Colorado Democrats censure governor for conspiracy theorist sentence commutation

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado Democrats voted overwhelmingly to censure one of their own, Gov. Jared Polis, forcommuting the prison sentenceof Tina Peters, the election conspiracy theorist who amplified President Donald Trump's baseless claims that mass fraud caused his 2020 election loss.

Associated Press

About 90% of the state party's roughly 700 Central Committee members voted Wednesday for censure. It means that Polis, who is term-limited and serving his final year in office, will be barred from being an honored guest, featured speaker, or officially recognized party representative at party-sponsored events.

Peters, 70, is a former county clerk who was sentenced to nine years behind barsafter being convictedin 2024 for a scheme to make a copy of her county’s electioncomputer system.

She is set for release June 1 after Polis commuted her sentence Friday.

Trump has championed Peters' cause. Reducing her sentence set a “dangerous and disappointing” precedent when democracy and voting rights are under attack nationwide, the Colorado Democratic Party said in a statement.

“It sends a message to future bad actors that election tampering has consequences, unless you’re friends with the president,” the statement said.

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About 700 state party members, including current and former elected officials, petitioned for the party to condemn Polis. The subsequent censure vote was taken in a regularly scheduled party Central Committee virtual meeting.

In April, a Colorado appeals court upheld Peters' conviction but ordered her to be resentenced, saying the judge wrongly punished her for speaking out about election fraud.

In commuting her sentence, Polis told Peters in a letter she deserved prison time but had been given an “extremely unusual and lengthy” sentence for a first-time, nonviolent offender.

He defended the commutation after the censure vote.

“The governor made this decision based on the facts of the case and what he believed was the right thing to do. Sometimes the right thing isn’t the popular thing with everybody. Democracy is strongest when disagreement is met with debate and dialogue, not censorship," Polis spokesperson Eric Maruyama said in an emailed statement Thursday.

Peters thanked Polis and apologized for her crime in a statement after her sentence commutation.

Peters sneaked an outside computer expert, an associate ofMyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, to make a copy of her county’s Dominion Voting Systems election computer server during a system upgrade in 2021. She then joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” that promised to reveal proof of election rigging, and photos of the upgrade, including passwords, were posted online.

Colorado Democrats censure governor for conspiracy theorist sentence commutation

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado Democrats voted overwhelmingly to censure one of their own, Gov. Jared Polis, forcommuting the pris...
Facing intense internal pressure, DNC releases postelection autopsy that criticizes Kamala Harris

NEW YORK (AP) —Kamala Harris“wrote off rural America" during the 2024 presidential campaign and failed to attackDonald Trumpwith sufficient “negative firepower," according to a long-awaited post-election autopsy released on Thursday by the Democratic National Committee.

Associated Press FILE - Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at DNC headquarters, Jan. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert, File) Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a fireside chat on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil) President Donald Trump speaks during an event about loosening a federal refrigerant rule, in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

US Election 2026 Democrats

The committee's chair,Ken Martin, shared the 192-page report only after facingintense internal pressurefrom frustrated Democratic operatives concerned with his leadership. Martin had originally promised to release the autopsy, only to keep it under wraps for months because he was concerned it would be a distraction ahead of the midterms as Democrats mobilize to take back control of Congress.

On Tuesday, Martin apologized for his handling of the situation and conceded that the report was withheld because it “was not ready for primetime."

Although the autopsy criticizes Democrats' focus on “identity politics,” it sidesteps some of the most controversial elements of the 2024 campaign. The report does not address former President Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection, therushed selection of Harristo replace him afterhe dropped outor the party's acrimonious divide overthe war in Gaza.

“I am not proud of this product; it does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards,” Martin wrote in an essay on Substack on Thursday. “I don’t endorse what’s in this report, or what’s left out of it. I could not in good faith put the DNC’s stamp of approval on it. But transparency is paramount.”

During a conversation with staff on Thursday, Martin announced that the report's primary author, consultant Paul Rivera, was no longer working with the DNC, according to a person on the call not authorized to speak publicly about the private discussion.

A spokesperson for Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The initial reaction from Democratic operatives was a mix of bafflement and anger over Martin's handling of the situation. Some also raised fresh concerns about the impact on the party's next presidential nomination process, which the DNC is actively coordinating now.

"The execution, the roll out and the coverup are indicative of how Ken Martin is fundamentally not up to the task," said Amanda Litman, who leads the Democratic-allied organization Run For Something. “He will be incapable of rebuilding the trust necessary to facilitate a Democratic primary in 2027-2028.”

Report says Democrats don't ‘listen to all voters’

The postelection report calls for “a renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South, who have come to believe they are not included in the Democratic vision of a stronger and more dynamic America for everyone.”

“Millions of Americans are suffering from poor access to healthcare, manufacturing and job losses, and a failing infrastructure, yet continue to be persuaded to vote against their best interests because they do not see themselves reflected in the America of theDemocratic Party,” the report says.

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The autopsy points to a reduction in support and training for Democratic state parties, voter registration shifts and “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”

Thursday's release comes as Martin confrontsa crisis of confidenceamong party officials who are increasingly concerned about the health of their political machine barely a year into his term. Some Democratic operatives have had informal discussions about recruiting a new chair, even though most believe that Martin’s job wasn't in serious jeopardy ahead of the midterm elections.

Were Democrats too nice?

The report found that Harris and her allies failed to focus enough on Trump's negatives, especially his felony convictions. This was part of a broader criticism that Democrats' messaging is too focused on reason and winning arguments, “even in cycles when the electorate is defined by rage.”

“There was a decision in the 2024 Democratic leadership not to engage in negative advertising at the scale required,” the report states. “The Trump campaign and supportive Super PACs went full throttle against Vice President Harris, but there was not sufficient or similar negative firepower directed at Trump by Democrats.”

The report continues: “It was essential to prosecute a more effective case as to why Trump should have been disqualified from ever again taking office. The grounds were there, but the messaging did not make the case.”

Trump's attack on Harris' transgender policies were cited as a key contrast.

Specifically, the report suggested the Democratic nominee was “boxed” in by the Trump campaign's “very effective” ad that highlighted Harris' previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgeries for prison inmates.

Democratic pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position – and she did not – then there was nothing which would have worked as a response," the report said.

‘The math doesn’t work'

The report criticized Harris' outreach to key segments of America while condemning the party's focus on “identity politics.”

“Harris wrote off rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work,” the report says. “You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a significant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen, and then do it again.”

The report also references Democrats' underperformance with male voters of color.

“Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns, and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color,” it says.

Facing intense internal pressure, DNC releases postelection autopsy that criticizes Kamala Harris

NEW YORK (AP) —Kamala Harris“wrote off rural America" during the 2024 presidential campaign and failed to attackDonald Trumpwith s...
'I failed': Woman at center of sprawling Minnesota fraud gets nearly 42-year prison sentence

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A judge on Thursday handed down an extraordinary prison sentence — nearly 42 years — to the former leader of a Minnesota nonprofit who was convicted in a staggering $250 million fraud case that helped ignite an immigration crackdown by the Trump administration.

Associated Press Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joe Thompson addresses the media following the sentencing of Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at at the United States District Court in Minneapolis. (Carlos Gonzalez/Minnesota Star Tribune via AP) The exterior of Minneapolis federal courthouse on Thursday, May 21, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minn. Feeding our Future founder Aimee Bock is sentenced at the United States District Court in Minneapolis. (Carlos Gonzalez/Minnesota Star Tribune via AP) Assistant Attorney General for the Fraud Division Colin McDonald arrives for a press conference Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks to the media during a news conference Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe)

Fraud Minnesota Sentencing

Aimee Bock ranFeeding Our Future, which had claimed it helped provide millions of meals to needy children during the pandemic. The U.S. Justice Department, however, said she was atop the “single largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the country.”

“I understand I failed. I failed the public, my family, everyone,” Bock, 45, said in federal court.

After the hearing, authorities held a news conference to announce charges against 15 more people accused of fraud in receiving federal payments for a variety of social services administered through Minnesota's state government. The FBI said one man jumped from a fourth-floor balcony to avoid arrest.

“We will claw back every dollar you have stolen from the American people,” Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald said, noting that the government sent more prosecutors and agents to Minnesota this year.

President Donald Trump usedthe fraud casesagainst Bock and many others to initially justify amassive surge of federal officersto the Minneapolis-St. Paul area last winter to target immigrants, leading to protests from residents and the deaths of two people.

Feds found lavish spending

Bock's nonprofit was at the center of a fraud network that included a web of partner organizations, phony distribution sites, kickbacks and fake lists of children supposedly being fed, prosecutors say. She had long proclaimed her innocence but was convicted last year of conspiracy, fraud and bribery.

Bock and co-conspirators enriched themselves with international travel, real estate, luxury vehicles and other lavish spending, the government said.

“This was a vortex of fraud and you were at the epicenter,” U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel told Bock.

A co-defendant was sentenced last August to 28 years in prison. Abdiaziz Farah claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children per day, investigators said, but the sites turned out to be parking lots or empty commercial space.

State auditors foundthat the Minnesota Department of Education received numerous complaints about Feeding Our Future, but often told the group to police itself. In January, DemocraticGov. Tim Walzsaid he would not run for reelection after being pounded by Trump about theft in programs that rely on federal cash.

At least 65 people, many from the state’s large Somali community, have been convicted in a series of overlapping food fraud cases. Investigations began during the Biden administration.

“This case has changed our state forever,” Joe Thompson, formerly the lead prosecutor in the case, said outside the courtroom. “Aimee Bock did everything she could to earn this long sentence.”

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Bock’s lawyer, Kenneth Udoibok, argued for no more than three years in prison, saying she had provided key information to investigators. He said Bock, a former teacher, had been unfairly portrayed as the mastermind and insisted that two co-defendants were responsible for running the scams.

Fraud cases grow

In a fresh batch of criminal cases filed this week in Minnesota, the government said alleged fraud involved $90 million across seven state-managed Medicaid programs.

The defendants include Fahima Mahamud, who was CEO of Future Leaders Early Learning Center, a childcare center in Minneapolis. Over three years, Mahamud’s organization was reimbursed approximately $4.6 million for services on behalf of people who didn’t make a required copayment, prosecutors allege.

A message seeking comment from her lawyer was not immediately returned Thursday. Mahamud earlier this year pleaded not guilty to fraud related to meals.

Two other people were charged with conspiring to get $975,000 in Medicaid subsidies for housing services that were not provided.

Two additional people were accused of receiving $21.1 million by billing Medicaid for autism therapy that was either unnecessary or not provided. Investigators said the two paid families as much as $1,500 per child per month to add their names to the program and get reimbursement.

Minnesota's Department of Human Services said it helped build the cases. Inspector General James Clark said payments to more than 600 providers have been halted since 2025 because of fraud allegations.

Trump, who has long derided Somalis, last year blasted Minnesota as “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”

“Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from,” Trump wrote on social media.

Bock is white and the U.S. Attorney’s Office says the overwhelming majority of defendants in the cases are of Somali descent. Most are U.S. citizens.

Trump's immigration enforcement surge led to repeated protests and confrontations between residents and federal officers and resulted in the killings ofRenee GoodandAlex Pretti.

AP reporters Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Ed White in Detroit contributed.

'I failed': Woman at center of sprawling Minnesota fraud gets nearly 42-year prison sentence

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A judge on Thursday handed down an extraordinary prison sentence — nearly 42 years — to the former leader of a Minne...
Identities Revealed of 3 Sisters Recovered from the Ocean at Popular Tourist Beach as Their Father Pays Heartbreaking Tribute

Three sisters whose bodies were recovered from the ocean off Brighton beach in England have been named

People Jane Adetoro; Christina Walter; and Rebecca WalterCredit: Sussex Police

NEED TO KNOW

  • Police formally identified the women as Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walter, 32, and Rebecca Walter, 31, one week after their bodies were found at around 5:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday, May 13

  • "No words can truly describe the pain of losing three daughters in the prime of their lives," the sisters' father, Joseph, said in a tribute

Three womenwhose bodies were recovered from the oceannear the coastal city of Brighton, England, have been named.

On Wednesday, May 20,Sussex Police confirmedthat the women had been formally identified as sisters Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walter, 32, and Rebecca Walter, 31, one week after their bodies were found at around 5:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday, May 13.

Emergency services had been called to the beach near Black Rock parking lot off Madeira Drive in Brighton on the day the bodies were recovered, police said.

“Jane, Christina and Rebecca were sisters, from the Uxbridge area of London. Their next of kin are being supported by specialist officers during this incredibly difficult time,” authorities added in a release.

Jane Adetoro, Christina Walter and Rebecca WalterCredit: Sussex Police

Police said that the investigation into the siblings' deaths is ongoing, but confirmed that “at this time, there is no evidence to suggest third-party involvement or criminality.”

Authorities added that “specialist detectives are working hard to gather the full facts and circumstances of their deaths.”

“This has included the review of hundreds of hours of CCTV, enquiries at properties and businesses around the beach area to try and trace the women's last movements and extensive engagement with our partners in Brighton and London,” police continued, per the release.

Police are urging anybody who might have information regarding the case to come forward.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The sisters' father, Joseph, paid tribute to his daughters in a heartbreaking statement shared by Sussex Police.

“Today, with a heart full of sorrow and love, I pay tribute to my beloved daughters — Jane, Christina, and Becky — whose lives ended so tragically far too soon,” he said, adding that “no words can truly describe the pain of losing three daughters in the prime of their lives.”

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Joseph continued, “Jane, Christina, and Becky were more than daughters to me; they were my joy, my strength, and the beautiful light that filled our family with happiness and love.”

A photo of Black Rock parking lot off Madeira Drive in Brighton, EnglandCredit: Google Maps

He said that each of the three women was “unique and precious” in their “own special way.”

“Your smiles brightened dark days, your laughter brought comfort, and your presence made life more meaningful. Though your time on earth was short, the impact you made will remain in our hearts forever,” Joseph shared.

Mentioning each of his daughters individually, Joseph then said, “Jane, your strength and loving spirit will never be forgotten. Christina, your kindness and beautiful heart touched so many lives. Becky, your warmth and joyful soul brought happiness wherever you went.”

“You were deeply loved, and you will always be deeply missed. The tragedy of losing all three of you has left an emptiness that words cannot heal. There are days when the grief feels unbearable, yet I hold tightly to the memories we shared — the laughter, the conversations, the love, and the bond that death can never take away,” he continued.

“Though you are no longer here beside us, your spirits live on in our hearts every day. Love like yours never dies. You will forever remain a part of our lives, our prayers, and our memories,” Joseph concluded. “Rest peacefully, my precious daughters — Jane, Christina, and Becky. You may be gone from our sight, but never from our hearts. Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever remembered.”

Chief Superintendent Adam Hays, Divisional Commander for Brighton and Hove, said that “the thoughts of everyone at Sussex Police” were with the family following the "devastating" loss.

Hays said, “I know this incident has had a profound impact on the local community in Brighton, and across the country and I'd like to reassure the public we will leave no stone unturned in our investigation to understand exactly what led to the tragic events of that Wednesday morning.”

“This investigation will continue in earnest, with Jane, Christina and Rebecca's family at its [center]. I would ask that they are given the privacy to come to terms with this terrible tragedy,” he concluded.

Sussex Police had no further statements to add when contacted by PEOPLE.

Read the original article onPeople

Identities Revealed of 3 Sisters Recovered from the Ocean at Popular Tourist Beach as Their Father Pays Heartbreaking Tribute

Three sisters whose bodies were recovered from the ocean off Brighton beach in England have been named NEED TO KNOW ...
Ex-prosecutor charged with sending to herself copy of Smith report on Trump classified files probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former federal prosecutor in Florida sent to her personal email account a special counsel report from the investigation into President Donald Trump’shoarding of classified documentsdespite a judge's order that it was to remain sealed, according to an indictment made public on Wednesday.

Associated Press

Carmen Lineberger, who worked in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida and managed its Fort Pierce branch, faces charges including theft of government property and concealment of government records. She pleaded not guilty during a court appearance in West Palm Beach. Her attorney did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Prosecutors allege that while serving as a Justice Department prosecutor last December, Lineberger sent a copy of the report thatspecial counsel Jack Smithand his team had prepared, recapping their investigation into Trump’s retention of top-secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, to her personal email account. At the time she did so, the indictment says, a judicial order barred Justice Department employees from sharing, transmitting or distributing copies of the report.

The indictment alleges that Lineberger sought to conceal her actions by altering the original file name of the report to “Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf” before saving the re-titled file on her government computer and emailing it to her personal email account with the subject line of “Bundt_Cake_Recipe,pdf.”

Several months earlier, according to the indictment, Lineberger created on her government computer a document consisting of portions of internal Justice Department messages, along with portions of an internal memorandum with header and footer markings that indicated it was for official use only.

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She sent the material to her personal email address via an attached file titled “Chocolate_cake_recipe.pdf,” prosecutors say.

The indictment does not explain why Lineberger may have wanted to send the report, which prosecutors say she had access to in her professional capacity as a prosecutor, to her own email account.

The volume detailing Smith's findings in a criminal investigation once seen as posing significant legal peril to Trump has never been seen by the public. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon sided with Trump’s lawyers, who argued that releasing the report would be unfairly prejudicial afterSmith abandoned the case followingTrump's 2024 election victory.

Lineberger worked in the same judicial district where Smith's case against Trump was filed. That case accused Trump of illegally retaining at the Mar-a-Lago property dozens of classified records from his first term and obstructing government efforts to get them back.

“This FBI will not hesitate to bring to account those who violated the trust of the American public in an investigation that should’ve never been brought to begin with,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement posted on X.

Ex-prosecutor charged with sending to herself copy of Smith report on Trump classified files probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former federal prosecutor in Florida sent to her personal email account a special counsel report from the investiga...
Democratic senators will test GOP unity with votes on Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators plan to force a vote this week on President Donald Trump’s new$1.776 billion settlement fundto compensate political allies, testing Republican unity as Trump lashes out at lawmakers in his own party.

Associated Press The Ballroom construction site can be seen as President Donald Trump tours the area at the White House, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during the Senate Republican policy luncheon news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) President Donald Trump tours Ballroom construction around the outside the White House, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee hearing to address the Trump administration's budget request for the Justice Department, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Trump White House Ballroom

Republicans are expected to vote on a roughly$72 billion billto restore funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol after Democrats blocked the money for months.

But the straightforward legislation became more complicated after Republicans added $1 billion in security money for the White House campus and Trump’snew ballroom— and as some GOP senators have grown increasingly frustrated with the president. Republicans have criticized the settlement fund, and many were upset by Trump'sendorsement Tuesday of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtonin the party primary runoff next week against Sen. John Cornyn.

“It’s been a hell of a bad week for Donald Trump and his Republicans,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said on the Senate floor. “And it’s only Wednesday.”

Democrats have an opening to force a vote on the settlement fund because Republicans are trying to pass the immigration enforcement bill through a complicated budget process that requires a long series of amendment votes. Democrats are considering multiple amendments on the settlement fund, potentially to block it outright or to ban any payments to Trump supporters whobeat law enforcement officersin theJan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Those amendments, along with others, potentially could pass as a growing number of Republicans speak out against the fund and other parts of Trump’s agenda.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday he was “not a big fan” of the new fund, which the administration announced as a part of a settlement that resolves the president’slawsuit against the IRSover the leak of his tax returns. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, wholost his seat in Saturday's primary election in Louisianato a Trump-endorsed candidate, called it a “slush fund” and said “you can’t just make up things.”

Hanging over the growing GOP rift is Trump’s surprise endorsement of Paxton, an intervention that has Republican senators privately fuming that it could cost them their majority in November as they view the incumbent as the better candidate in the November general election.

“There’s always a consequence with taking on United States senators,” Thune said Wednesday. Trump "obviously has his favorites and people he wants to endorse and that’s his prerogative. But what we have to deal with up here is moving the agenda, and obviously that can become slightly more complicated.”

Trump calls for Senate parliamentarian to be fired

As Republicans challenged parts of his agenda, Trump unloaded on the Senate in a social media post.

He urged Republicans to fire the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, who has said thatparts of the $1 billion security proposal cannot remain in the ICE and Border Patrol bill. Trump also renewed his long-standing calls for the Senate to pass the SAVE Act, a Republican bill that would require all voters to prove U.S. citizenship, and to end the Senate filibuster.

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“Republicans play a very soft game compared to the Dumocrats,” he wrote. “It is their single biggest disadvantage in politics.”

Trump added that Democrats will eliminate the filibuster “on the First Day” if they ever get full power in Washington again and that Republicans need to “get smart and tough” or “you’ll all be looking for a job much sooner than you thought possible!”

Republicans have been loyal to Trump on most issues, but they have resisted his repeated calls — even in his first term — to kill the filibuster, which triggers a 60-vote threshold in the Senate.

Republicans divided on settlement fund

While some Republicans have said they are supportive of the administration’s settlement fund, several have questioned it. Senatorsgrilled acting Attorney General Todd Blancheon it at a hearing Tuesday, where he described the fund as “unusual” but not unprecedented.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said that he thinks it is a “real risk” that some of the rioters charged — and later pardoned by Trump — in the Jan. 6 attack could get compensation through the fund. He said that would be “absurd.”

On Wednesday, two police officers who helped defend the Capitol in the 2021 assaultsuedto block the payouts. Blanche, a personal attorney for Trump before joining the Department of Justice in Trump's second term, would not rule out the possibility thatrioters who assaulted policeon Jan. 6 would be eligible for compensation.

White House security money in limbo

Republican leaders are still revising the $1 billion security provision after the parliamentarian said it was too complex for the budget bill. The money could be scaled back or dropped from the bill.

Thune acknowledged “ongoing vote issues,” as leaders try to measure Republican support, and “ongoing parliamentarian issues,” as they try to figure out what will be allowed in the bill under Senate rules.

Democrats and some Republicans have questioned whether Congress should approve money for the White House ballroom when voters are concerned about affordability issues. Under theSecret Service request, about $220 million would pay for security improvements related to the ballroom and the rest would go for a new screening center for visitors, training and other security measures.

Tillis said the bill should not have included the other security improvements “because it’s just giving everybody the ‘billion dollar ballroom,’ and it’s just a bad idea.”

He said he does not think there is enough support among Republicans for the full $1 billion in funding or even the $220 million request.

“I still want private donations to pay for it, they need to explain to me why we need this,” Tillis said, noting that Trump had originally said that the project would be fully paid for with private money.

Democratic senators will test GOP unity with votes on Trump's 'anti-weaponization' fund

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators plan to force a vote this week on President Donald Trump’s new$1.776 billion settlement fundto co...
RFK Jr. fires leaders in charge of your health screenings

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.fired leaders of a federal advisory panel responsible for making health recommendations on preventative care to Americans.

USA TODAY

Letters were sent to at least two head members of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to notify them of their current appointment ending, effective immediately, an HHS official, who was unauthorized to speak publicly, confirmed to USA TODAY.

The USPSTF has a major role in choosing what preventive health services will be covered by insurance plans at no cost to patients under the Affordable Care Act, such as cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted infections, mental health screenings and important medications.

The firings come nearly a year after USPSTF members were notified by email an in-person meeting scheduled for July 10, 2025, was postponed, someone with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publiclypreviously told USA TODAY.

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The postponed meeting prompted dozens of medical groups to send a letter to leaders of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions urging Congress to preserve task force procedures and duties.

"It is critical that Congress protects the integrity of the USPSTF from intentional or unintentional political interference," according to the letter, signed by the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, among others.

While thetask force typically meets three times a year, it has not met since March 2025, according to a recentCNN report. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told the outlet in an email in March that the task force’s first meeting of the year was postponed and "will be rescheduled in the coming months."

Contributing: Adrianna Rodriguez

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:RFK Jr. fires heads of task force focused on health screenings

RFK Jr. fires leaders in charge of your health screenings

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.fired leaders of a federal advisory panel responsible for making health recomm...

 

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