October 28, 2025

Venezuela claims to have captured 'CIA backed cell plotting false flag attack' as tensions with US grow

Source: The Independent

Tuesday 28 October 2025 05:48 EDT


Venezuela claims to have foiled a CIA-financed cell plotting a false-flag attack on an American warship, in what the government alleges is a cynical ploy to spark a ‘full military confrontation’.

Interior minister Diosdado Cabello said that a cell ‘financed by the CIA’ planned to attack the USS Gravely and pin the blame on Caracas, after the missile destroyer docked in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday to conduct joint exercises with Trinidad's navy.

Venezuela said that it had captured a group of mercenaries "with direct information of the American intelligence agency" and whose goal it was to carry out a false-flag attack in the region. Cabello said four people had been arrested, without providing details.

A false flag attack is an operation carried out in such a way as to look like a different party was responsible.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/venezuela-maduro-cia-false-flag-gravely-trinidad-b2853501.html

October 28, 2025

Federal judge orders DOJ, DHS to stop 'prejudicial' statements about Abrego Garcia and his case

Source: ABC News

October 27, 2025, 9:11 PM


A federal judge overseeing Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s criminal case in Tennessee has ordered Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice officials to refrain from making prejudicial statements about him. “DOJ and DHS employees who fail to comply with the requirement to refrain from making any statement that ‘will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing’ this criminal prosecution may be subject to sanctions,” wrote U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw.

In his memorandum opinion on Monday, Judge Crenshaw stated that government officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, have made “extrajudicial statements that are troubling, especially where many of them are exaggerated if not simply inaccurate,” specifically citing statements that Abrego Garcia is a member of MS-13.

Prejudicial statements include comments about Abrego Garcia’s character, reputation, and criminal record, Crenshaw said. He added that Trump officials violated a local court rule limiting comments from government employees relating to an ongoing criminal case and ordered the U.S. attorney's office for the Middle District of Tennessee to notify DOJ and DHS employees about the rule.

In a separate order, the federal judge ordered the government to produce documents under seal to the court about its change in position from "deport but not prosecute” to "prosecute and then deport."

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/federal-judge-orders-doj-dhs-stop-prejudicial-statements/story?id=126918933

October 28, 2025

US judge decertifies Apple app store class action

Source: Reuters

October 27, 2025 8:39 PM EDT Updated 11 hours ago


Oct 27 (Reuters) - A federal judge decertified on Monday a class action by tens of millions of Apple (AAPL.O) customers who accused the company of monopolizing the market for iPhone apps by banning purchases outside its App Store, leading to higher prices.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, reversed her February 2024 class certification ruling, which let Apple account holders who spent $10 or more on app or in-app content within the last 17 years sue as a group.

In decertifying the class, Rogers said the plaintiffs failed to provide a model "capable of reliably showing classwide injury and damages in one stroke" by matching Apple accounts to consumers, while limiting the number of "unharmed" consumers in the class. She ruled after an expert hired by Cupertino, California-based Apple found "alarming" errors in the plaintiffs' model.

These included one that named plaintiff Robert Pepper and supposed claimant "Rob Pepper" were different people despite sharing home addresses and credit card information. They also included the lumping together of more than 40,000 payment records for people whose first name was "Kim," but who otherwise had nothing in common.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/us-judge-decertifies-apple-app-store-class-action-2025-10-27/

October 28, 2025

Trump Is Targeting The Kennedy Center For Renovations, Too

Source: Huff Post

Oct 27, 2025, 08:15 PM EDT | Updated 10 hours ago


President Donald Trump’s fixation on renovations doesn’t seem to be stopping with the White House’s East Wing overhaul. In a Truth Social post early Monday morning, Trump announced that there were “many major improvements” also underway at the Kennedy Center, a storied D.C. performing arts venue that he’s taken a particular interest in overseeing this term.

“The new TRUMP KENNEDY, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, columns, beautifully painted in a luxuriant white enamel color, replacing the fake looking gold paint that was there for years,” Trump wrote about the recent changes at the establishment.

“Many major improvements are being made, including seating, carpeting, wall coverings, ceilings, chandeliers, stages, heating and A/C, etc., to what will soon be the finest Arts and Entertainment Center anywhere in the World,” Trump added.

Spokespeople for the White House and the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the rationale and timeline behind the changes. Previously, Trump has said that he aimed to “fully renovate” the building as he’s sought to mount a larger takeover of the institution.

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kennedy-center-trump-renovations_n_68fff992e4b0973a4c051cdb?origin=home-zone-b-unit

October 28, 2025

Key GOP senator offers proposal to pay essential and furloughed workers during shutdown

Source: The Hill

10/27/25 8:05 PM ET


Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.), the lead Senate Republican negotiator on a bill to pay key federal workers during the shutdown, says he has offered Democrats a proposal to pay all federal workers — essential and furloughed federal employees — while federal departments and agencies are shuttered.

Johnson told The Hill that he believes Senate GOP leadership supports his offer, but he says the proposal will be discussed in more detail at the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon Tuesday. “Are they going to take ‘yes’ for an answer?” Johnson said of whether his Democratic colleagues would accept the latest offer. “We’re willing to add furloughed workers,” he said, calling it a “big” concession.

“Pay them up front. They’re going to get paid anyway,” Johnson said, noting that under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, furloughed federal workers are guaranteed back pay for the time they miss on the job during a shutdown.

“We need to put that vote on the floor,” he said. “Get it all approved by the White House and our leadership.” He said Republican senators would discuss it in more detail Tuesday afternoon.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5575688-ron-johnson-gop-pay-federal-workers-shutdown/

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Your dear leader essentially declared the law about back pay was invalid and he could pick and choose who got paid.

Release the Epstein files and Repeal the sunsetting of the ACA subsidies as well as the Medicaid cuts.

October 28, 2025

Trump plans to install Border Patrol officials to lead a more aggressive migrant crackdown

Source: NBC News

Oct. 27, 2025, 7:22 PM EDT


WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is planning to replace some regional leaders at Immigration and Customs Enforcement with Border Patrol officials in an attempt to intensify its mass deportations effort amid growing frustration with the pace of daily arrests, according to two Homeland Security Department officials, one former DHS official and one federal law enforcement official.

President Donald Trump’s top aides have welcomed Border Patrol’s more aggressive tactics to secure arrests, such as rappeling into apartment buildings from Black Hawk helicopters and jumping out of rental trucks in Home Depot parking lots, as they’ve become disappointed with ICE, the officials said. “The mentality is CBP does what they’re told, and the administration thinks ICE isn’t getting the job done,” one of the DHS officials said. “So CBP will do it.”

The White House has signed off on a list of at least a dozen directors of ICE field officers who are set to be reassigned in coming days, the two DHS officials, the former DHS official and the federal law enforcement official said. They said that at least half of them would be replaced with Border Patrol officials. ICE has 25 field offices around the country, so the move could replace nearly half of the agency’s leaders.

The list was compiled by Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee at DHS who advises Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol sector chief overseeing the agency’s operations in Chicago and previously in Los Angeles, the law enforcement official said.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/trump-plans-install-border-patrol-officials-lead-aggressive-migrant-cr-rcna240102

October 28, 2025

Democrats not swayed by call to end shutdown from largest federal workers' union

Source: CNN Politics

PUBLISHED Oct 27, 2025, 6:51 PM ET


Democrats appear to be unmoved by fresh demands from the largest federal employees’ union to reopen the government, a sign that the shutdown stalemate between lawmakers will continue as government workers increasingly feel the pain during the process. It’s the latest example of how pressure points have not had the power to bring an end to the current shutdown, which is already the second longest in US history with no end in sight.

Over one million federal workers are going unpaid as the impasse drags on and some are turning to food pantries. Democrats were quick to say they care about the plight of federal workers and what the union has to say. But that doesn’t change the fact that most remain firmly dug in on the position that they won’t provide the votes to reopen the government unless their concerns over the rising costs of health care are met.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin acknowledged that the statement from the American Federation of Government Employees, “immediately” has an “impact” on Democrats, who have closely aligned with the group, though he didn’t predict a change in strategy. “It has a lot of impact, and they’ve been our friends and we’ve worked with them over the years,” Durbin told reporters on Monday, adding that he has talked to representatives with the union and recognizes that they’re in “a terrible mess” representing so many federal employees who are missing paychecks and facing threats to their jobs.

Still, Durbin told CNN, “I’m not seeing any change in position at this time” as Democrats continue to oppose a bill to extend current funding levels through November 21. The widespread belief among Democrats on Capitol Hill is that Republicans will be forced to cave first, particularly as they expect millions of Americans will find out their health care premiums are spiking when open enrollment begins on November 1. Republicans have refused to negotiate until the government reopens, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the House out of session since September 19.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/27/politics/democrats-afge-union-shutdown

October 28, 2025

Doug Ford Boasts About 'Best Ad I Ever Ran' in Dig at Donald Trump

Source: Newsweek

Published Oct 27, 2025 at 01:18 PM EDT updated Oct 27, 2025 at 06:27 PM EDT


Ontario Premier Doug Ford is boasting about an anti-tariff advertisement that he says prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to cancel trade talks with Canada.

Ford told reporters Monday the ad — which featured a clip of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan denouncing protectionism — had more than “a billion impressions around the world” and sparked a debate in the United States about tariffs.

Calling it “the best ad I ever ran,” the populist Conservative premier said the campaign accomplished its goal of drawing attention to Trump’s trade policies.

The ad angered Trump, who responded by threatening to raise tariffs on Canadian imports by another 10%. “You know why President Trump is so upset right now? It was because it was effective,” Ford said.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/doug-ford-anti-trump-tariff-ad-canada-us-trade-10946482

October 28, 2025

Former DOJ officials say Comey case is vindictive, call for dismissal

Source: Washington Post

October 27, 2025 at 6:02 p.m. EDT


More than 100 former Justice Department officials urged a federal judge in Virginia on Monday to dismiss charges against former FBI director James B. Comey, arguing that the prosecution was fueled by political animus and not guided by legal standards.

The filing — known as an amicus brief — reflects a growing concern among former Justice Department officials that the Trump administration has jettisoned long-standing practices governing how and when prosecutors bring charges against people.

The brief to U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff, who is presiding over the Comey case, was signed by former senior Justice Department officials across multiple Republican and Democratic administrations, including former Obama administration attorney general Eric Holder, former Bush administration acting attorney general Peter Keisler and dozens of former U.S. attorneys across the country.

Quoting the late Supreme Court justice Robert Jackson, the former officials say in their filing that prosecutors wield great power and discretion and that the long-standing norms and principles around prosecution are designed to ensure they don’t use that power improperly.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/10/27/comey-vindictive-prosecution-amicus/

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No paywall (gift)

October 28, 2025

New Yorkers sue state elections board as battle over House maps intensifies

Source: The Guardian

Mon 27 Oct 2025 17.49 EDT
Last modified on Mon 27 Oct 2025 17.51 EDT


A group of New Yorkers has filed a lawsuit against the state’s board of elections alleging that its congressional map unconstitutionally dilutes the voting power of Black and Latino residents of Staten Island. The complaint, filed Monday, is another volley in the battle between Democrats and Republicans to redraw congressional districts in a way that favors their party in advance of the midterm elections.

The suit concerns the 11th congressional district, which is represented by Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican, and challenges part of the map approved by the majority Democratic New York legislature less than two years ago. But in the wake of Donald Trump’s call for Texas and other red states to redraw their maps to help the party pick up more seats in 2026, Democrats have responded by trying to do the same thing in states like California and Maryland.

Democrats in California and New York trying to counter Republican efforts could be hurt by their own efforts to prevent gerrymandering, said Michael Kang, a law professor at Northwestern University and an expert on redistricting.

“The Democrats are trying to respond, but they have much greater obstacles – legal obstacles – in their way in places like California and New York, where they have engaged in this kind of good government redistricting reform and put hurdles in the way of being able to partisan gerrymander and do so on a mid-decade basis,” Kang said. In New York, the lawsuit was filed by Elias Law Group, which has also worked with Democrats on court cases concerning redistricting and congressional maps in Texas, Nevada and Wisconsin.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/27/new-york-elections-board-lawsuit-map