President Donald Trump is urging the Supreme Court to let him fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve over credible allegations of mortgage fraud.
The Trump administration is asking Chief Justice John Roberts to grant an emergency request to fire Cook while litigation continues.
So far, Cook has been protected by judicial intervention from Biden-appointed judges. The administration accuses lower courts of engaging in "judicial interference with the president’s removal authority."
Trump moved to fire Cook last month, citing evidence that she listed two different properties as her primary residence simultaneously on her mortgage applications.
Such an arrangement could be used to fraudulently obtain favorable loan terms. Cook has yet to provide any explanation for the discrepancy.
A lone circuit judge, Gregory Katsas, dissented from an appeals court decision on Monday that allowed Cook to remain for now.
“The president plainly invoked a cause relating to Cook’s conduct, ability, fitness or competence,” wrote Judge Katsas, a Trump appointee. “The allegations against Cook could constitute mortgage fraud if she acted knowingly, and that is a felony offense.”
The Trump administration argues that the Federal Reserve Act provides the president broad and "unreviewable" power to determine what constitutes "cause" for removal.
"Put simply, the President may reasonably determine that interest rates paid by the American people should not be set by a Governor who appears to have lied about facts material to the interest rates she secured for herself -- and refuses to explain the apparent misrepresentations," Trump's Solicitor General John D. Sauer wrote in his brief to the Supreme Court.
A district court judge appointed by Joe Biden, Jia Cobb, ruled that Cook cannot be fired over conduct that occurred before she joined the Fed in 2022.
"That rationale is so flawed that the D.C. Circuit did not adopt it and even Cook did not press it," Sauer wrote of Cobbs's logic.
The administration argues that lower courts are tying the president's hands with a dangerous theory that affords extraordinary due process to high-ranking federal employees.
"The lower courts’ primary theory is that principal officers are akin to teachers or lower-level civil servants and can thus claim a property interest and an entitlement to notice and a hearing before removal. This theory is untenable and would wreak havoc on sensitive presidential decision-making," Sauer wrote.
Trump's critics see his push to fire Cook as a threat to the political independence of the central bank, which has significant power over the U.S. economy.
Needless to say, the stakes in this case are high. It is unclear how the Supreme Court may see the matter, but the justices have taken a generally broad view of executive power, upholding Trump's firings of various independent agency heads. At the same time, the justices have hinted that the Fed is a special, “uniquely structured" entity.
A bomb squad was called to the Arizona headquarters of Turning Point USA after a "suspicious bag" was left outside, the Daily Mail reports.
The Phoenix headquarters has drawn crowds of mourners since the horrific assassination of Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk on September 10.
The scene was declared safe after Phoenix police sent a bomb robot and bomb squad officer dressed in an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) suit.
"There is not a threat associated with this incident. Updates will be given out as they become available," police said.
Kirk was fatally shot in the neck during one of his trademark debates at Utah Valley University on September 10. The horrific assassination was captured on harrowing video witnessed by millions.
All across the world, the 31-year-old husband and father of two is being mourned as a martyr for free speech and civil debate. His callous murder has also been celebrated by a radical fringe on the left that has sought to disparage his legacy.
There have been numerous incidents of vandalism targeting memorials for Kirk around the country. A 19-year-0ld man was criminally charged for destroying a memorial at Turning Point's headquarters on Sunday.
The suspect wore the same shirt as the man accused of murdering Kirk, 22-year-old Utah native Tyler Robinson.
The left-alleged assassin, described as left-leaning by his family, confessed to killing Kirk because of the conservative activist's "hatred."
Robinson was charged Tuesday with aggravated murder, exposing him to being executed by firing squad - in addition to felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.
Kirk's political organization has been credited with fostering civil discourse and drawing young people to the right in the Trump era. His brutal murder has drawn attention to a rise in extremism and intolerance, particularly on the radical left.
President Trump has said he will designate anti-fa, a decentralized left-wing group, as a terrorist organization in the wake of Kirk's murder.
Kirk's funeral will be held Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, a 63,000-seat venue that is home to the Arizona Cardinals.
President Trump will make an appearance to pay respects to Kirk, who was a loyal supporter and friend of his.
Kirk, an evangelical Christian from the suburbs of Chicago, was raising a family in Arizona with his wife Erika, a Scottsdale native.
Former Attorney General Bill Barr shared President Trump's stunned reaction to finding out that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell.
Barr was the head of the Justice Department when Epstein, who was facing sex trafficking charges, died at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.
"I called [the president] up and said, ‘You better brace for this,’ and I told him words to that effect, and I told him about it and told him we were going to be investigating it very vigorously,” Barr told the House Oversight Committee.
“He had the same reaction I did, which was, ‘How the hell did that happen, he’s in federal custody?"
Barr's comments come from a recent deposition with the House Oversight Committee, which launched a new probe into Epstein after attorney general Pam Bondi controversially moved to close the case this summer.
Democrats have insinuated that Trump is covering up the truth about Epstein, who was once friends with Trump.
Barr told the Oversight Committee that he had two conversations about Epstein with Trump, and in one of those talks, Trump had said "something to the effect that he had broken off with Epstein long ago and that he had actually pushed him out of Mar-a-Lago."
They also conversed in the immediate aftermath of Epstein's suicide. Trump told Barr, at the time, that he believed Epstein's death would cause "conspiracy theories."
At the time, Barr had said that a "perfect storm of screw-ups" allowed Epstein to take his own life. The sheer number of things that went wrong - from cameras not working, to Epstein being taken off suicide watch and not being checked on properly - led many to speculate that foul play was involved.
Barr spent much of his interview with the House Oversight Committee rebutting those theories and explaining why, in his view, Epstein "absolutely" killed himself.
Only one camera was recording on the night Epstein died, and it does not provide a complete view of the stairs leading to Epstein's cell block. Barr conceded that the video has a "blind spot," but he said it still would have been impossible for anyone to enter the cell undetected.
"It was my judgment, from what I saw on the camera and what I looked at, I didn’t think it was possible for someone to get up to the tier and open the door without being picked up in the camera,” he said.
An intruder would have had to pass through two sets of doors, one of which was opened by a remote control. The second "heavy, steel door" required a key and would have made a loud noise, Barr said.
A plan to kill Epstein would have required a high level of coordination between "two dozen" people acting in a very short time window, Barr speculated.
"And all these people were in different groups -- you know, the people who were repairing the cameras, the people who, you know, were responsible for opening and closing the door, the people who were responsible for putting in a new cellmate, things like that. For all that to be coordinated, it would've required, I think, as I say, maybe two dozen people."
President Trump is investing millions of dollars in charter schools, a big boost for the growing school choice movement.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced $60 million in new funding for charter schools as part of a larger budget shift.
The new investments also include $137 million to promote civics education and history, and a one-time $500 million investment in tribal colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs.)
Trump has long prioritized school choice, emphasizing the need for parents to have an alternative to low-performing public schools.
More than 1 million students have left public schools since the COVID. The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress found student achievement is at historic lows, continuing a dismal trend that accelerated during the pandemic.
"Following the release of the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress scores, which showed dismal educational outcomes across the nation, the Department plans to award grants totaling $500 million for charter schools to support education choice in fiscal year 2025," the Department of Education said. "This marks the largest investment ever in the Charter Schools Program and fulfills a commitment the Department made earlier this year."
Trump is also dedicating $137 million to promote education in American civics and history ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary next year. The president has long lamented the impact of leftist indoctrination in classrooms where kids learn to hate their country.
The administration is increasing funding for Historically Black Colleges by 48% and doubling support for tribal colleges.
The federal funding is being repurposed from "ineffective and discriminatory programs" that divide citizens based on race, McMahon said.
Trump is diverting $140 million from teacher training programs that promote divisive ideology, $15 million from magnet schools, $9 million from gifted and talented programs, and $31 million from PBS' Ready to Learn, the New York Times reported.
The largest funding cut targets $350 million for "minority-serving" institutions that have long received federal funding based on racial quotas. About 70% of these schools are geared towards raising Hispanic enrollment by requiring at least a quarter of undergraduate students to be Hispanic.
Trump has long supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities - which do not use quotas - going back to his first White House term.
"Today, the Department is making three massive investments – redirecting financial support away from ineffective and discriminatory programs toward those which support student success. We are proud to make the largest investment in the Charter Schools Grants Program in the Department’s history, support American history programs that will inspire young people to be active and informed citizens, and recognize Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities’ historic contributions to improving education and opportunity in our country,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.
“The Department has carefully scrutinized our federal grants, ensuring that taxpayers are not funding racially discriminatory programs but those programs which promote merit and excellence in education. The Trump Administration will use every available tool to meaningfully advance educational outcomes and ensure every American has the opportunity to succeed in life.”
President Trump is shaking up the leadership of the FBI, fueling speculation about director Kash Patel's future, but the White House dismiss the rumors as mere talk.
As reported by Fox News, former Missouri Attorney general Andrew Bailey was sworn in as co-deputy director on Monday, in an unprecedented power-sharing arrangement with current No. 2, Dan Bongino.
Bailey's appointment had been announced in August, before the assassination of Charlie Kirk put FBI leadership back in the spotlight.
When the shakeup was first announced, there were questions about whether deputy director Bongino was being sidelined following a clash with attorney general Pam Bondi over the Epstein files. Bongino reportedly gave Trump an ultimatum, threatening to quit unless Bondi was fired.
The exact reason for Bailey's appointment as co-deputy is still unclear. Bailey left Missouri with the expectation of replacing Patel eventually, Fox reported, citing "Patel’s harshest critics."
A senior White House source dismissed talk about Patel being reassigned to a different role, saying the chatter is coming from people with a vested interest in forcing him out, Fox News said.
Trump's leadership team put on a united front in response to Fox News, rejecting speculation of Patel's ouster.
"Any suggestion that I was brought in to replace anyone in leadership at the FBI or spin my appointment into a sign of division, is simply false - I am honored to serve the FBI and Department of Justice as we work together to keep our nation safe," Bailey told Fox News.
While Fox claims that Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, lack confidence in Patel, they both denied the claim.
"We work with Director Patel every single day and fully support his leadership at the FBI. The suspect is in handcuffs today because of the outstanding work of Director Patel and our law enforcement partners. Any suggestion to the contrary does not reflect the reality of our strong working relationship and shared commitment to protecting the American people," Bondi and Blanche said.
During the manhunt for Charlie Kirk's killer, Patel was slammed for prematurely claiming that the suspect was in custody. He was also criticized for invoking the Norse afterlife, Valhalla, in a tribute to Kirk at a press conference where 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was named as the suspect.
Patel's defenders have noted the 33-hour search was over relatively quickly after the FBI shared images that led to Robinson being confronted by his father.
When asked about his FBI over the weekend, Trump said he is happy with everyone.
"I am very proud of the FBI," Trump told Fox News Digital Saturday. "Kash — and everyone else — they have done a great job."
The political world in Brazil just took an interesting turn in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that resulted in the country's former president being sentenced to decades behind bars.
According to The Seattle Times, "A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court justices sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years"... in prison after deciding that he was part of an effort to stay in power after his failed 2022 election.
Bolsonaro, described as a far-right politician, was hit with a total of five charges regarding the alleged coup attempt, and has been on house arrest for some time.
The former Brazilian president has steadily denied any wrongdoing on his part.
Four of the five Brazilian Supreme Court justices reviewing the case ruled that Bolsonaro was guilty of the five counts. The ruling is expected to generate pushback from the U.S. government.
The outlet reported:
Four of the five justices reviewing the case in the panel found the far-right politician guilty on five counts, in a ruling that will deepen political divisions and was expected to prompt a backlash from the U.S. government. It makes Bolsonaro is the first former Brazilian president to be convicted of attempting a coup.
The outlet also listed the five counts Bolsonary was charged with.
They included "attempting a coup after losing the 2022 race to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in a plot that prosecutors alleged included plans to kill Lula; participating in an armed criminal organization; attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law; damage qualified by violence; and deterioration of listed heritage."
Jair Bolsonaro, former Brazilian president, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison.
They want us jailed or killed. Never give up. pic.twitter.com/ZvFWflNJ6R
— 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐒 (@Antunes1) September 11, 2025
Those working with Bolsonaro were also sentenced for their roles, with many of them receiving lengthy sentences as well.
The Supreme Court's sentencing drew mixed reactions across social media, with some celebrating the news while others claiming it was all under the cloud of corruption all around.
"He was a corrupt politician," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "He had a chance to seize power and he didn't and they locked him up anyway. Dude got cold feet."
Bolsonaro can appeal the ruling, according to the outlet, but it's unclear if and when he plans to do so.
It wasn't all that long ago that Charlie Kirk, who was tragically assassinated on Sept. 10 while speaking at a university in Utah, sending shockwaves around the world, told someone what he really wanted to be remembered by.
According to Fox News, Kirk, during a podcast interview barely three months ago, stated boldly and proudly that he wanted to be remembered for his strong faith as a Christian. Nothing more, nothing less.
The admission came during an appearance on "The Iced Coffee Hour" podcast, with host Jack Selby. The interview took place at the end of June.
Selby had asked Kirk how he would want to be remembered if "everything completely goes away," to which Kirk immediately replied, "If I die?"
"Everything just goes away," Selby clarified for Kirk. "If you could be associated with one thing, how would you want to be remembered?"
Kirk held absolutely nothing back with his response, showing zero hesitation with his answer.
"I want to be remembered for courage for my faith," Kirk told Selby. "That would be the most important thing; most important thing is my faith."
Charlie Kirk on how he wanted to be remembered.
Question: “How would you wanna be remembered?”
Charlie: “I wanna be remembered for courage for my faith. That that would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith in my life.” pic.twitter.com/fwBV9UVefc
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 11, 2025
Fox News noted:
The resurfaced clip has gone viral in the wake of his tragic death, with many social media users highlighting Kirk’s words as a reflection of the principles he championed throughout his career.
A number of previous statements and interviews done by Kirk have resurfaced since his death, and as important as they were when he was living, they strike a much deeper cord in the wake of his untimely and unfair death.
Kirk's fans and supporters -- and Christians in general -- across social media weighed in on Kirk's legacy wish.
"Keep the faith. No matter what. That’s what Charlie wanted," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Charlie’s own words say it all—faith and courage. Not titles, not fame, not power. Just a man who wanted to be remembered for standing boldly for Christ."
Many suggested that Kirk's death will fuel millions back to Christ. Let's pray that's the case.
Senate Republicans voted 53-43 to end a blockade on President Trump's nominees on Thursday, invoking the so-called nuclear option.
It is a remarkable shift from Senate Republicans, who historically have placed the chamber's rules over Trump's wishes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is a former Trump critic, but he has worked closely with the president on advancing his second-term agenda.
The "nuclear option" allows the party in power to change Senate rules with a simple majority. It has been invoked in the past by both parties and is often seen as a selfish move that undermines bipartisanship.
Republicans say they were left with no alternative after Democrats spent months blocking what would normally be routine votes staffing the Trump administration. Dozens of nominees have been left in limbo, angering Thune, who is known as a mild-mannered institutionalist.
"I’ve been saying all week, ‘We’re going to vote on this on Thursday, one way or the other,'" Thune said.
"We’re going to change this process in a way that gets us back to what every president prior has had when it comes to the way that these nominees are treated here in the United States Senate -- by both sides, Republicans and Democrats; both presidents, Republicans and Democrats."
After the rule change, the Senate will be able to vote quickly on large groups of executive branch nominees, sub-Cabinet level picks, and ambassadors. The change does not apply to judicial picks.
The Senate Republicans will begin clearing the backlog next week, starting with 48 nominees.
Republicans have been happy to note that their push is based on a plan that was introduced by Senate Democrats during the Biden presidency. That plan would have allowed block votes on 10 nominees at a time.
The parties were negotiating on a framework that would increase that number to 15, but the deal fell apart.
The new Senate rules now allow block votes on an unlimited number of nominees.
The flip side of Republicans going "nuclear" is that the Democrats will benefit the next time the balance of power shifts.
But Republicans have said they are trying to restore some semblance of order.
“You always think about what’s going to happen when the shoe is on the other foot, and that is ultimately going to happen at some point,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) told reporters last week. “But this is historic obstruction. We’re trying to get back to the way this has been previously.”
Attorney general Pam Bondi signaled a shift in President Trump's crackdown on urban crime, saying federal troops will head next to a "city who wants us there" instead of intervening in resistant Democratic cities.
Trump has repeatedly toyed with the idea of taking over Chicago, which has long been plagued with gang violence. But Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) have furiously pushed back on Trump's offer of assistance.
The Trump administration is now suggesting they will not waste time fighting with Democrats who refuse to be helped.
"They are a progressive city, and they don't want the president's help. That's on them," Bondi said of Chicago on Fox News Tuesday night. "Chicago should be begging Donald Trump for help to keep Chicago safe — yet they aren't. So we’re going to a city who wants us there."
Bondi did not say which city is next, but Trump has named Democrat-run New Orleans as another city that could use federal help with fighting crime.
Louisiana is a Republican-run state, and Trump has already said the governor, Jeff Landry, is receptive to Trump's crackdown.
According to Bondi, the feds have arrested over 2,310 people and seized over 225 guns in Washington, D.C. since Trump launched his takeover of the capital in August.
The city's police data shows that homicides have fallen 43% since the crackdown started, with violent crime dropping 18%.
The president touted his D.C. operation as a success during a rare stop at a restaurant in downtown D.C., where he teased a major announcement.
“We’re going to be announcing another city that we're going to very shortly. We’re working it out with the governor of a certain state that would love us to be there and the mayor of a certain city in the same state,” he said on Tuesday.
“We’ll announce it probably tomorrow," he added.
The takeover of D.C. expired Wednesday after Congress declined to renew it, but National Guard troops are expected to remain in the city for now.
While Bondi is pointing to a more limited federal presence in Chicago, immigration agents have started a new crackdown in the city in honor of a 20-year-old woman who was killed by an illegal alien in a hit-and-run accident.
Since beginning Operation Midway Blitz, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has arrested several criminal foreigners, including for offenses as sexually assaulting a child family member, rape, armed robbery, and domestic battery.
The cost of Barack Obama's presidential library is nearing $1 billion, according to financial records from the former president's own foundation.
The Obama Presidential Center has been mired in development for years, but it is proceeding despite intense local opposition in Chicago - with critics slamming the towering, grey structure as both ugly and a threat to the impoverished South Side community.
The center is slated to open in the spring, five years behind schedule and more than two times over budget.
Obama, a former "community organizer," touted the progress on his center in his foundation's annual financial disclosure.
"On the South Side of Chicago—just steps from where I began my own journey as a young organizer—we’re building something big. Not just in scale, but in spirit,” Obama said in an introductory note to the report. “The Center will be a place where young people can find their voice, where neighbors can gather and exchange ideas, and where people from every corner of the world can come to be inspired, empowered, and connected.”
According to the Obama Foundation, construction has now cost over $600 million, more than double the initial $300 million estimate.
The current final estimate is a staggering $850 million, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The project has faced years of delays and legal challenges. Angry locals say the center, situated in the middle of historic Jackson Park, is ruining the flow of the neighborhood and driving up rent.
"It looks like this big piece of rock that just landed here out of nowhere in what used to be a really nice landscape of trees and flowers," Ken Woodard, 39, a lawyer and father of six who grew up in the area told Daily Mail. "It's a monstrosity."
Obama's team is reportedly planning community tours to encourage locals to “begin to imagine how they will use and enjoy” the center.
Meanwhile, Obama's friends and allies are reaping a juicy profit, with top executives at the foundation receiving over $6 million, the Daily Mail reported.
Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor, who represents the area in city government, is an Obama supporter but she has concerns about how the project will impact the neighborhood.
"We're going to see rents go higher and we're going to see families displaced," she told the Daily Mail.
"Every time large development comes to communities, they displace the very people they say they want to improve it for," she added.