It's Been Reported

Congress Subpoenas Two ActBlue Officials To Compel Testimony In Democrat Fundraising Probe (Just the News) — Congress issued subpoenas Wednesday to compel testimony from two ActBlue witnesses, significantly escalating a probe into whether the massive online fund-raising platform allowed itself to be misused by foreigners to route improper donations to Democrats in the 2024 election. The subpoenas issued by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, House Oversight Chairman James Comer and House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil require the two witnesses, former ActBlue Vice President of Customer Service Alyssa Twomey and a senior workflow specialist, to appear for testimony by July 15. Both witnesses were offered a chance to voluntarily submit to transcribed interviews, but their lawyer declined, citing an ongoing U.S. Justice Department investigation into ActBlue, according to correspondence obtained by Just the News. "The Committees’ investigation has a clear – and important – legislative purpose," a letter accompanying the subpoenas to the witnesses declared. "Congress has a specific interest in ensuring that bad actors, including foreign actors, cannot make fraudulent or illegal political donations through online fundraising platforms." See full story	Immigration Officer Charged With Taking Bribes To Help Immigrants Obtain Legal Status (Fox News) — A federal immigration officer was recently arrested after being accused of promising adjustments to immigrants' status in exchange for bribes over the span of nearly a decade. Amara Dukuly, 43, of Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, an immigration officer employed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is charged with bribery of a public official, arising from his alleged solicitation of a bribe in exchange for official acts. Since 2015, Dukuly is accused of using his status as a USCIS employee to extract payments from individuals in exchange for promises to help them obtain adjustments to their immigration status, such as a green card, work authorization documents, or visas, according to a criminal complaint. Given the scope of his job duties, Dukuly did not have the authority to fulfill any of his promises to the individuals, according to court documents. After seeking, receiving and accepting money in return for being influenced while performing an official act, Dukuly converted the monies he obtained from the bribes for his personal benefit, according to a statement from United States Attorney David Metcalf. See full story
California Bookstore Pulls J.K. Rowling Books From Shelves Over Author’s Defense Of Sex-Based Women’s Rights (National Review) — A bookstore in San Francisco will no longer carry books by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling after she announced the creation of a fund to support sex-based women’s rights. The Booksmith said it would no longer sell titles by the author because the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund is “dedicated to removing transgender rights.” The store wrote, “We don’t know exactly what her her ‘women’s fund’ will entail, but we know that we aren’t going to be a part of it.” “As a group of queer booksellers, we also had our adolescents shaped by wizards and elves. Look at us, it’s obvious,” the statement read. The Booksmith recommended that those who wish to read Harry Potter purchase used copies. It also provided a list of similar children’s and young adult fantasy books, including Rick Riordan’s “The Heroes of Olympus” series. Booksmith co-owner Camden Avery told The San Francisco Standard, “We don’t have the luxury of pretending anymore that anything that we do is not related to this political moment, this imperialist, fascist regime that we’re trying to survive. Avery believes Rowling is “doing really harmful, awful s*** with her money, and the more people who know, the better.” See full story	SCOTUS Rules 6-3 Parents Can Opt Kids Out Of LGBTQ Lessons In Schools (Post Millennial) — The Supreme Court ruled on Friday 6-3 in favor of Maryland parents who brought forth a case against Montgomery County Board of Education members over LGBTQ books being read in class to their children. "Parents challenging the Board’s introduction of the 'LGBTQ+-inclusive' storybooks, along with its decision to withhold opt outs, are entitled to a preliminary injunction," the court stated. "Today, we hold that the parents have shown that they are entitled to a preliminary injunction. A government burdens the religious exercise of parents when it requires them to submit their children to instruction that poses 'a very real threat of undermining' the religious beliefs and practices that the parents wish to instill," Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court. "The Board’s introduction of the “LGBTQ+-inclusive” storybooks, along with its decision to withhold opt outs, places an unconstitutional burden on the parents’ rights to the free exercise of their religion. The parents have therefore shown that they are likely to succeed in their free exercise claims. They have likewise shown entitlement to a preliminary injunction pending the completion of this lawsuit." See full story
Riley Gaines Teams Up With Gender-Critical Clothing Brand For Title IX Anniversary Collection (Just the News) — Sex-based rights activist Riley Gaines is teaming up with XX-XY Athletics, the clothing brand founded by former Olympic gymnast Jennifer Sey that promotes sex over gender ideology, for a "capsule collection" to mark the 53rd anniversary of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination by sex in education and ushered in a national explosion of girls' sports. "This drop comes at a critical cultural moment," the brand said Tuesday. "As debates intensify around fairness and opportunity in girls’ and women’s athletics and American values soar, XX-XY Athletics and Riley Gaines are sending a clear message: we’re not backing down." The collaboration is marked by the "signature red, white and blue" of Gaines, who rose on the national scene for protesting her lost women's swimming trophy to University of Pennsylvania male swimmer Lia Thomas, and the tag "BE BOLD," the brand said. The first merchandise drop is a "casual" offering: "oversized" t-shirt with the 37 words of Title IX, "Save Women's Sports" hoodie that is "about to be iconic" and "retro" velour short set. The second drop will be performance wear: a cropped navy top, navy leggings with the XX-XY logo and a navy skort. See full story	Oil Prices Drop After Iran-Israel Ceasefire, Trump Announces China Can Again Buy Oil From Iran (Just the News) — Oil prices dropped by nearly 6% on Tuesday following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran, which produces about 5% of the world's oil and natural gas supply. Iran is also the world's ninth-largest oil producer and controls the Strait of Hormuz – which is between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and provides the only water passage from the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. It is also one of the world’s most important waterways for global shipping. CNN Business reported that around 20% of global production moves through this passageway. Iran controls its northern side. The roughly 6% drop, following the Monday night ceasefire agreement, was the lowest in the past two weeks. Israel began the conflict with a June 12 airstrike, which raised concerns about Iran closing the strait and squeezing the global energy market. Trump saying Tuesday morning on Truth Social that China can "now continue to purchase oil for Iran" also seemed to help the previously increasing oil prices. See full story
New Dept Of Education Grant Enables Children To Study Founding Documents, Learn U.S. History (Center Square) — In honor of the nation’s 250th birthday, the U.S. Department of Education will enable students to learn American history through a new grant program. “This new program will fund seminars that equip educators and students with the knowledge and civic values needed to uphold the freedoms we enjoy,” Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Hayley Sanon said in a Department of Education news release. “As our nation’s 250th birthday approaches, the Department of Education is providing grantees with an opportunity to celebrate the roots of our constitutional republic and teach students about America’s Founding principles and the responsibilities of citizenship,” Sanon said. The purpose of this discretionary grant program – the American History and Civics Seminars grant – "is to promote new and existing evidence-based strategies to encourage innovative American history, civics and government, and geography instruction,” according to a Federal Register notice on the subject. See full story	Kristi Noem Reveals New Countries Now Taking Deported Asylum Seekers (Newsweek) — The United States has signed new agreements with Honduras and Guatemala that could allow migrants from other nations to seek refuge there instead of applying for asylum in the U.S., Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced at the end of her trip to Central America. President Donald Trump made it a centerpiece of his new administration to enact the largest deportation in U.S. history. The administration has conducted numerous ICE raids, some of which have swept up people with proper documentation. Immigration advocacy and human rights groups have launched legal challenges against elements of the administration's policies, including deportations to third countries and the cancellation of some immigrants' legal status. However, the Supreme Court this week ruled in favor of the administration 6-3 that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – for the moment – is allowed to send deported migrants to a third country in which they have no connection, as some nations do not cooperate with the U.S. regarding repatriation. See full story
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Slams Sanctions On Mexican Banks By Trump Administration MEXICO CITY (Wash Times) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded sharply Thursday to U.S. government sanctions to block transfers from three Mexican financial institutions, saying Washington hasn’t shown evidence of its allegations of money laundering. The U.S. Treasury Department announced the sanctions Wednesday on the banks CIBanco and Intercam Banco and the brokerage Vector Casa de Bolsa, alleging that they had facilitated millions of dollars in money transfers for Mexican drug cartels. Sheinbaum said during her morning news briefing Thursday that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had showed no evidence proving that the institutions carried out any money laundering, despite repeated requests for such evidence. “The Treasury Department hasn’t provided a single piece of evidence to show that any money laundering was taking place,” she said. “We aren’t going to cover for anyone, there isn’t impunity here. They have to be able to demonstrate that there was actually money laundering, not with words, but with strong evidence.” See full story	Kilmar Abrego Garcia Will Be Deported To ‘Third Country,’ Prosecutors Say (Daily Wire) — Federal prosecutors say that the government will deport illegal alien and suspected MS-13 human trafficker Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a so-called “third country” after he is released from a Tennessee jail. The illegal alien is now expected to be sent to a willing foreign nation other than El Salvador, his country of origin, due to a 2019 court order preventing him from being sent back to his home nation. Abrego Garcia, infamously referred to as a “Maryland man” by Democrat politicians despite being an illegal alien, was deported to El Salvador before being brought back to the United States to stand trial for federal human trafficking charges, with prosecutors alleging that he trafficked minors and MS-13 members across the United States. A judge presiding over the case ruled that Abrego Garcia must be released while he awaits trial despite acknowledging that the man would likely be arrested by ICE. It was further confirmed on Thursday that the illegal alien would be taken back into custody upon his release. See full story
ICE Arrests 11 Iranian Illegal Immigrants: DHS (Just the News) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has in the past several days arrested 11 Iranian illegal immigrants, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday. The illegal immigrants were arrested over the weekend, along with a U.S. citizen who threatened to kill ICE agents while harboring an Iranian illegal immigrant. “Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or otherwise,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out – and we are. We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.” See full story	Assaults On ICE Agents Increase 500% (Daily Wire) — Assaults against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have increased 500%, according to Breitbart News. “Just this week, an ICE officer was dragged 50 yards by a car while arresting an illegal alien sex offender,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet. “Every day the men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens.” ICE successfully arrested the illegal alien, and the officer is expected to make a full recovery, the department said. The data comes after Antifa rioters attacked an ICE building in Portland, Oregon, last night, forcing agents to use rubber bullets and flash bangs to disperse the mob, The Daily Wire reported. Anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles, California, led President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard and the Marines, a move criticized by Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass. See full story