NOTUS

Chicago Journalists Sue Trump Administration Over ‘Extreme Brutality’ at Local Protests “Never in modern times has the federal government undermined bedrock constitutional protections on this scale,” the lawsuit reads.

Chicago Journalists Sue Trump Administration Over ‘Extreme Brutality’ at Local Protests
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Blue-State Governors Threaten to Quit Bipartisan Group Over Trump Deployment Response The National Governors Association “has lost its voice and its way,” Gov. Gavin Newsom of California wrote this week in a letter to the organization.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker threatened to withdraw their states from the National Governors Association if it does not condemn the Trump administration’s National Guard deployments.
www.notus.org/california/n...

Republicans Back Trump's Deployment of Troops to Chicago — For Now The president is sending troops to cities over the objection of mayors and governors, testing his party’s commitment to keeping the federal government from meddling in state affairs.

Republican senators didn’t condemn the long-promised deployment of National Guardsmen in Chicago Tuesday, but they didn’t sound celebratory, either.
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‘Hold Onto Your Hats’: Democrats Embrace MTG’s Change of Heart on Health Care Mike Johnson shrugged off the defection, saying Greene wasn’t “read in” on the issue.

“Hold on to your hats: I think this is the first time I’ve said this, but on this issue, Rep. Greene said it perfectly,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
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Collins says federal workers should get back pay after shutdown A draft White House memo says workers have no guarantee of compensation for time the government is closed.

Sen. Susan Collins said that whether workers receive back pay was a “settled” issue.

“As a backup, we could pass what often is passed after shutdowns, and that is a bill that says that any obligations that were incurred during the shutdown are authorized to be paid,” Collins added.

Senators Grill Pam Bondi over FBI’s Alleged $50,000 Tom Homan Bribe Bondi responded to the questioning in increasingly combative and personal terms.

Senators grilled Attorney General Pam Bondi over the $50,000 FBI agents reportedly gave White House border czar Tom Homan last year in a federal bribery investigation.
www.notus.org/senate/pam-b...

Supreme Court Justices Question Medical Consensus that Conversion Therapy Is Harmful Justice Samuel Alito said conversion therapy bans look like “blatant viewpoint discrimination.”

Supreme Court justices questioned whether conversion therapy actually causes harm to minors when hearing oral arguments in Chiles v. Salazar.

Justice Samuel Alito said Colorado’s statute “looks like blatant viewpoint discrimination.”
www.notus.org/courts/supre...

Republican Leaders Say Federal Workers Should Get Back Pay After Shutdown A draft White House memo says workers have no guarantee of compensation for time the government is closed.

Republican leaders say they want back pay for fed workers after the shutdown despite a White House memo that says otherwise.

“All you have to do to prevent any federal employee from not getting paid is to open up the government," Sen. John Thune said.

www.notus.org/congress/gov...

Republican Leaders Say Federal Workers Should Get Back Pay After Shutdown A draft White House memo says workers have no guarantee of compensation for time the government is closed.

Republicans leaders argued that federal employees should receive back pay after a draft White House memo said workers aren’t guaranteed compensation for the time they must work during the government shutdown.
www.notus.org/congress/gov...

Look Who’s Talking Now

On NOTUS: Schrödinger’s health care talks. Guard deployments vs. the courts. Kellyanne Conway brings Ukraine to Trumpworld and more ↘️
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He Refused to Drop Charges Against Eric Adams. Now He’s Running for Congress. Ryan Crosswell was a prosecutor in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, which has been all but obliterated under Donald Trump.

Last week, I spent time with Ryan Crosswell as he knocked on doors in suburban eastern Pennsylvania.

People told him they fear for this country under Trump. He pointed to his track record cracking down on public corruption.

My profile for @notus.com:

www.notus.org/campaigns/ry...

Trump Allies Won’t Help Madison Cawthorn's Attempted Comeback Scandal-ridden former North Carolina lawmaker Madison Cawthorn has launched a run for a House seat in Florida.

Via @notus.com | Once a MAGA poster child, former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn is attempting a political comeback—this time in an open House seat in Florida—but he shouldn’t expect any help from those in President Donald Trump’s orbit.

www.theassemblync.com/politics/mad...

He Refused to Drop Charges Against Eric Adams. Now He’s Running for Congress. Ryan Crosswell was a prosecutor in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, which has been all but obliterated under Donald Trump.

Ryan Crosswell refused to drop charges against Eric Adams. Now he’s running for Congress.
www.notus.org/campaigns/ry...

The Shutdown Won’t Matter in 2026. Lawmakers Bet the Messaging From It Will. Campaigns think that the underlying issues of immigration and health care will drive voters in 2026, even if the shutdown is a distant memory.

Campaigns think that the underlying issues of immigration and health care will drive voters in 2026, even if the shutdown is a distant memory.
www.notus.org/congress/rep...

The Senate Is Starting to Feel a Lot Like ‘Groundhog Day’ Bipartisan discussions are brewing, but the Senate is still headed for a week of voting on the same pair of stopgap funding measures — over and over and over.

The Senate is starting to feel a lot like “Groundhog Day” as the shutdown spills over into its second week.

Republicans Want a Low-Key Oklahoma Superintendent to Replace His MAGA Predecessor The appointment follows a tumultuous tenure from MAGA firebrand Ryan Walters, who recently resigned.

Oklahoma’s new school superintendent has a low profile, and that’s just how some of the highest-ranking Republicans in the state want it.
www.notus.org/oklahoma/low...

Former FEC Commissioner Joins Packed Race for Chip Roy’s House Seat Trey Trainor resigned last week from his seat on the FEC, leaving the body two members short of operational.

Former Federal Election Commissioner Trey Trainor has announced a congressional campaign to replace Rep. Chip Roy in Texas.
www.notus.org/campaigns/tr...

Trump Says He’s Discussing a Health Care Deal With Democrats. That’s News to Them. “Trump’s claim isn’t true — but if he’s finally ready to work with Democrats, we’ll be at the table,” Chuck Schumer said.

“Trump’s claim isn’t true — but if he’s finally ready to work with Democrats, we’ll be at the table,” Sen. Chuck Schumer said.

House and Senate leadership quickly shut down Trump’s claim that he had begun negotiations with Democrats on a health care deal.
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Johnson Responds to Hakeem Jeffries’ Debate Challenge At a Monday news conference, Johnson called Jeffries’ offer to debate “nonsense.”

At a Monday news conference, Speaker Mike Johnson called Hakeem Jeffries’ offer to debate “nonsense.”
www.notus.org/congress/mik...

2025 Fiscal Year Among the Deadliest in ICE History for Detained Migrants Nearly all of ICE’s detention centers are run by privately owned companies and have been criticized for overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions.

In fiscal year 2025, 21 detainees died in ICE custody making it one of the deadliest years in the agency's history.

My analysis of the deaths found the majority were men from Latin American countries, with an average age of 45.

www.notus.org/immigration/...

2025 Fiscal Year Among the Deadliest in ICE History for Detained Migrants Nearly all of ICE’s detention centers are run by privately owned companies and have been criticized for overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions.

2025 Fiscal Year Among the Deadliest in ICE History for Detained Migrants
via @ameliacolon.bsky.social
www.notus.org/immigration/...

Kellyanne Conway Lobbied Senior Trump Administration Officials to Attend Events on Ukrainian Issues Conway is using her ties to Trump officials on behalf of her client, a Ukrainian oligarch and advocate whose work advances the position of Ukraine.

Kellyanne Conway lobbied senior Trump administration officials to attend events hosted by a Ukrainian oligarch and philanthropist for whom she serves as a consultant.
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Chicago and Illinois Sue Over Trump's National Guard Deployment “The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military,” the lawsuit states.

New: Illinois and the city of Chicago are suing the Trump administration over the president’s deployment of National Guard troops.
www.notus.org/courts/chica...

‘Outrageous Interference’: Puerto Rico Bankruptcy Overseers Rage at Trump Political chaos is gripping the island territory as residents’ power bills increase.

Trump purged Puerto Rico’s fiscal board as an $8B electricity debt reform hangs in the balance.

One former member called it an “outrageous interference” to favor bondholders while PR residents continue paying the highest rates for the poorest service.

www.notus.org/donald-trump...

Maine State Auditor Defies National Democrats, Launches Primary Against Moderate Jared Golden Officials at the DCCC warned that if the incumbent loses the primary, Democrats will lose a seat in the general election.

Dunlap defies national Democrats, makes primary bid against Golden official in Maine’s right-leaning 2nd district.

The dccc is threatening to pull ad $$$ in the battleground district if Golden loses his primary, saying the race might be unwinable in a general election www.notus.org/2026-electio...

Ken Martin Says the DNC Is ‘Bullish’ About Elections Next Month The Democratic National Committee is spending millions ahead of November elections in New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania and California.

The Democratic National Committee is investing more this year than it ever has before in the off-year after a presidential election, highlighting key elections in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

www.notus.org/democrats/ke...

NOTUS to partner with a growing list of local news outlets to close the gap between voters and elected officials - Allbritton Journalism Institute NOTUS announced today that it is expanding the Washington Bureau Initiative, a program where political reporting from its Washington newsroom is co-published with local outlets across the country to e...

NOTUS is proud to announce the expansion of our Washington Bureau Initiative, a program where political reporting from our Washington newsroom is co-published with local outlets across the country: aji.org/news/notus-n...

Ken Martin Says the DNC Is ‘Bullish’ About Elections Next Month The Democratic National Committee is spending millions ahead of November elections in New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania and California.

The DNC is investing more this year than it ever has before in the off-year after a presidential election, according to a new memo shared with NOTUS.
www.notus.org/democrats/ke...

Maine State Auditor Defies National Democrats, Launches Primary Against Moderate Jared Golden Officials at the DCCC warned that if the incumbent loses the primary, Democrats will lose a seat in the general election.

New: Maine State Auditor Matt Dunlap launched a primary challenge against moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden in a race that could directly affect the party’s hopes of winning a House majority next year.
www.notus.org/2026-electio...

Return to Office Canceled

In the NOTUS newsletter: House Republicans stay home. House Democrats … maybe do, too? Plus: Developments in Chicago and Portland. ↘️
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