Oriana González

Presidential Libraries Are Black Boxes — And Not Just Trump’s Funding disclosure for these institutions is sometimes inconsistent, incomplete or inaccurate, leaving the public in the dark.

Some corporate donors didn’t actually donate. Others did, but didn’t disclose as lobbying law required. The law, one government watchdog said, is “inadequate to the task.”

@notus.com cracks open the black boxes that are presidential libraries: www.notus.org/money/presid...

Scoop: Democrats face threat of primary challenges over Iran war powers vote "They're already preparing," one House Democrat said.

NEW: Progressive groups readying to primary Dems who break ranks on the Iran war powers vote.

"If the filing deadline has passed, they'll do it in '28," one House Dem told @axios.com.

Justice Dems, MoveOn & OurRevolution all firing shots across the bow.
www.axios.com/2026/03/04/d...

Americans Stranded in the Middle East Aren’t Getting Help from the State Department “Please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation,” a State department hotline said when NOTUS called Tuesday afternoon.

NEWS: Americans were told to evacuate the Middle East — but the State Dept is not helping them do it.

We called the State hotline. First thing you hear is an automated message: "Do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation."

NEW: @axios.com crunched the numbers. 30 (!) House Dems are facing at least one primary challenger who raised $100,000+ last yr.

Roughly a dozen have been out-raised.

In all, these races have a price tag of $64 million.

House Dems are not happy about it: www.axios.com/2026/03/03/d...

He commended the Trump administration for reaching out to the Gang of Eight, calling it "a return to what previous administrations have done."

👀 Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman tells me he will not support Khanna's war powers resolution, explaining that it "would require us to completely abandon our allies. It calls for the immediate removal of defensive weapons in the region."

Lawmakers Seek Emergency War Powers Vote After Trump Launches Iran Operation Democrats said lawmakers need to go on the record about whether they back the strikes.

Tension in Congress has been building over the Trump administration's failure to keep Congress informed over its interventions abroad

The administration did brief the Gang of 8 ahead of the Iran strikes, but some lawmakers say that's not enough

www.notus.org/congress/law...

Trans People Have Had Enough of Democrats’ Waffling on LGBTQ+ Issues “I can get the politics of it, I just think it’s B.S. You’re there to represent your constituents and not to get reelected,” the mom of a 9-year-old trans girl told NOTUS.

NEW: When a group of trans people went to Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's office to lobby for trans rights, an aide told them she's from a moderate district and has to carefully navigate the issue

Dozens of trans people lobbied in Congress this month — here's what happened:
www.notus.org/congress/dem...

Trans People Have Had Enough of Democrats’ Waffling on LGBTQ+ Issues “I can get the politics of it, I just think it’s B.S. You’re there to represent your constituents and not to get reelected,” the mom of a 9-year-old trans girl told NOTUS.

“I can get the politics of it, I just think it’s B.S. You’re there to represent your constituents and not to get reelected,” the mom of a 9-year-old trans girl told NOTUS.
https://www.notus.org/congress/democrats-lgbtq-issues-transgender-rights-advocacy

Trans People Have Had Enough of Democrats’ Waffling on LGBTQ+ Issues “I can get the politics of it, I just think it’s B.S. You’re there to represent your constituents and not to get reelected,” the mom of a 9-year-old trans girl told NOTUS.

NEW: When a group of trans people went to Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's office to lobby for trans rights, an aide told them she's from a moderate district and has to carefully navigate the issue

Dozens of trans people lobbied in Congress this month — here's what happened:
www.notus.org/congress/dem...

👀 The six leading candidates in #IL09 were asked in a candidate forum if they "support Hakeem Jeffries' continued leadership of the House Democrats?"

Abughazaleh immediately answered "nope," followed by Amiwala

Biss & Andrews indicated maybe/undecided

Fine & Simmons said yes

tune in! ✨✨✨

Scoop: Democrats are eyeing protests at Trump's State of the Union address "I want to find a way to resist, because he needs to know that this is not normal."

NEW: Jeffries told his members not to disrupt Trump's State of the Union, but some still plan to protest from inside the chamber.

Rep. Thanedar told @axios.com he would "love to show some resistance to what is going on."

Others plan to walk out mid-speech. www.axios.com/2026/02/12/t...

Trump Appointees Used Their Personal Emails for Government Business New records show that at least three political appointees at the Department of Energy repeatedly used their personal emails to discuss a controversial climate-change report.

NEWS: At least 3 Trump appointees at DOE used their personal emails to discuss government business.

Here's one quote from those personal emails: "Please keep in mind that my DOE emails (and your replies) will be easily discoverable by outside parties.”

Dozens of Kids Entered Foster Care After Immigration Agents Detained Their Parents States are taking custody of kids separated from their parents in Trump's push for mass deportations. No one knows exactly how many.

At least 32 kids entered foster care in 2025 after immigration agents detained their parents.

That includes four toddlers ages 1-3 in Vermont.

Here’s my story on the patchy tracking of family separations through the foster care system.
www.notus.org/immigration/...

Republicans Want Nothing to Do With Conservative Efforts to Ban Gay Marriage Trump has moved the Republican Party away from its decades-old opposition to same-sex marriage, and public support remains high.

NEW: Prominent conservative groups created a campaign to overturn Obergefell, the SCOTUS ruling that legalized gay marriage

Republicans don’t want anything to do with it

“I don’t think it’s a viable effort, legally, politically or otherwise,” one House R said
www.notus.org/republicans/...

'Not Reliable': HHS Keeps Citing Unreviewed Vaccine Trial Proposals in Its Call for 'Better Science' Leading vaccine researchers tell NOTUS that the proposed vaccine trials could lead to unreliable conclusions on already-approved vaccines.

HHS keeps citing an unreviewed paper that proposes some... interesting ways to re-test vaccines. We asked scientists to review it: www.notus.org/health-scien...

Federal Data Is Disappearing The Trump administration has disrupted data collection on everything from homeland security, maternal mortality, hunger, drug use, education, disaster preparation and the economy.

We found so many examples of missing federal government data that we couldn’t put them all in this story.

“The status quo was, the federal government is going to collect and disseminate data. That is no longer a reasonable assumption.”

Republicans Aren’t Rushing to Defend Stephen Miller One Republican senator said he has “no confidence” in Miller, while others demurred.

NEW: Trump's immigration agenda is under scrutiny — and so is Stephen Miller

"I have no confidence in Mr. Miller," Sen. Thom Tillis said

Other Senate Republicans demurred when I asked them about him

Meanwhile, a WH official said Miller won't be fired
www.notus.org/immigration/...

Scoop: House Democrats told by leadership not to go to Minnesota "Visiting the state right now, although well intentioned, puts a burden on local resources," a staffer warned.

NEW: Jeffries' office has advised House Democrats NOT to fly to Minnesota, per an email obtained by @axios.com

"Visiting the state right now, although well intentioned, puts a burden on local resources."

Several Dem politicians have already made the trek. www.axios.com/2026/01/29/m...

This is what FEMA’s hazard mitigation spending looks like for the last two years. That sudden drop into the red is when Noem’s personal review process began.

If you’ve got tips about Noem, Corey Lewandowski, DHS, and FEMA, my Signal is annakramer.54

Hearing many rumors about what happens when people try to get money released from DHS. I would love to know if there’s any truth to them

MORE DHS NEWS: Kristi Noem is holding up over *$1 BILLION* in disaster prevention funding

This means that hundreds of projects designed to reduce death and destruction caused by natural disasters are not getting completed

Great reporting by @annackramer.bsky.social and Torrence Banks

Kristi Noem Is Holding Up More Than $1 Billion in Hazard Mitigation Funds Only three states have gotten through Noem’s logjam, according to data obtained by NOTUS.

scoop: Kristi Noem has more than $1 billion in disaster prevention projects piling up on her desk.

Somehow, three states w/ powerful GOP politicians have escaped the logjam — Georgia, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.

Everyone else left begging for help.

Senate Republicans’ Confidence in Kristi Noem Is Fading Quickly “She should go,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

NEW: Senate Republicans' trust in Kristi Noem is fading quickly

Some, like Murkowski and Tillis, want her removed as head of DHS

Others who previously supported Noem would not say if they still do so

"That’s the president’s judgement call," Thune said
www.notus.org/congress/sen...

‘Shocking, Unusual Times’: Federal Judge Weighs Constitutionality of Trump’s Surge in Minnesota Minnesota state officials pleaded that the court step in to stop Trump’s immigration enforcement operations and “retaliation” against the state.

I cannot stress enough how the tone of this hearing radically changed at the end, with the judge feeling the full weight of what this could mean.

@notus.com:

www.notus.org/courts/feder...

13. The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn't see him touch any of them-he wasn't even turned toward them. It didn't look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up. I didn't see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times. 14. I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him. 15. The video I recorded of what happened accurately depicts the events leading up to the agents shooting him and several minutes afterwards. The video is attached as Exhibit 1. 16. I have read the statement from DHS about what happened and it is wrong. The man did not approach the agents with a gun. He approached them with a camera. He was just trying to help a woman get up and they took him to the ground.

17. I feel afraid. Only hours have passed since they shot a man right in front me and I don't feel like I can go home because I heard agents were looking for me. I don't know what the agents will do when they find me. I do know that they're not telling the truth about what happened. I've heard that other witnesses might have been arrested and taken to the Whipple Building. 18. I am disgusted and gutted at how they are treating my neighbors and my state. I keep alternating between crying and feeling determined-it is important to remember the value of documenting injustice. We show up for the people who need us to bear (continued in next image)

witness, because it can't just be one group of people bearing the brunt of their tyranny. This is a struggle to protect our freedom and democracy, those things are on the line. He lost his life for those values.

A declaration from a witness that was standing close to Alex Pretti when ICE agents shot him in Minneapolis yesterday was filed in court last night:

"I don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him."
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

JD Vance Urges Anti-Abortion Leaders to Move On From Their Concerns “I think all of us also have to remember that we are commanded to let not our hearts be troubled,” Vance said at Friday’s March for Life.

At the March for Life, VP JD Vance urges pro-life leaders to move on from their concerns that the Trump administration isn’t doing enough to ban abortion:

“I think all of us also have to remember that we are commanded to let not our hearts be troubled”
www.notus.org/trump-white-...

One Year Into Trump’s Second Term, Some Anti-Abortion Leaders Say They Were ‘Betrayed’ Anti-abortion advocates worry that Trump’s lack of action on restricting abortion will dampen 2026 voter enthusiasm.

NEW: Some anti-abortion leaders are speaking out against Trump and JD Vance addressing today's March for Life in DC

"Why would we put a mic in their hand after they have just betrayed the pro-life movement?," Abby Johnson said

"It's problematic," Lila Rose said
www.notus.org/2026-electio...