California Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested Thursday that he would resign before allowing the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) to pay a fine to the federal government over antisemitism on campus.

Several Ivy League universities have paid fines and penalties, notably Columbia (over $200 million) and Brown ($50 million) in agreements to settle claims that they let antisemitism run rampant on campus.

UCLA was the site of some of the worst antisemitism and violence in the country during the anti-Israel “encampment” protests in the spring of 2024. The Trump administration identified UCLA as one of its top ten investigative targets, and pulled $200 million in research funding — later rising to nearly $600 million — from the university last week after finding that it had violated Jewish and Israeli students’ civil rights.
XPOST

The FBI on Friday announced that it had arrested Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins for allegedly extorting $50,000 from a cannabis dealer hoping to do business in the city.

Axios Boston reported that Tompkins had specifically secured $50,000 in stock and later secured a refund when the share price dropped.

Conservative accounts online were quick to highlight Tompkins's support for sanctuary city policies, though the arrest and alleged criminality appear unrelated to that issue.
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NEW: Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is eyeing a bid for Texas attorney general, two sources familiar with the matter told The Hill, as the GOP lawmaker considers jumping from Washington back to the Lone Star State.

Roy — who has served in the House since 2019 — has spoken about potentially running for the post, one of the sources said, which is open after current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton decided to run for senate, primarying incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Reached for comment, Roy told The Hill: “I’m always considering where I can best serve the people I represent to ensure we preserve and protect a free, secure, and prosperous Texas for generations to come.”
XPOST

Have to sit back and watch this play out for now. Most of the population is vaxxed against something due to compliance with the status quo over the years. Many people are sick. Wouldn't it be great to take something that was actually good for us for a change? I'm not sure if this vaccine approach helps. It's too early to tell. But when a product is made available, I think we're all going to research the heck out of it before jumping to accept it. And that's the responsible thing to do.

They never learn 🪃

https://news.1rj.ru/str/PepeMatter/23812

🧵Update on DOJ's efforts to unseal Epstein and Maxwell grand jury material:

- DOJ has moved to unseal the Maxwell and Epstein grand jury exhibits in addition to the trannoscripts.

- Two more attorneys have withdrawn from Ghislaine's team. It seems David Oscar Markus, who is also counsel to Hillary Clinton, will be Ghislaine's primary counsel going forward.

- Epstein's Estate has responded and taken no position on the unsealing.

- More letters from victims have been docketed.

I'll parse the filings in the thread
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1953860837359464569.html

MOAR💥: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has appointed a "special attorney" to probe mortgage fraud allegations against Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and New York Attorney General Letitia James, two administration officials told NBC News.

The Justice Department is also in the initial stages of an investigation of James over her successful civil fraud case against President Donald Trump, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Bondi tapped Ed Martin, a conservative activist and former interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., as special attorney to investigate Schiff and James, both prominent Democratic opponents of the president, the two administration officials said.

Martin met Friday morning with Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who sent a criminal referral on the California senator to the Justice Department in May, the administration officials said. Pulte sent a referral on James in April, prompting the Justice Department to open an investigation on allegations that she made false statements on mortgage loan applications.
XPOST

AXIOS: The Trump administration is planning to issue an executive order soon clarifying the status of gold bars amid tariff confusion, a White House official says.

Reports that gold bars would be tariffed caused the precious metal to spike to an all-time high in U.S. trading.

Multiple outlets reported Thursday evening that a late-July Customs and Border Protection letter indicated stamped gold bars imported from Switzerland would be subject to tariffs.

Markets had assumed that such bars, an important part of the financial system, were not part of the tariff regime.

"The White House intends to issue an executive order in the near future clarifying misinformation about the tariffing of gold bars and other specialty products," the official tells Axios.
XPOST

NEW💥: Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) is reintroducing a bill on Friday to assert congressional control over the District of Columbia’s sentencing policies.

Dubbed the D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, or DC CRIMES Act, the bill would prohibit the District’s local officials from changing sentencing laws and restrict the ability of local judges to be more lenient with younger criminals.

The bill’s introduction comes as President Trump this week floated fully federalizing D.C. as a means to address crime in the nation’s capital.

Trump’s message came after Edward Coristine, who worked in the Department of Government Efficiency and gained notoriety for his nickname “Big Balls,” was allegedly beaten in connection with a carjacking attempt. Two 15-year-olds were arrested
XPOST

NYT💥: President Trump is removing Billy Long from his job leading the Internal Revenue Service just two months after he was confirmed as commissioner, according to four people familiar with the matter.

Mr. Long, a former Republican congressman and staunch ally of Mr. Trump, is expected to be nominated to an ambassadorship, the people said. It is unclear who will next lead the I.R.S., which has had six different people in charge this year. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will serve as acting commissioner until a permanent replacement is in place, a senior administration official said.

Mr. Long had been an unusual choice to lead the I.R.S. He did not have much background in tax policy beyond promoting a tax credit that the I.R.S. has warned was riddled with fraud, and while he was in Congress he supported legislation calling for the abolition of the agency entirely.
XPOST

Dang - paychecks for dems who are hiding have to be picked up in person on Capital Grounds 🤣🔥

https://news.1rj.ru/str/realKarliBonne/304783

The Trump administration has proposed a $1 billion settlement with UCLA amid a larger battle over federal funding.

The sum would have disastrous effects on the university, school officials said on Friday.

James B. Milliken, the president of the University of California school system, said in a statement that the Department of Justice sent along a document on the settlement that the UC system is in the process of reviewing.

The news comes after the administration last week suspended $584 million in federal grants for UCLA. It’s an amount that is nearly double what the school had previously believed would be frozen.
XPOST

Jim Lovell, the commander of the Apollo 13 mission, has died, according to NASA. He was 97.

"We are saddened by the passing of Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13 and a four-time spaceflight veteran," the space agency said. "Lovell's life and work inspired millions. His courage under pressure helped forge our path to the Moon and beyond—a journey that continues today."
XPOST

President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts gained new momentum this week when Rwanda signed a formal third-country agreement, part of a broader push to partner with nations willing to accept deportees whose home countries refuse to take them back or present other barriers.

Officials in Rwanda agreed to take in 250 illegal immigrants in a deal forged with the State Department Tuesday, joining nearly a half-dozen other nations that have done the same.

When the talks between Washington and Kigali began earlier this year, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said the idea is not new to his country, as it previously forged a similar deal with the United Kingdom that was nixed by a London court.

Illegal immigrants deported from the U.S. will be given help to get back on their feet, according to a spokesperson for Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
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JUST IN: President Trump plans to name David Rosner chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a White House official told Axios Friday.

Rosner — a Democrat named to the commission by former President Biden — is a surprise pick to lead FERC, which also has a Biden-appointed Republican, Lindsay See.

Rosner is a former aide to then-Sen. Joe Manchin who was tapped for FERC last year.

Rosner has been instrumental in helping accelerate the building of power and data centers to win the AI race," the official said.

Rosner's selection "emphasizes the president's desire to work with action-oriented people who will deliver positive results for Americans."
XPOST

Ken Paxton:

🚨BREAKING: I've filed a historic lawsuit against Democrat runaways in SCOTX to secure an order declaring their seats vacant.

These cowards deliberately sabotaged the constitutional process. Their out-of-state rebellion cannot go unchecked, and the business of Texas must go on.

https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1953900513143271925