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    NYC Mayor Eric Adams Indictment Dismissed

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    via Wikimedia Commons

    On Wednesday, a federal judge dismissed federal corruption charges against New York City mayor Eric Adams, underscoring the prosecutorial power of the Trump administration.

    In his ruling, the judge, Dale E. Ho of federal court in Manhattan, refused to allow the government to keep open the option of reinstating the charges, as the Justice Department had sought.

    The New York Times reports:

    The decision abruptly ended the long-running case weeks before it had been set for trial. It was also the culmination of a bitter clash between the prosecutors who indicted Mr. Adams and the officials at Mr. Trump’s Justice Department who killed the case.

    The fight, in which Manhattan prosecutors and Justice Department officials accused each other of ethical misconduct, left Mr. Adams deeply damaged as he faces a steep uphill climb for re-election this year.

    The Justice Department had moved to dismiss the charges against the mayor after the prosecutors who had brought the indictment refused to do so. One of the department’s highest-ranking officials offered a highly unusual justification, arguing that the case was compromising Mr. Adams’s ability to help enforce the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Winner Projected In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race In Blow To Trump

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    The high-stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court race shaped up to be competitive as predicted, with control of the court—and potentially the future of election law, redistricting and abortion access in the battleground state—hanging in the balance.

    However, the end result saw Susan Crawford, a liberal-leaning Dane County Circuit Court Judge, defeat Brad Schimel, a conservative Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge, preserving the court’s 4-3 liberal majority until at least 2028.

    As The Hill reports, Tuesday night’s outcome comes as a blow to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk:

    The election offered the first big test for both parties since the November elections and came after record-breaking amounts of money poured into the race. In particular, the race was seen as a test of Musk’s political sway, as his super PAC, America PAC, alone spent more than $12 million to support Schimel. He also traveled to Wisconsin the Sunday before the election, where he handed out $1 million checks to voters who had signed his petition against “activist judges.”

    Musk’s involvement sparked controversy, with Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul unsuccessfully suing to block his actions as potential vote-buying.

    Musk’s unpopularity may have played a role in the election, though it’s not the sole factor in Crawford’s victory. Economic uncertainty, a declining stock market and sweeping cuts to government programs with little congressional oversight seems to have motivated Democrats and independents.

    Trump also waded into the race, repeatedly urging voters to go to the polls and support Schimel.

    The race will also be a bitter disappointment for Wisconsin Republicans, who lost a chance to keep their conservative majority after Justice Janet Protasiewicz defeated conservative candidate Dan Kelly in 2023.

    This year’s race, which shattered the 2023 race’s fundraising records by tens of millions of dollars, received outsized national attention not just because it determined the partisan tilt of the court, but also because it comes less than three months into Trump’s second term as president, making it the first critical referendum on the president.

    Turnout was significant in key battleground counties, with Schimel performing worse than Trump in urban, suburban and rural areas.

    According to projections from Decision Desk HQ, Crawford is expected to receive 54.5% of the vote, while Schimel is projected at 45.6%, giving Crawford a decisive 8.9-point margin of victory.

    For context, Trump won Wisconsin in the 2024 presidential election by approximately 0.9%.

    With national implications in a perennial swing state that will help decide control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, all eyes will remain on the Badger State as next year’s election cycle gets underway.

    Trump Secures Release Of US Prisoner From Taliban

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    An American woman being held captive by the Taliban is free…

    American citizen Faye Hall was released finally this week after being held since February and received at the Qatari embassy in Kabul.

    A source informed reporters that she has been confirmed to be in good health after undergoing a series of medical checks. Arrangements are currently underway for her return to the U.S.

    The Taliban agreed to release Hall after President Donald Trump removed multimillion-dollar bounties on senior members of the militant group, according to a report by the Telegraph.

    The White House shared a video on X Saturday afternoon of Hall thanking the president.

    “I’m glad you’re the President, and thank you for bringing me home,” Hall said. “I have never been so proud to be an American citizen. Thank you, Mr. President.”

    In a response posted to Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Thank you Faye — So honored with your words!”

    Trump agreed to remove millions of dollars of bounties on three senior members of the Haqqani network, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban government’s interior minister, the outlet reported, noting that Washington was offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.

    Hall was arrested on Feb. 1 along with a British couple, Peter Reynolds, 79, his wife Barbie, 75, and their interpreter, the outlet reported. 

    Hall’s release comes after the Taliban released American hostage George Glezmann, 65, last week after holding him for more than two years. (RELATED: Trump Admin Frees American Hostage From Taliban)=

    The Trump administration has also secured the release of multiple Americans being held prisoner in Russia, including Pennsylvania teacher Marc Fogel. (RELATED: Trump Secures Release Of Second American While Revealing Details Of Russian Prisoner Swap)

    Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana. 

    READ NEXT: “Democrats Have Nothing To Sell But Hate” – Texas Gov. Abbott Responds After Sleazy Dem Rep’s ‘Hot Wheels’ Slur

    Trump Revokes Elise Stefanik Nomination For UN Ambassador

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3

    She’s out…

    President Donald Trump announced that he asked Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to bow out of contention to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

    He cited the House GOP’s slim majority, writing on Truth Social:

    “I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress to help me deliver Historic Tax Cuts, GREAT Jobs, Record Economic Growth, a Secure Border, Energy Dominance, Peace Through Strength, and much more, so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”

    “With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat. The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations,” he said.

    Stefanik had been under pressure to take herself out of contention for the role despite appearing poised to sail through Senate confirmation with bipartisan support, CBS News first reported. 

    This is a breaking news story. Please chec

    Trump Celebrates Arrest Of MS-13 Leader in Virginia

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Arrest image via Pixabay

    On Thursday, President Trump hailed law enforcement officials for apprehending an alleged leader of notorious El Salvador gang MS-13.

    President Trump touted the arrest of a MS-13 leader, praising border czar Tom Homan amid the administration’s crack down of migrants aligned with gangs in the United States.

    “Just captured a major leader of MS13. Tom HOMAN is a superstar!” Trump said on Truth Social Thursday morning.

    FBI director Kash Patel also confirmed the arrest, calling it a victory for the U.S.

    “I can now confirm that earlier this morning, law enforcement personnel arrested a top MS-13 leader in Virginia. Outstanding work from @AGPamBondi, our brave agents, @CBP, @GovernorVA, and our state and local partners,” Patel wrote on social platform X.

    “This is a massive victory for a safer America. Justice is coming,” he added.

    The 24-year-old suspected MS-13 leader was captured in Woodbridge, Va., outside Washington, D.C., and, while his name hasn’t been released, is considered one of the top three leaders of the gang in the U.S., Fox News reported.

    “They executed a clean, safe operation and the bad guys in custody. And thanks to the FBI, we got one of the worst of the worst of the MS-13 off the streets this morning. Virginia and the country is a lot safer today,” Bondi told Fox News following the arrest.

    The operation included the FBI joined by the Prince William County Police Department, ATF, ICE, and the Virginia State Police.

    Thursday’s operation is only the latest targeting top-level members of gangs and drug-trafficking rings operating in the U.S.

    The FBI has arrested three individuals on its top 10 most wanted list in the past two months alone.

    Report: Appeals Court Blocks Trump Admin’s Deportation Flights

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Image via Pixabay

    A federal appellate court declined to issue a stay on a lower court’s orders in a suit challenging the Trump administration‘s authority to deport Venezuelan nationals via a 1798 wartime law. 

    In a 2-1 decision Wednesday, a three-judge panel sided with the plaintiffs in the suit, further blocking the Trump administration’s ability to move forward with its deportation agenda. 

    Judges Karen Henderson, Patricia Millett, and Justin Walker of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals presided over Monday’s oral arguments, which they agreed to hear last week on an expedited basis. 

    In a concurring opinion of the ruling, Henderson, a Bush appointee, said: “At this early stage, the government has yet to show a likelihood of success on the merits. The equities favor the plaintiffs. And the district court entered the TROs for a quintessentially valid purpose: to protect its remedial authority long enough to consider the parties’ arguments.

    “Accordingly, and for the foregoing reasons, the request to stay the district court’s TROs should be denied.”

    Their decision could ultimately be kicked to the Supreme Court for further review.  

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    US Soldiers Killed During NATO Training Exercise In Lithuania Near Belarus Border

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    U.S. service members walk the casket of George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States, towards the hearse, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Dec. 03, 2018. Military and civilian personnel assigned to Joint Task Force-National Capital Region provided ceremonial and civil affairs support during President George H.W. Bush's state funeral. (DoD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kalie Frantz)

    Four U.S. Army soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, have died during a training exercise in Lithuania. The incident occurred near the town of Pabradė, close to the Belarus border. The soldiers were traveling in an M88A2 Armored Recovery Vehicle when they went missing on Tuesday, prompting a search operation involving Lithuanian and NATO forces. Their bodies and vehicle were later discovered in a swampy area.

    NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed the deaths, expressing condolences and highlighting the risks associated with military training exercises, especially in challenging environments. The U.S. Army Europe and Africa stated that the soldiers were conducting scheduled tactical training at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė.

    The New York Post has additional information about the soldiers who were initially reported as missing:

    The four soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, based out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, were last seen alive on Tuesday riding an armored vehicle during tactical training exercises at a military site near the city of Pabrade, in eastern Lithuania.

    The area is about six miles from the border with Belarus — a staunch Russian ally, Army officials said.

    Rutte said he had received word of the deaths of the four soldiers and extended his thoughts and prayers to their families and the United States.

    US Army Africa from Vicenza, Italy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    “This is still early news so we do not know the details,” he told reporters while on a visit to Poland’s capital Warsaw. “This is really terrible news and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones.”

    Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. The names of the deceased soldiers have not yet been released, pending notification of their families.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    The Atlantic Publishes Additional Messages From ‘Secret War Plans’ Groupchat

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel participates in an interview conducted by Jeffrey Goldberg in his office at the Pentagon Oct. 30, 2013 (Not Released)

    The Atlantic has published additional messages from Signal group chat among national security leaders that were inadvertently shared with Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, teeing up potential consequences for the publication.

    The move could trigger consequences for the magazine. Despite officials’ claims on Tuesday that the information contained within the chat was not classified, publishing such information could still violate the Espionage Act, which prohibits the release of national defense information.

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz have faced calls to resign following revelations that the outlet’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently added to a private group chat earlier this month in which Hegseth, Waltz, Vice President JD Vance and other top administration officials reportedly discussed impending airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. 

    The Atlantic noted that the White House opposed its publishing of the information.

    Read the new messages:

    “TEAM UPDATE: TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch. 1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package). 1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s),” Hegseth apparently wrote in a screenshot of a text message released Wednesday by The Atlantic. 

    “1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package). 1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets). 1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched,” Hegseth reportedly continued, before adding “Godspeed to our Warriors.”

    Waltz later allegedly wrote “The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed,” according to The Atlantic. 

    “Excellent,” read a message in response attributed to Vance.

    The Atlantic said in its report Wednesday – titled “Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal” – that “the statements by Hegseth, Gabbard, Ratcliffe, and Trump – combined with the assertions made by numerous administration officials that we are lying about the content of the Signal texts – have led us to believe that people should see the texts in order to reach their own conclusions.”

    “There is a clear public interest in disclosing the sort of information that Trump advisers included in nonsecure communications channels, especially because senior administration figures are attempting to downplay the significance of the messages that were shared,” wrote the Atlantic’s Goldberg and reporter Shane Harris. 

    “Experts have repeatedly told us that use of a Signal chat for such sensitive discussions poses a threat to national security. As a case in point, Goldberg received information on the attacks two hours before the scheduled start of the bombing of Houthi positions. If this information – particularly the exact times American aircraft were taking off for Yemen – had fallen into the wrong hands in that crucial two-hour period, American pilots and other American personnel could have been exposed to even greater danger than they ordinarily would face,” they also said.

    The Atlantic report said “A CIA spokesperson asked us to withhold the name of John Ratcliffe’s chief of staff, which Ratcliffe had shared in the Signal chain, because CIA intelligence officers are traditionally not publicly identified.”

    Multiple government officials have rebuked the additional reporting and have accused The Atlantic of peddling a “hoax.”

    White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich said in response to the report that “The Atlantic has already abandoned their bulls— ‘war plans’ narrative, and in releasing the full chat , they concede they LIED to perpetuate yet ANOTHER hoax on the American people. What scumbags!”

    “The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT ‘war plans,’” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added. “This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin.”

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the highest-ranking Democrat to do so, wrote a letter to President Donald Trump yesterday demanding that Hegseth be “fired immediately.” 

    “The so-called Secretary of Defense recklessly and casually disclosed highly sensitive war plans — including the timing of a pending attack, possible strike targets and the weapons to be used –during an unclassified national security group chat that inexplicably included a reporter. His behavior shocks the conscience, risked American lives and likely violated the law,” Jeffries wrote.

    Russia And Ukraine Agree To Black Sea Ceasefire After US-Brokered Talks

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    0
    Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons

    The United States has announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea, aiming to ensure safe navigation and reduce hostilities in the region.

    The agreement includes measures to eliminate the use of force, prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes and ban strikes against energy facilities.

    In exchange, the U.S. will help lift the international sanctions against Russia in agricultural products and fertilizers.

    The New York Times reports:

    The agreements came after three days of intense negotiations in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, during which delegations from Ukraine and Russia met separately with U.S. mediators. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defense minister, confirmed the agreements in a message posted on social media. There was no immediate reaction from Russia.

    The White House released two different statements saying it had separately struck deals with Ukraine and Russia on the maritime and energy attacks. The statements added that Washington, Kyiv and Moscow welcomed the involvement of third countries in “supporting the implementation of the energy and maritime agreements.”

    It was not immediately clear how and when the energy and maritime agreement would be implemented. Mr. Umerov, who led his country’s delegation in Riyadh, said “additional technical consultations” would have to be held as soon as possible for “the implementation, monitoring and control of the arrangements.”

    Both Russia and Ukraine rely on the Black Sea for commodity exports. In mid-2022, they brokered a deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain through the sea, but Russia withdrew from the agreement a year later, arguing that Western sanctions were severely limiting its ability to export agricultural products.

    While this development is a positive step toward de-escalation, substantial progress toward ending the broader conflict remains elusive, with continued military actions reported in Ukraine today.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Trump Decides Fate Of Official After Atlantic Leak

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A major security breach has rocked the White House and left many wondering who will bear the brunt of the consequences.

    President Donald Trump is not planning to fire national security advisor Mike Waltz in the wake of The Atlantic’s reporting of an apparent national security breach. A source close to the president told Fox News that Waltz’s job is safe and that he is not on the chopping block. 

    Fox News is told Waltz has no plans to resign and is sticking to his schedule Tuesday. He will be talking to his Russian counterpart about a Black Sea ceasefire deal and has plans to speak to Trump as usual later Tuesday.

    Waltz is also telling colleagues that he has never met or talked to the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, Fox News has learned.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a new statement on Tuesday. The National Security Council earlier said The Atlantic’s report referenced what appeared to be an “authentic message chain.” 

    “Jeffrey Goldberg is well-known for his sensationalist spin,” Leavitt wrote, before offering three “facts about his latest story.” Leavitt said no “war plans” were discussed, no classified material was sent to the thread and that the White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for the president’s top officials to communicate “as safely and efficiently as possible.” 

    “As the National Security Council stated, the White House is looking into how Goldberg’s number was inadvertently added to the thread,” Leavitt said. “Thanks to the strong and decisive leadership of President Trump, and everyone in the group, the Houthi strikes were successful and effective. Terrorists were killed and that’s what matters most to President Trump.” 

    A senior White House official revealed to Fox News how Goldberg may have been added to the Signal text chain with Cabinet members. (RELATED: Atlantic Journalist Claims Trump Officials Mistakenly Included Him In Classified War Plans Group Chat)

    Goldberg was apparently included in a Trump administration group chat on Signal in which top officials debated and then discussed details of attacks against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly sent the group details including weapons used, targets, and timing — two hours ahead of the attacks, which began on March 15.

    Others in the group were Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

    From Goldberg’s bombshell story:

    On Tuesday, March 11, I received a connection request on Signal from a user identified as Michael Waltz. Signal is an open-source encrypted messaging service popular with journalists and others who seek more privacy than other text-messaging services are capable of delivering. I assumed that the Michael Waltz in question was President Donald Trump’s national security adviser. I did not assume, however, that the request was from the actual Michael Waltz. I have met him in the past, and though I didn’t find it particularly strange that he might be reaching out to me, I did think it somewhat unusual, given the Trump administration’s contentious relationship with journalists—and Trump’s periodic fixation on me specifically. It immediately crossed my mind that someone could be masquerading as Waltz in order to somehow entrap me. It is not at all uncommon these days for nefarious actors to try to induce journalists to share information that could be used against them.

    I accepted the connection request, hoping that this was the actual national security adviser, and that he wanted to chat about Ukraine, or Iran, or some other important matter.

    Two days later—Thursday—at 4:28 p.m., I received a notice that I was to be included in a Signal chat group. It was called the “Houthi PC small group.” A message to the group, from “Michael Waltz,” read as follows: “Team – establishing a principles [sic] group for coordination on Houthis, particularly for over the next 72 hours. My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level following up from the meeting in the Sit Room this morning for action items and will be sending that out later this evening.

    Goldberg went on to reveal that Hegseth discussed potentially dangerous classified information in the chat:

    It was the next morning, Saturday, March 15, when this story became truly bizarre.
    At 11:44 a.m., the account labeled “Pete Hegseth” posted in Signal a “TEAM UPDATE.” I will not quote from this update, or from certain other subsequent texts. The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command’s area of responsibility. What I will say, in order to illustrate the shocking recklessness of this Signal conversation, is that the Hegseth post contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing.

    Trump National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement that he informed Goldberg that “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain. The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”

    Trump was asked about the report during an event with Louisiana officials at the White House shortly after it surfaced. The president maintained he was no fan of the publication and said he had no knowledge of the editor being accidentally included in the chain.

    “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic; to me it’s a magazine that is going out of business,” Trump said. “I know nothing about it. You’re saying that they had what?”

    A reporter responded that Trump officials were using Signal to coordinate on sensitive material and when Trump questioned “having to do with what?” the reporter said, “the Houthis.” Trump replied, “You mean the attack on the Houthis?”

    “Well, it couldn’t have been very effective, because the attack was very effective, I can tell you that. I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time,” Trump added.

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