Josh Hammer addresses the anti-ICE protests in Minnesota while underscoring that the underlying Somali fraud scandal is driving the broader political fallout. He breaks down the Texas special election upset that flipped a seat to Democrats and assesses what Republicans should take away as November nears. As Second Amendment concerns come back into focus following the death of Alex Pretti, Josh argues that conservative voters expect clear leadership, not silence. The program concludes with an analysis of a significant "detransitioner" malpractice ruling and its potential impact on transgender medical practices going forward.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Monday announced two more arrests following a protest at a Minnesota church against the immigration crackdown, bringing the number of people arrested to nine.
The nine were named in a grand jury indictment unsealed Friday. Independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were among four people arrested Friday. Three others were arrested earlier in the week, including prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong.
A grand jury in Minnesota indicted all nine on federal civil rights charges of conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshippers during the Jan. 18 protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul. A pastor at the church is also a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. The protest generated strong objections from the Trump administration,
In a social media post Monday, Bondi named the latest two arrestees as Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson. She gave no details of their arrests.
Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023 following a bumpy run as a morning host, has said he had no affiliation to the group that disrupted Sunday service by entering the church. He has described himself as an independent journalist chronicling protesters.
The indictment alleges that Richardson traveled to the church with Lemon while he was streaming and that Richardson told Lemon they needed to catch up to the others. It also alleges that Austin stood in the aisles of the church and loudly berated a pastor with questions about Christian nationalism.
Online jail records show Austin was arrested Friday. It wasn't immediately clear when Richardson was taken into custody.
Austin's attorney, Sarah Gad, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Court records don't list an attorney for Richardson who could comment on his behalf.
The Justice Department began its investigation after the group interrupted services by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to the 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
Cities Church belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention and lists one of its pastors as David Easterwood, who leads ICE’s St. Paul field office.
President Donald Trump said Monday that he plans to lower tariffs on goods from India to 18%, from 25%, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil. The move comes after months after Trump pressing India to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude. India has taken advantage of slacked Russian oil prices as much of the world has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The Trump administration plans to deploy nearly $12 billion to create a strategic reserve of rare earth elements. This stockpile could counter China's dominance in these metals, which are crucial for various industries. The White House confirmed “Project Vault” on Monday. It would be funded by a $10 billion loan from the US Export-Import Bank and $1.67 billion in private capital. The reserve aims to protect manufacturers from supply chain disruptions. China controls about 70% of the world’s rare earths mining and 90% of processing, giving it significant leverage in trade talks.
The Republican chair of a House Committee rejected an offer Monday from former President Bill Clinton to conduct a transcribed interview for a House investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, pushing the threat to hold both Clintons in contempt of Congress closer towards a vote.
The impasse comes as the full House is headed towards potential votes this week on criminal contempt of Congress charges against the Clintons. If passed, the charges threaten both Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with substantial fines and even incarceration if they are convicted.
Rep. James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, said on social media that he would insist on both Clintons sitting for a sworn deposition before the committee in order to fulfill the panel's subpoenas. A letter from the committee to attorneys for the Clintons indicates that they had offered for Bill Clinton to conduct a transcribed interview on “matters related to the investigations and prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein” and for Hillary Clinton to submit a sworn declaration.
“The Clintons do not get to dictate the terms of lawful subpoenas,” Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said.
The Republican-controlled Oversight panel had advanced criminal contempt of Congress charges last month. Nine of the committee’s 21 Democrats joined Republicans in support of the charges against Bill Clinton as they argued for full transparency in the Epstein investigation. Three Democrats also supported the charges against Hillary Clinton.
Bill Clinton’s relationship with Epstein has re-emerged as a focal point for Republicans amid the push for a reckoning over Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 in a New York jail cell as he faced sex trafficking charges.
Clinton, like a bevy of other high-powered men, had a well-documented relationship with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He has not been accused of wrongdoing in his interactions with the late financier.
After Bill and Hillary Clinton were both subpoenaed in August by the House Oversight Committee, their attorney had tried to argue against the validity of the subpoena. However, as Comer threatened to begin contempt of Congress proceedings, they started negotiating towards a compromise.
Still, the Clintons remained highly critical of Comer’s decision, saying that he was bringing politics into the investigation while failing to hold the Trump administration accountable for delays in producing the Department of Justice’s case files on Epstein.
The partial government shutdown could last longer than first thought. The government funding package passed by the Senate on Friday requires a House vote because of changes made to homeland security funding. The expectation was that House lawmakers would approve the measure after returning to Washington on Monday, but House Speaker Mike Johnson said a vote likely won’t take place until Tuesday as Democrats and Republicans debate restrictions for the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.
The 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie was reported missing over the weekend after vanishing from her home near Tucson, Arizona, the Pima County sheriff's department said on Monday.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home on Saturday night, when she was visited by her children, and was reported missing on Sunday afternoon. She has limited mobility and could not have left her home unaided, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters. He and her family were especially worried because she needs to take daily medication.
"She's 84, she needs her meds, her family needs her too," Nanos said, imploring the public to send in tips. "This is not dementia-related, she is as sharp as a tack. The family wants everybody to know this isn't somebody who just wandered off."
Nanos says the homicide team is also involved, which isn't standard for such cases.
Savannah Guthrie did not appear in her usual seat on NBC's "Today" show on Monday morning, which broadcasts from New York City.
"Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom," the presenter said in a statement read out by her colleagues.
Punxsutawney Phil, the legendary groundhog of Pennsylvania, has forecast six more weeks of winter. On Monday, Phil emerged from his tree stump at Gobbler’s Knob in rural Pennsylvania and saw his shadow, signaling that winter weather will continue before spring arrives.
The tradition dates back more than a century and has roots in European farming customs. It has grown in popularity over the years, especially following the 1993 movie Groundhog Day. Every year, crowds gather to watch the groundhog’s prediction, making it one of the most highly anticipated weather events of the season.
On July 17, 2023, Salem Communications Holding Corporation, licensee of KSAC(FM), 105.5 megahertz, Sacramento California filed an application with the with the Federal >>On July 17, 2023, Salem Communications Holding Corporation, licensee of KSAC(FM), 105.5 megahertz, Sacramento California filed an application with the with the Federal Communications Commission for an Application for Consent to Assignment of . . . <<
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