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September 29, 2025
After Weeks of Threats, Trump Sends Federalized Troops To Downtown Chicago
(Mediaite) President Donald Trump has started sending federalized troops to Chicago on Sunday after threatening to do so for weeks. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) — soon after clips of troops and immigration agents patrolling The Windy City started circulating on X on Sunday — posted that he was aware of the development. “I am closely monitoring the confirmed reports of federal agents on Michigan Ave.,” Johnson said. “While Chicagoans and visitors are enjoying another gorgeous Sunday, they are being intimidated and threatened by masked federal agents flaunting automatic weapons for no apparent reason.”
Go to discussionHundreds protest at ICE building after Trump's announcement of troop deployment to Portland
(OPB) Several hundred people gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland Sunday afternoon and into the evening to protest the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to the city. Federal agents armed with long-barrel firearms patrolled from nearby rooftops.
Go to discussionTrump’s tariffs trigger unlikely crime wave across US
(The Telegraph) Donald Trump’s tariffs have triggered an explosion in cargo theft across the US as organised gangs target truck drivers. Drugmakers, clothes manufacturers and electronics companies are grappling with “unprecedented” numbers of crimes, which have surged by a third year-on-year, according to the boss of a supply chain security company. David Warrick, executive vice president of Overhaul, said: “I’ve been in supply chains for 30 years and I’ve never seen this before.” The rise is a “side-effect” of Mr Trump’s sweeping trade tariffs on US goods imports, which have increased the value of shipments and pushed companies to stockpile goods, Mr Warrick said.
Go to discussionFederal drug prosecutions fall to lowest level in decades as Trump shifts focus to deportations
(Reuters) The number of people charged with breaking federal drug laws dropped to the lowest level in decades this year after the Trump administration ordered enforcement agencies to focus on deporting immigrants, a Reuters review of nearly 2 million federal court records found. So far this year, about 10% fewer people have been prosecuted for drug violations compared to the same period of 2024, court records show, a drop of about 1,200 cases and the slowest rate since at least the late 1990s.
Go to discussionFEMA Is Paralyzed
(Political Wire) Wall Street Journal: “Many of FEMA’s core functions related to preparing for natural disasters and leading recovery efforts after they strike have ground to a halt as the Trump administration redefines the agency ... Crucial contracts and grants haven’t been approved, caught up in layers of new bureaucracy. A wave of senior staff departed the agency when Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency offered buyouts, taking decades of experience with them. Around 400 FEMA employees have been detailed to work at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as that agency rapidly expands. And the administration has started dismantling the agency’s disaster-response infrastructure, which was strengthened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.”
Go to discussionMormon church gunman was Marine 'who supported Trump'
(The Telegraph) The gunman who rammed his truck into a Mormon church and opened fire on worshippers was an Iraq war veteran who had previously shown support for Donald Trump. Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, from suburban Michigan, killed at least four people in the attack on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township on Sunday. Police are still combing through the wreckage after he set the building ablaze.
Go to discussionStephen Miller takes leading role in strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats
(The Guardian) Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, has played a leading role in directing US strikes against suspected Venezuelan drug boats, according to three people familiar with the situation. At times, his role has superseded that of Marco Rubio, the secretary of state and national security adviser. The strikes on the Venezuelan boats allegedly carrying narcotics, which the administration has claimed were necessary because interdiction did not work, have been orchestrated through the homeland security council (HSC), which Miller leads as the homeland security adviser.
Go to discussionCriminal investigation launched after feds fire pepper ball at CBS Chicago reporter's truck
(CBS News) The Village of Broadview said they've launched a criminal investigation after a CBS News Chicago reporter had a projectile fired at her vehicle by an ICE agent late Sunday morning. Reporter Asal Rezaei said there was no active protest or protesters at the facility, and she was alone with no one around her at the time of the incident. Rezaei said the pepper ball left white powder on her windshield, and her face had "been on fire for at least the last 10 minutes or so." The chemical also caused her to vomit once outside of her truck, she said.
Go to discussionAfter release of Mikie Sherrill's military records, Democrats push for investigation
(MSNBC) “The Trump administration blatantly violated federal law by releasing Mikie Sherrill’s unredacted personal military records to an agent of the Ciattarelli campaign — which were then distributed and weaponized by Jack Ciattarelli,” a spokesperson for the congresswoman said in a statement. “Once again, the Trump administration is targeting political opponents with an absolute disregard for the law, this time in concert with the Ciattarelli campaign. We are calling on Jack Ciattarelli and the Trump administration to immediately stop illegally distributing Mikie Sherrill’s military files ... and we will explore appropriate legal action.”
Go to discussionSen. Amy Klobuchar calls it "appalling" that Trump accused FBI of putting agents in crowd on Jan. 6
(CBS News) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, said Sunday that she finds it "appalling" that President Trump alleged that the FBI had placed agents into the crowd as "agitators" during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. "They were brought in because we needed help," Klobuchar said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."