Trump Is Considering More Data Centers on Public Lands Than Previously Known

The data center proposals cover at least 17,600 acres of public lands across six Western states.

washingtonsun.com

Dem House hopeful calls for AI moratorium, 'New Deal-style' jobs program

Democratic U.S. House candidate Will Lawrence is calling for a moratorium on data centers and advanced artificial intelligence models as well as a national AI compact

detroitnews.com

Trump DOJ defense crumbles after federal judge tears apart plot

A federal judge intends to let lawsuits proceed against President Donald Trump's so-called "Anti-Weaponization Fund" after reports this week that it remains alive and well. MS NOW legal reporter Fallon Gallagher revealed Thursday that Trump officials haven't "forgotten" about the $1.8 billion fund and are "still fighting to keep it alive." Politico reported on Friday that U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema explained that public statements from the Trump administration indicated to her that both Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche are working to keep the fund alive despite promises. According to the judge, it appears the fund's goals, which are giving money to people who claim they were somehow wronged by the government, could still be fully compensated. "That could include by paying people directly from the Treasury Department’s Judgment Fund, an open-ended source of money tapped by the Justice Department for many settlements," described Politico. “That’s being used, apparently, to do exactly what the specific fund in this case was supposed to be doing,” Brinkema told the courtroom during a Friday hearing. “These issues that underlie this case are still alive and kicking, in my view.” The judge said that when the administration used the fund to hand money over to Jan. 6 attackers it "undermined arguments that a lawsuit filed in May over the 'Anti-Weaponization Fund'" claiming that it was moot. “That entity is gone, but is a functional equivalent of that going on…?” asked Brinkema. “Actions speak louder than words." She also noted that the agreement the DOJ entered into with Trump over one of his Florida lawsuits directly violates laws that ban a president from "directly or indirectly" controlling IRS audits. Former President Richard Nixon was known for using the IRS to obtain information about people on his "enemies list." He also demanded audits and investigations for those on his list. The laws were changed afterward to bar the president's involvement. Trump's deal with the DOJ would have guaranteed that neither he nor anyone in his family would ever be audited by the IRS again. The DOJ repeatedly promised the judge that the fund was "moot" and that there was little evidence to the contrary. The government also doesn't want to hand over internal documents or have senior officials, like Blanche, answer questions under oath. Justice Department attorney Andrew Block called the plaintiffs’ requests a “fishing expedition” and said they could involve confidential government communications. The judge then asked whether the full Trump contract is currently being enforced, but Block said, "I'm not prepared to say that." “Those present-tense statements do not meet the heavy burden of demonstrating that this case is moot,” said a lawyer working for the coalition of groups who brought the suit. That lawyer, Pooja Boisture, from Democracy Forward, said that Blanche's promises aren't meeting requests for a definitive guarantee. The judge's refusal to dismiss the lawsuit keeps the matter alive, which means the DOJ must turn over records related to the fund. Blanche and other senior officials are being asked to answer questions about it under oath. Block claimed that there are a slew of "privilege issues" alive in such a demand. They have 30 days to hand over the records.

dlvr.it

BREAKING: Republicans Sink Trump's ICE Nominee, House GOP Defies Trump on Epstein, Another Cabinet Grift Exposed, and more...

Top Stories for September 18, 2026.

open.substack.com

US troop deaths in Iran war exceed Pentagon count by at least four, Washington Post reports

<article data-history-node-id="447934" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/us-troop-deaths-iran-war-exceed-pentagon-count-least-four-washington" class="live-blog-update default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/us-troop-deaths-iran-war-exceed-pentagon-count-least-four-washington" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">US troop deaths in Iran war exceed Pentagon count by at least four, Washington Post reports</span> </a> </h2> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-text"><p>More US troops have died during the war on Iran&nbsp;than the Pentagon has publicly disclosed, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing six US officials familiar with the Defense Department's internal casualty accounting data.</p> <p>There have been at least 22 military fatalities, four more than the data available on the Pentagon's public database, the newspaper cited five of the officials as saying.</p> </div> </div> </article>

middleeasteye.net

Mike Johnson’s Victory Lap On X Gets Awkward Fast

A Community Note offered a very different assessment of the House speaker’s claims.

huffpost.com

🚨 Iran SENDS HIM MESSAGE…

YouTube video by MeidasTouch

youtube.com

tRump Gets TOLD in the BEST Way 🤭 Loses to a Black Woman AGAIN

YouTube video by J. S. Candid

youtube.com

Pentagon Inspector General Details U.S. Losses and Challenges in Iran War

nytimes.com

Judge orders Trump to give 30-day notice before any demolition of Kennedy Center — USA TODAY

A federal judge ordered the Kennedy Center provide a 30-day notice before any demolition or other major changes to the center can begin.

apple.news

Trump's DOJ Tries Again to Strip Disabled People of Rights

A proposed resolution in a disability rights case would undermine protections that keep disabled people out of institutions.

newsletter.mariannedhenin.com

‘Not so different from desecrating a grave’: Hayes on Trump’s threats to demolish the Kennedy Center

YouTube video by MS NOW

youtu.be

Column | The Kennedy Center is empty and in peril. Its community is in anguish.

The fiasco of this week’s closure reveals the truth of President Trump’s motivations — and what the arts community stands to lose.

wapo.st

US Institute of Peace asks court to block Trump from carving his name into the building | CNN Politics

Another DC institution is fighting to stop President Donald Trump from permanently planting his name on the front of their building.

cnn.com

Amee Vanderpool (@shero)

Following Trump’s latest threats at the Kennedy Center, ousted board members of the US Institute of Peace (USIP) filed an emergency motion in federal court on Thursday to block the imminent carving of...

substack.com

Trump Hit by ‘Emergency’ Bid to Keep Name Off New Landmark

The Kennedy Center isn’t the only building the president wants to try to claim for his own.

thedailybeast.com