Report: Classified ‘Russiagate’ Docs Found inside ‘Burn Bags’ at FBI HQ

Ken Silva
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Report: Classified ‘Russiagate’ Docs Found inside ‘Burn Bags’ at FBI HQ

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Fox News reported Wednesday that FBI Director Kashyap Patel purportedly found a trove of classified Russiagate records inside “burn bags” in a secret bureau room.

“Multiple burn bags were found and filled with thousands of documents,” Fox News reported, citing anonymous sources who said that the “burn bag” system is used to destroy sensitive documents.

“One of the documents FBI officials found in a burn bag was the classified annex to former special counsel John Durham’s final report, which includes the underlying intelligence he reviewed.”

Fox News’s sources reportedly said the classified annex includes information about how a foreign CIA source predicted that the FBI would spread the dubious claims behind the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, even before the bureau launched Crossfire Hurricane. This annex also reportedly shows that credible evidence of possible misconduct was deliberately overlooked by the FBI.

The annex is being provided to Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office, who will make it public, according to Fox.

The new information comes as Patel is purportedly running an investigation into whether there was a “grand conspiracy” between intelligence officials and Democratic politicians.

Patel’s FBI’s broader conspiracy case would allow a special prosecutor more time to connect recent alleged crimes to older events, treating them as part of a continuing conspiracy or racketeering operation. The probe could also enable the empaneling of a grand jury outside Washington, D.C., where Trump has historically faced unfavorable juries. Florida, where overt acts of the alleged conspiracy occurred, is being considered as an alternative venue.

A former federal prosecutor noted, “Florida is an intriguing option because overt acts of the alleged conspiracy occurred there and are still inside the statute of limitations.”

Republican investigators argue that the federal government may have engaged in a planned effort to shield political allies. They claim this began when the government exonerated Hillary Clinton despite her mishandling of classified information via a private email server.

They also allege the government ignored foreign intelligence suggesting wrongdoing in that case. In addition, investigators assert that authorities failed to look into reports that China attempted to interfere in the 2020 election using fake driver’s licenses tied to mail-in ballots. They further contend that government officials labeled Hunter Biden’s laptop as “Russian disinformation,” even though forensic evidence later confirmed its authenticity.

According to these Republicans, investigators also obstructed probes into Hunter Biden’s alleged tax and gun-related offenses. Finally, they accuse the government of hiding concerns about President Joe Biden’s cognitive fitness in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

Similarly, efforts to pursue Trump—often with unsubstantiated evidence—may be reviewed as attempts to deprive him and his supporters of civil liberties and to sway elections.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

Forthcoming Book Reveals How a Former Cop and Army Elites Built a Drug Empire

Jose Nino
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Forthcoming Book Reveals How a Former Cop and Army Elites Built a Drug Empire

(José Niño, Headline USA) When a former DEA task force officer became a drug trafficker and partnered with U.S. special operators, they built an underworld pipeline from Mexican cartels to America’s most elite military base, according to a bombshell new book.

Fort Bragg, long celebrated as the nerve center of U.S. Special Operations, now stands at the center of a deepening scandal uncovered by investigative journalist Seth Harp in his upcoming book “The Fort Bragg Cartel.”

An expert of Harp’s book, which hits the shelves Aug. 12, was recently published by Rolling Stone. It says that in December 2020, Master Sergeant William “Billy” Lavigne II and Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Dumas Sr., both connected to elite Army units, were found dead in a remote training area. Their bodies had been riddled with bullets in what appeared to be a professional assassination operation.

While the Department of Justice indicted Kenneth Maurice Quick Jr. in 2023 for the killings, he pleaded not guilty. The more chilling details suggest the murders were just one chapter in a much larger criminal conspiracy involving drugs, weapons, and betrayal at the highest levels.

At the center of the story is Freddie Wayne Huff II, a disgraced former state trooper who subsequently became cartel operative. Huff claims he was suspected of the killings by his own underworld contacts. After being fired in 2014 over what he describes as retribution for issuing a DUI citation to a politically connected executive, Huff said he “lost everything” and vowed to flip the playbook of law enforcement against itself. “I told myself,” he recalled, “I was going to use every f***ing thing I had known, learned, and taught against them.”

Huff went on to work with Los Zetas, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels, whose early leaders trained at Fort Bragg in the 1990s. He became their main East Coast distributor, moving up to 100 kilos of cocaine weekly through North Carolina. His cover was an appliance export business. His protection came from ex-military and law enforcement personnel.

However, his secret weapon was an alliance with Special Forces insiders.

According to Huff, Dumas introduced him to a clandestine ring of Fort Bragg soldiers “that policed themselves” and dealt drugs in and around the base. “Tim told me about basically a gang,” Huff said, “a drug-trafficking organization within the military.” These men were not street-level dealers but “guys that are trained killers, that have already killed people” and who “would resort to anything, including murder.”

Dumas played a key role in a weapons theft scheme inside Fort Bragg, where he falsified military logs to smuggle grenades and automatic weapons into the black market.

The conspiracy lurched in an even darker direction with the possible existence of a blackmail document Dumas gave Huff for safekeeping. The letter allegedly named soldiers trafficking Afghan opiates into the United States, using military channels.

Huff said he read the file: “It was seriously incriminating shit.” The inmates were allegedly smuggling heroin extracted from Afghanistan — the world’s leading producer of opium since 2001 — and selling it to American troops and civilians alike.

The network, as described, wasn’t simply criminal. It was militarized and disciplined, a “little cartel” made up of disgruntled elite soldiers and lawmen. “They were former law enforcement, former military,” said Randall Galyon, the federal prosecutor leading Huff’s case. “Mr. Huff knew that they provided a set of skills that would be useful to him.”

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

‘China Is Happy’: Docs Expose Feds Probe into Tim Walz’s Ties to Communist China

Luis Cornelio
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‘China Is Happy’: Docs Expose Feds Probe into Tim Walz’s Ties to Communist China

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Newly released federal documents reveal that the Chinese communist government was thrilled by Tim Walz’s selection as the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2024. 

The Biden-era documents, part of the DHS and the FBI’s probe into Walz, appeared to confirm whistleblower testimony that the government was aware of concerns about Walz’s ties to China. 

The files were released by the Trump administration on Tuesday following a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch. 

The documents show that the government determined China was “happy” about then-presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s decision to tap Walz as her running mate.  

Judicial Watch implied that the documents show an alarming sign of Beijing’s interest in the 2024 Democratic ticket. 

In emails dated Aug. 6 and 7, 2024—surrounding the day of Harris’s announcement—DHS officials discussed Walz’s connections to China.

At the time, Republicans were already sounding the alarm over the national security risks of placing Team Walz so close to the White House. 

“China is happy,” one DHS official bluntly wrote in an email thread. 

Just a day earlier, another DHS official wrote: “Watz’s got the Vp. You all have no idea how these feeds into what prc [People’s Republic of China] has been doing here with him and local gov. It’s seriously a line of the intel. Target someone who is perceived they can get to DC.” 

In response, another official wrote, “this speaks too to the rin [raw intelligence] you reviewed for us.” While a third added, “the perception narrative that has been pushed with one of the local ngos [non-governmental organizations] had direct ties to the former Gov here in Nevada. FBI has lead on a couple of things the only issue is being in the 9th circuit.” 

Walz’s ties to the Chinese government have been a contentious issue, raising concerns about a foreign adversary gaining ground within the U.S. government. 

Before entering politics, Walz taught English in China and later organized annual trips to the country. He has openly boasted about traveling to China dozens of times. 

According to testimony from a DHS whistleblower provided to the House Oversight Committee, China viewed Walz as a potential “target” and “someone they can get to D.C.” 

Walz ultimately lost the election to President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance.

DOJ Called Just 1 FBI Agent, and No Victims, to Testify before Epstein Grand Jury

Headline USA Editor
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DOJ Called Just 1 FBI Agent, and No Victims, to Testify before Epstein Grand Jury

(Headline USA) Just two witnesses, both law enforcement officials, testified before the federal grand juries that indicted Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell on sex trafficking charges, Justice Department officials said in support of their request to unseal transcripts of the usually secret proceedings. Only one of the witnesses, an FBI agent, testified during the Epstein proceedings.

Moreover, no victims were called to testify. According to the DOJ, Epstein had over 1,000 victims. 

In a court filing late Tuesday, the officials again urged the court to release the records, citing huge public interest, but they also sought to assure the judges that making them public wouldn’t harm victims of the couple’s crimes.

While the memo didn’t detail what was in the grand jury testimony, it dampened expectations that the transcripts would contain new revelations, saying that “certain aspects and subject matters” contained in them became public during Maxwell’s trial in 2021 and that other details have been made public through many years of civil lawsuits filed by victims.

The Justice Department described the grand jury witnesses in response to questions from two judges who would have to approve the release of the transcripts. Grand jury transcripts are rarely released by courts, unless they need to be disclosed in connection with a judicial proceeding. The papers filed Tuesday cite a 1997 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that said judges have wide discretion and public interest alone can justify releasing grand jury information.

The Epstein grand jury heard from just one witness, an FBI agent, when it met in June and July 2019, the government disclosed. The Maxwell grand jury heard from the same FBI agent and a New York Police Department detective when it met in June and July 2020 and March 2021, according to the submission.

The memorandum was signed by Jay Clayton, the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and included the names of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

The 2019 grand jury in New York appears to be a similar travesty to what took place with Epstein in Palm Beach in 2006, when state prosecutors only called two out of over a dozen victims to testify. As a result, Epstein was slapped on the wrist with procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute. He received what’s been widely described as a “sweetheart deal,” which saw him serve 13 months in a county jail.

Epstein was housed in a private wing of the Palm Beach County Stockade, and was reportedly allowed to leave the jail on “work release” for up to 12 hours a day.

After the Miami Herald published an expose on Epstein and his non-prosecution agreement in late 2018, Epstein was arrested again on July 6, 2019, on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. Those charges stemmed from the grand jury where no victims testified.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Candlelight Vigil Set for Victims of Fatal Casino Shootings

Headline USA Editor
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Candlelight Vigil Set for Victims of Fatal Casino Shootings

(Dave Mason, The Center Square) A candlelight vigil in honor of the victims of Monday’s fatal shootings at a Reno, Nevada casino will take place Wednesday evening.

The vigil is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Unity Center of Reno, 2207 Kings Row, Reno.

The vigil will include prayers by Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Native American and Baha’i leaders, according to the center’s post on Facebook. The service will be livestreamed and is organized by Hindu statesman Rajan Zed and Unity Minister Toni King.

As of late Tuesday morning, police hadn’t released the names of the victims or the male suspect in the shootings, which happened Monday morning at the Grand Sierra Resort. The Center Square Tuesday couldn’t reach the Reno and Sparks police departments for comment.

Three people were killed and two were critically injured during the shootings in the casino’s parking lot, according to the Sparks Police Department, which is the lead agency handling the investigation.

Sparks Police Chief Chris Crawforth said Monday police didn’t know the suspect’s motive and didn’t believe there was a connection between the suspect and any of the victims.

According to KTVN, Reno police reported that the six officers involved in shooting and wounding the suspect, who the Sparks police said fired at the officers, are on standard administrative leave and are being offered wellness and peer support resources.

In a statement, the Grand Sierra Resort confirmed that none of its employees was injured.

“We are heartbroken by the senseless violence that occurred in our parking area earlier today,” the resort said Monday. “Our thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this tragic incident.”

The resort, which is one of the tallest buildings in Reno and is near the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, continues to operate.

Republicans Accuse Dems of ‘Obstruction,’ Delaying Passage of Govt Funding Bills

Headline USA Editor
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Republicans Accuse Dems of ‘Obstruction,’ Delaying Passage of Govt Funding Bills

(Thérèse Boudreaux, The Center Square) Senate Republicans continue to hit roadblocks in their race to pass the 12 appropriations bills funding federal agencies for fiscal year 2026 by the Sept. 30 deadline.

Although Republicans originally planned to craft and pass the government funding bills soon after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act became law, the immediate introduction of a $9 billion rescissions bill caused weeks of delay.

Now, Republicans are accusing Democrats of further holding up the Senate’s work that leaders planned to finish before the upcoming August recess, including confirming the rest of President Donald Trump’s civilian nominees and then advancing as many appropriations bills as possible.

Democrats haven’t allowed any civilian nominee to pass by voice vote or unanimous consent, which would drastically speed up the confirmation process. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called Democrats’ refusal to quickly confirm the nominees and proceed to appropriations work “a historic level of obstruction.”

“We still have some serious work to do here in Washington [D.C.]. We need to make further progress on appropriations, and we have a number of President Trump’s nominations to get through,” Thune told lawmakers Monday. “And so we can do this the easy way, or the hard way…and that’s really up to Senate Democrats.”

As of Tuesday, only two appropriations bills have passed the House and none have passed the Senate, increasing the risk of a government shutdown in October.

There are three different routes Thune could take from here, and he is reportedly taking each into consideration.

One option is to pass a “minibus” package, which would bundle together three appropriations bills from the subcommittees focused on agriculture, rural development, and the Food and Drug Administration; Commerce, Justice, and Science; and military construction and Veterans Affairs, respectively.

Even some Republican senators are adverse to this idea, however. Some of them are clamoring for Thune’s second option, which would entail holding lawmakers over their scheduled recess.

But the most likely (and unpopular) scenario is for Senate leaders to resign themselves to passing a short-term Continuing Resolution, or CR, to keep the government open while Congress finishes the appropriations process.

If this happens, lawmakers will have punted on funding the government properly for the fourth time in a row. Congress never passed a fiscal year 2025 budget, instead passing three consecutive CRs to keep government funding on cruise control until Sept. 30.

Thune urged Democrats to “rein in their reflexive anti-Trump sentiment” and work with Republicans bipartisanly.

“The ball is in Democrats’ court,” he added. “And I remind my colleagues about the dangerous and ugly precedent that they’re setting here. The choice is theirs.”

Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern to Create First Transcontinental Railroad

Headline USA Editor
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Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern to Create First Transcontinental Railroad

(Dan McCaleb, The Center Square) Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern plan to create America’s first transcontinental railroad through a merger, connecting over 50,000 route miles across 43 states from the East Coast to the West Coast, the companies announced Tuesday.

The effort will link about 100 ports across North America, they said, and will allow them to compete more effectively with Canadian railroads to win back U.S. freight volume and American jobs.

“This combination will transform the U.S. supply chain, unleash the industrial strength of American manufacturing, and create new sources of economic growth and workforce opportunity that preserves union jobs,” they said in a joint news release.

President Donald Trump has made revitalizing American manufacturing a top priority of his second term. Tuesday’s announcement advances those efforts.

“Railroads have been an integral part of building America since the Industrial Revolution, and this transaction is the next step in advancing the industry,” Jim Vena, Union Pacific’s chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Imagine seamlessly hauling steel from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Colton, California and moving tomato paste from Heron, California to Fremont, Ohio. Lumber from the Pacific Northwest, plastics from the Gulf Coast, copper from Arizona and Utah, and soda ash from Wyoming. Right now, tens of thousands of railroaders are moving almost everything we use. You name it, and at some point, the railroad hauled it.”

Union Pacific’s creation dates to 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act. Under the terms of Tuesday’s deal, Union Pacific said it will acquire Norfolk Southern in a stock and cash transaction. The acquisition will need approval from federal regulators, including the Surface Transportation Board and its chairman Patrick Fuchs, a Trump appointee. The board’s other current members are Trump appointees Robert Primus and Michelle Schultz and Biden appointee Karen Hedlund.

The merger “will unlock rail options for shippers in regions where railroad connections are less efficient, such as the Ohio Valley and on both sides of the Mississippi River, creating a more accessible, sustainable, and lower-cost supply chain for manufacturers and consumers,” the companies said.

The merger will also reduce the amount of interchanges shipping companies will have to deal with. Schneider’s cross-border intermodal traffic between the U.S. and Mexico, for example, surged last year after the 2023 merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern. That merger allowed Schneider to use a single rail line, helping it grow at twice the industry’s 17% rate.

“Norfolk Southern, like Union Pacific, is a railroad integral to the U.S. economy, with a storied 200-year legacy of serving customers across 22 states in the eastern half of the nation,” Mark George, CEO of Norfolk Southern, said in a statement.

“This combination is transformational, enhancing the best freight transportation system in the world – it’s a win for the American economy, it’s a win for our customers, and it’s a win for our people,” Vena added. “It builds on President Abraham Lincoln’s vision of a transcontinental railroad from nearly 165 years ago and advances our Safety, Service and Operational Excellence Strategy.”

Justice Department Files Complaint Over Judge’s Out-of-Court Statements

Headline USA Editor
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Justice Department Files Complaint Over Judge’s Out-of-Court Statements

(Brett Rowland, The Center Square) The Justice Department filed a complaint alleging misconduct by a federal judge overseeing several cases involving the Trump administration regarding out-of-court statements the judge made about President Donald Trump.

The complaint, filed by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, alleges Judge James Boasberg made improper public comments at a conference in March. Mizelle alleges Boasberg tried to influence Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges at the conference with comments that Trump would disregard court orders leading to a “a constitutional crisis.”

“Although his comments would be inappropriate even if they had some basis, they were even worse because Judge Boasberg had no basis – the Trump Administration has always complied with all court orders,” Mizelle wrote in the complaint. “Within days of those statements, Judge Boasberg began acting on his preconceived belief that the Trump Administration would not follow court orders.”

“At my direction, @TheJusticeDept filed a misconduct complaint against U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg for making improper public comments about President Trump and his Administration,” Bondi wrote in a social media post. “These comments have undermined the integrity of the judiciary, and we will not stand for that.”

Mizelle asked Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan to direct the complaint to a special investigative committee, reassignment of all related Trump cases to another judge and to “impose appropriate disciplinary action.”

Boasberg was the judge in the Alien Enemies Act case, which was filed in mid-March when multiple deportation flights took off from the United States to El Salvador. During an emergency hearing, Boasberg ordered that any planes that were midair and bound for El Salvador return to the United States. Boasberg later initiated contempt proceedings to determine if the Trump administration willfully violated court orders. An appeals court paused the process, however.

The Supreme Court ruled in April that a lower federal court doesn’t have jurisdiction in a lawsuit filed to prevent deportations of Venezuelan Tren de Aragua prison gang members illegally in the U.S.

The White House has called for Boasberg to be impeached in March.

Violent TdA, Sinaloa Cartel Members Arrested in Denver, Detroit

Headline USA Editor
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Violent TdA, Sinaloa Cartel Members Arrested in Denver, Detroit

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square)  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and federal partners have arrested hundreds of criminal foreign nationals in Denver, and Tren de Aragua (TdA) members in Detroit, as federal immigration enforcement actions continue.

In one TdA bust in Detroit, ICE officers, working with Homeland Security Investigations, arrested Kleiber Siso Balza, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national with active warrants in Virginia for possession of burglary tools and in Florida on a pending charge for larceny. He was apprehended with a group of men who were also in the U.S. illegally.

“Tren De Aragua is known to engage in sex trafficking, debt bondage, drug trafficking, and murder to advance their interests,” ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey said. “We’re thankful to have the assistance of our TSA, Federal Air Marshals and IRS partners in executing this important mission.”

In another TdA bust in Detroit, Marysville Station Border Patrol agents responded to a request from law enforcement partners in Shelby Township, who stopped a vehicle displaying a fraudulent license plate. Inside were three Venezuelan nationals, all in the country illegally. One was identified as a TdA member with a criminal history since 2023, including weapons violations, immigration violations, and violent robbery.

“The arrest of this Tren de Aragua gang member, who has a history of firearms and other criminal charges and was wanted on an active warrant out of Denver, Colorado for Failure to Appear, removes another dangerous criminal illegal alien from our country and enhances public safety,” Detroit Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent John Morris said. “This marks the second arrest of a gang member from a foreign terrorist organization this month and underscores the relentless efforts of our agents and law enforcement partners. These cases highlight the critical value of interagency cooperation in removing these criminal threats from our communities.”

In the Denver metro area, ICE officers arrested 243 illegal foreign nationals with criminal records in a one-week targeted operation, ICE said.

“By partnering with federal agencies, we have successfully apprehended individuals who pose a significant threat to public safety,” ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver Field Office Director Robert Guadian said. He also pointed out that “Many of the criminal aliens ICE arrested during this operation had been previously released into the Denver metro area by local county jails – directly into the community – because of Colorado’s sanctuary laws that prevent Sheriffs from cooperating with ICE.”

Some arrested are suspected or confirmed members of gangs, transnational criminal organizations, drug trafficking organizations and designated foreign terrorist organizations, ICE said. So far, authorities have identified known or suspected members of Los Zetas Cartel (1), TdA (4), Sinaloa Cartel (1), among others, through ongoing vetting and intelligence gathering.

Those arrested are citizens of Algeria, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Georgia, Honduras, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Romania, Spain and Venezuela – all in the country illegally.

They include one wanted for murder, one wanted for human trafficking, five wanted for or convicted of sex related offenses (including sex assault and sexual exploitation of a minor), nine charged with or convicted of drug related offenses, 13 charged with or convicted of assault, eight charged with or convicted of theft charges (including burglary, robbery and motor vehicle theft) and 17 with charges or convictions related to driving under the influence.

Their convictions and charges include 17 for DUI, eight for theft, including burglary, robbery and motor vehicle theft; 13 for assault, including aggravated assault and domestic violence; nine for drug offenses, including distribution of fentanyl; five for sex offenses, including sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor; two for homicide, including murder and vehicular manslaughter, and one for human trafficking.

Other crimes include criminal impersonation, carrying a concealed weapon, false reporting, child cruelty, intimidation, hit-and-run, illegal entry and illegal reentry, ICE said.

ICE also highlighted “the most egregious offenders” they arrested in the group, including 28-year-old Venezuelan national and suspected TdA member, and a 51-year-old Mexican national and confirmed Los Zetas member convicted of criminal impersonation, controlled substance distribution and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Others ICE highlighted are all Mexican nationals in the country illegally. They include a woman with approximately 20,000 fentanyl pills in her possession. With one pill considered a lethal dose, her stash was enough to kill 20,000 people.

Others include Mexican nationals convicted of murder and DUI and previously removed from the U.S.; convictions for theft and pending charges of fentanyl distribution and convictions of sex assault against a child and DUI in Greeley; pending charges for sex assault on a helpless victim, non-consensual sexual assault, and sexual assault against a victim of incapable of appraising condition, and conviction of careless driving resulting in death in El Paso County.

ICE ERO Denver led the operation with significant support from ICE ERO Dallas, Homeland Security Investigations Denver, Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the DEA, ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and the IRS.

Hawley Proposes Tariff Rebate Checks for Working Americans

Headline USA Editor
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Hawley Proposes Tariff Rebate Checks for Working Americans

(Brett Rowland, The Center Square) U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced a bill Monday to send a tariff rebate check to every working American.

President Donald Trump voiced support for this policy as recently as Monday morning when he discussed record-breaking tariff revenue.

“Working people need relief now,” Hawley wrote in a social media post. “They’ve earned it. Let’s return their money to them asap.”

He added: “Like President Trump proposed, my legislation would allow hard-working Americans to benefit from the wealth that Trump’s tariffs are returning to this country,” Hawley said in a statement.

The legislation would provide tariff rebate checks of at least $600 per adult and child to American families, similar to the stimulus checks the government distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Trump has been working to reorder global trade through tariffs to give U.S. companies an advantage at home. He has said he is open to rebate checks for Americans.

Trump has said he wants to use tariffs to restore manufacturing jobs lost to lower-wage countries in decades past, shift the tax burden away from U.S. families and pay down the national debt.

Economists, businesses and some publicly traded companies have warned that tariffs could raise prices on a wide range of consumer products.

A tariff is a tax on imported goods paid by the person or company that imports the goods. The importer can absorb the cost of the tariffs or try to pass the cost on to consumers through higher prices.

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