House Committee Takes First Step to Hold the Clintons in Contempt of Congress in Epstein Probe

Headline USA Editor
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House Committee Takes First Step to Hold the Clintons in Contempt of Congress in Epstein Probe

(Headline USA) A House committee advanced resolutions Wednesday to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress over the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, opening the prospect of the House using one of its most powerful punishments against a former president for the first time.

In bipartisan votes, the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee approved the contempt of Congress charges, setting up potential votes in the House. Democrats were split on the measures, with a number of progressive lawmakers calling for full transparency in the Epstein investigation even if it meant threatening a former Democratic president if he refuses to testify.

The resolutions are an initial step toward a criminal prosecution by the Department of Justice that, if successful, could send the Clintons to prison in a dispute over compelling them to testify before the House Oversight Committee.

Rep. James Comer, the chairman, said at the start of the committee’s hearing that Clintons had responded not with “cooperation but defiance.”

“Subpoenas are not mere suggestions, they carry the force of law and require compliance,” said Comer, R-Ky.

The Clintons argue that the subpoenas are invalid. Bill Clinton, President Donald Trump and many others connected to Epstein have not been accused of wrongdoing. Yet lawmakers are wrestling over who receives the most scrutiny.

Nonetheless, there were signs of a potential thaw as the Clintons appeared to be searching for an off-ramp to testify. In addition, passage of contempt charges through the full House was far from guaranteed, requiring a majority vote — something Republicans increasingly struggle to achieve.

The repercussions of contempt charges loomed large, given the possibility of a substantial fine and even incarceration.

Comer rejected an offer Tuesday from a lawyer for the Clintons to have Comer and the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, interview Bill Clinton in New York, along with staff.

The Clintons released a letter last week criticizing Comer for seeking their testimony at a time when the Justice Department is running a month behind a congressionally mandated deadline to release its complete case files on Epstein.

Behind the scenes, however, longtime Clinton lawyer David Kendall has tried to negotiate an agreement. Kendall raised the prospect of having the Clintons testify on Christmas and Christmas Eve, according to the committee’s account of the negotiations.

The Clintons, who contend the subpoenas are invalid because they do not serve any legislative purpose, also say they did not know about Epstein’s abuse. They have offered the committee written declarations about their interactions with Epstein.

“We have tried to give you the little information we have. We’ve done so because Mr. Epstein’s crimes were horrific,” the Clintons wrote Comer last week.

Contempt of Congress proceedings are rare, used when lawmakers are trying to force testimony for high-profile investigations, such as the inquiry during the 1940s into alleged Communist sympathizers in Hollywood or the impeachment proceedings of President Richard Nixon.

Most recently, Trump’s advisers Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon were convicted of contempt charges for defying subpoenas from a House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol by a group of the Republican president’s supporters at the Capitol. Both Navarro and Bannon spent months in prison.

The Jan. 6 committee also subpoenaed Trump in its inquiry. Trump’s lawyers resisted the subpoena, citing decades of legal precedent they said shielded ex-presidents from being ordered to appear before Congress. The committee ultimately withdrew its subpoena.

No former president has ever been successfully forced to appear before Congress, although some have voluntarily appeared.

Democrats have largely been focused on advancing the investigation into Epstein rather than mounting an all-out defense of the Clintons, who led their party for decades. They have said Bill Clinton should inform the committee if he has any pertinent information about Epstein’s abuses.

“No president or former president is above the law,” Garcia said at the committee hearing.

Democrats spent the hearing criticizing Comer for focusing on the Clintons when the Justice Department is behind schedule on releasing the Epstein files. Comer has also allowed several former attorneys general to provide the committee with written statements attesting to their limited knowledge of the case.

The committee had also subpoenaed Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime confidant who is serving a lengthy prison sentence for a conviction on sex trafficking charges.

“It’s interesting that it’s this subpoena only that Republicans and the chairman have been obsessed about putting all their energy behind,” Garcia said.

Comer said the committee will interview Maxwell next month. Attorney General Pam Bondi will also appear before the House Judiciary Committee in February.

Democrats embraced the call for full transparency on Epstein after Trump’s return to the White House, particularly after Bondi stumbled on her promise to release the entirety of the unredacted Epstein files to the public. The backlash scrambled traditional ideological lines, leading Republicans to side with Democrats demanding further investigation.

The pressure eventually resulted in a bipartisan subpoena from the committee that ordered the Justice Department and Epstein estate to release files related to Epstein. Republicans quickly moved to include the Clintons in the subpoena.

Comer has indicated that he will insist that the subpoena be fulfilled by nothing less than a transcribed deposition of Bill Clinton.

“You have to have a transcript in an investigation,” he said. “So no transcript, no deal.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

Vikings For Jesus? The Bizarre Reason Denmark Colonized Greenland

Mark E. Johnson
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Vikings For Jesus? The Bizarre Reason Denmark Colonized Greenland

NATIONAL POST – What’s the reason Greenland was colonized by Denmark?

The answer is one of the most insane reasons for a colony in history.

Denmark colonized Greenland because they were looking for Arctic Norsemen so that they could tell them to stop being Catholics.

By the 17th century, Europe had just finished up a devastating series of wars that saw the continent split between Catholics and Protestants, with Denmark falling on the Protestant side.

And for Danish missionary Hans Egede, this posed a problem. Like most Danes, he knew about the Norse sagas, which describe Viking expeditions to what is now Greenland, Iceland and Newfoundland conducted around the year 1000.

We know now that the Greenland and Newfoundland settlements were already long-abandoned. Newfoundland pretty much immediately. The Greenland ones limped along for a few hundred years before disappearing without a trace.

But Egede didn’t know that. He figured, what if there was a lost world of medieval Viking colonists dwelling somewhere in Greenland?

But most importantly, if these Norsemen still existed, they were probably still Catholics, and someone should go tell them to instead be Lutherans. 

And thus, in 1721, Egede leads an expedition to Greenland to find them.

But as they would learn, there were no Vikings, and there hadn’t been for hundreds of years … 

READ MORE [free to read] 

Trump Repeals Michelle Obama’s Meddling In Program Loved By Millions

Mark E. Johnson
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Trump Repeals Michelle Obama’s Meddling In Program Loved By Millions

CNN – Whole milk could be coming to your local school cafeteria for the first time in more than a decade.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a bill that allows schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to serve whole and 2% milk alongside fat-free and low-fat versions.

The move comes a week after the US Department of Health and Human Services released new US dietary guidelines that highlight whole-fat dairy products, a recommendation that has received mixed reviews from nutritionists and medical experts.

The new legislation, which passed Congress last year by unanimous consent, rolls back US Department of Agriculture rules approved by the Obama administration that required milk served in schools to be fat-free or low-fat, part of efforts to fight the childhood obesity epidemic.

The new law also allows nondairy beverages that are “nutritionally equivalent” to fluid milk to be offered, such as fortified plant-based milks.

“Removing whole milk did not improve health, it damaged it,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said at the White House signing event, claiming that some students turned to caffeinated and sweetened drinks instead of skim or low-fat milk. “Milk fat is not junk food.”

More whole milk was sold in the US in 2024 than other types, with 2% coming in second …

READ MORE [free to read]

Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025

USDA National School Lunch Program – On Jan. 14, 2026, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025. This law amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act revising requirements for milk provided through the United States Department of Agriculture’s  National School Lunch Program.

This memorandum and the attachment provide guidance on implementation of the updated fluid milk requirements for school lunch as required by the new law. This amendment to the statute applies only to the NSLP.

FULL TEXT OF THE ACT:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025”.

SEC. 2. Organic or non-organic whole milk permissible.

(a) In general.—Section 9(a)(2) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(a)(2)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (A)—

(A) by striking clauses (i) and (ii) and inserting the following:

“(i) shall offer students a variety of fluid milk;

“(ii) may offer students options which may include flavored and unflavored organic or nonorganic whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free fluid milk and lactose-free fluid milk, and nondairy beverages that are nutritionally equivalent to fluid milk and meet the nutritional standards established by the Secretary (which shall, among other requirements to be determined by the Secretary, include fortification of calcium, protein, vitamin A, and vitamin D to levels found in cow’s milk); and”; and

(B) in clause (iii), by striking “physician” and inserting “physician, parent, or legal guardian”;

(2) in subparagraph (C), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking “fluid milk products” and inserting “products described in subparagraph (A)(ii)”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(D) SATURATED FAT.—Milk fat included in any fluid milk provided under subparagraph (A) shall not be considered saturated fat for purposes of measuring compliance with the allowable average saturated fat content of a meal under section 210.10 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).

“(E) APPLICATION.—Subparagraph (B)(ii) is not applicable to a school that offers nondairy beverages under subparagraph (A)(ii).”.

(b) Conforming amendments.—

(1) Section 14(f) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1762a(f)) is amended in the third sentence by inserting “or a nondairy beverage that meets the nutritional standards described in section 9(a)(2)(B)” after “milk”.

(2) Section 20(c) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769b(c)) is amended by striking “patterns and fluid milk requirements” and inserting “patterns, fluid milk requirements, and nutritional standards for nondairy beverages”.

SEC. 3. Including food allergy information in existing training modules for local food service personnel.

(a) Food allergy training module.—Section 7(g)(2)(B)(iii) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1776(g)(2)(B)(iii)) is amended—

(1) by redesignating subclauses (II) and (III) as subclauses (III) and (IV), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subclause (I) the following:

“(II) food allergies, including information on the best practices to prevent, recognize, and respond to food-related allergic reactions;”.

(b) Certification.—Section 7(g)(2)(B)(ii)(II) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1776(g)(2)(B)(ii)(II)) is amended by striking “clause (i)” and inserting “clauses (i) and (iii)”.

Dems Try to Defund ICE, End Up Threatening TSA and FEMA

Luis Cornelio
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Dems Try to Defund ICE, End Up Threatening TSA and FEMA

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Democratic threats to shut down the government unless Congress defunds the Department of Homeland Security could backfire in ways left-wing lawmakers appear not to have anticipated. 

Several House Democrats have threatened to vote against a government funding bill if it does not strip funding from DHS, a move aimed at protesting President Donald Trump’s expanded ICE operations. 

But as Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, admitted, blocking DHS funding would only affect TSA agents, FEMA responders and the U.S. Coast Guard, as these agencies rely on annual appropriations to function. 

“The Homeland Security funding bill is more than just ICE,” DeLauro said in a statement. “If we allow a lapse in funding, TSA agents will be forced to work without pay, FEMA assistance could be delayed, and the U.S. Coast Guard will be adversely affected, all while ICE continues functioning without any change in their operations due to $75 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill.” 

As DeLauro put it, ICE already received expanded funding through Trump’s legislative package, meaning a Democratic shutdown would leave immigration enforcement untouched while putting FEMA and TSA responders at risk. 

Despite that reality, the House Progressive Caucus is threatening to block any funding bill that does not include sweeping DHS reforms. 

“The CPC opposes any appropriations bill that provides any funding to immigration enforcement agencies within the Department of Homeland Security unless there are meaningful and significant reforms to immigration enforcement practices,” the group said in a statement issued Jan. 13. 

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., echoed that position on X, vowing to oppose any funding for ICE: “I will not vote to give ICE a single cent. No more blank checks for a rogue agency that operates above the law, escalates violence, and erodes our most basic freedoms.” 

The standoff comes as Congress faces a Jan. 30 deadline to avert a government shutdown. 

DeSantis Spox Apologizes After Texting Scandal w/ Fla. Gov. Candidate 

Luis Cornelio
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DeSantis Spox Apologizes After Texting Scandal w/ Fla. Gov. Candidate 

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A top communications official for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a public apology Sunday after allegations surfaced that she had developed a close relationship with a Republican candidate seeking the governor’s mansion in 2026. 

Christina Pushaw, a longtime spokesperson for DeSantis, released the apology after gubernatorial candidate James Fishback accused her of quietly serving as an informal adviser to his campaign.  

Fishback is running in the Republican primary against Rep. Byron Donalds and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins. Pushaw currently holds a senior advisory role within the DeSantis administration. 

In a statement posted on X, Pushaw wrote she met Fishback in October 2025 and acknowledged offering him advice related to his campaign. Pushaw insisted she received no compensation. 

She claimed to have severed ties with Fishback “because I learned that he had deceived me, violated my trust, and lied about me to numerous people in media and politics.”  

“One matter that he deceived me about pertained to allegations that he had behaved inappropriately with minors in his Incubate Debate league,” she alleged. “I was recently informed of allegations involving additional minors.” 

Pushaw also said Fishback accused her of trying to get the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate him.  

“Since then, perhaps to get ahead of any news of the investigation that he believes is coming, Fishback has been spreading deeply personal, hurtful, and false rumors about me,” she added. “He has claimed that we were romantically involved. He has even threatened to falsely accuse me of sexual harassment.” 

Pushaw said she was “ashamed” of having previously befriended Fishback and providing feedback to his campaign. 

She also apologized to Collins and Donalds “for anything I said to Fishback about them that coarsened the primary campaign and made it more toxic than it needed to be.” 

She continued, “And from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry to Governor DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis for any embarrassment that my communication with James Fishback might ever bring on this office. They had absolutely no idea and would never have condoned my communications with him.” 

Fishback, for his part, confirmed that Pushaw had acted as an informal adviser but said their relationship deteriorated after Collins entered the race. 

“I told Christina that under no circumstances will I drop out and endorse Jay Collins or another candidate. I am in this race to win and fight for every single person who calls Florida home,” he wrote. 

One Year of Wins: Trump’s Top Accomplishments in First Year of ‘Golden Age’

Mark E. Johnson
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One Year of Wins: Trump’s Top Accomplishments in First Year of ‘Golden Age’

BREITBART – President Donald Trump worked at warp speed to “Make America Great Again” in his first year back in office, and the results, on countless fronts, have been bountiful.

Trump inherited from former President Joe Biden a country reeling from a wounded economy and porous border policies that led to mass illegal immigration and a globe facing destabilization with the advent of two major wars in the Middle East and Europe under his predecessor.

On day one of his administration, January 20, 2025, Trump began to take sweeping action to address issues inherited from the Biden administration with 26 executive orders — a harbinger of the breakneck speed at which he would work to implement the MAGA agenda.

In total, the Federal Register shows he signed 228 executive orders throughout the first full year of his second term — and that is without mentioning the transformative legislation he signed into law and highly successful foreign policy initiatives he embarked upon.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Breitbart News on Monday:

“President Trump accomplished more in one year than many presidents did in eight.

“The President delivered on every major campaign promise — securing the border, stopping Biden’s inflation crisis, signing the largest middle-class tax cuts in history, ending woke DEI nonsense, and restoring American strength on the world stage.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, America is safer, stronger, and more prosperous than ever before, and the best is yet to come.”

In his first year back in office, Trump …

  • implemented his wildly successful tariff policies that produced many positive outcomes without spiking inflation, defying critics who claimed it would …
  • began to heal the American economy …
  • secured the southern border … settled or de-escalated numerous conflicts around the globe through his “peace through strength” foreign policy agenda …
  • secured significant tax relief for Americans …

READ MORE [free to read]

OPINION: Top 10 Reasons Trump’s Greenland Plan Is Genius: It’s In The Bible

Mark E. Johnson
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OPINION: Top 10 Reasons Trump’s Greenland Plan Is Genius: It’s In The Bible

(Mark E. Johnson, Contributor) President Donald Trump says that the United States can and must take control of Greenland, by purchasing it or by force if necessary. His focus on this issue it sending European leaders into a tizzy.

Here are our top ten reasons that Trump’s intentions for this massive Arctic island are pure genius.

10. It’s American.

Look at a map. Any map. Greenland is part of North America, lying just 16 miles across the Labrador Sea off the coast of Canada. Greenland is in no way European.

9. Colonialism is dead.

France gave up Louisiana in 1803. Spain gave up Florida in 1821. Mexico gave up Texas in 1848. England finally released its grip on Canada in 1982. Sorry, Denmark – history is not on your side, and your time is up.

8. Do the math.

Distances to Nuuk, Greenland – U.S. versus Denmark:

  • Bangor, Maine to Nuuk, 1,496 miles
  • New York to Nuuk, 1,855 miles
  • Washington, D.C. to Nuuk, 2,034 miles
  • Denmark to Nuuk, 2,200 miles

7. Nobody thinks the U.S. owning Guam is weird.

Guam has been a U.S. territory since 1898. Anyone born there is a US citizen by birthright. The island is essential to U.S. interests, just like American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

6. The next Alcatraz?

Greenland has thousands of unoccupied coastal islands. Security costs on any island near Nuuk would be miniscule – no fence or lookout towers required. Planning an Alcatraz-style escape? Seawater temps reach their annual high of 40 deg. F in July.

5. Metals, metals, metals:

  • Precious metals. A recent Mineral Resource Statement for Greenland’s Nalunaq gold deposit predicts 320,000 ounces of gold, a current market value of $1.5 billion. And that’s just one deposit on an island three times the size of Texas.
  • Base minerals. A 2023 survey showed that 25 of 34 minerals deemed “critical raw materials” are found in Greenland. This includes copper, nickel, platinum, zinc and cobalt.
  • Rare earths. Rare-earth elements are key to permanent magnets used in electric vehicles (EV) and wind turbines. Three large deposits are located in the southern province of Gardar. Numerous companies are already seeking to develop rare-earth mines in the region.

4. Monitor the Russians.

Key Russian military routes pass near Greenland, both in the air and by sea. Having U.S. eyes and ears in Greenland it vital to U.S. security interests.

3. Denmark isn’t using it.

Northeast Greenland National Park is the world’s largest national park, encompassing 375,000 square miles, larger than any U.S. state except Alaska. The park has no permanent human population and is estimated to receive fewer than 500 visitors a year.

2. Drill, baby, drill.

According to a 2007 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report, the northeast of Greenland [the same region covered by the national park] potentially contains up to 31.4 billion barrels of oil. Though this is just two percent of the world’s reserves, controlling Greenland’s oil would boost U.S. reserves by about 70 percent.

And The Number One Reason Trump’s Greenland Plan Is Pure Genius

1. It’s in the Bible.

God gave man dominion over all the earth and its resources. Denmark’s efforts to make Greenland’s vast God-given resources off-limits to development deprives people of oil to heat their homes and other resources to improve their standard of living.

Limiting access to Greenland’s reserves of oil and minerals gives America’s rivals an opportunity to extend influence over the Free World. What Denmark is doing isn’t in the world’s interest, and Donald Trump aims to fix it.

The views in this article don’t necessarily reflect those of Headline USA or its editorial staff.

Mark E. Johnson is in his fiftieth year writing for national news and opinion leaders. 

House GOP Moving Forward w/ Contempt Proceedings against Clintons

Luis Cornelio
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House GOP Moving Forward w/ Contempt Proceedings against Clintons

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Former President Bill Clinton appeared to make a last-ditch effort to avoid looming contempt of Congress proceedings by pitching a private conversation with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, where the two would discuss his relationship with deceased sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. 

The bizarre offer reportedly would have required Comer to fly to New York to meet with Clinton “only,” without an official transcript and without the presence of other lawmakers, Comer wrote Tuesday on X. The GOP lawmaker said he rejected the proposal, which he called “ridiculous.”  

Bill Clinton’s offer came as he faced an imminent threat of contempt proceedings for failing to appear for a deposition with the House Oversight Committee. Clinton was subpoenaed on Aug. 5, as part of the committee’s investigation into Epstein. 

Hillary Clinton, the twice-failed presidential candidate and former secretary of state, was also targeted with a subpoena. 

Comer has repeatedly accused the Clintons of placing themselves above the law by refusing to comply with the committee’s demands. 

“The Clintons’ latest demands make clear they believe their last name entitles them to special treatment,” Comer added. “The House Oversight Committee’s bipartisan subpoenas require the Clintons to appear for depositions that are under oath and transcribed.” 

Comer further argued that a recorded proceeding is essential, pointing to Clinton’s past conduct under oath. Clinton “has a documented history of parsing language to evade questions, responded falsely under oath, and was impeached and suspended from the practice of law as a result,” Comer continued. 

Comer said a transcript is necessary to ensure transparency and accountability. He said the transcript is needed as “without a formal record, Americans would be left to rely on competing accounts of what was said.” 

Comer concluded his remarks by stating that contempt proceedings “begin tomorrow.” 

Jury Selection Begins in Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot of Border Patrol Leader

Headline USA Editor
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Jury Selection Begins in Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot of Border Patrol Leader

(Headline USA) Jury selection began Tuesday in the trial of a man accused of offering a $10,000 bounty for the life of a Border Patrol commander behind an immigration crackdown in Chicago last year.

Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, faces one count of murder-for-hire. Federal prosecutors allege he’s a “ranking member” of the Latin Kings gang who offered a cash incentive for Gregory Bovino’s killing. The Border Patrol official has been the public face of the Trump administration’s combative immigration operations including in California, North Carolina and Minnesota.

Espinoza Martinez is the first person to be criminally tried in connection with the crackdown in and around the nation’s third-largest city. Bovino and the Trump administration have held up the case up as an example of increasing dangers faced by federal agents.

But a slew of federal lawsuits have fueled skepticism about the Trump administration’s narrative on the Chicago operation. Of the roughly 30 criminal cases stemming from Operation Midway Blitz, charges have been dismissed or dropped in about half. In a notable lawsuit that forced Bovino to sit for depositions, a federal judge found he lied under oath including about alleged gang threats.

Days ahead of Espinoza Martinez’s trial, prosecutors acknowledged they didn’t have evidence proving gang ties, leading U.S. Judge Joan Lefkow to bar questioning on the Latin Kings.

Espinoza Martinez, who has pleaded not guilty, wore a dark suit and tie to court and watched the proceedings intently. He’s been in federal custody since October when he was arrested.

Born in Mexico, he’s lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years. He does not have legal permission to stay in the United States.

His family and attorneys say he is not in a gang. The father of three worked as a carpenter.

“The evidence on Mr. Martinez’s intent is so weak,” defense attorney Jonathan Bedi told the judge before jurors were brought in.

Prosecutors allege Espinoza Martinez sent a Snapchat message in October to other gang members that read in part “10k if u take him down,” along with a picture of Bovino. He also allegedly offered $2,000 for information about the commander. The criminal complaint cites an anonymous source who accused Espinoza Martinez of being a “ranking member of the Latin Kings.”

The trial is expected to last a few days and feature testimony from federal agents along with excerpts of a video-taped interview Espinoza Martinez gave to authorities after arrest. Bovino is not expected to testify.

If convicted, Espinoza Martinez faces up to 10 years in prison.

“Putting a price on the life of a law enforcement officer is a line that can never be crossed,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said in an October statement announcing the charges.

Scrutiny on agents’ use of force has followed operations in Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, and currently in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. The arrests by armed and masked agents have led to to numerous protests and intense standoffs in each region.

In the Chicago area, more than 4,300 people were arrested for alleged immigration violations in the crackdown that began in September. Bovino has signaled immigration operations in Chicago will ramp up again in the coming months.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

18-Year-Old to Plead Guilty to North Carolina Shooting that Left 5 Dead

Headline USA Editor
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18-Year-Old to Plead Guilty to North Carolina Shooting that Left 5 Dead

(Headline USA) An 18-year-old plans to plead guilty to a 2022 mass shooting in North Carolina that left five people dead — including his older brother — avoiding a trial next month, his attorneys said Tuesday.

A written notice filed in Wake County court by the lawyers for Austin Thompson said their client intends to plead guilty to all charges against him.

Thompson was 15 when authorities believe he went on a killing rampage on Oct. 13, 2022, beginning in his Raleigh neighborhood with his 16-year-old brother. A hearing ahead of his scheduled Feb. 2 trial had been set for Wednesday.

But through the intended plea, Thompson “has decided he wishes to save the community and the victims from as much additional infliction of trauma as possible,” attorneys Kellie Mannette and Deonte’ Thomas wrote. The attorneys didn’t immediately respond to emails Tuesday seeking additional information on the decision.

Thompson’s legal proceedings were delayed in part as he recovered from a gunshot wound that a prosecutor concluded was self-inflicted before his arrest. His attorneys say it resulted in a brain injury.

Prosecutors had not revealed a potential motive for the shootings but in a court filing said they had intended to prove Thompson’s actions, among other factors, were “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel” and that he attempted to avoid custody.

Tuesday’s filing by Thompson’s attorneys said that while “the serious brain injury he suffered has made it such that Austin cannot explain why he committed this shooting, he has always accepted that he did this.”

Thompson was charged as an adult on five counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of assault of an officer with a gun. A sentencing hearing would be held at a later date after any plea.

Because of his age at the time of the attack, Thompson could not receive the death penalty if convicted. The presiding judge would have to decide whether to sentence him on murder counts to life in prison without parole or with the possibility of parole after at least 25 years.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said Tuesday that she was aware of the plea notice. “We are ready to move forward. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims,” Freeman added in a text message later.

Thompson hopes “that the material presented at the sentencing hearing brings as much peace and closure as possible,” his attorneys wrote.

Prosecutors contend that Thompson shot and stabbed his brother James, whose body was found in their home.

Police also said they believed Thompson then shot multiple neighbors on the Hedingham community’s streets, killing off-duty Raleigh police Officer Gabriel Torres, 29, and Nicole Connors, 52. Another neighbor who was wounded survived.

They also alleged that he later fatally shot two others on the nearby Neuse River Greenway trail: Mary Marshall, 34, and Susan Karnatz, 49.

Dressed in camouflage with multiple weapons strapped to his belt, Thompson was located by law enforcement in a shed nearby and arrested after an hourslong standoff that resulted in another police officer being wounded.

Thompson’s attorneys had indicated last year that they intended to use “diminished capacity” and “voluntary intoxication … of a prescribed medication” in his defense.

In 2024, Thompson’s father pleaded guilty to improperly storing a handgun that authorities said was found with his son after the shootings. He received a suspended sentence and probation.

Investigators seized 11 firearms and 160 boxes of ammunition — some of them empty — from the Thompson home, according to search warrants.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

 

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