The U.S. House Oversight Committee has asked the Department of Justice to investigate a potential connection between Somali welfare fraud in Minnesota and organized protests against immigration enforcement in the state. The request suggests lawmakers suspect the two issues may be linked, though no evidence of a connection is detailed in the article. The article body otherwise consists largely of a country list, providing no additional substantive reporting on the investigation.
Three Democratic lawmakers — Rep. Sam Liccardo, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal — have sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles demanding details about their meeting with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, which took place shortly before Netflix withdrew its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. The lawmakers allege the meeting raises "suspicions that the Trump administration's DOJ is making merger review decisions based on politicized favoritism," noting that the competing bidder, Paramount, is owned by Trump ally David Ellison. Sarandos publicly stated the DOJ meeting had been scheduled weeks in advance, described it as routine, and said "the president stayed completely neutral," attributing Netflix's withdrawal to Warner Bros. Discovery finding Paramount's offer superior. The White House echoed this position, stating the administration "remained totally neutral through the bidding process."
Congress is preparing to vote this week on bipartisan war powers resolutions in both the House and Senate that would require congressional approval for further U.S. military action against Iran, following weekend attacks by the U.S. and Israel that resulted in the first American casualties. The measures face significant obstacles, as most Republicans are expected to side with President Trump, and a veto override would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers. Senator Tim Kaine, a cosponsor of the Senate resolution, has urged Congress to return early to vote, citing constitutional authority over declarations of war. Similar efforts to restrict Trump's use of military force, including a Senate vote on Iran war powers in June and a Venezuela resolution in January, have previously failed.
Trump's decision to launch military strikes on Iran alongside Israel has deepened divisions within the MAGA influencer community, splitting prominent voices into pro-war and anti-war factions. Pro-Israel figures such as Laura Loomer, Mark Levin, and Dave Rubin have supported the attacks, while others including Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have opposed them. The rift largely mirrors existing tensions within MAGA circles over support for Israel and antisemitism. Far-right figure Nick Fuentes went so far as to declare the "MAGA movement is surely dead" and urged followers to vote for Democrats or abstain in the midterm elections.
Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth refused to rule out deploying U.S. ground troops in Iran during a press conference Monday, the first since the U.S. began striking Iran overnight Saturday as part of "Operation Epic Fury." Hegseth declined to outline an exit strategy or timeline for the operation, drawing comparisons to the Iraq War, which he rejected. At least four U.S. service members have been killed in the conflict, and lawmakers from both parties have questioned the administration's failure to obtain formal congressional authorization, with Pentagon officials acknowledging in closed briefings that there was no intelligence indicating Iran was preparing a preemptive strike before the attacks began.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was questioned by BBC journalist Tom Bateman about a reported strike on an Iranian school that killed at least 153 people, including children. Rubio stated that the United States "would not deliberately target a school" and referred further questions to the Department of Defense.
He was one of the 1500 people pardoned by Donald Trump.
The Trump administration and its allies in Congress are presenting a shifting new justification for the U.S. attack on Iran.
Top lawmakers began weighing the potential need for an emergency defense spending package for the U.S. military offensive in Iran.
Republicans on Capitol Hill are about to give Trump a major boost — a green light to conduct a war against Iran without worrying about Congress.
President Trump promised his "Make America Great Again" voters an "America First" foreign policy. With the war in Iran, he's testing MAGA world's willingness to be flexible on one of its core beliefs.
President Trump promised his “Make America Great Again” voters an “America First” foreign policy. With the war in Iran, he’s testing MAGA world’s willingness to be flexible on one of its core beliefs.
