Claire Heddles

USDA transfers $13B into ‘slush fund’ for future tariff relief The move has left the department incapable of delivering some mandatory farmer aid programs, and is raising concerns in Congress.

EXCLUSIVE: The USDA moved $13 billion from an account designed to support farmers into another designed to provide emergency relief from President Trump’s tariffs, but the funding is now largely sitting in limbo without any immediate function. buff.ly/df2gm1b

Millions of Americans Risk Having Their Power Shut Off as the Shutdown Drags On States are running out of money for annual energy-assistance payments for the lowest-income Americans — and the government can’t send out more until the shutdown ends.

We’re running out of money to help the poorest Americans keep the lights on and the heat running

If the shutdown doesn’t end soon, millions of Americans may see their electricity turned off or fuel deliveries stopped for the coldest winter months

New shutdown problem: Miami is the U.S. capital for seniors on food stamps Florida is warning families not to expect their EBT cards to be reloaded next month, increasing pressure on Congress to end the government shutdown.

NEW @miamiherald.com:

Seniors in Miami-Dade — the county with the highest share of food stamp beneficiaries with one elderly member in the household — risk going hungry as federal government shutdown continues

(GIFT LINK)

Florida AG to defend Miami Dade College after court temporarily blocks Trump library Attorney General James Uthmeier called the case a “bogus lawsuit” after a judge temporarily blocked the college from handing over the land.

Florida AG to defend Miami Dade College after court temporarily blocks Trump library

Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...

Eyes are on South Florida for redistricting after SCOTUS voting rights hearing Democrats and Republicans have set aside resources for the anticipated Florida redistricting battle ahead of the midterms.

South FL congressional seats are in Republicans’ crosshairs after this week’s SCOTUS hearing about the Voting Rights Act — a case DeSantis has been closely watching, and which outside advocates say could put three Dem held seats in FL at risk.

Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...

'No Kings’ Protests, Citizen-Run ICE Trackers Trigger Intelligence Warnings Army intelligence analysts are monitoring civilian-made ICE tracking tools, treating them as potential threats, as immigration protests spread nationwide.

Also, a look back at our unpaywalled story:

Army intelligence analysts are monitoring civilian-made ICE tracking tools, treating them as potential threats, as immigration protests spread nationwide.

Are you worried about Obamacare prices going up? We want to hear from you Obamacare insurance plan premiums are set to spike with the new year, and no place stands to be more affected than Miami-Dade County, which has the largest percentage of residents in the country getting healthcare discounts through the marketplace.

Obamacare insurance plan premiums are set to spike with the new year, and no place stands to be more affected than Miami-Dade County, which has the largest percentage of residents in the country getting healthcare discounts through the marketplace.

Court blocks Miami Dade College from transferring land for Trump library The judge said the court believes Miami Dade College did not give the public “reasonable notice” about its plans to transfer the land to the state.

The judge said the court believes Miami Dade College did not give the public “reasonable notice” about its plans to transfer the land to the state.

HHS Appears to be Cutting Its Entire Family Planning Office Almost every member of the Office of Population Affairs lost email access and is unable to tell if they were laid off, workers told NOTUS.

Everyone in the family planning office at HHS has been locked out of their emails + computers, so they can’t confirm if they’ve been fired

It appears that the whole office — which funds the country’s repro health clinics — has been cut

w/ @margaretmanto.bsky.social

Court blocks Miami Dade College from transferring land for Trump library The judge said the court believes Miami Dade College did not give the public “reasonable notice” about its plans to transfer the land to the state.

Court blocks Miami Dade College from transferring land for Trump library until the court issues a final verdict on alleged Sunshine law violations

“The court does not believe that the notice was reasonable,” the judge said Tuesday.

www.miamiherald.com/news/local/a...

Judge declines to stop Miami Dade College land transfer for Trump library—for now Plaintiff Marvin Dunn wanted to prevent the college from transferring the land to the state while the case proceeds.

Judge declines to stop Miami Dade College land transfer for Trump library—for now

Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...

Lawsuit accuses Miami Dade College of violating Sunshine Law on Trump library The lawsuit is challenging the College’s process and is not a “political protest,” according to the complaint filed by local historian Marvin Dunn.

A new lawsuit is attempting to void Miami Dade College’s land transfer for Trump’s presidential library until the board of trustees takes a new, publicly noticed vote. The lawsuit accuses the board of violating sunshine laws the first time it voted on it.

www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...

Ben Sasse’s defunct Senate campaign gives cash to his old political organization The campaign gave a large donation to a tax-exempt organization Sasse launched in 2018, new records show.

Ben Sasse’s defunct Senate campaign gives cash to his old political organization

Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...

Trump to build high-rise library ‘visible for miles’ after state gifts Miami land The only restriction on the transfer is that construction has to begin on presidential library, museum or center within five years.

Where other developers tried and failed to get the college to let them develop the property over the past two decades, Trump’s team got the land for free without providing site plans, renderings or any public debate.

www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...

Push to build Trump library on Miami Dade College land shrouded in secrecy One historian who studies presidential libraries said the state’s move to give public land to the cause so early in the process is “unusually fast.”

Push to build Trump library on Miami Dade College land shrouded in secrecy

www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...

Kristi Noem Fast-Tracked Millions in Disaster Aid to Florida Tourist Attraction After Campaign Donor Intervened The DHS chief has been widely criticized for slowing down FEMA’s response after natural disasters. Texts and emails obtained by ProPublica point to an effective way to get help faster: have one of Noe...

NEW: After one of Kristi Noem’s major financial supporters contacted her, the DHS chief quickly expedited more than $11 million of federal money to rebuild a historic pier in Naples, Florida, records obtained by ProPublica show.

House Democrats Doubt the Trump Administration Takes Threats Against Them Seriously “Every single person in the caucus,” one House Democrat said, “is scared right now.”

SCOOP: Pam Bondi called @ericswalwell.bsky.social after he said DOJ refused to prosecute death threats against him

“Hopefully there’s some action,” he said

But other House Dems claim DOJ hasn’t prosecuted threats against them — and they don’t trust Bondi to do it now
www.notus.org/congress/bon...

‘Great expectations’ and ‘great incredulity’ over Trump Caribbean military action Doral police have begun planning for crowds to erupt in the streets should Nicolas Maduro be ousted as Venezuela’s president.

Venezuelans in South Florida are living two conflicting realities: hope the Trump administration’s actions will lead to regime change & fear as he threatens mass deportations to a country the U.S. deems too unsafe for Americans to visit.

w/ Syra Ortiz Blanes

www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...

Florida Democrat enters US Senate race, wants independents to vote in the primary One county Democratic chair said the open Democratic primary idea is “divisive” and would lead to “heated internal conversation.”

Florida Democrat Jennifer Jenkin enters US Senate race, and supports a controversial proposal to allow independents to vote in the primary

www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...

Some personal news ✨ After two years at @NOTUSreports, I’m thrilled to be back in FL and joining the @MiamiHerald in September!

‘A Serious Misuse of My Research’: Climate Scientists Say New Trump Energy Report Botches Their Work “Our work has no relevance,” an astrobiologist whose research was cited in the administration’s climate change report said.

🚨 At least 10 scientists, all cited in the Trump admin's new climate change report, told me that the report completely mischaracterizes their research.

I also found five citations with significant errors, and a paragraph missing an important citation.

How Ron DeSantis Is Bending Emergency Powers for a Sprawling Detention Camp The Florida governor’s use of emergency authority to build “Alligator Alcatraz” has had sweeping ramifications for his state — and for the expansive use of executive power.

Ron DeSantis’ push to build the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center is stretching the bounds of executive power in Florida.
www.notus.org/ron-desantis...

TPM reported these contracts were removed from the accountability site in my story earlier this week. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/contrac...

Jeanine Pirro Says a Crypto Scam Case Was Sealed Because of a ‘Clerical Error’ The interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia told NOTUS that DOJ had initially amended its complaint against the alleged scammer “to remove the name of one of the companies.”

Jeanine Pirro says a case to recoup funds for Trump allies who fell for a crypto scam was temporarily hidden from the public because of a “clerical error.”

She told NOTUS her office was trying to shield the identity of a company, not the entire case.

www.notus.org/money/jeanin...

Jeanine Pirro Says a Crypto Scam Case Was Sealed Because of a ‘Clerical Error’ The interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia told NOTUS that DOJ had initially amended its complaint against the alleged scammer “to remove the name of one of the companies.”

More drama here. Now Jeanine Pirro tells us that the court clerk is to blame for temporarily rendering secret a case that appears to involve would-be Trump supporters.

Story from me @claireheddles.bsky.social:

@notusreports.bsky.social:

www.notus.org/money/jeanin...

UPDATE: After this story was published on Monday evening, the case was unsealed on Tuesday morning.

The DOJ's Case to Recoup Money for Trump Allies Is Now Secret A District of Columbia court has sealed a cryptocurrency scam case after NOTUS revealed the scam appeared to target MoonPay executives.

Last week, my colleague @claireheddles.bsky.social spotted a case that involved Trump's allies.

Now it's been sealed entirely -- which means it's currently proceeding in secret.

@notusreports.bsky.social:

www.notus.org/money/crypto...

The DOJ's Case to Recoup Money for Trump Allies Is Now Secret A District of Columbia court has sealed a cryptocurrency scam case after NOTUS revealed the scam appeared to target MoonPay executives.

The DOJ’s Case to Recoup Money for Trump Allies Is Now Secret

w/ @josepagliery.bsky.social

www.notus.org/money/crypto...

Just as this happens, a top ICE official tells a judge that the US State Department brokered the Salvadoran-Venezuelan deal.

And yet, in the same document, the federal government keeps insisting El Salvador remained in full custody of these guys.

Republican lawmakers are stepping in to personally protect some people who are facing deportation — while saying they support Trump’s immigration crackdown
www.notus.org/immigration/...