Politico reported on Wednesday that sources said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) will announce on May 5 that she will not seek re-election in 2026.
Schakowsky, 80, plans to retire when her current term ends, the sources told Politico.
She said that she would discuss her plans on May 5, but did not say anything publicly about retiring.
When the Politico report came out, she again refused to announce a decision, asking those interested to wait until May 5 for the decision.
Reportedly, she has begun talking to colleagues about her plans to retire, however.
Schakowsky was a leader of progressives in the House. I guess she has decided not to hang around to see if Democrats can retake the majority in 2026.
Many of the oldest members of Congress from both parties are retiring, particularly given that this is the oldest Congress anyone can remember.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin also announced his retirement on Wednesday. Durbin is also 80.
Politico called the current state of affairs among Democrats in Congress a "reckoning," with a number of young challengers attempting to displace some of the older members there.
Democratic National Committee vice chair David Hogg is one of those young Progressives. He said he would use the committee's funds to back challengers to older Democrats, but exempted Schakowsky and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA).
Maybe they got passes because they are women? It's hard to say.
It could be that Pelosi is still wielding her considerable power over the party and told Hogg not to go after Schakowsky. Every power move has its limits, after all.
Schakowsky was a major part of drafting Obamacare, and Pelosi appointed her in 2010 to Obama's Bowles-Simpson reform committee.
She also supports J Street, a radical anti-Israel group. She recently voted with 77 other Democrats to embargo Israel.
The nation's high court appears to be leaning in favor of some parents from the state of Maryland who are asking for a change in some of the materials taught to their kids.
The Tuesday hearing before the Supreme Court seemed to show the majority of conservative judges offering questions that supported the parents who object to books with gay and transgender characters for primary school kids, as Breitbart News reported.
The 2½-hour oral argument centered around the parents' religious beliefs. Given that the conservative justices are in favor of religious liberty, the parents' case against the Montgomery County Board of Education was strong.
The parents are not requesting that the materials not be present in their children's school, just that they have an opt-out option for those whose religious beliefs preclude the materials' morals.
Some justices expressed concern that the board's refusal to provide an opt-out was due to religious bias.
A debate has been ongoing in Montgomery County, English language arts textbooks, since 2022, when the school board in the diverse region outside of Washington requested additional LGBTQ storybooks to more accurately represent its residents.
Muslims and Orthodox Christians objected to the content on religious grounds, citing the First Amendment, contending that their children should have the right to opt out.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, one of the more conservative members of the bench, was one of several who offered his concern about statements about the school board in question.
The school representative stated in a media interview that a student who objected to the books was "parroting dogma" from her parents, as per court documents.
She also compared their complaints to those of white supremacists who opposed civil rights laws.
“Does that suggest a hostility toward religion?” Gorsuch asked in his questioning, harkening back to a 2018 ruling in which the court ruled in favor of JackPhillips, a Christian baker who refused to make a wedding cake to celebrate a gay couple.
Several conservative justices seemed surprised by the school board's decision to make providing an opt-out too difficult for most parents to effectively do for their children, as well as the wisdom of the curriculum at all.
“Why isn’t that feasible?” Justice Samuel Alito asked.
Similarly, Justice Brett Kavanaugh questioned, “I’m not understanding why it’s not feasible."
Although the school board maintained that the policy did not mandate that students affirm or support the books' content, Chief Justice John Roberts appeared doubtful: "Is that a realistic concept when you are talking about a 5-year-old?" he asked.
Protesting what they saw as pressure from the Justice Department to express remorse for pursuing the corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams, three federal prosecutors from Manhattan resigned on Tuesday.
Celia Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach, and Derek Wikstrom all accused DOJ Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of trying to get the to lie and "express regret" to re-establish their employment in relation to the case that accused Adams of accepting bribes from Turks in exchange for travel perks, the New York Post reported.
“We will not confess wrongdoing when there was none,” the three prosecutors, who had been placed on “administrative leave,” wrote in a scathing one-page letter obtained by The Post.
The DOJ under President Trump “has decided that obedience supersedes all else, requiring us to abdicate our legal and ethical obligations in favor of directions from Washington,” the prosecutors claimed.
Dale Ho, the judge presiding over Adams' case, recently ruled that the prosecutors involved were only acting within the bounds of legality, which led to the departures.
“The record before the Court indicates that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York prosecutors who worked on this case followed all appropriate Justice Department guidelines. There is no evidence — zero — that they had any improper motives,” the judge wrote.
During their time working for the SDNY office, Rohrbach, Cohen, and Wikstrom mentioned that they had experience working under both Republican and Democrat presidents.
This is the office is responsible for supervising high-profile trials, such as the Sean "Diddy" Combs case. According to the outgoing employees, they’d been allowed to do their jobs “without fear or favor."
Both Rohrbach and Cohen were heavily involved in the prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was a client of Jeffrey Epstein, and Cohen was in charge of a number of local mob prosecutions.
The resignations occurred on the very first day that Jay Clayton, who was appointed by Trump to serve as an interim leader of SDNY, assumed office. The Department of Justice's February campaign to dismiss Adams' case led to the resignation of five SDNY prosecutors.
In her resignation letter, the then-interim head of the SDNY, Danielle Sassoon, accused the White House of arranging a corrupt "quid pro quo" arrangement in which Adams consented to meet Trump's demands over immigration policy in return for the dismissal of his case.
Hagan Scotten, who was the primary prosecutor in the Adams case, has also stepped down.
Danielle Sassoon was part of the turnover, tendering her resignation in February in protest of the Justice Department's order to drop corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Because of that change, Matthew Podolsky agreed to step down and took over for Sassoon.
Following Trump's firing of Edward Kim, who had served as U.S. attorney throughout the transition in administrations, Sassoon was appointed to the position.
Until federal judges in Manhattan confirm or appoint him, Trump's choice Jay Clayton will serve as an interim for a maximum of four months. Throughout Trump's inaugural year in office, Clayton oversaw the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Prior to becoming head of the SEC, Clayton advised Wall Street firms and other corporations on complying with federal regulations while working as a partner at the New York law firm Sullivan & Cromwell.
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts intervened Monday in a case involving President Donald Trump's firings of two federal agency board members, preventing their reinstatement until the full case can be heard.
An appeals court ruled 7-4 that Cathy Harris and Gwynne Wilcox should be reinstated to their positions on the Merit Systems Protection Board and National Labor Relations Board respectively, arguing that Trump did not have constitutional authority to fire them without cause because their agencies were independent.
The full court ruling overturned the initial three-judge panel, which upheld the firings 2-1.
The appeals court said in its decision, “The Supreme Court has repeatedly told the courts of appeals to follow extant Supreme Court precedent unless and until that court itself changes it or overturns it.”
Judge Karen Henderson wrote, “Only the Supreme Court can decide the dispute and, in my opinion, the sooner, the better.”
Seems like that has now happened with Roberts' ruling, at least on the temporary stay.
A previous Supreme Court precedent said that agency heads independent agency heads could not be fired without cause, but opponents of that precedent say that it limits executive authority more than the Constitution allows.
Government attorneys said, “Reinstatement works a grave harm to the separation of powers and undermines the President’s ability to exercise his authority under the Constitution.”
Both Wilcox and Harris were appointed by the Biden administration to specific terms, and Wilcox's term was just renewed recently.
Due to court decisions, Wilcox and Harris have been fired and reinstated five times since Trump took office.
Without Wilcox, the NLRB does not have a quorum to make certain decisions.
Without Harris, the MSPB only has one board member.
This is not Trump's fault; if the courts would let him do his job, he would be able to fill the vacant positions and resolve these issues in a timely manner.
If the powers that be really wanted these agencies to be independent, then it seems like they should not give presidents the power to appoint members at all.
Democrat Judge Jose "Joel" Cano resigned from his bench last month after an illegal immigrant with alleged ties to the Tren de Aragua gang was arrested in his New Mexico home, where the migrant was living.
Federal prosecutors arrested 23-year-old Cristhian Ortega-Lopez on February 28 during a search of Cano's home that occurred after a detention hearing where evidence was presented that he was a member of Tren de Aragua.
Ortega-Lopez entered the country at Eagle Pass, Texas in December 2023 and was released on a parole program due to overcrowding.
He lived in El Paso, Texas for a while after his release and eventually met the judge's wife Nancy Cano while doing handyman jobs. She offered him a place to live on her property.
Prosecutors showed images of Ortega-Lopez with other migrants at a shooting range with multiple weapons including AR-15s.
He also has tattoos consistent with Tren de Aragua membership. Images of dead and mutilated bodies were found on his phone.
Police found additional weapons at the home of Nancy Cano's daughter, and images showed Ortega-Lopez with several of the firearms.
Ortega-Lopez is charged with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms. He is being held in the Dona Ana County Detention Center.
Jose Cano had been a local magistrate judge in Dona Ana County since 2011.
It was not clear whether the judge or his wife would be charged with harboring an illegal immigrant.
Cano apparently allowed Ortega-Lopez to file for immigration relief using his address.
Social media posts show the two posing together in photos.
With their lives having intertwined in this way, it is unclear whether Cano or his wife knew that Ortega-Lopez had alleged gang ties or participated in gang activities.
President Donald Trump designated Tren de Aragua and other foreign gangs as terrorist organizations, which make the consequences of the Canos' actions more serious.
President Donald Trump is making good on promises made to voters in the last election that he would unleash American energy after four years of stagnation under former President Joe Biden.
Trump has signed multiple executive orders taking a sledgehammer to burdensome regulations on the coal industry created by the previous administration, which waged a "war on coal" in the name of the climate change agenda.
An executive order signed earlier this month exempted several coal plants from Biden-era regulations while slashing regulations to allow the industry to surge and lower the price of energy, which was squeezing Americans' already strained budgets.
Amy Cooke, the director of the Energy and Environmental Policy Center, told The Daily Caller that, "When utility bills are skyrocketing or blackouts are happening in winter, people are going to want reliable power back. The beauty of coal is that it allows for affordable, reliable power, which is absolutely crucial to economic prosperity, and in particular, innovation."
The previous administration didn't care about the economic impact of shutting down coal power and as a result millions of Americans suffered. However, those days are over, and under Trump, the coal industry is set to flourish.
Under Trump's new orders, over 70 coal power plants are no longer required to meet extreme air quality regulations created by the Biden administration.
A statement from the EPA explained that the new order would "bolster coal-fired electricity generation, ensuring that our nation’s grid is reliable, that electricity is affordable for the American people, and that EPA is helping to promote our nation’s energy security."
While critics pointed out that coal doesn't provide a majority of energy, Cooke was quick to point out that, because of extreme demand, Americans need maximum supply, especially from cheaper and more stable sources like coal.
Cooke stated, "We can lead the world in innovation,” Cook told the DCNF, referencing developments in natural gas and nuclear power as beneficial. “But you have to have coal. It has to be part of the mix. It’s insane that we would shut down any base load power right now, when the demand for power is so high."
The increasing demand for energy has not been matched with an increasing supply, heightening the possibility of rolling blackouts, a situation that is unthinkable for Americans who only experience rolling blackouts in third-world countries.
The Biden administration could have moved to increase American energy supply, but due to harmful leftist ideology, the Biden administration instead went to war with American energy.
For many states, Trump's cessation of hostilities against the coal industry is a much-needed relief. The coal industry provides thousands of stable and well-paying jobs to average Americans.
Furthermore, Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated, "The American people need more energy, and the Department of Energy is helping to meet this demand by unleashing supply of affordable, reliable, secure energy sources – including coal."
Lowering the cost of energy will have a domino effect on the economy, spurring economic growth as Americans have more discretionary spending power.
While there is a lot of work to be done to undo the damage caused by Joe Biden, the Trump administration is wasting no time in unleashing the American energy industry and empowering regular Americans.
Kevin Hassett, chair of the White House National Economic Council, has confirmed that the Trump administration is looking to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Speaking to reporters on Friday at the White House, Hassett confirmed that the Trump administration is exploring their options to remove Powell despite the legal obstacles preventing President Donald Trump from outright dismissing him.
Trump has been unhappy with Powell and wants him gone to complete the removal of elements from former President Joe Biden's time in the White House.
Powell is not in alignment with Trump's goals and has refused to cooperate with the White House on economic policy.
Speaking to reporters, Hassett stated that, “The president and his team will continue to study" the options available to give Powell the boot and replace him with someone who will support Trump's agenda.
The Federal Reserve and the White House have been bound for conflict ever since President Donald Trump's confirmation as President back in January.
The Federal Reserve's independence from the executive branch means that Trump has less power to unilaterally effect change.
Trump has gone on a firing spree, removing executive officials appointed by Joe Biden by the dozen. The Trump administration has made it a priority to purge former Biden officials, and that includes Powell, who was the architect of many of Biden's disastrous economic policies.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, President Trump tore into Powell, saying he couldn't wait for his "termination" after Powell refused to cut interest rates, which are still holding back economic activity.
Powell is protected by a Supreme Court precedent that has existed nearly as long as the Federal Reserve has. Trump can't dismiss Powell unless he's found to have committed misconduct or severe neglect of office.
But that isn't stopping the White House from exploring their options to get rid of the defiant Powell, who shows no signs of stepping down from his position.
The Federal Reserve has enjoyed a level of unearned independence and weilds an incredible amount of power for not being either elected by the people or under the rule of the president elected by the American people.
Powell himself has shown himself to be a political actor, as many of his stances have changed since the election of Donald Trump. After years of acting like massive spending wasn't an issue, Powell suddenly decided to criticize Trump's tariff plans that will supposedly cost too much, unlike Biden's insane and reckless spending.
Hassett called Powell out on this by saying, "Having everybody that refused to warn about the runaway spending out there, saying, ‘Oh, this is going to be a catastrophe for inflation because of the tariffs,’ means that people need to improve their models and improve their messaging."
Powell is an actor of the establishment and will fight Trump's attempts to effect genuine reform, and as such, must be removed, even if it means overturning decades of legal precedent.
As President Donald Trump brags to friendly media about his recent physical and claims his health is great, the more unfriendly media outlets are speculating about a persistent bruise on his right hand that has appeared in images spanning from October to earlier this week.
The Daily Mail showed several close-up photos of the bruise, which looks like it has been covered with makeup to make it less noticeable.
Trump, who is 78, has not mentioned the bruise, but it was last seen on Tuesday as he presented the Commander-in-Chief trophy to the Navy Midshipmen football team.
Back in February, a White House official asked about the bruise and said it was from shaking hands with hundreds of people during the campaign and as Trump has completed his duties as president.
A British doctor told Daily Mail online that the bruise could be a minor contusion from bumping the hand or from a blood draw.
This type of bruising is "more prominent" in older adults because of "thinning skin" and "more fragile blood vessels," Dr Ola Otulana said.
That was the most generous explanation given, though it was probably the most likely.
On the left, many would love to catch Trump trying to hide negative health information, such as a chronic illness, since it would derail similar criticisms of former President Joe Biden and put them on an even footing--even if it was too late to affect the election.
Other speculation was that it could be from an IV, suggesting that Trump might have undergone chemotherapy or other infusions because of a chronic illness.
A vitamin deficiency was also mentioned, given the president's propensity for fast food and diet soda.
Finally, some said that Trump might have been dehydrated and needed fluids by IV, which could have caused the bruise.
Some of these explanations sound plausible, and it makes sense that Trump wouldn't want the public to know if he had a chronic illness.
There is no evidence that anything is seriously wrong with Trump; sadly, it is wishful thinking on the part of his haters that this would be the case.
The official word on Trump's health according to his physician, Capt. Sean Barbabella, is as follows: "President Trump exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State."
Layoffs haven't let up yet in the nation's capital as the Trump administration nears its 100th day in office.
President Donald Trump's second term started with a bang on many fronts, not the least of which was determining which of the million-plus executive employees should stay and which should go.
Among those who saw a lighter turnover were members of the Department of Defense, considering that the military isn't supposed to be a partisan branch of the federal government.
However, in recent weeks, three top officials from the Pentagon have been relieved of their duties, due to the mishap surrounding the leak of classified information.
As POLITICO reported, a wide-ranging investigation led to Colin Carroll's suspension as the chief of staff to the deputy defense secretary, Stephen Feinberg.
Feinberg was one of three political appointees who were placed on leave due to a probe into the leak of sensitive information.
Among the information that was leaked was military operational plans for the Panama Canal, a military carrier headed to the Red Sea, Elon Musk's controversial visit to the Pentagon, and a pause in the collection of Ukrainian intelligence.
Carroll, who is a Marine Corps Reserve officer, was serving most recently as an employee of Anduril, a defense contractor that specializes in autonomous systems.
The Biden administration reportedly terminated him as chief operating officer of the Pentagon's former Joint Artificial Intelligence Center due to his creation of a hostile environment.
The official stated that security officers escorted Dan Caldwell, who was a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Darin Selnick, the Defense Department's deputy chief of staff, out of the Pentagon and suspended their building access pending further investigation.
Caldwell and Selnick were both previously employed at Concerned Veterans for America, the nonprofit organization that Hegseth previously served as the director.
The incidents reinforced the demands for Hegseth's resignation from Democrats, as this comes close after the head of the Pentagon disclosed classified information in a Signal conversation with other high-ranking officials regarding American military operations in Yemen, several called for his resignation.
“This is now the second major breach of classified information by the most senior political appointees in [Hegseth’s] two months of leadership at DOD,” Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.) wrote in a post on X.
“He should never have been appointed based on merit alone, but now he is a national security threat. Hegseth must resign.”
Former Republican Rep. Mayra Flores made headlines when it was announced that was hospitalized hours after she announced a run for embattled Rep. Henry Cuellar‘s (D-TX) House seat in Texas.
Flores’s team did not provide much detail about the illness when announcing it on social media, only asking for “prayers and support," as the Washington Examiner reported.
“We pray that Mayra will return stronger than ever, ready to continue her unwavering commitment to serving our country,” the Flores campaign said in its statement.
After confirming the illness, the campaign went on to speak to the former lawmakers' grit and intention going forward.
“Mayra’s passion for building a brighter future for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come is at the heart of everything she does. Guided by faith and determination, she remains steadfast in her mission during this critical moment,” the statement added.
Former and future Congresswoman Mayra Flores, a devoted conservative fighting corruption in Texas's 28th District, has been hospitalized.
During this challenging time, we humbly ask for your prayers and support. We pray that Mayra will return stronger than ever, ready to continue…— Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores4TX) April 15, 2025
Flores flipped the Texas 34th Congressional district just a few years ago, taking it red for the first time in more than a decade.
She made history for another reason, however, as she was the first Mexico-born female member of Congress.
She served only briefly, though. Her tenure in the House of Representatives lasted from late June 2022 to early January 2023 after winning a special election to replace former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela Jr.
Flores lost to Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) twice, as she lost once in the election for a full term to the 34th District in 2022 and then again in the 2024 elections.
Finally, she challenged Cuellar in the 28th District, which should have been a more reasonable endeavor, considering he was indicted by the Justice Department for bribery and money laundering. Cuellar is one of House Democrats' most vulnerable candidates in 2026.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Flores voiced her desire to represent the Spanish-speaking community and make sure they're appropriately informed about President Trump's administration's remarkable work.
“And that’s something that I feel I’m obligated to do, because there’s a lot of misinformation being spread from the left, and they’re trying to instill fear and hate in the Hispanic community,” the former congresswoman said.
Flores faces a challenging race as Cuellar's seat is a "lean Democrat," while Gonzalez's seat is a toss-up and perceived as a Republican pickup opportunity.