The senators presented a letter demanding that top DOJ official Todd Blanche clarify the legality of his actions, pointing to ProPublica reporting that found he owned at least $159,000 in related assets when he shut down crypto investigations...
https://www.propublica.org/article/todd-blanche-crypto-conflict-senator-letter
The DOJ has indicated it received the letter and said it would provide more information but has yet to do so, according to a person granted anonymity to describe private correspondence. Another person familiar with the correspondence said the department intends to facilitate Smith's access to the records, with a goal of having them ready next week...
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/11/07/congress/smith-lawyers-write-to-grassley-00642522
"This tragic moment has highlighted for the world the long overdue need to recognize Palestinian self-determination," the letter reads. "Just as the lives of Palestinians must be immediately protected, so too must their rights as a people and nation urgently be acknowledged and upheld."
The letter comes as human rights experts sound the alarm over the unfolding famine in Gaza, and as some of Israel's key western allies, including France and Canada, have recently pledged to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/04/house-democrats-letter-palestinian-statehood
Thirty-one high-profile Israelis accuse Tel Aviv of 'brutal campaign' and demand permanent ceasefire in letter…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/29/letter-sanctions-israel-gaza-starvation
I won't pretend to know where this story is headed, but if a core element of Trump's defense is that he's never before drawn a picture, this sounds a bit sketchy.
The New York Times reported during the president's first term, for example, on a 2005 sketch of the Manhattan skyline that Trump drew and signed, which sold at auction for more than $29,000. He signed other drawings that also sold for considerable sums.
What's more, in his 2008 book, "Never Give Up," Trump wroteabout his annual habit of donating autographed "doodles" to be auctioned for charity...
The idea that the megabill eliminates federal taxes on Social Security — a claim Trump has made repeatedly of late — is plainly false...
City official says it will not comply with a letter seeking to impose Donald Trump's rollback of diversity measures …
In a separate and remarkably spiteful action, Trump rescinded Secret Service protection for Bolton, former Trump State department official Brian Hook, and former Secretary of State and CIA director, Michael Pompeo. The FBI has accused Iran of trying to kill all three men. Trump often expresses his distaste for those who tried to give direction and discipline to his first term. It is nonetheless shocking to see him come to power and, as one of his first acts, ensure that if Iranian assassins wish to take out his former advisers, they'll soon have a cleaner shot. Americans who work in national security assume that the government will protect them against vengeance from terrorists, no matter what. They now have reason to believe that this protection is a conditional perk, like a nice parking space, that can be taken away for talking smack on CNN...
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/john-bolton-security-clearances-trump/681418/
