Former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey sued the U.S. government Monday to get her job back, saying her firing was for political reasons and was unconstitutional.

Her lawsuit in Manhattan federal court blamed the firing on the fact that her father is James Comey, a former F.B.I. director, or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both.

Comey is seeking to be reinstated as well as a declaration that her firing was unlawful and a violation of the Separation of Powers clause in the U.S. Constitution.

Defendants have not provided any explanation whatsoever for terminating Ms. Comey. In truth, there is no legitimate explanation, the lawsuit said.

Comey, who successfully prosecuted hundreds of cases since becoming an assistant U.S. attorney in 2015, was notified of her dismissal in an email with an attachment saying she was being fired (p)ursuant to Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States, the lawsuit said.

James Comey was fired as FBI director by President Donald Trump in 2017. The lawsuit noted that he has since written a memoir critical of Trump and has continued to publicly criticize Trump and his administration, including a social media post in May that Trump and others perceived as threatening.

The lawsuit noted that Maurene Comey's firing in July came the day after her supervisors had asked her to take the lead on a major public corruption case and three months after she'd received her latest Outstanding review.

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The politically motivated termination of Ms. Comey ostensibly under Article II of the Constitution upends bedrock principles of our democracy and justice system, the lawsuit said. Assistant United States Attorneys like Ms. Comey must do their jobs without fearing or favoring any political party or perspective, guided solely by the law, the facts, and the pursuit of justice.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit were, among others, the Justice Department, the Executive Office of the President, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the Office of Personnel Management and the United States.

A message for comment from the Justice Department was not immediately returned.

Comey's July 16 firing came amid a spate of dismissals of prosecutors by the Justice Department without explanation, raising alarm that civil service protections meant to prevent terminations for political reasons were being overlooked.

Comey's lawsuit noted that she was employed with protections under the Civil Service Reform Act governing how and why she could be terminated, including specific prohibitions against termination for discriminatory reasons such as political affiliation.

Her termination violated every one of those protections, the lawsuit said.

The Justice Department also has fired some prosecutors who worked on cases that have provoked Trumps ire, including some who handled U.S. Capitol riot cases and lawyers and support staff who worked on special counsel Jack Smiths prosecutions of Trump.

She became a rising star in her office for her work on the case against financier Jeffrey Epstein and his onetime girlfriend, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, and the recent prosecution of music mogul Sean Diddy Combs.

Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her December 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges. She was recently transferred from a prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas.

Epstein took his own life in a federal jail in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Combs is awaiting sentencing next month after his conviction on prostitution-related charges after he was exonerated in July of more serious sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday urged New Yorkers to vote Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City, giving the Democratic nominee one of his most significant endorsements to date in the contest to lead the nation's biggest city.

Writing in the New York Times' opinion section, Hochul said that while she and Mamdani diverged on some issues, they came together on the importance of addressing the affordability crisis in the city and across the state.

But in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family, wrote Hochul, a Democrat. I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable a goal I enthusiastically support.

The stunning success of Mamdani, a 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist, in the race for New York City mayor has exposed divisions within the Democratic Party as it struggles to repair its brand more than half a year into Donald Trumps presidency. Hochuls endorsement is the latest sign that Democratic leaders who had been skeptical of Mamdanis liberal views are beginning to consolidate around him.

Mamdani thanked Hochul for the boost, saying it's a sign our movement is growing stronger.

Governor Hochul has made affordability the centerpiece of her work. I look forward to fighting alongside her to continue her track record of putting money back in New Yorkers pockets and building a safer and stronger New York City where no one is forced to leave just so they can afford to raise a family," Mamdani said in a statement Sunday night. Im grateful to the Governor for her support in unifying our party as well as the work shes done standing up to President Trump, securing free lunch meals for our kids, and expanding access to childcare.

In recent weeks, the other candidates in the race former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa have intensified their criticism of Mamdani over his platform and past statements ahead of the citys general election in November.

Hochul said another reason she decided to back Mamdani was his vow that he would make sure the New York Police Department had the resources it needs to keep the city's streets and subways safe.

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I urged him to ensure that there is strong leadership at the helm of the N.Y.P.D. and he agreed, Hochul wrote.

Mamdani, who is leading in the polls, has not been endorsed by some prominent Democrats, including Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leaders in the U.S. Senate and House.

U.S. House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, a New York congresswoman, said Hochul's endorsement is a sign that the governor is moving left to shore up falling poll numbers.

At the exact moment when New Yorkers are looking for strong leadership from their Governor with a majority opposing Zohran Mamdani, Kathy Hochul embraces this raging Communist who will destroy New York making it less affordable and more dangerous once again putting criminals and communists first, and New Yorkers LAST, Stefanik said in a Sunday statement.

Mamdani soundly defeated Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Cuomo has since relaunched his campaign as an independent. Adams, a Democrat, skipped the primary to run as an independent in November. Sliwa ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Hochul served as lieutenant governor to Cuomo and replaced him after he stepped down in 2021 following a barrage of sexual harassment allegations. He denied wrongdoing during the campaign, maintaining that the scandal was driven by politics.

Each year during Hispanic Heritage Month, huge celebrations can be expected across the U.S. to showcase the diversity and culture of Hispanic people.

This year, the Trump administration's immigration crackdowns, a federally led English-only initiative and an anti-diversity, equity and inclusion push have changed the national climate in which these celebrations occur. Organizers across the country, from Massachusetts and North Carolina to California and Washington state, have postponed or canceled heritage month festivals altogether.

Celebrated each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the month is a chance for many in the U.S. to learn about and celebrate the contributions of Hispanic cultures, the country's fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority, according to the U.S. Census. The group includes people whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

More than 68 million people identify as ethnically Hispanic in the U.S., according to the latest census estimates.

How did Hispanic Heritage Month start?

Before there was National Hispanic Heritage Month, there was Hispanic Heritage Week, which was created through legislation sponsored by Mexican American U.S. Rep Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and signed into law in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The weeklong commemoration was expanded to a month two decades later, with legislation signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

"It was clustered around big celebrations for the community," Alberto Lammers, director of communications at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute said. "It became a chance for people to know Hispanic cultures, for Latinos to get to know a community better and for the American public to understand a little better the long history of Latinos in the U.S."

Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point to coincide with the anniversary of "El Grito de Dolores," or the "Cry of Dolores," which was issued in 1810 from a town in Mexico that launched the country's war for independence from Spain.

The Central American nations of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica celebrate their independence on Sept. 15 and Mexico marks its national day on Sept. 16, the day after the cry for independence.

Also during National Hispanic Heritage Month, the South American nation of Chile observes its independence day on Sept. 18.

The White House so far has not mentioned any planned events. Last year, President Joe Biden hosted a reception and issued a proclamation for the occasion.

Who is Hispanic?

Hispanic was a term coined by the federal government for people descended from Spanish-speaking cultures. But for some, the label has a connotation of political conservatism and emphasizes a connection to Spain. It sometimes gets mistakenly interchanged with "Latino" or "Latinx."

For some, Latino reflects their ties to Latin America. So some celebrations are referred to as Latinx or Latin Heritage Month.

Latin Americans are not a monolith. There are several other identifiers for Latin Americans, depending largely on personal preference. Mexican Americans who grew up during the 1960s Civil Rights era may identify as Chicano. Other may go by their family's nation of origin such as Colombian American or Salvadoran American.

Each culture has unique differences when it comes to music, food, art and other cultural touchstones.

Immigration fears lead to celebration cancellations

September typically has no shortage of festivities. Events often include traditional Latin foods and entertainment like mariachi bands, folklrico and salsa dance lessons. The intent is to showcase the culture of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and other Latin countries.

Masked ICE agents carrying out President Donald Trump's policies via workplace raids at farms, manufacturing plants and elsewhere which has included detaining legal residents led some to fear large gatherings would become additional targets for raids. Another obstacle heritage celebrations face is the perception that they'd violate bans on DEI programming something Trump has discouraged across federal agencies. Some companies and universities have followed suit.

Early in September, organizers of a Mexican Independence festival in Chicago announced they would postpone celebrations due to Trump's promises of an immigration crackdown in the city.

"It was a painful decision, but holding El Grito Chicago at this time puts the safety of our community at stake and that's a risk we are unwilling to take," said the organizers of the festival.

A new date has not yet been announced. Though Mexican Independence Day falls on Sept. 16, celebrations in Chicago typically span more than a week and draw hundreds of thousands of participants for lively parades, festivals, street parties and car caravans.

"The fact that the federal government is sending troops as we start these celebrations is an insult," Illinois state Sen. Karina Villa, a Democrat, said at a news conference. "It is a fear tactic. It's unforgivable."

Similarly, Sacramento's annual Mexican Independence Day festival was canceled, with organizers citing the political climate and safety concerns.

Other events that have been canceled include the Hispanic Heritage Festival of the Carolinas, Hispanic Heritage Fest in Kenner, Louisiana and FIESTA Indianapolis.

Protests may take the place of canceled festivals

Ivan Sandoval-Cervantes, an anthropology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said when celebrations are canceled from the top down it affects how we see them throughout the country. Used to seeing celebrations in Las Vegas advertised, he has seen very little leading up to this year's heritage month.

"If it's not being celebrated by a specific state that doesn't mean they won't be celebrated but they might go into the private sphere," Sandoval-Cervantes said. "Where it's safer to embrace the symbols or even speak Spanish."

In Mexico, the government launched a new appeal to raise awareness among Mexican migrants to take every possible precaution during the holidays because any incident, such as while driving, could lead to a deportation.

"Rather than not celebrating, be cautious" and gather at the consulates, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday.

On Thursday, Mexico's foreign affairs secretary said there would be more consular staff on duty to respond to any emergency. Mexican nationals stopped by U.S. authorities are advised to not flee, remain silent and not sign any documents.

Chicago Latino leaders called on residents to remain peaceful during expected protests at Mexican Independence Day celebrations, arguing that any unrest could be used as justification for sending federal troops to the city.

"We will not allow others to use our fear or our anger against us," said Berto Aguayo, of the Chicago Latino Caucus Association. "We will not take the bait. We will know our rights. We will protect each other and peacefully protest."

Seth Rogen and The Studio turned the Emmys into a wrap party, winning best comedy series Sunday and breaking a comedy record for victories in a season with 13, while Noah Wyle and The Pitt took the top drama prize.

The evening also brought meaningful wins for Jean Smart, Stephen Colbert and 15-year-old Owen Cooper, whose Netflix series Adolescence dominated the limited series categories.

Im legitimately embarrassed by how happy this makes me, The Studio co-creator Rogen said with his signature giggle, surrounded by cast and crew from the Apple TV+ movie-business romp after it won best comedy at the Peacock Theater in a show hosted by Nate Bargatze that aired on CBS. Rogen personally won four, including best actor.

The Pitt from HBO Max completed a sentimental journey with its win for best drama series. The character-driven medical drama won over viewers and gained emotional momentum during a season whose biggest drama prizes once seemed destined to be swept by Severance.

Wyle won best actor in a drama for playing a grizzled, warm-but-worn-down supervising doctor, getting his first Emmy after five nominations with no victories in the 1990s for playing a scrubbed young cub doctor on ER.

What a dream this has been, Wyle said. Oh my goodness.

Katherine LaNasa, whose nurse is perhaps the show's most beloved character, was a surprise winner of best supporting actress in a drama over three women of The White Lotus on a night when every acting Emmy but one went to a first-time victor.

The first-timers included Britt Lower, who won best actress in a drama, and Tramell Tillman, who won best supporting actor, in the night's two biggest moments for Severance.

Along with its creative arts wins, the Orwellian workplace satire ended up with eight for its acclaimed second season. Star Adam Scott lost out to Wyle for best actor.

The show's losses kept the evening from being a total triumph for Apple TV+, which has still never won a best drama prize, though it has now won best comedy three times between The Studio and Ted Lasso.

Lowers win was a surprise in a category where Kathy Bates was considered a heavy favorite, for Matlock.

Cristin Milioti won best actress in a limited series for The Penguin.

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Jean Smart bucked the rookie trend, winning her fourth Emmy for best actress in a comedy for Hacks and her seventh Emmy overall. At 73, she extended her record for oldest winner in the category.

Adolescence triumphs

Netflixs widely acclaimed Adolescence, the story of a 13-year-old in Britain accused of a killing, won six times, including the Emmy for best limited series. Co-creator Stephen Graham won for lead acting and writing while Cooper won best supporting actor and became the youngest Emmy winner in over 40 years.

Cooper said in his acceptance that he was nothing three years ago.

Its just so surreal, Cooper said. Honestly, when I started these drama classes a couple years back, I didnt expect to be even in the United States, never mind here.

Best supporting actress went to Erin Doherty, who played a therapist opposite Cooper in a riveting episode that like all four Adolescence episodes was filmed in a single shot.

A blockbuster night for The Studio

The Studio came into the evening having won nine Emmys already during last weekend's Creative Arts ceremony. On Sunday night, it added four more, which all went to Rogen. Along with the comedy series award, he won best directing with his co-creator and longtime collaborator Evan Goldberg, and best writing with Goldberg and others.

The show brought blockbuster buzz for its first season from the start and the Emmys ate it up, whether because of Hollywood's love for stories about itself (with A-list guest stars) or the television industry's love for stories that mock the self-importance of movie people.

Backstage, Rogen clumsily tried to hold up all four Emmys at once. Asked whether the night will be fodder for season two, he said no.

This is, like, far too good a thing to have happen on our show, he said. Our show is generally based on stress and disappointment and right now, were all very happy.

A night of surprise winners

Smart's castmate and constant scene partner Hannah Einbinder, who had also been nominated for all four seasons of Hacks but unlike Smart had never won, took best supporting actress in a comedy.

She said she had become committed to a long-term bit where it was cooler to lose.

But this is cool too! she shouted, then ended her speech by cursing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and saying Free Palestine! Political sentiments from the stage were otherwise rare.

In perhaps the night's biggest upset, Jeff Hiller won best supporting actor in a comedy for Somebody Somewhere, over Ike Barinholtz of The Studio and others.

Colbert gets a rousing send-off

Colbert may have been the night's most popular winner, taking best talk series for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert for the first time. He got huge ovations both when he took the stage to present the first award and when he won.

The win may have been the result of a protest vote and a desire to pay tribute to its host, weeks after its cancellation by CBS. Jimmy Kimmel, who was among his competitors, campaigned for Colbert to win.

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Sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it, Colbert said in his acceptance.

Many perceived the end of the show as punishment of Colbert and placation of President Donald Trump after Colbert was harshly critical of a legal settlement between the president and Paramount, which needed administration approval for a sale to Skydance Media. Executives called the decision strictly financial.

Colbert showed no bitterness to CBS, thanking the network, which telecast the Emmys and aired a commercial celebrating his win, for letting him be part of the late-night tradition.

Bargatze delivered his opening monologue only after the first award was handed out.

The show opened with a sketch where Saturday Night Live stars Mikey Day, Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson joined Bargatze, who played television inventor Philo T. Farnsworth opining on what the future of TV will be like.

Bargatze-as-Farnsworth mentions that there will one day be a Black Entertainment Television. When asked if there will be a network for white people, he replied, Why, CBS of course.

Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted the final stage of the Spanish Vuelta and forced organizers to cut the race short on Sunday, capping a campaign of disruptions to the Grand Tour cycling event.

Visma-Lease a Bike rider Jonas Vingegaard was confirmed as the overall winner of the three-week race.

There were clashes between police and protesters near the route finale in Madrid. Some protesters carrying anti-Israel banners partly blocked the road and forced riders to stop.

There was no stage winner, and the podium ceremony was called off because of security concerns. Organizers said the final stage ended early to ensure the safety of the riders.

Due to the protests in Madrid, the race ended earlier than planned and there will be no podium ceremony, race officials said.

There were about 31 miles left on the 21st stage, which was a mostly ceremonial ride into Madrid.

Vingegaard had extended his overall lead over Joo Almeida on Saturday with a lead of 1 minute, 16 seconds over Almeida.

It was Vingegaards third Grand Tour title, adding to his pair of Tour de France titles won in 2022 and 2023.

Police escort

The protesters threw barriers onto the road on a finishing circuit in the Spanish capital. Riders had been expected to do nine laps on the circuit.

Several hundred protesters stayed on the road where the race was supposed to pass by. Anti-Israel banners were also hung from nearby buildings.

The race had resumed briefly on Sunday after riders were originally told by race organizers to stop because of the protests, but they eventually had to stop again as authorities and organizers discussed the situation.

Police escorted the riders as they left the track.

Protesters carrying Palestine flags jeered when the teams support cars passed by them along the route.

Police in riot gear had confronted protesters at different points along the route. More than 1,500 police officers had been deployed ahead of the last stage.

There had been no major incidents as the riders set off on the 64.3-mile final stage starting in nearby Alalpardo.

Diplomatic battleground

The Grand Tour event turned into a diplomatic battleground and was largely disrupted by protesters against the presence of the Israeli-owned team Premier Tech, which earlier in the race removed the team name from its uniforms.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez joined Ireland and Norway in recognizing a Palestinian state last year, and Spain became the first European country to ask a U.N. court for permission to join South Africas case accusing Israel of genocide.

Seven of the last 11 days of racing were either cut short or interrupted, with more than 20 people detained by police. During one stage, a protester carrying a Palestine flag tried to run onto the road ahead of riders, causing two of them to crash. They continued, but one of them had to eventually pull out of the race.

The route of the final stage was cut short by 3.1 miles due to traffic concerns.

Previous stages were altered because of safety concerns over the protests.

Authorities said the heavy police presence would be deployed for the finale in Madrid to add to the 130 officers already traveling with the race. Military-type trucks, officers in riot gear and horse-riding police were seen near the route in Madrid.

Some 6,000 protesters had been expected in the Spanish capital on Sunday, along with about 50,000 fans.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Sunday that investigators are not ready to discuss the motive behind the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. But he said the suspect had left-leaning political beliefs, disliked the conservative influencer and is being uncooperative in custody.

Clearly a leftist ideology," Cox told NBC's Meet the Press. On CNN's State of the Union, he said, That information comes from the people around him, his family members and friends."

Cox said Robinson, 22, is not cooperating and that friends paint a picture of someone radicalized in the dark corners of the internet. Clearly there was a lot of gaming going on, Cox said on NBC. Friends have confirmed that there was kind of that deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture, and these other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep.

A Republican who's called on all partisans to tone down their rhetoric following the attack, the governor added: I really dont have a dog in this fight. If this was a radicalized MAGA person, Id be saying that as well.

Cox stressed on several Sunday morning news shows, however, that investigators are still trying to pin down a motive for the attack on the father of two and Trump confidant, who was killed Wednesday while on one of his signature college speaking tours at Utah Valley University. The governor said more information may come out once the suspect, Tyler Robinson, appears in court Tuesday.

Investigators have spoken to Robinsons relatives and carried out a search warrant at his familys home in Washington, about 240 miles southwest of Utah Valley University, where the shooting took place.

State records show Robinson is registered to vote but not affiliated with a political party and is listed as inactive, meaning he did not vote in the two most recent general elections. His parents are registered Republicans.

Ammunition found with the weapon used to kill Kirk was engraved with taunting, anti-fascist and meme-culture messages. Court records show that one bullet casing had the message, Hey, fascist! Catch!

Robinson grew up around St. George, in the southwestern corner of Utah, between Las Vegas and natural landmarks including Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.

Robinson became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church, at a young age, church spokesperson Doug Andersen said.

Robinson has two younger brothers, and his parents have been married for about 25 years, according to social media posts. Online activity by Robinsons mother reflects an active family that took vacations to Disneyland, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Alaska.

Like many in that part of Utah, they frequently spent time outdoors boating, fishing, riding ATVs, zip-lining and target shooting. A 2017 post shows the family visiting a military facility and posing with assault rifles. A young Robinson is seen smiling as he grips the handles of a .50-caliber heavy machine gun.

A high school honor roll student who scored in the 99th percentile nationally on standardized tests, he was admitted to Utah State University in 2021 on a prestigious academic scholarship, according to a video of him reading his acceptance letter that was posted to a family members social media account.

But he attended for only one semester, according to the university. He is currently enrolled as a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George.

The Taliban said they discussed normalizing relations between Afghanistan and the United States in a meeting with Trump administration officials Saturday.

The White House did not issue a statement describing the meeting or immediately respond to a request for comment. The Taliban statement said the regime's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with President Donald Trump's special envoy for hostage response, Adam Boehler, and with another U.S. envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad,.

The Taliban released photographs from their talks.

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Comprehensive discussions were held on ways to develop bilateral relations between the two countries, issues related to citizens, and investment opportunities in Afghanistan, the statement said.

The statement added that the U.S. delegation also expressed condolences over the devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan late last month.

The meeting came after the Taliban released U.S. citizen George Glezmann, who was abducted while traveling through Afghanistan as a tourist. He was the third detainee freed by the Taliban since Trump took office. It also came after the Taliban sharply criticizedTrump's new travel ban that bars Afghans from entering the United States.

President Donald Trumps tariff policy, immigration crackdowns and sweeping tax and spending law are expected to increase jobless rates and inflation and lower overall growth this year before they improve next year, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The CBO on Friday released new economic projections for the next three years, updating the outlook it originally released in January, before Trump's inauguration.

The latest figures, which compare fourth quarter changes, show the unemployment rate, inflation and overall growth are expected to be worse this year than initially projected, while the economic picture is expected to steady in subsequent years.

The CBO outlooks attempt to set expectations for the economy in order to help choices made by congressional and executive branch policymakers. It does not forecast economic downturns or recessions, with its estimates generally reverting back to an expected average over time.

But Fridays outlook showed the degree to which Trumps choices are altering the path of the U.S. economy, suggesting that growth has been hampered in the near term by choices that have yet to show the promised upside of more jobs and lower budget deficits.

Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, told The Associated Press, Americans heard similar doom-and-gloom forecasts during President Trumps first term, when the Presidents economic agenda unleashed historic job, wage, and economic growth and the first decline in wealth inequality in decades.

These same policies of tax cuts, tariffs, deregulation, and energy abundance are set to deliver and prove the forecasters wrong again in President Trumps second term, he said.

Overall, the CBO expects real GDP growth to decrease from 2.5% in 2024 to 1.4% this year, a downgrade from the initial projection of 1.9%. The CBO attributes the projected decline to a slowdown in consumer spending stemming from new tariffs and a decrease in immigration, which would also impact consumer spending.

The tariffs raise prices for consumer goods and services, thereby eroding the purchasing power of households; they also increase costs for businesses that use imported and import-competing inputs in production, the report says.

However, GDP is set to grow to 2.2% in 2026, which is higher than the CBO's January prediction of 1.8%. GDP would then level off to 1.8% in 2027 and 2028, the CBO says in its latest report.

Additionally, unemployment is expected to hit 4.5% in 2025, higher than the 4.3% initially expected, according to the CBO. The jobless rate is expected to reach 4.2% in 2026 slightly lower than the 4.4% originally anticipated and even out at 4.4% in 2027 and 2028.

And inflation is now expected to hit 3.1% for the rest of 2025, according to the CBO, up from its 2.2% projection in January. Inflation would then lower to 2.4% in 2026, higher than the initial expectation of 2.1%, before leveling off at 2% the next two years.

The CBO on Wednesday issued a report that shows Trumps plans for mass deportations and other hard-line immigration measures will result in roughly 320,000 people removed from the United States over the next ten years.

Coupled with a lower fertility rate in the U.S., the reduction in immigration means that the CBOs projection of the U.S. population will be 4.5 million people lower by 2035 than the nonpartisan office had projected in January.

There's bipartisan support in Congress for extending tax credits that have made health insurance more affordable for millions of people since the COVID-19pandemic. But the credits are in danger of expiring as Republicans and Democrats clash over how to do it.

Democrats are threatening to vote to shut down the government at the end of the month if Republicans don't extend the subsidies, which were first put in place in 2021 and extended a year later when they controlled Congress and the White House. The tax credits, which are slated to expire at the end of the year, go to low- and middle-income people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

Some Republicans who have opposed the health care law since it was enacted under President Barack Obama are suddenly open to keeping the tax credits. They acknowledge that many of their constituents could see steep hikes in coverage if the subsidies are allowed to lapse.

Still, the two sides are far apart. Republicans are divided, with many firmly opposed. GOP leaders in the House and Senate have been open but noncommittal on the extension, and many of those Republicans who say they support it argue that the tax credits should be reworked potentially opening up a new health care debate that could take months to resolve.

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Democrats would be unlikely to agree to any changes in the subsidies, increasing the chances of a standoff and mounting uncertainty for health insurers, hospitals, state governments and the people who receive them.

In just a few weeks, unless Congress acts, millions of Americans will start getting letters in the mail telling them their health insurance costs are about to go through the roof hundreds of dollars, thousands in some cases, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said this past week.

Millions of Americans could face higher health insurance rates

Enrollment in ACA plans has surged to a record 24 million people, in large part due to the billions of dollars in subsidies that have lowered costs for many people. The expanded subsidies allowed some lower-income enrollees to access health plans with no premiums and capped the amount higher earners pay for premiums to 8.5% of their income. It also expanded eligibility for middle-class earners.

With expiration now just a few months away, some of those people have already gotten notices that their premiums the monthly fee paid for insurance coverage are poised to spike next year. Insurers have sent out notices in nearly every state, with some proposing premium increases of as much as 50 percent.

Lawmakers are facing pressure to act from some of the countrys biggest industries, including the insurers that cover people on the marketplace and hospital executives who say theyre already going to be squeezed by the Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trumps big, beautiful" tax bill.

Theres broad awareness that theres a real spike and premiums coming right around the corner, both Republicans and Democrats, said David Merritt, senior vice president of external affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield. Its certainly lining up for Congress to have an opportunity to head off this problem.

Companies have said theyll need to raise premiums without the subsidies because healthier and younger people are more likely to opt out of coverage when it gets more expensive, leaving insurers to cover older and sicker patients.

In Iowa last month, the states insurance commissioner weighed increases ranging from 3% to 37% against a stream of angry public comments. One woman who runs a garden center in Cedar Falls, Iowa, said she was considering dropping health insurance altogether.

I am already living as frugally as I possibly can while working as hard as I possibly can, putting in as many hours as I am allowed to at my job, never missing a day of work, the woman, LuAnn, wrote in a public comment published to the commissioners website.

Tug-of-war over Obamacare spending plays out on the Hill

On Capitol Hill, the issue has become entangled in a larger fight over government funding as a shutdown looms at the end of the month. Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have said Democrats will not vote to keep the government open unless an extension of the health care tax credits is part of the deal. Republicans have said that they want more time to look at the subsidies and potentially scale them back. They will also have to wait for a signal from Trump, who has not yet weighed in.

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Jeffries said this past week that we will not support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to rip away health care from the American people.

Republican leaders are eyeing a potential stopgap bill that would keep the government open for a few weeks and are unlikely, for now, to include the extension. But GOP leaders in both the House and Senate are also under pressure from some members who worry that premium increases will be a political liability before the midterm elections.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has said he wants to see a proposal from Democrats on how to extend the subsidies since they are pushing the issue. Maybe there is something we can do in the middle as a solution," he said in a Punchbowl News interview on Thursday, adding that his members are divided on the issue.

Still, Thune has ruled out quick action, even as he noted that premium notices will go out soon. He has said a short-term spending measure to fund the government for several weeks while Congress finishes its budget bills is not likely to include an extension of the benefits,

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said that many of his members would oppose an extension, but has not ruled it out.

In recent days, 15 House Republicans in competitive political districts introduced legislation to extend the tax credits for one year. While the enhanced premium tax credit created during the pandemic was meant to be temporary, we should not let it expire without a plan in place, said Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., who led the effort with Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.

Middle-class and small business owners, like the ones who dot Kiggan's coastal Virginia district, will be especially vulnerable to big health insurance hikes if the subsidies are not extended.

Several Senate Republicans also said they'd favor an extension. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said that if Congress doesn't act, some premiums will "skyrocket, and not by a little bit. Were looking at massive increases. People will not be able to afford it.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn said he thinks Congress should scale back the subsidies for the highest income people who receive them. I think we all know that access to health care is important and we take it very seriously, he said.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, who has jurisdiction over the tax credits, said he's working with his colleagues to figure out if there is a solution. There are a lot of ideas being thrown out there," Crapo said. "I'm trying to find a solution, I'm not telling you what the solution is.

Others were firmly against it. It's costing us billions of dollars, said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.

Open enrollment begins Nov. 1 and people will begin to see real sticker shock, as ACA plan prices are posted next month, said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.

Timing is important, Baldwin said.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a suspect who tried to evade arrest Friday in a Chicago suburb by driving his car at officers and dragging one of them, officials said.

The shooting just outside the city follows days of threats by the Trump administration to surge immigration enforcement in the nations third-largest city and less than a week into an operation labeled Midway Blitz by federal officials targeting the so-called sanctuary policies in Chicago and Illinois.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a news release that the officer was trying to arrest a man with a history of reckless driving who had entered the country illegally, but he refused officers' orders and instead drove his car at them. An ICE officer who was hit and dragged by the car felt his life was threatened and opened fire, the department said.

ICE said both the officer and the driver from the shooting in the majority Hispanic suburb of Franklin Park, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) west of Chicago, were taken to a local hospital, where the suspect was pronounced dead.

We are praying for the speedy recovery of our law enforcement officer. He followed his training, used appropriate force, and properly enforced the law to protect the public and law enforcement, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he is aware of the shooting and demanded a full, factual accounting of whats happened today to ensure transparency and accountability.

Video from the scene shows police tape and traffic cones blocking off parts of the street where a large food distribution truck and gray car can be seen from a distance. Multiple law enforcement vehicles were surrounding the area.

RELATED STORY | Trump admin to ramp up immigration arrests in Chicago despite pushback from local leaders

Amid the Trump administrations immigration crackdown in Los Angeles earlier this summer, at least two people died while attempting to evade ICE a farmworker who fell from a greenhouse roof during a raid and a man struck by an SUV while running from agents outside a Home Depot store.

At a Friday news conference, immigration advocates and local officials argued that the Chicago area shooting represents how militarized immigration enforcement harms communities and demanded transparency and accountability from ICE agents involved in the shooting.

They were flanked by about two dozen protesters who chanted and banged on drums while holding a banner declaring, End Detention, Welcome Immigrants."

"The Trump deportation machine is out of control and operating with no transparency or accountability and leading to senseless harm to our communities," said Lawrence Benito, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

Illinois Rep. Norma Hernandez called the shooting a tragedy and decried ICE officials' attempts to blame the man who died.

These tactics have led to the loss of life of one of our community members," Hernandez said. "He is not the first and he will unfortunately not be the last.

Chicagoans, meanwhile, have been preparing for weekend Mexican Independence Day celebrations that include parades, festivals, street parties and car caravans, despite the potential immigration crackdown.

McLaughlin said viral social media videos and activists encouraging illegal aliens to resist law enforcement have made the work of ICE officers more dangerous.

Local officials, advocates and teachers have launched citywide efforts in the past few weeks to inform people of their rights when confronted by ICE agents. On Friday, many denied encouraging people who have entered the country illegally to resist law enforcement.

We do not tell people to resist, said Jessica Vsquez, the Cook County commissioner for the 8th District, who emphasized community groups that have shared legal resources and mutual aid.

A professor at Texas A&M University was fired and others were removed from their positions after a video surfaced in which a student confronted the instructor over her teaching of issues related to gender identity in a class on children's literature.

The firing of Melissa McCoul, a senior lecturer in the English department with over a decade of teaching experience, came after political pressure from Republican lawmakers, including Gov. Greg Abbott, who had called for her termination.

The incident prompted Glenn Hegar, the chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, to order an audit of courses at all 12 schools in the system.

"It is unacceptable for A&M System faculty to push a personal political agenda," Hegar said in a statement on Monday. "We have been tasked with training the next generation of teachers and childcare professionals. That responsibility should prioritize protecting children not engaging in indoctrination."

In an email, McCoul referred all questions to her attorney, Amanda Reichek. Reichek said in a statement that McCoul has appealed her termination and "is exploring further legal action."

"Dr. McCoul was fired in derogation of her constitutional rights and the academic freedom that was once the hallmark of higher education in Texas," Reichek said.

Texas A&M University President Mark A. Welsh III said in a statement Tuesday he directed the campus provost to fire McCoul after learning the instructor had continued teaching content in a children's literature course "that did not align with any reasonable expectation of standard curriculum for the course."

Welsh said the issue had been raised earlier this summer and he had "made it clear to our academic leadership that course content must match catalog descriptions for each and every one of our course sections." Welsh said he learned on Monday that this was not taking place.

"This isn't about academic freedom; it's about academic responsibility," Welsh said.

In her statement, Reichek pushed back on Welsh's claims that McCoul's teaching did not match the course description.

"Professor McCoul's course content was entirely consistent with the catalog and course description, and she was never instructed to change her course content in any way, shape, or form," Reichek said. "In fact, Dr. McCoul taught this course and others like it for many years, successfully and without challenge."

Welsh also ordered the removal of the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the head of the English Department from their administrative positions.

The actions by Texas A&M were criticized by faculty and writers' groups.

"We are witnessing the death of academic freedom in Texas, the remaking of universities as tools of authoritarianism that suppress free thought," Jonathan Friedman, Sy Syms Managing Director of U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America, said in a statement.

The Texas chapter of the American Association of University Professors said what happened at Texas A&M University should concern every Texan.

"Not only has the integrity of academic freedom come under fire, but the due process rights of a faculty member have been trampled at the urging of state politicians + the governor himself," the group said in a statement.

The controversy began on Monday after Republican state Rep. Brian Harrison posted a video, audio recordings and other materials on a thread on the social media site X. Harrison called for the professor and Welsh to be fired for "DEI and LGBTQ indoctrination."

In one video, a female student and the professor can be heard arguing over gender identity being taught in a children's literature class. The student and professor are not shown and it's unclear when the video was taken.

"This also very much goes against not only myself but a lot of people's religious beliefs. And so I am not going to participate in this because it's not legal and I don't want to promote something that is against our president's laws as well as against my religious beliefs," the student could be heard saying in the video.

"If you are uncomfortable in this class you do have the right to leave. What we are doing is not illegal," the professor said.

In her back-and-forth with the professor, the student mentioned an executive order that President Donald Trump signed earlier this year in which he said "it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female."

A Texas law took effect on Sept. 1 that forbids Texas K-12 schools from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity. The law does not apply to universities and other institutions of higher education.

Texas A&M is located in College Station, about 95 miles (153 kilometers) northwest of Houston.

President Donald Trump said Friday he'll send the National Guard to address crime concerns in Memphis with support from the mayor and Tennessee's governor, making it his latest expansion of military forces into American cities that has tested the limits of presidential power and drawn sharp criticism from local leaders.

Speaking on Fox News, Trump said "the mayor is happy" and "the governor is happy" about the pending deployment. The city is "deeply troubled," he said, adding, "we're going to fix that just like we did Washington," where he's sent the National Guard and surged federal law enforcement.

Memphis is a majority-Black city and has a Democratic mayor, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Republican Gov. Bill Lee confirmed Friday that he was working with the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops to Memphis as part of a new crime-fighting mission.

The governor said he planned to speak with the president on Friday to work out details of the mission and was working with Trump's team to determine the most effective roles for the Tennessee National Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Memphis Police Department and other law enforcement agencies.

Trump on Friday said he decided to send troops into Memphis after Union Pacific's CEO Jim Vena, who used to regularly visit the city when he served on the board of FedEx, urged him earlier this week to address crime in the city.

Since sending the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., Trump has openly mused about sending troops to some of the nation's most Democratic cities including Chicago and Baltimore even as data shows most violent crime in those places and around the country has declined in recent years.

Trump has also suggested he could send troops to New Orleans, another Democratic-run city in a Republican-leaning state.

Crime is down, but troops may be coming

The president's announcement came just days after Memphis police reported decreases across all major crime categories in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period in previous years. Overall crime hit a 25-year low, while murder hit a six-year low, police said.

Asked Friday if city and state officials had requested a National Guard deployment -- or had formally signed off on it -- the White House didn't answer. It also didn't offer a possible timeline or say whether federal law enforcement would be surged in connection with a guard deployment to Memphis, as happened when troops were deployed to Washington.

Trump said Friday that he "would have preferred going to Chicago," where local politicians have fiercely resisted his plans, but suggested the city was too "hostile" with "professional agitators."

Officials in Tennessee appear divided

Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor, who backs the Memphis troop deployment, said Friday the National Guard could provide "administrative and logistical support" to law enforcement and allow local officers to focus on policework. Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn also voiced her approval.

The Democratic mayor of Shelby County, which includes the city of Memphis, criticized Trump's proposal. "Mr. President, no one here is 'happy,'" said Mayor Lee Harris. "Not happy at all with occupation, armored vehicles, semi-automatic weapons, and military personnel in fatigues."

Republican Gov. Bill Lee said Wednesday that an ongoing FBI operation alongside state and local law enforcement had already made "hundreds of arrests targeting the most violent offenders." He also said there are record levels of Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers in Shelby County, including a newly announced additional 50 troopers.

"We are actively discussing the next phase of our strategy to accelerate the positive momentum that's already underway, and nothing is off the table," Lee said in the statement.

On Thursday, Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he learned earlier this week that the governor and Trump were considering the deployment in Memphis.

"I am committed to working to ensure any efforts strengthen our community and build on our progress," Young's statement said. What the city needs most, he said, is money for intervention and crime prevention, as well as more officers on patrol and support for bolstering the police department's investigations.

Some Republicans, including Taylor, the state senator, have asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to audit the Memphis Police Department's crime reporting.

Trump's broader National Guard strategy

Trump first deployed troops to Los Angeles in early June over Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's objections by putting the California National Guard under federal jurisdiction, known as Title 10, to protect federal property from protests over immigration raids. The guard later helped protect officers during immigration arrests.

Alongside 4,000 guard members, 700 active duty Marines were also sent, and California sued over the intervention.

In Washington, D.C., where the president directly commands the National Guard, Trump has used troops for everything from armed patrols to trash cleanup without any legal issues.

RELATED STORY | Trump renews National Guard threat to Chicago, citing weekend killings

Chicago is on edge

Trump's comments underscored his shift away from threats to send troops into Chicago. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, vowed legal action to block any such move.

Pritzker, a potential 2028 presidential contender, has said a federal intervention is not justified or wanted in Chicago. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi this week accused state leaders of being uncooperative.

"We want Chicago to ask us for the help and they're not going to do that," she told reporters after an unrelated event near Chicago where federal agents seized vaping products.

Even without National Guard troops, residents in Chicago are expecting more federal immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security launched a new operation this week, with federal officials confirming 13 people with prior criminal arrests had been detained. However, it's still unclear what role that operation would play more broadly.

The United States Naval Academy in Maryland was on lockdown Thursday as law enforcement responded to reports of threats made to the military school, officials said.

The academy in Annapolis was working with local law enforcement to respond to the reports of threats, Lt. Naweed Lemar, the spokesperson for the base that hosts the academy, said in a statement.

The base is on lockdown out of an abundance of caution, he said. "This is a developing situation and we will provide updates as they become available.

Police were near Bancroft Hall, which houses midshipmen in its more than 1,600 dorm rooms. It is considered the biggest single college dormitory in the world, according to the school's website.

Senate Republicans took the first steps to change the chambers rules on Thursday, moving to make it easier to confirm groups of President Donald Trumps nominees after last-minute negotiations with Democrats fell apart.

Senate Majority Leader John Thunes move is the latest salvo after a dozen years of gradual changes by both parties to weaken the filibuster and make the nominations process more partisan. He has said the Democrats obstruction is unsustainable as they have drawn out the confirmation process and infuriated Trump as many positions in his administration have remained unfilled.

The Senate on Thursday evening moved forward on the proposed rule change with a 45-53 party line vote. The new rules would allow the Senate to move some of Trumps nominees in groups of 48 at a time.

Republicans had delayed the votes for almost five hours on Thursday afternoon as a bipartisan group of senators tried to work out a deal that could be beneficial to both parties. But they cut those talks short amid an impasse as Democrats asked for more time to negotiate.

How much time is enough? Thune, R-S.D., angrily asked Democrats as he moved to resume votes. He said that the deal was based on a Democratic proposal when President Joe Biden was in office and that the two parties had already been negotiating for weeks.

Weve got to fix this, Thune said. Its time to vote.

RELATED STORY | Senate GOP eyes rule change to fast-track Trump nominee confirmations

Having abandoned the bipartisan talks, Republicans advanced their original plan to hold several procedural votes that allow them to change the Senate rules for confirming presidential nominees. As part of the vote series, they will ask to appeal the chair, or change the rules, which takes a simple majority vote.

Republicans will have to go through additional procedural steps next week for the process to be complete. And if all goes according to their plan, the first tranche of Trump's nominees undersecretaries and staff positions for various agencies across the government as well as several ambassadors could be confirmed as soon as next Thursday.

The rules change effort comes as both parties have obstructed the others nominees for years, and as both Republicans and Democrats have advocated speeding the process when they are in the majority. The Republican rules change stops short of speeding up votes on high-level Cabinet officials and lifetime judicial appointments.

Republicans have been pushing the rules change since early August, when the Senate left for a monthlong recess after a breakdown in bipartisan negotiations over the confirmation process and Trump told Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to GO TO HELL! on social media.

Democrats have blocked more nominees than ever before as they have struggled to find ways to oppose Trump and the GOP-dominated Congress, and as their voters have pushed them to fight Republicans at every turn. Its the first time in recent history that the minority party hasnt allowed at least some quick confirmations.

Schumer has said Democrats are delaying the nominations because Trumps nominees are historically bad.

If you dont debate nominees, if you dont vote on individual nominees, if theres not some degree of sunlight, what will stop Donald Trump from nominating even worse individuals than weve seen to date, knowing this chamber will rubber stamp anything he wishes? Schumer said Monday.

Still, Democrats continued talks with Republicans into Thursday afternoon as Republicans delayed their votes. The two sides discussed a compromise that would have limited the groups of nominees to 15 and shortened the length of debate.

But in the end, they were not able to agree. Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii said they were achingly close to a deal.

But I am afraid my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have run out of patience, he added.

The Senate is stuck, said Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford, a Republican who led the negotiations. The challenge is this body has just broken down trust.

Schumer has told Republicans that they will come to regret their action echoing a similar warning from GOP Leader Mitch McConnell to then-Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in 2013, when Democrats changed Senate rules for executive branch and lower court judicial nominees to remove the 60-vote threshold for confirmations. At the time, Republicans were blocking President Barack Obamas picks.

Republicans took the Senate majority a year later, and McConnell eventually did the same for Supreme Court nominees in 2017 as Democrats tried to block Trumps nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch.

I say to my Republican colleagues, think carefully before taking this step, Schumer said.

The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserves board of governors by Monday, before the central banks next vote on interest rates.

Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Feds board. Trump has accused Cook of mortgage fraud because she appeared to claim two properties as primary residences in July 2021, before she joined the board. Such claims can lead to a lower mortgage rate and smaller down payment than if one of them was declared as a rental property or second home. Cook has denied the charges.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb ruled that the administration had not satisfied a requirement that Fed governors can only be fired for cause, which she said was limited to misconduct while in office. Cook did not join the Feds board until 2022.

RELATED STORY | Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook sues Trump administration over attempt to fire her

In their emergency appeal, Trumps lawyers argued that even if the conduct occurred before her time as governor, her alleged actions indisputably calls into question Cooks trustworthiness and whether she can be a responsible steward of the interest rates and economy.

They asked an appeals court to issue an emergency decision reversing the lower court by Monday. The Fed begins its next meeting Tuesday, and will announce a decision on interest rates on Wednesday. The central bank is almost certain to reduce its benchmark rate at that meeting by a quarter-point, to about 4.1%.

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendezs wife told a judge that her husband was not the man I thought he was before she was sentenced Thursday to 4 years in prison for selling the powerful New Jersey politicians influence in exchange for bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car.

U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein sentenced Nadine Menendez, 58, after she was convicted in April of colluding from 2018 to 2023 with her husband, the former Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a variety of corrupt schemes, some involving assisting the Egyptian government.

Sobbing as she addressed the judge shortly before she was sentenced, Nadine Menendez described her husband as a manipulative liar.

I put my life in his hands and he strung my like a puppet, she said. The blindfold is off. I now know hes not my savior. Hes not the man I thought he was.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Ex-New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez begins serving 11-year bribery sentence

Stein told the defendant that she wasn't the person she was portrayed as during last year's trial of her husband and two New Jersey businessmen, when the judge said she was painted as as manipulative, hungry for money and the true force behind the conspiracies.

But he said she also wasn't the innocent observer of what was happening around you, as she was portrayed by her lawyer at her trial.

You knew what you were doing. Your role was purposeful, he said.

When she spoke, Nadine Menendez partly blamed her husband, saying she was duped by his power and stature and that she felt compelled to do whatever he wanted, such as calling or meeting with certain people.

I would never have imagined someone of his ranking putting me in this position, she said, though she acknowledged that in retrospect, she was a grown woman and should have known better.

Prior to the hearing, Bob Menendez submitted a letter to the judge saying he regretted that he didnt fully preview what his lawyer said about his wife during his trial and in closing arguments.

To suggest that Nadine was money hungry or in financial need, and therefore would solicit others for help, is simply wrong, he wrote.

In addition to prison time, Stein sentenced Nadine Menendez to three years of supervised release. He said he granted her leniency in part because of the trial she endured, her difficult childhood in Lebanon, her abusive romantic partners, her health conditions and her age.

Stein said a prison term was important for general deterrence purposes: People have to understand there are consequences."

IN RELATED NEWS | DOJ: Menendez connected Qatari royal with NJ businessman for profit

Nadine Menendez wont have to surrender to prison until next summer. Stein set a reporting date of July 10, accommodating a defense request that she be allowed to remain free to complete necessary medical procedures before she heads behind bars. Federal prosecutors did not object to the request.

Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of at least seven years.

Her lawyer, Sarah Krissoff, asked that she serve only a year behind bars, citing her difficult recovery from breast cancer, which was diagnosed just prior to last year's trial, when she was to be tried along with her husband. She ended up being tried separately.

Bob Menendez, 71, is serving an 11-year sentence after his conviction on charges of taking bribes, extortion, and acting as an agent of the Egyptian government.

Prosecutors say Nadine Menendez played a large and crucial role in her husbands crimes, serving as an intermediary between the senator and three New Jersey businessmen who literally lined his coat pockets with tens of thousands of dollars in cash in return for favors he could deliver with his political clout.

During a 2022 FBI raid on the couple's New Jersey home, investigators found $480,000 in cash, gold bars worth an estimated $150,000 and a luxury convertible in the garage.

Prosecutors said that, among his other corrupt acts, the senator met with Egyptian intelligence officials and speeded that country's access to U.S. military aid as part of a complex effort to help his bribe-paying associates, one of whom had business dealings with the Egyptian government.

The NCAA banned three men's college basketball players for sports betting on Wednesday, saying they had bet on their own games at Fresno State and San Jose State and were able to share thousands of dollars in payouts.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions released findings from an enforcement investigation that concluded Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez and Jalen Weaver bet on one another's games and/or provided information that enabled others to do so during the 2024-25 regular season; two of them manipulated their performances to ensure certain bets were won. The eligibility was permanently revoked.

The NCAA said a sports integrity monitoring service in January notified Fresno State and NCAA enforcement staff that a Nevada sportsbook operator had flagged suspicious prop bets on Robinson. The investigation began a week later. The Associated Press could not immediately locate the former players for comment.

RELATED STORY | NCAA head warns of the dark side of college sports gambling

According to the NCAA, Robinson and Vasquez had been roommates at Fresno State during the 2023-24 season. In January 2025, Robinson and Vasquez, now at San Jose State, discussed over text message that Robinson planned to underperform in several statistical categories during a regular-season game. Robinson also placed multiple bets on Weaver, his teammate at Fresno State in 2024-25, the NCAA found.

The game that drew attention to Robinson was Fresno State's Jan. 7 matchup with Colorado State. The NCAA said he had three bets based on his his performance one was $200 to win $1,450; the second was $800 to win $5,800; and the third was $1,200 to win $8,700.

Investigators found that before that game, Robinson told his mother to transfer money by Apple Pay to Vasquez so Vasquez could coordinate a $200 bet on Robinson's under-line for Robinson. After the game, the NCAA said, Vasquez helped Robinson transfer $1,425 of the winnings to Robinson's mother. On Jan. 10, Vasquez provided $200 to Robinson.

Also last season, Robinson placed 13 daily fantasy sports over-line and under-line prop bets totaling $454 on parlays that included his own performance. He collected $618 on one occasion, the NCAA said.

Robinson placed bets on Weaver before a game in late December 2024 after he and Weaver exchanged information about their respective betting lines, the NCAA said. Weaver also placed a $50 prop bet on a parlay for himself, Robinson and a third athlete, and he won $260.

Vasquez and Robinson failed to cooperate with the enforcement staff's investigation, the NCAA said. Weaver cooperated and agreed to the violation in his case.

All three were released from their respective teams and are no longer enrolled at their previous schools. Neither school was punished.

Fresno State said it cooperated willingly with the NCAA.

"The university proactively shared reported information concerning sports wagering activity with the NCAA and worked collaboratively with the NCAA staff throughout the investigation," the school said in a statement. "While the eligibility consequences for the former student-athletes are significant, the case ultimately resulted in a Level III/Secondary violation and no sanctions for the institution. The university continues to have confidence in the Fresno State Athletics' culture and is grateful to conclude this matter."

San Jose State said in a statement that it is aware of the decision and noted that Vasquez had already been removed from the roster several months ago. He graduated in May 2025.

The latest case comes eight years after a 2017 federal investigation into off-the-books payments to players and their families that, at the time, was against NCAA rules and one of the biggest scandals in the sport's history.

Since then, the growth of legalized gambling across the United States has raised concerns for college sports leaders and there have been allegations against schools involving betting, including some against three other basketball programs earlier this year.

The NCAA in June said that "several sports betting-related violations by staff members at NCAA schools" have been resolved in recent years and noted its enforcement staff was working on issuing notices of allegations in several ongoing gambling cases.

"The enforcement staff's sports betting-related caseload has significantly increased in recent years, and our staff including our new sports betting integrity unit has been effective in detecting and pursuing violations," Jon Duncan, NCAA vice president of enforcement, said then.

The nation's largest college sports organization, overseeing some 500,000 athletes, also said it was considering a proposal that would allow athletes and staff members to bet on professional sports and shift enforcement efforts to college sports betting and "behaviors that directly impact game integrity." The Division I Council introduced the proposal that will be considered this fall and be implemented if Divisions II and III officials also approve.

Current NCAA rules do not allow athletes or institutional staff to engage in sports betting for any sports that have NCAA championships; bets by an athlete on their own team or own sport risks a lifetime ban from college athletics. Those rules would not change under the pending proposal.

They were careful with the explicit imagery as usual. But did it make any difference?

Traditional news organizations were cautious in their midafternoon coverage of Charlie Kirk's assassination Wednesday not to depict the moment he was shot, instead showing video of him tossing a hat to his audience moments before, and panicked onlookers scattering wildly in the moments after.

In practical terms, though, it mattered little. Gory video of the shooting was available almost instantly online, from several angles, in slow-motion and real-time speed. Millions of people watched.

Video was easy to find on X, on Facebook, on TikTok, on Instagram, on YouTube even on Truth Social, where President Donald Trump posted official word of the conservative activist's death. It illustrated how the "gatekeeping" role of news organizations has changed in the era of social media.

Scripps News reached out to leaders at X to ask about their efforts to stop the spread of graphic videos and images, if any, and have not heard back.

Kirk was shot at a public event before hundreds of people at a Utah college campus, many of them holding up phones to record a celebrity in their midst and savvy about how to disseminate video evidence of a news event.

On X, there was a video showing a direct view of Kirk being shot, his body recoiling and blood gushing from a wound. One video was a loop showing the moment of impact in slow-motion, stopping before blood is seen. Another, taken from Kirk's left, included audio that suggested Kirk was talking about gun violence at the moment he was shot.

For more than 150 years, news organizations like newspapers and television networks have long been accustomed to "gatekeeping" when it comes to explicit content making editorial decisions around violent events to decide what images and words appear on their platforms for their readers or viewers. But in the fragmented era of social media, smartphones and instant video uploads, editorial decisions by legacy media are less impactful than ever.

RELATED STORY | Trump to honor Charlie Kirk with posthumous Medal of Freedom after fatal shooting

Images spread across the country

Across the country in Ithaca, New York, college professor Sarah Kreps' teenage sons texted her about Kirk's assassination shortly after school was dismissed and they could access their phones.

No, she told them. He was shot, but there were no reports that he had died. Her son answered: Have you seen the video? There's no way he could have survived that.

The videos were posted and reposted at lightning speed. One person on X urged "stop the violence" but then included a clip of the shooting. Several people took to social media to plead for people not to spread the images. "For the love of God and Charlie's family," read one message, "just stop."

YouTube said it was removing "some graphic content" related to the event if it doesn't provide sufficient context, and restricting videos so they could not be seen by users under age 18 or those who are not signed in, the company said.

"Our hearts are with Charlie Kirk's family following his tragic death," YouTube said. "We are closely monitoring our platform and prominently elevating news content on the homepage, in search and in recommendations to help people stay informed."

Meta's rules don't prohibit posting videos like Kirk's shooting, but warning labels are applied and they are not shown to users who say they are under 18. The parent company of Instagram, Facebook and Threads referred a reporter to the company's policies on violent and graphic content, which they indicated would apply in this case, but had no further comment. An X representative did not immediately return a request for comment.

It's an issue social media companies have dealt with before, in equally gruesome circumstances. Facebook was forced to contend with people wanting to livestream violence with a mass shooting in New Zealand in 2019, said Cornell University's Kreps, author of the forthcoming book, "Harnessing Disruption: Building the Tech Future Without Breaking Society."

RELATED STORY | Who is Charlie Kirk? What we know about the conservative political influencer

Getting to the other side

Some images seeped out into more traditional media. TMZ posted a video of Kirk in which a shot and a voice saying, "Oh, my God," can be heard, but Kirk's upper body was blurred out. A similar video with a blurred image of Kirk was posted on the New York Post's website.

In such an atmosphere, the care shown by most traditional news outlets may seem quaint or old-fashioned. But news industry leaders are acutely aware of protecting people from graphic images when they are not expecting it; happening upon them is a little harder online, where many people have to search for and click on an image if they want to see it if it hasn't already been sent to you or your group chat.

There can also be an important message sent by news outlets being cautious in what they show, Kreps said. "The traditional media can amplify and validate behavior," she said. "It can be a signal for how things should be stigmatized, rather than validated or normalized."

But on the day of the shooting in a politically polarized country, the easy availability of shocking images ran the risk of making society's wound even more painful.

"I don't see how many signs of how we get as a people, as a nation to the other side of this," said CNN's David Chalian. "I think we are broken, and potentially beyond repair."

In a close vote, Senate Republicans defeated an effort Wednesday by Democrats to insert language into Congress' annual defense authorization bill that would have forced the public release of case files on the sex trafficking investigation into the late Jeffrey Epstein.

The Senate voted 51-49 to dismiss the changes to the bill, with Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky joining with all Democrats in opposition.

For months, Democrats have clamored for the release of what's become known as the Epstein files, looking for practically every opportunity to force Republicans to either join their push for disclosure or publicly oppose a cause that many in the Republican base support.

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President Donald Trump signaled, as he was running for presiden,t that he was open to releasing a full accounting of the case, but is now trying to dismiss the push as a "Democrat hoax."

So far, Democrats have been successful in forcing Republican leadership to grapple with the issue, yet it was unclear whether they would actually be able to crack Trump's hold on congressional Republicans to force legislation through Congress.

"I ask my Republican colleagues, after all those years you spent calling for accountability, for transparency, for getting to the bottom of these awful crimes, why won't you vote yes?" Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech Wednesday.

The New York Democrat maneuvered earlier Wednesday to force a procedural vote on language that would force the Justice Department to release the Epstein files, inserting it into an annual defense policy bill that Congress has to pass. Senate Republican leadership was then forced to hold a vote to dispense with Schumer's amendment, arguing that he was inserting political gamesmanship into defense legislation that often enjoys bipartisan support.

RELATED STORY | House Oversight Committee releases tens of thousands of pages of Epstein records

"This is not the right way to do it," said Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said earlier this week that the Justice Department "has already released tons of files" on Epstein.

"I trust them in terms of having the confidence that they'll get as much information out there as possible in a way that protects the rights of the victims," added Thune, R-S.D.

Still, many in the Republican base as well as some victims of Epstein's abuse have been unsatisfied with what the Justice Department has so far released.

The calls for disclosure of Epstein's case have, at moments, consumed Congress, looming over politics even more than when Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges that said he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of underage girls. The case was brought more than a decade after he secretly cut a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida to dispose of nearly identical allegations. Epstein was accused of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them.

Asked by reporters on Wednesday why Democrats had not pushed for disclosure when they controlled the White House, Schumer responded, "It's become so apparent that they're lying about it in every different way and the demands of the American people are so great."

"The need is greater than ever now," he added.

Meanwhile, a separate effort to force a vote on a similar bill in the House inched ahead.

Democrats picked up one more House seat when Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., was sworn into office after winning a special election this week. It gives them one more supporter for a procedure called a discharge petition to maneuver around Republican leadership's control of the House floor and hold a vote on legislation to force the Justice Department to release the Epstein files.

Four Republicans have also signed onto the discharge petition, meaning that it is just one name short of having the support needed to potentially force a vote. That could come as soon as the end of this month when a heavily blue congressional district in Arizona holds a special election to fill a vacant seat.