Rep. Monica De La Cruz, a Republican from Texas, made a campaign ad showing a man she helped get released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. The ad features the man’s wife, who says the U.S. immigration system is not working well.
Key Facts
Rep. Monica De La Cruz represents Texas as a Republican.
She helped a man get released from ICE custody.
The man’s wife appears in the ad and calls the immigration system “broken.”
The ad first appeared last week.
The couple is from Weslaco, Texas.
The man was under Deferred Action, a program that protects some immigrants from deportation.
The ad focuses on immigration issues ahead of upcoming elections.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Jonathan Capehart and Ramesh Ponnuru discussed recent political events, focusing on President Donald Trump's efforts to restrict certain media outlets from accessing the White House. They also talked about some Republicans being unhappy with their party as the midterm elections approach.
Key Facts
President Donald Trump tried to ban some media outlets from the White House.
This restriction was part of ongoing tensions between Trump and the press.
Jonathan Capehart is a commentator from MS NOW.
Ramesh Ponnuru is an editor at National Review.
They appeared together with Geoff Bennett to discuss politics.
Some Republicans expressed frustration with their own party before the midterm elections.
The conversation covered events that happened over the past political week.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump announced that all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have applied to join a plan aimed at lowering drug prices for Medicaid, the government health program for low-income people. He said 40 states and Puerto Rico have already signed agreements to take part.
Key Facts
All 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico applied to join a program to reduce Medicaid drug costs.
President Trump announced this plan during a news event in the Oval Office.
The arrangement is designed to help Medicaid programs pay less for prescription drugs.
Forty states and Puerto Rico have already signed official agreements for the program.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is involved in the program (implied by mentioning "Centers", likely CMS).
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The FDA held a public workshop to discuss the increasing use of testosterone therapy by menopausal women. There are currently no FDA-approved testosterone treatments for women, and experts say more research is needed to understand the long-term safety and effectiveness of this therapy.
Key Facts
Testosterone therapy is being used more by menopausal women, often prescribed off-label using men's testosterone products.
Women have much lower testosterone levels than men, and these levels decline gradually with age.
Low testosterone in women is linked to bone loss, muscle loss, lower mood, reduced sexual desire, and less energy.
Testosterone therapy is only approved for treating a sexual desire disorder in women, not for other symptoms like mood or energy.
It is hard to measure testosterone deficiency in women because no clear blood test thresholds exist.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) using estrogen, with or without progesterone, is more common and has increased 72% from 2021 to 2025.
Earlier in 2026, the FDA removed strong warning labels from HRT and testosterone products.
The FDA wants more high-quality research to better understand testosterone therapy’s risks and benefits for menopausal women.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A Sikh truck driver survived an attack at a Wyoming rest stop where he was beaten and stabbed 17 times. The suspected attacker, Andrew Kris Bzdak, was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, but the motive is still unknown.
Key Facts
The victim is a Sikh truck driver identified only as Singh for safety reasons.
The attack happened on a Sunday at a Wyoming highway rest stop.
Andrew Kris Bzdak is the suspect, arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder.
Bzdak is held on a $1 million bail at Sweetwater county detention center.
A Good Samaritan family helped Singh after the attack by trying to stop the attacker and bringing towels.
Local officials do not know why the attack happened.
Some South Asian leaders say the attack follows a controversial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) post that many called racist.
DHS removed the post, which was criticized for targeting Sikhs, and denied any connection to the attack.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he is banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from covering the White House immediately. This decision has drawn criticism from supporters of free speech, Democratic lawmakers, and people from various political and media groups.
Key Facts
President Trump announced bans on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House coverage.
The announcement was made on his social media platform, Truth Social.
The ban is effective immediately.
The decision has been criticized by advocates for the First Amendment, which protects free speech and press.
Elected Democrats and others across the political spectrum have expressed opposition.
The news outlets affected are national media organizations.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump signed a new law that expands sanctions on Russia to pressure it to end its war with Ukraine. The law also gives him more power to set tariffs on countries buying Russian energy or helping Russia avoid sanctions.
Key Facts
The bill is called the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, named after the late senator Lindsey Graham.
It passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 262-159.
The law targets Russian political and military officials and foreign networks supporting Russia’s war efforts.
It focuses on reducing Russia’s income from oil and natural gas by sanctioning buyers and “shadow tankers” used to transport oil.
The law allows President Trump to impose tariffs up to 100% on countries buying Russian energy, including China.
Trump can decide which countries face tariffs and if some sanctions can be waived for certain nations.
Some Democrats worry the law gives Trump too much power to impose tariffs, considering past legal limits on his tariff authority.
The law reflects a change in the Trump administration’s previous reluctance toward additional sanctions on Russia.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump has taken a stance against regulating key tech issues like artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, and Flock cameras. This position differs from some Republican candidates who support stronger regulation before the upcoming midterm elections.
Key Facts
President Trump calls AI regulation a "hoax" and warns it would hurt U.S. AI development compared to China.
Republican candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan wants a national security framework to slow AI development for government oversight.
Rogers’ opponent, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, criticizes Rogers for supporting Trump’s view on AI regulation.
Texas GOP candidate Ken Paxton supports lawsuits against social media companies and some AI restrictions, focusing on protecting minors.
Paxton’s Democratic opponent, James Talarico, advocates for federal AI regulations to prevent job loss and control AI chip exports.
Polls show most Americans are worried about AI’s impact and believe the government is not doing enough to regulate it.
President Trump supports building data centers as good for the economy and national security, while some GOP candidates want to limit or tax new data center construction.
Trump’s comments on communities opposing data centers could create challenges for Republican candidates in some areas.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump signed a new law that imposes strong sanctions on Russia by targeting countries that buy its oil and gas. The law also applies sanctions to Iran’s energy and weapons sectors and includes measures against Russian leaders and companies.
Key Facts
The law allows President Trump to charge up to 100% tariffs on the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India.
Countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and working to reduce it may be exempt from some sanctions.
The bill targets Russian President Vladimir Putin, top officials, banks, and a group of ships used to avoid sanctions.
The law is named after Senator Lindsey Graham, who died in July and was a strong supporter of Ukraine.
Senator Richard Blumenthal called the sanctions "scorching" and aimed to weaken Russia’s war efforts.
China bought 50% and India 37% of Russian crude oil exports from December 2022 to August 2026.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky supported the bill and praised its approval as symbolic after a Russian attack on Ukraine.
Senator Lindsey Graham pushed for tougher U.S. action on Russia before his death due to heart disease.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Trump signed a new law that imposes sanctions on Russia and allows tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas. The bill also extends sanctions on Iran and targets Russian leaders, banks, and important people involved in the government.
Key Facts
The bill is named the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.
It allows the president to impose tariffs up to 100% on the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, government officials, oligarchs (rich and powerful people), banks, and financial institutions are targeted by the sanctions.
China and India are the largest buyers of Russian oil and will be most affected by the tariffs.
The law extends sanctions on Iran’s energy and weapons industries.
Senator Lindsey Graham, who supported the bill, died in July from a torn aorta and President Trump gave a speech at his funeral.
Russia’s war in Ukraine is ongoing, and President Trump has tried to work with leaders on both sides but has not ended the conflict.
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff recently met with Putin and Zelenskyy to discuss the war.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Two men deported from the United States to Equatorial Guinea were tied up, had bags put over their heads, beaten, and pushed down stairs, according to witnesses and lawyers. These men were then taken to prison, and about 30 other deportees remain detained in poor and unsafe conditions at a hotel outside Malabo, the capital city.
Key Facts
The two men, one from Egypt and one from Eritrea, were deported under President Trump’s administration.
They were reportedly abused after being accused of breaking a hotel mirror and for speaking out about poor conditions.
Around 30 other deportees from the US remain trapped in a rundown hotel used as a detention center in Equatorial Guinea.
The hotel detainees face harsh conditions like no medical care, no fresh clothes, and constant armed guard watch.
Equatorial Guinea has taken in at least 66 deportees from the US as part of a deal that included $7.5 million in payments.
This deportation practice sends people to countries where they have no ties, language skills, or legal status, often considered unsafe.
The US State Department has noted Equatorial Guinea’s government is known for human rights abuses including torture.
Videos showed guards pointing guns at detainees and using violence to control them, drawing concern from human rights groups.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Virginia's attorney general says the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) might have broken state election laws. A whistleblower claims DHS workers wrongly used voter lookup tools to find noncitizen voters without permission.
Key Facts
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones sent a letter to DHS demanding answers about accessing voter information.
Virginia law prohibits sharing voter data with the federal government without a court order.
Voter lookup tools in Virginia can only be used by people checking their own records, under legal penalty.
A whistleblower said DHS staff were trained to quickly check lists for “unlawful voters” in August.
Agents had about 12 minutes per person to decide if someone was a legal voter.
President Trump’s administration has claimed noncitizen voting is a big election fraud risk, despite studies showing it is very rare.
The Department of Justice is trying to get detailed voter data from many states but has not yet won those cases.
DHS has been asked to keep all documents about this investigation, including training and logs.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump announced that he is banning CNN, Politico, and MSNOW from the White House because he accuses them of spreading fake news. He said other media outlets might be banned later and criticized several major news organizations. Legal experts say the president cannot exclude news groups simply because he dislikes their coverage.
Key Facts
President Trump banned CNN, Politico, and MSNOW from the White House immediately.
He claims these outlets spread false information about him and the government.
Trump called out other media groups like The New York Times and The Washington Post as fake news.
This is not the first ban; The Associated Press was also barred from some White House events.
The Associated Press has filed a lawsuit challenging its exclusion.
Legal experts say the First Amendment prevents the government from punishing news organizations based on their reporting.
CNN said a ban would violate their constitutional rights to report freely.
The White House referred to the president’s public comments when asked for a response.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump announced that all 50 states will join a new Medicaid drug pricing program called GENEROUS. This program aims to lower the prices Medicaid pays for certain medicines by comparing U.S. prices with prices in other developed countries.
Key Facts
The GENEROUS model stands for "GENErating cost Reductions fOr U.S. Medicaid."
It uses international price comparisons from eight countries to set target drug prices for Medicaid.
States decide which drugs to include but must follow standard rules set by the government and drug makers.
The program started in January as voluntary but now all 50 states participate.
The goal is to reduce drug costs and save billions of dollars for Medicaid over the next decade.
Savings depend on factors like which drugmakers participate and which medicines are covered.
The program focuses on brand-name drugs, including single-source and innovator types.
Medicaid is a joint federal-state health program for low-income Americans and already negotiates drug rebates.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Two 17-year-old American citizens in Texas said ICE agents detained and used force against them while they were near an immigration raid. The teenagers were on their way to a Marine recruitment office and recorded the arrest, which led to accusations of assault and wrongful detention.
Key Facts
The incident happened in Alamo, Texas, on September 11.
Both teenagers are U.S. citizens and were stopped while observing an ICE enforcement action.
One teen, Luis Ochoa, said ICE agents handcuffed him, broke his wrist, and used pepper spray.
Video shows ICE agents pulling one teen from a car, using force, and an agent hitting one boy multiple times.
The teens were detained for eight hours before being released.
ICE described the boys as obstructing agents and said violence against officers will not be tolerated.
Texas Democratic Representatives Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez expressed concern and called for investigation.
The teens were reportedly stopped on their way to enlist in the U.S. Marines.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Football analyst Kirk Herbstreit explained why ESPN invited Senator Ted Cruz to its college football pregame show. Herbstreit said Cruz was invited because the Senate was about to vote on a bill related to college sports.
Key Facts
Kirk Herbstreit is a football analyst and works with ESPN.
Senator Ted Cruz from Texas appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” show.
Cruz was on the show because the Senate was going to vote on the “Protect College Sports Act” (PCSA).
The PCSA is a bill related to college sports, though the article does not detail the bill’s content.
Herbstreit spoke to reporters to explain the reason for having Cruz on the sports show.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump said he would ban CNN, MSNBC, and Politico reporters from the White House. CBS News correspondent Major Garrett commented that this shows a sign of weakness by President Trump.
Key Facts
President Trump announced plans to ban CNN, MSNBC, and Politico reporters from White House briefings.
The ban is directed at news outlets that cover his administration.
Major Garrett, a CBS News journalist, interpreted this ban as a sign of weakness.
CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang reported on the situation.
The story was covered during a CBS News segment and shared on their app and website.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed responded to Vice President Vance’s comments about his appearance by challenging Vance to a weightlifting contest. El-Sayed wants to show if Vance is as strong as he claims.
Key Facts
Abdul El-Sayed is running for the U.S. Senate from Michigan as a Democrat.
Vice President Vance made comments about El-Sayed’s appearance.
El-Sayed challenged Vance to a weightlifting competition to test his strength.
The challenge was mentioned during an interview with TMZ DC.
Vance previously joked about El-Sayed on TikTok.
President Trump is currently serving his second term, making Vance his Vice President.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A woman in Louisiana faces criminal charges after 17 cats were found dead in very hot conditions without food or water at a local business. Police rescued 20 other cats in poor health and provided them with emergency care.
Key Facts
Madison Rebecca Colello, 29, surrendered to police and faces 17 felony and 37 misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.
Officers found the cats in a business called Waffles Way Home, with the inside temperature near 100°F (37.8°C).
Seventeen cats were dead, and 20 others were rescued in severe distress.
The area was clean, but the extreme heat and lack of care caused harm to the cats.
Animal control and rescue groups provided medical care and shelter for the surviving cats.
Twelve cats taken into a Louisiana animal shelter showed signs of respiratory infections and possible ringworm.
Police said the incident shows a serious case of animal cruelty and vowed to prevent future abuse.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The U.S. Postal Service has slowed down mail delivery, missing even its lowered targets, according to a government report. This change affects rural areas more and raises concerns ahead of the midterm elections when many people send in ballots by mail.
Key Facts
The Postal Service added one to two days to some mail deliveries by switching some transport from air to ground starting in 2021.
About 24,000 post offices far from regional centers will lose afternoon mail collection, impacting rural communities.
The Postal Service must fund itself mostly through postage and still deliver to almost every U.S. address, even in places that are not profitable.
Slower mail delivery affects important items like medications, bills, paychecks, and mail-in ballots.
The timing is critical as millions of voters depend on USPS to send ballots in time for the midterms.
The Postal Service has been operating more like a business, which some say has hurt service quality.
USPS officials say they expect to meet their new targets and improve services soon.
The Government Accountability Office wants USPS to explain how it will improve in its next strategic plan for 2027.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
