefits from recipients in most Democratic-led states starting next week after those states refused to provide the Agriculture Department with data including recipients’ names and immigration statuses.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during a Cabinet meeting that 29 Republican-led states have complied but that 21 states, including California, New York and Minnesota, have refused to provide the data, which was requested in February. Rollins has said her department requested the info to “root out … fraud.”
“So as of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states, until they comply and they tell us and allow us to partner with them to root out this fraud and to protect the American taxpayer,” Rollins said at the White House meeting.
Close to 42 million people in the U.S. receive benefits for food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Pete Buttigieg endorses Angie Craig in Minnesota Democrats’ Senate primary
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is endorsing Rep. Angie Craig in the Minnesota Senate primary, which is already dividing high-profile Democrats.
Buttigieg is the latest former — and potentially future — presidential contender to weigh in on the race. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., endorsed Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan last month in the race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith.
Buttigieg’s decision to back Craig is his first foray into a contested Senate primary this election cycle, as Democrats contend with multiple Senate nominating contests across the country.
Justice Department weighs charging James Comey again — without Lindsey Halligan as main prosecutor
More than a week after a federal judge tossed the Trump administration’s cases against two of the president’s top political foes, the Justice Department is weighing whether to re-indict former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
And the Justice Department is considering taking that step without the legal complications caused by the previous “unlawful" actions of Lindsey Halligan as the purported top federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Nov. 24 that the Justice Department would file an “immediate appeal“ of a federal judge’s order dismissing the cases against Comey and James. But prosecutors have yet to do so.
A source familiar with the deliberations said yesterday that the department is considering seeking new, untainted indictments instead of pursuing the appeals. CNN and Reuters previously reported on the deliberations.
Republican Matt Van Epps holds deep-red House district in Tennessee special election
Van Epps won the hotly contested special election for a deep-red congressional seat in Tennessee yesterday, NBC News projects, beating back a Democratic challenge for the longtime GOP district.
Though Trump carried the 7th Congressional District by 22 points in 2024, Republican super PACs poured millions into defending the seat as Van Epps faced off against Aftyn Behn, a Democratic state representative. Democrats spent almost as much trying to capture it, as Trump’s political standing has taken a hit this year and the Democratic Party made gains in November elections in New Jersey, Virginia and other states.
Still, this red district remained reliably Republican. Van Epps, an Army veteran and former state official, ran on reliably MAGA themes and promised to continue the legacy of Mark Green, a Republican who resigned from the seat this year.
Trump administration pauses immigration applications from nationals of 19 countries
The Trump administration yesterday halted immigration applications submitted by nationals from 19 countries that already faced restrictions on travel to the United States, according to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services memo.
“USCIS has considered that this direction may result in delay to the adjudication of some pending applications and has weighed that consequence against the urgent need for the agency to ensure that applicants are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” the agency said in a four-page policy memo.
“Ultimately, USCIS has determined that the burden of processing delays that will fall on some applicants is necessary and appropriate in this instance, when weighed against the agency’s obligation to protect and preserve national security,” it added.
The New York Times first reported the immigration pause, which applies to both green card and citizenship applicants.
