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In the news today: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth significantly altered how military officials will speak with Congress; U.S. President Donald Trump said the federal government owes him “a lot of money” for prior Justice Department investigations into his actions; and an immigration enforcement sweep on Manhattan’s famed Canal Street turned chaotic. Also, photos show the story of how dozens of valuable vintage cars are stored in an unusual forest graveyard.
Monday's Morning Wire overstated the number of children a study said benefitted from being exposed to peanuts. About 60,000 children have avoided food allergies since 2015, including 40,000 children who otherwise would have developed peanut allergies. The story is here. |
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives to speak at an event marking during activities to mark the upcoming Marine Corps' 250th anniversary Saturday, on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Camp Pendleton, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
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Hegseth changes policy on Pentagon dealings with Congress
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Leaders at the Pentagon have significantly altered how military officials will speak with Congress after a pair of new memos issued last week. Read more. |
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In an Oct. 15 memo, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his deputy, Steve Feinberg, ordered Pentagon officials — including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — to obtain permission from the department’s main legislative affairs office before they have any communication with Capitol Hill. Previously, individual agencies and military branches within the Pentagon were able to manage their own communications with Congress.
The memo was issued the same day Pentagon reporters exited the building rather than agree to the Defense Department’s new restrictions on their work, and it appears to be part of a broader effort by Hegseth to exert tighter control over what the department communicates to the outside world. Sean Parnell, the top Pentagon spokesman, called the move a “pragmatic step” that’s part of an effort “to improve accuracy and responsiveness in communicating with the Congress to facilitate increased transparency.”
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Trump says he'd have final say on money he seeks from feds
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President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the federal government owes him “a lot of money” for prior Justice Department investigations into his actions and insisted he would have the ultimate say on any payout because any decision will “have to go across my desk.” Read more. |
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Trump’s comments to reporters at the White House came in response to questions about a New York Times story that said he had filed administrative claims before being reelected, seeking roughly $230 million in damages related to the FBI’s 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago property for classified documents and for a separate investigation into potential ties between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign.
The status of the claims and any negotiations over them within the Justice Department was not immediately clear. One of Trump’s lead defense lawyers in the Mar-a-Lago investigation, Todd Blanche, is now the deputy attorney general at the Justice Department. “In any circumstance, all officials at the Department of Justice follow the guidance of career ethics officials,” a Justice Department spokesperson said.
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Protesters confront immigration agents conducting sweep on NYC’s famed Canal Street |
An immigration enforcement sweep targeting vendors on Manhattan’s famed Canal Street turned chaotic on Tuesday after droves of angry New Yorkers surrounded federal agents and attempted to block them from driving off, prompting arrests and fierce standoffs along a bustling downtown corridor. Read more. |
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Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol and other federal offices tried to clear the streets, in some cases shoving protesters to the ground and threatening them with pepper spray before detaining them. Additional federal agents, armed with long guns and tactical gear, also arrived in a military tactical vehicle.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said the agents were conducting an enforcement operation against sellers of “counterfeit goods.” “During this law enforcement operation, rioters who were shouting obscenities, became violent and obstructed law enforcement duties including blocking vehicles and assaulting law enforcement,” she said. The sweep came days after a conservative influencer shared video on X showing a group of men selling bags on the street, urging the official ICE account to “check this corner out.”
- Mayor Eric Adams said the city had no involvement in the sweep Tuesday and was still gathering details. “Our administration has been clear that undocumented New Yorkers trying to pursue their American Dreams should not be the target of law enforcement, and resources should instead be focused on violent criminals,” he said.
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