A group of Democrats from Texas was forced to briefly evacuate their hotel near Chicago on Wednesday after a bomb scare.
Police in St. Charles performed a "thorough search" of the hotel around 7:15 a.m and found nothing.
"In response to the threat, 400 people were immediately evacuated and the area was secured as bomb squad units conducted their investigation," the police said in a statement. "Following clearance from authorities, all guests and staff have safely returned to the premises."
More than 50 Democrats fled Texas this week to block a contentious redistricting plan that would give Republicans an advantage.
Leading Democrats including former President Barack Obama, who has ties to Chicago, have condemned the Texas plan as a threat to democracy.
Republicans have accused Democrats of hypocrisy, pointing to gerrymandered maps that favor Democrats heavily, especially in Illinois. Democrats in the state control 14 out of its 17 House districts.
While it is not clear if the bomb scare was targeted, Democrats painted it as a politically motivated threat to democracy.
“This morning, a threat was made against the safety of the members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus. We are safe, we are secure, and we are undeterred and unintimidated,” the state's Democrats said in the statement.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) blamed the bomb scare on a right-wing podcaster "who took a video of where they're staying, posted it, put a map up to point to exactly what hotel they're at."
He said police are "going to seek out, hunt down and arrest the perpetrators."
The Texas Democrats have said they will run out the clock on a two-week special session, leading the state's Republican leaders to threaten drastic consequences.
The controversy has led to some jockeying among the state's top Republicans, including Governor Greg Abbott and attorney general Ken Paxton, who clashed over who has the authority to seek the removal of the absentee Democrats, as well as Senator John Cornyn, who is being challenged by Paxton in a GOP primary.
Abbott and Cornyn have both said the FBI is working to track down the Texas Democrats, and Abbott has asked the state Supreme Court to expel Rep. Gene Wu, the "ringleader" of the House boycott. He has also said Democrats could face bribery charges for benefits received relating to their travel.
"Texas DPS and the FBI are tracking down the derelict Democrats. They will be taken directly to the Texas Capitol,” Abbott wrote on X.
“Those who received benefits for skipping a vote face removal from office and potential bribery charges,” he continued. “In Texas, there are consequences for your actions."
Two Chinese immigrants living in California have been charged with smuggling AI technology to China, the Justice Department announced.
Chuan Geng, 28, of Pasadena, Calif., and Shiwei Yang, 28, of El Monte, Calif, are accused of violating export controls by sending millions of dollars' worth of Nvidia chips to their native country. Geng is a lawful permanent resident; Yang is an illegal alien who overstayed her visa.
They were charged under the Export Control Reform Act, and each faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
From October 2022 to July 2025, the defendants "knowingly and willfully" sent restricted technology to China, including the "most powerful GPU chip on the market,” which is “designed specifically for AI applications,” such as “to develop self-driving cars, medical diagnosis systems, and other AI-powered applications.”
The first Trump administration started requiring licenses for the computer chips that Geng and Yang were exporting shortly before they started their company, El Monte-based ALX Solutions.
The police raided the company's office and seized the phones of the defendants, which showed that they discussed evading U.S. export controls by sending computer chips through Malaysia.
ALX Solutions was never paid by the companies they claimed to be exporting their goods to, but they were paid by entities based in Hong Kong and China, one of which sent them $1 million.
The defendants made at least 20 shipments to Singapore and Malaysia, "which commonly are used as transshipment points to conceal illegal shipments to China," the DOJ noted.
California-based Nvidia is a key player in the AI sector and currently ranks as the most valuable company in the world.
“This case demonstrates that smuggling is a nonstarter. We primarily sell our products to well-known partners, including OEMs [original equipment manufacturers], who help us ensure that all sales comply with US export control rules,” an Nvidia spokesperson told the New York Post.
“Even relatively small exporters and shipments are subject to thorough review and scrutiny, and any diverted products would have no service, support, or updates."
This case is one example of how mass immigration undermines U.S. national security. While illegal immigration gets the most attention, those who come to the U.S. the right way are not necessarily good people. Notably, one of the Chinese nationals in this incident has a green card.
President Trump has prioritized winning the AI race with China, and key to that effort is revitalizing the semiconductor industry in the United States.
Trump announced this week that he will levy 100% tariffs on foreign chips, with exemptions for companies that invest in America such as Nvidia.
Michelle Obama admitted to having mixed feelings when she met her husband Barack Obama - and feared their relationship would "ruin" her career as a lawyer.
With divorce rumors still swirling around the couple, Michelle shared an eyebrow-raising account of how they fell in love while working at a law firm.
As she recalled on an episode of her podcast IMO, Barack had a reputation as a "brilliant" Harvard Law student before she met him for the first time.
She was struck by his "weird" first name and assumed he would be "nerdy" because "white people" seemed to like him.
Even back then, Michelle had a chip on her shoulder about race, it seems.
"I got his profile [at the law firm] and I thought, what kind of a name is Barack Obama?"
"And he's black, and everyone at the law firm was excited that he was black, and I was like, 'he's probably weird, because he's a nerd if a lot of white people are all infatuated with him.'"
After meeting Barack, Michelle found him to be more confident and attractive than she anticipated. It was love at first sight, or rather, the first "hello."
"I had this image of a nerdy guy, and then the first sparky feeling I had, I felt actually, was when I talked to him on the phone and he had his Barack Obama voice. He's like, 'hello', the voice was sexier than the image I had, so I sort of didn't expect this," she said.
Before long, she was inseparable from her new work "buddy," and as they got closer, Michelle feared that she was compromising her job. She even tried setting him up with a friend.
"I told myself it would be completely inappropriate for me to date this dude that I'm advising. It would be tacky, and it would be expected, so I kind of talked myself out of it," she said.
One night, while out with their work colleagues, Barack suggested leaving alone with Michelle. She had a moment of doubt but was unable to resist his "radical," devil-may-care attitude.
"I was like, 'oh, he's radical, he's like a rule breaker' and we left at intermission, we left two seats open in the box at the firm."
"I was like 'I'm ruining my career,' but we went out for drinks and I really liked him."
Despite her misgivings, marrying a future president turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her.
She owes all her fame, wealth, and notoriety to being the wife of the 44th president, but you would never guess from how often she belittles him in public.
It's no wonder that the couple can't seem to dodge rumors of divorce - no matter how often they put on this cutesy lovebird routine.
The Walking Dead actress Kelley Mack passed away Saturday at the age of 33, the New York Post reported. In January, Mack was diagnosed with diffuse midline glioma, a cancer of the brain and spinal cord, but lost her battle over the weekend, her family said.
The first indication that anything was wrong with Mack, whose real name is Kelley Klebenow, came in October 2024 when she experienced "persistent lower back pain." By the next month, the problem had become so severe that she headed to the emergency room on the night before Thanksgiving.
Doctors ordered an MRI, which revealed "an abnormal mass" on her spinal cord. A biopsy was done, which led to the diagnosis, but it also left Mack with permanent damage. "Due to the biopsy surgery on my spinal cord, I have lost the use of my right leg and most of my left leg, so I now get around with a walker and a wheelchair," Mack shared in a post to social media.
She continued to document her journey for her followers, and on March 26, Mack told fans that she was "re-learning how to walk" with the use of physical therapy. "Life has also had its ups and downs lately, am I right?" Mack wrote.
Despite Mack's determination to get well, the cancer eventually took its toll on the "Chicago Med" actress, who passed away in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Her sister shared the sad news in a post on Mack's Instagram on Tuesday.
"It is with indelible sadness that we are announcing the passing of our dear Kelley. Such a bright, fervent light has transitioned to the beyond, where we all eventually must go," Mack's sister, Kathryn, told the actress's thousands of followers.
"Kelley passed peacefully on Saturday evening with her loving mother Kristen and steadfast aunt Karen present. Kelley has already come to many of her loved ones in the form of various butterflies. She will be missed by so many to depths that words cannot express," the post continued.
A Caringbridge site for Mack announced a celebration of life to be held on August 16 in her native Ohio. "She would want you all to know how much she loves you. And as her sister, I want you all to know how brave that tough SOB was, especially when she decided to make the leap to be reunited with God," Kathryn concluded before noting she is "proud of" her sister.
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Mack began her promising career as a child actress, landing roles in various commercials. However, her first major success came in the short film, Elephant Garden. The film was honored at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, winning the Student Visionary Award.
In 2018, Mack appeared in five episodes of season nine of The Walking Dead as "Addy," who was one of the residents of Hilltop Colony. "I was only supposed to be in 2 episodes originally, so I was grateful to have been able to work on five of them and hadn’t anticipated that I’d stay on the show for too long," Mack said of her stint on the horror series.
According to her profile on IMDb, the actress also landed a role in an episode of 9-1-1 in 2019 and Chicago Med in 2022. Mack also had appeared in the films Delicate Arch and Mr. Manhattan in 2024 and played "Ricky" in this year's Universal flick, which was released in June.
Unfortunately, it would turn out to be her last film. Aside from her sister, Mack leaves behind parents, Kristen and Lindsay Klebow, brother Parker, and grandparents Lois and Larry Klebenow.
Cancer is a terrible disease that can strike at any time and take out even the toughest among us. Mack had a promising career and, by all indications, a full life. Cancer robbed her of both, and she will be deeply missed by those who loved her.
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's plan to reallocate $4 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, CBS News reported. The funds would come from FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which the agency had eliminated in April.
U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns of Boston issued his ruling on Tuesday that halted the plan. The case was brought in July by Massachusetts and 19 other Democrat-led states, which sued over FEMA's ability to dispense with funds meant for fortifying infrastructure against natural disasters.
Before its elimination, BRIC set aside funding for flood control, including stormwater management infrastructure, or elevating or relocating buildings in areas that experience repeated floods. The judge contended that using funds from the canceled program on anything but disaster relief would cause "irreparable harm" to areas prone to flooding.
"The BRIC program is designed to protect against natural disasters and save lives," Stearns wrote of the since-eliminated program. Stearns is also "not convinced" that the money Congress had set aside for BRIC should be reallocated to other projects based on how it was awarded.
According to Newsweek, FEMA said in a news release published April 4, 2025, that BRIC was being eliminated as "yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program." It said that the program was "more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters."
The agency has since walked back that position, including removing that news release from the website. FEMA's acting administrator, David Richardson, said that the "BRIC program provides technical and financial assistance to States and local governments for cost-effective pre-disaster hazard mitigation measures that reduce injuries, loss of life, and damage and destruction of property," in a reversal of April's news release.
"The Secretary of Homeland Security [Kristi Noem] has not made a final decision to end the BRIC program," Richardson said, adding that "no grants have yet been canceled." Still, the states that brought the lawsuit against the Trump administration over the funds say Trump is playing politics.
"The president keeps breaking the law, and we keep holding him accountable in court. Shuttering this program would do nothing to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse or improve government efficiency," California Attorney General Rob Bonta, one of the lawsuit's lead plaintiffs, said in July.
"This is a program with bipartisan support that is focused on protecting lives and livelihoods from flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters," he added. However, like many government programs, suspected partisanship in FEMA seems to cut against Republicans, including one high-profile case in Florida.
As the Daily Wire reported at the time, employees of FEMA were fired after it was revealed that officials in the agency told disaster relief workers to skip houses with Trump signs in Florida. The news outlet shared a screenshot of an internal message in a bombshell exclusive on November 8.
EXCLUSIVE: Internal messages obtained by The Daily Wire show a FEMA official ordered relief workers in Florida not to help houses with Trump signs pic.twitter.com/o73ejUuYUG
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) November 8, 2024
At least 20 homes with Trump signs in the Lake Placid, Florida, area were not offered aid following Hurricane Milton, as per the directive. In a letter to Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in March, FEMA's then-acting director Cameron Hamilton explained that three employees in supervisory roles were fired over the issue.
"As you know, FEMA terminated that crew lead’s employment with the agency on November 9. Since then, in cooperation with the Office of Inspector General and the Office of the Special Counsel, FEMA’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) — which reports directly to me — conducted an exhaustive investigation of this incident to determine the full extent of any further inappropriate behavior or misconduct," Hamilton noted.
The White House has been blindsided by judicial decisions that are reversing agenda items. Whether the BRIC program was politicized or not, it seems that each agency should be able to make decisions about where its funds end up, regardless of who is in the White House.
In a recent reveal, President Donald Trump has narrowed his choices for the next chair of the Federal Reserve, sparking discussion on the future of U.S. economic policy.
Four candidates are currently under consideration by President Trump to replace Jerome Powell as the Federal Reserve Chair, potentially reshaping U.S. economic strategies, Newsmax reported.
The two names making headlines from Trump's list are Kevin Hassett and Kevin Warsh, adding to the intrigue of who will lead the Federal Reserve after Powell's term concludes in May 2026.
Trump's criticism of Powell centers on his handling of interest rates, characterizing him as "too late" in these adjustments. This criticism underscores Trump's intent to influence the Fed's future direction significantly.
Further, Trump discussed the possibility of removing Powell from his position, leveraging a Supreme Court ruling that a Fed Chair can only be removed for cause. Trump has publicly accused Powell of mismanaging a $2.5 billion renovation of Federal Reserve facilities.
Amidst these controversies, the resignation of Fed Governor Adriana Kugler last Friday added complexity, described by Trump as "a pleasant surprise." He hinted that her replacement might also be in contention for Powell's job.
Kevin Hassett, currently a director at the White House National Economic Council, has been lauded by Trump as a "true friend" and was praised for his effective management during his tenure as the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.
Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor and a fellow at the Hoover Institution, is known for advocating for lower interest rates and critiquing Powell's leadership. Warsh's perspectives on monetary policy, especially post-pandemic inflation misestimations, align with Trump's criticisms.
Trump has underscored the capabilities of both Kevins, stating on CNBC's "Squawk Box," "I think Kevin and Kevin, both Kevins, are very good," indicating his support for their economic ideologies.
Trump emphasized that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is not among the candidates for the Federal Reserve Chair, as Bessent prefers to remain in his current position. "I love Scott, but he wants to stay where he is," said Trump, clearing up earlier speculations.
This ongoing selection process highlights Trump's proactive approach toward economic management, reflecting a desire for major changes in how U.S. monetary policy is conducted.
Warsh echoed this sentiment in his commentary, advocating for a "regime change" in policy conduct to address the errors noted post-pandemic, further hinting at the strategic pivot Trump desires from the Federal Reserve.
The decision on who will succeed Powell carries profound implications for the U.S. economy. With high-profile candidates in consideration, the outcome is poised to influence economic policy and market dynamics significantly.
The financial sector and broader public are closely monitoring this development, anticipating the potential shifts in economic policy under new leadership.
As the decision nears, the discussions around these appointments offer insight into the evolving dynamics at the highest levels of economic decision-making in the United States.
A federal appeals court has ruled that a pair of illegal immigrants can remain in the U.S. for now, after an "error" made by the Biden Justice Department.
The case, Cortez v. United States Attorney General Pam Bondi, concerns a Salvadoran woman and her minor son, who entered the country illegally in 2021. They "admitted that they were removable" to the immigration judge but sought relief from deportation on various grounds. When they were denied, they asked the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) to review the judge's decision.
The Tenth Circuit Appeals Court sent the case back to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), finding the board was wrong to reject petitioners' appeal because their lawyer did not provide a signed proof-of-service.
"The BIA’s rejection of Petitioners’ motion for reconsideration was predicated on an error of law and must be set aside," the court stated in its opinion.
Immigration judges are part of the Justice Department. They have broad discretion to "determine removability, excludability, or deportability" and to accept or reject applications for relief from deportation.
When appeals have been exhausted in immigration court, aliens can seek judicial review in the federal court system, which is what happened here.
On June 21, 2022, the immigration judge denied petitioners' requests for relief and ordered them to be deported back to El Salvador.
An immigrant who receives an unfavorable ruling has 30 days to make an appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) or the judge's decision becomes final.
Towards the end of the 30-day window, the petitioners filed the appeal using the government's electronic system. It was rejected by the Board of Immigration Appeals, which said a signature was missing for proof of service.
However, the Tenth Circuit found that the BIA erred "as a matter of law" because the appeal was filed electronically. The court concluded that petitioners complied with the "most reasonable interpretation" of the instructions on the form, which note that signature is needed "if applicable" and that electronic filers are not required to serve the opposing party, i.e. the government.
The Trump administration provided official documents that it says support the signature requirement, but the court reasoned that due process concerns should take precedence.
"Even if we accepted this argument, due-process concerns would make us hesitate to penalize Petitioners for complying with the most reasonable interpretation of the form’s instructions. But we need not address that issue because we do not accept the government’s interpretation of its document," the court wrote.
The illegal aliens in Cortez v. United States Attorney General Pam Bondi have now managed to remain in the United States three years past their original deportation order. Thanks to the government's apparent mistake, they now have another opportunity to continue gaming the system.
Republicans in Texas are threatening to have Democrats removed from office after they fled the state in an attempt to block a contentious redistricting plan.
The state's attorney general, Ken Paxton (R), says Democrats' seats could be declared "vacant" if they do not return to Texas to do their jobs.
The Texas Democrats claim they are protesting a partisan power grab, but Republicans say they are engaged in a publicity stunt and avoiding their duties.
“Democrats have abandoned their offices by fleeing Texas, and a failure to respond to a call of the House constitutes a dereliction of their duty as elected officials,” said Attorney General Paxton.
“Starting Friday, any rogue lawmakers refusing to return to the House will be held accountable for vacating their office. The people of Texas elected lawmakers, not jet-setting runaways looking for headlines. If you don’t show up to work, you get fired.”
With dozens of legislators missing, Republicans in the Texas House do not have a quorum, meaning they cannot conduct business.
More than 50 Democrats have absconded to blue states like New York and Illinois. The governors of those states have threatened to retaliate against Texas' plan to add up to five House GOP districts, although critics note that many Democratic states are already aggressively gerrymandered.
Texas governor Greg Abbott (R) has called on state police to arrest the absentee Democrats, and he is going to the Supreme Court to expel top Democratic leader Gene Wu as his party pledges to run out the clock on the two-week special legislative session.
“What is at stake here? Nothing less than the future of Texas,” Abbott wrote in his lawsuit. “If a small fraction of recalcitrant lawmakers choose to run out the clock today, they can do so for any, and every, Regular or Special Session, potentially bankrupting the State in an attempt to get their way.”
Paxton, seemingly reluctant to let Abbott steal his thunder, wrote his own letter to the Supreme Court.
The attorney general said he "appreciates the governor's passion" but Abbott lacks the authority to pursue quo warranto proceedings, which challenge a person's right to hold a public office.
In a podcast appearance, Paxton pumped the brakes a bit on the plan to remove Democrats, which he said will start Friday if the House still does not have a quorum.
"We'd have to go through a court process, and we'd have to file that maybe in districts that are not friendly to Republicans," Paxton told Benny Johnson. "So it's a challenge because every district would be different."
Abbott has also suggested that Democrats who accept donations in order to cover fines for skipping work could be on the hook for bribery charges.
Paxton is challenging Senator John Cornyn in a contentious Republican primary. Not letting himself be outflanked, Cornyn has called on the FBI to help bring the absentee Democrats back to Texas.
A Democratic congresswoman is facing accusations of treason after she admitted to feeling more Guatemalan than American.
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Il.) made the shocking comment at a leftist, anti-American summit in Mexico, where she was joined by like-minded progressives like Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Mn.).
The Panamerican Congress brings together leftist leaders from across the Western hemisphere - primarily Latin America - who oppose the geopolitical dominance of the United States and Israel, the Daily Caller reported.
In her remarks at the conference, Ramirez denounced America's "imperialism" and declared, in Spanish, that she is a proud Guatemalan first.
"I’m a proud Guatemalan before I’m an American," she said.
Needless to say, her remarks have brought significant controversy, with many saying she should leave the United States or even be deported.
Tennessee Republican Andy Ogles cut to the chase, saying Ramirez should be stripped of her citizenship and sent to the country where - according to her - her heart truly lies.
"Denaturalize, deport, and kick her off Homeland Committee. We know where her allegiances lie," Ogles wrote on X.
Ramirez, a Chicago native who represents Illinois' heavily Latino 3rd district, is married to an illegal immigrant and describes herself as the "only Congressperson in a mixed-status marriage.” She is the child of illegal aliens from Guatemala.
The Trump administration - which is trying to end birthright citizenship - did not hesitate to highlight Ramirez's comments.
The Department of Homeland Security responded with a famous quote from Teddy Roosevelt about the danger of "hyphenated Americanism."
"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism...Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance," Roosevelt said.
In a long and angry statement, Ramirez said she is being held to a different standard because of her race.
"No one questions when my white colleagues identify as Irish-American, Italian-American, or Ukrainian-American to honor their ancestry," she said.
Of course, it is one thing to take pride in your ethnic heritage and another thing entirely to say that you belong to another country, which is what Ramirez did here. She also attended an event that has the explicit purpose of lifting up the Third World against American "imperialism."
Still, Ramirez insists that her patriotism is beyond questioning.
"I am the daughter of immigrants and the daughter of America. I am both Chapina and American. I am from both Guatemala and Chicago, Illinois," she said.
President Donald Trump is again calling for the federalization of Washington D.C., after a member of the Department of Government Accountability (DOGE) was badly beaten.
The staffer, Edward Coristine, also known as “Big Balls,” by those inside the D.C. beltway, was the victim of the attack, which has again reignited discussion about the possible takeover, as Fox News reported.
Trump’s push is backed by a number of Republicans, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who has been calling for federalization for some time, saying the town should come under Congressional control.
Lee has even introduced the Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident (BOWSER) Act, named after D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, in light of recent crime.
The bill, which was introduced with a companion bill by Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) has yet to make it out of Committee, despite some moderate support.
"The Constitution already federalizes D.C.," Lee said on X. "We just need Congress to do its job — and reassert its lawmaking power over our nation’s capital city. My bill, the BOWSER Act, would do that."
The president took to Truth Social on Aug 5 to talk about his frustration with the city that he now calls home, saying, “Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control.
“Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released.”
According to Trump, the lawbreakers aren’t afraid of law enforcement “because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!”
Trump said that the D.C. laws needed to be changed to prosecute those carrying out the violent crimes as adults, regardless of whether they are legally minors, all the way down to the age of 14.
In his post, the president spoke about the recent victim who was “ beaten mercilessly by local thugs,” and he said that Washington, D.C., must be safe, clean, and beautiful for all Americans.”
Trump also said he believes it’s important for the world to see a Washington, D.C. that is a reflection of the nation, which he believes could be accomplished via federal control.
“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore.
He voiced his regret saying maybe if that step had already been taken, “this incredible young man, and so many others, would not have had to go through the horrors of Violent Crime.”