House Rules Committee Propels Shutdown-Ending Bill Toward Crucial Floor Vote
On November 12th, the Republican-led House Rules Committee approved a motion by an 8-4 party-line vote to send a Senate-passed continuing resolution to the full House floor for consideration, setting the stage for a Wednesday vote to conclude the nation’s longest government shutdown at 42 days. The legislation secures federal funding through January 30th, 2026, while extending appropriations for three major agencies until September 2026, marking a hard-won bipartisan agreement after prolonged negotiations over spending priorities and fiscal restraints that had paralyzed non-essential government operations and impacted federal workers nationwide.
Sources: The Epoch Times, FOX News
Border Patrol Commander Prepares to Exit Chicago After Leading Record Migrant Arrests in Operation Midway Blitz
U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who spearheaded the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz since September 8, is set to depart Chicago in the coming days alongside most of his 200-plus agents, following more than 3,000 arrests of illegal migrants amid encounters involving gunfire, vehicle rammings, and flight attempts by suspects. Bovino, drawing on his experience from enforcement actions in California and Los Angeles, described his team’s response as adhering to exemplary protocols while underscoring the necessity of deterrence to uphold immigration laws, and he previously highlighted Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s rhetoric as fueling violence against federal officers. Despite Democrat criticisms labeling the efforts as theatrical stunts and comparing agents to a “Gestapo,” with U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis imposing restrictions on crowd-control measures like tear gas after questioning testimony on protest violence, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin affirmed that a continued federal presence will remain in the city to sustain public safety gains, even as Bovino shifts to new assignments.
Biden-Appointed District Judge Weighs Mass Release of Thousands of ICE-Detained Illegal Aliens
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings, a Biden appointee serving in the Northern District of Illinois, is evaluating a request for equitable relief that would direct federal immigration officials to free thousands of illegal aliens held in ICE’s Operation Blitz into community-based alternatives such as ankle monitors and smartphone reporting, following his October finding that agents violated the 2022 Castañon Nava consent decree by conducting over 3,000 warrantless arrests without pre-assessing probable cause of unlawful presence or flight risk in Illinois and adjacent states. National Immigrant Justice Center attorneys, including Mark Fleming, assert the breaches warrant immediate releases to remedy the violations, estimating the affected detainees number well into the thousands based on ICE’s own records, while Department of Homeland Security representatives maintain that judicial orders cannot override the secretary’s exclusive parole authority under congressional mandate.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, ABC7 Chicago
Duckworth Staffer Faces Accusations of Falsifying Documents to Secure Release of Repeat Deportee
A staffer in Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s Illinois office, identified as Constituent Outreach Coordinator Edward York, stands accused by the Department of Homeland Security of impersonating an attorney to gain access to ICE detention facilities and facilitate the release of 40-year-old Mexican national Jose Ismael Ayuzo Sandoval, who has been deported four times and holds a prior DUI conviction. On October 29th, York allegedly entered the ICE facility in St. Louis, presenting himself as Sandoval’s legal representative, completing a falsified DHS entry form, and securing the detainee’s signature on a G-28 notice of attorney representation—only for a Collinsville law firm to later submit an unsigned version of the same form days afterward, raising questions of potential coordination to obscure the unauthorized actions. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons detailed these events in a letter to Duckworth dated November 5th, demanding a response by November 17th on York’s employment status, his knowledge of the deception, and any involvement of additional personnel, while emphasizing the dangers such interference poses to federal law enforcement operations and the imperative to prioritize the removal of criminal noncitizens from American communities. Duckworth’s office has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Sources: The Daily Caller, The Washington Examiner
Knife-Wielding Assailant Stabs Woman in Random Attack at Chicago Train Platform
Late on November 8th, Chicago police issued a community alert after an unidentified Black male suspect, standing about six feet tall and weighing between 160 and 180 pounds, pulled a large knife from his backpack and stabbed a 27-year-old woman in the chest while she sat on a bench at the UIC-Halsted Blue Line station in the 400 block of South Halsted Street, with the unprovoked assault occurring around 11:14 p.m. The attacker, last seen wearing a pink beanie, orange hoodie, brown jacket, light blue jeans, and white sneakers while carrying a gray book bag, fled northbound on South Morgan Street and remains at large as authorities seek public assistance to identify and apprehend him. The victim sustained a laceration to her chest, classified as a minor injury, and was transported to Stroger Hospital where she was listed in good condition, highlighting ongoing concerns over public safety in urban transit areas amid a pattern of such violent incidents, as evidenced by a separate fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail earlier in the year, for which federal charges were filed against the perpetrator under U.S. Department of Justice guidelines emphasizing maximum penalties for crimes on mass transportation systems.
Sources: ABC7 Chicago, FOX32 Chicago
Justice Department Targets Depraved 764 Network with California Teen Indictment
The Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi has indicted 19-year-old Tony Christopher Long of Porterville, California, on federal charges including animal crushing, sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child sexual abuse material, cyberstalking, and transmitting interstate threats, as part of a broader crackdown on the nihilistic violent extremist group known as 764. This network preys on vulnerable teenagers via social media, coercing them into producing explicit content that escalates to demands for self-harm, family pet torture, and even suicide, underscoring the urgent need for vigilant law enforcement to shield American youth from such online predators. Long allegedly exploited a juvenile in Washington state and threatened another in Kern County, with incidents tied to late 2024 activities, and he remains in state custody facing potential decades in prison if convicted, reflecting the administration’s commitment to dismantling these destabilizing criminal enterprises through initiatives like Project Safe Childhood.
Sources: CBS News, FOX26 Fresno
DHS Florida Crackdown Nets Over 150 Illegal Alien Sex Offenders
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that federal Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents, in partnership with Florida state authorities under Governor Ron DeSantis, arrested more than 230 criminal illegal aliens statewide during a joint operation dubbed Operation Criminal Return and nicknamed ‘Operation Dirtbag’, with over 150 of those detained identified as sexual predators targeting children and involving offenses such as sexual assault, battery, lewd molestation, and narcotics distribution. Noem emphasized that these individuals, many with prior convictions for child molestation and sexual battery, should never have been permitted to remain in the United States due to failures in border enforcement and sanctuary policies, and she hailed the Florida collaboration as a blueprint for nationwide replication to remove such threats from American communities and enhance public safety for families. Specific cases highlighted include the apprehension of Cuban national David Caridad-Rodan for unlawful sexual activity with a minor, Salvadoran Oscar Alfredo Retana Marroquin for child sexual assault, and Mexican Arturo Sanchez Morales for incest and lewd acts with a minor, all classified by ICE as priority removals. While Florida’s model demonstrates effective coordination between federal and state law enforcement, Noem contrasted it with resistance from blue-state leaders like Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who have opposed similar ICE efforts in sanctuary cities, underscoring the need for expanded operations to target criminal illegal aliens exploiting weak immigration controls.
Sources: FOX News, The Washington Times
Texas AG Sues Harris County Over $1.3 Million Taxpayer Funds Defending Illegal Aliens from Deportation
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Monday in Harris County District Court against the Harris County Commissioners Court, accusing the body of violating the Texas Constitution by allocating more than $1.3 million in taxpayer dollars to private organizations providing legal aid to illegal aliens facing deportation proceedings. The suit highlights a 4-1 vote by commissioners to distribute $1,344,751 among groups such as the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, Justice for All Immigrants, Kids in Need of Defense, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, and BakerRipley, which Paxton argues constitutes an unlawful gift clause breach without public benefit or oversight, as federal law under 8 U.S.C. § 1362 does not entitle deportation respondents to government-funded counsel. Paxton emphasized in his release that such expenditures rob Texans to shield criminals who entered unlawfully during the prior administration from enforcement under President Trump, while Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee countered that the Immigrant Legal Services Fund, launched in 2020, remains fully legal and dismissed the action as a partisan maneuver amid rising ICE detainers in the nation’s largest county.
Sources: Office of the Texas Attorney General, FOX26 Houston
Utah Judge Rejects GOP Redistricting Map in Favor of Democrat-Leaning Alternative
Republican-appointed Utah Third District Judge Dianna Gibson issued a ruling late Monday rejecting the Republican-led state legislature’s congressional redistricting proposal, designated as Map C, on grounds that it constitutes an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander under the voter-approved Proposition 4 amendment of 2018, which mandates an independent commission process and prohibits maps that unduly favor one party. Opting instead for an alternative map proposed by the League of Women Voters of Utah and the Mormon Women for Ethical Government, the decision consolidates the left-leaning Salt Lake County into a single congressional district, positioning Democrats to secure at least one of the state’s four U.S. House seats—currently all held by Republicans—in the 2026 midterm elections and potentially altering the balance of power in a reliably conservative delegation. The ruling, delivered just before a midnight deadline imposed by the lieutenant governor’s office, follows a lawsuit challenging the legislature’s map for failing to adhere to fair representation standards, with plaintiffs arguing it dilutes Democrat voting strength in urban areas while bolstering Republican advantages elsewhere in the Beehive State.
Sources: The Post Millennial, FOX News
Air Traffic Controller Shortages Show Signs of Relief as Government Shutdown Resolution Looms
Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller staffing levels marked an improvement on November 11th, following a severe low over the prior weekend amid the ongoing government shutdown, now the longest in American history at 42 days, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. This uptick in personnel availability at key facilities, including those at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, comes one day before a pivotal House vote anticipated to approve funding measures and conclude the impasse, potentially restoring paychecks to essential workers who have labored without compensation while managing heightened overtime demands. The modest recovery in controller presence has correlated with a reduction in flight disruptions compared to recent peaks, where over 20 shortage alerts triggered widespread delays and ground stops at major hubs like Los Angeles International, underscoring the tangible strains on the nation’s aviation infrastructure from prolonged fiscal deadlock. Officials note that while safety protocols remain paramount, the impending legislative action offers a pathway to normalize operations and address the underlying controller deficit of approximately 3,000 positions that predated the shutdown.
Sources: AVWeb.com, Boston.com
Duffy Exposes Newsom’s Illegal Issuance of 17,000 Commercial Driver Licenses to Ineligible Foreign Nationals
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, under Governor Gavin Newsom’s sanctuary state policies, has admitted to unlawfully issuing 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses to foreign nationals ineligible under federal law, prompting immediate revocation of these credentials to safeguard America’s highways. A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit uncovered systemic errors allowing non-domiciled and undocumented individuals to operate heavy vehicles like semitrucks and school buses, with Duffy declaring the state “caught red-handed” after weeks of denials, and emphasizing that his team will ensure full compliance through comprehensive audits. Notices have been dispatched to all affected license holders, mandating expiration within 60 days, while California faces ongoing repercussions including the prior withholding of $40 million in federal funds for failing English language proficiency standards for commercial drivers—a deficiency the state vowed not to enforce. This enforcement action underscores the federal priority on safety and the rule of law, amid broader tensions over state defiance of immigration and transportation regulations.
Sources: The Daily Wire, NewsMax
Federal Funding Targets Community College Expansion with $50 Million for Short-Term Workforce Training
Community colleges across the United States are set to gain from a targeted federal initiative announced on November 10 by the Department of Education, allocating $50 million in fiscal year 2026 to support the development and scaling of high-quality short-term programs that align with workforce demands and artificial intelligence integration in higher education. This funding comes as enrollment at these accessible institutions has risen 5.4 percent over the past year, outpacing four-year universities and reflecting a practical rebound in demand for affordable, job-oriented education. Under the expanded Workforce Pell Grant eligibility established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, students in programs lasting eight to 15 weeks—common at community colleges—can now access federal aid without pursuing full degrees, provided the offerings meet rigorous standards for completion rates, job placement, earnings outcomes, and alignment with high-skill, in-demand sectors. The grants aim to equip workers with portable credentials that articulate into credit-bearing pathways, fostering economic mobility through employer partnerships and data-driven improvements while addressing national priorities in civil discourse and accreditation reform.
Sources: US Federal Register, Inside Higher Ed
Warren Buffett Reflects on Lifetime of American Opportunity in Berkshire Hathaway Farewell Letter
At 95, Warren Buffett, the steadfast steward of Berkshire Hathaway for six decades, has penned a poignant Thanksgiving missive to shareholders, announcing his decision to step down as CEO by year’s end and entrust the $1.2 trillion enterprise to proven successor Greg Abel, a man of unyielding integrity and tireless dedication whose leadership Buffett endorses without reservation. In the letter, Buffett recounts narrow escapes from childhood ailments saved by Omaha’s compassionate physicians and nuns, crediting his improbable longevity to divine providence and the unyielding spirit of family and community that anchored him in the heartland rather than the allure of distant capitals. He accelerates the transfer of Berkshire shares—converting 1,800 Class A shares into 2.7 million Class B equivalents valued at over $1.3 billion—to bolster his children’s foundations, including the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and those led by Susie, Howard, and Peter, ensuring their prudent stewardship of philanthropy outpaces any governmental shortfall while he retains voting power in select A shares until shareholders embrace Abel’s steady hand. Buffett extols Berkshire’s resilient mosaic of businesses, insulated from catastrophe and beholden to no dynastic whims, poised to weather market tempests as America invariably rebounds, urging all to emulate heroes of quiet virtue, shun the snares of executive avarice, and live by the timeless Golden Rule that elevates kindness above fleeting fortunes.
Sources: Fortune Magazine, Business Insider
DON’T MISS THIS WEEK’S FEATURED COMMENTARY:
How Marxism & Islamism Mirror Each Other In
Their March Toward Total Domination Of The West
“Marxism’s anti-capitalist ire finds a zealous bedfellow in Islamism’s anti-Western jihad, united against the Enlightenment’s bastard heirs: liberal democracy, secularism, individualism. They’ve infiltrated NGOs, unions, and Silicon Valley echo chambers, where ‘inclusivity’ means silencing Islamophobia critiques while excusing Marxist-Leninist ‘struggles.’ Europe’s no-go zones and America’s DEI dogmas are canaries in the coal mine—precursors to ‘sharia soviets.’ We must awaken to this assault…”
Read and listen to more at UndergroundUSA.com
China Restricts Rare Earth Exports to Shield US Military Applications Amid Trade Accord
China has rolled out a validated end-user system for rare earth and restricted material exports to the United States, designed to expedite shipments to approved civilian businesses while explicitly excluding firms affiliated with the US military, thereby fulfilling Beijing’s obligations under the October 30th trade truce between Presidents Trump and Xi without compromising strategic sensitivities. This framework, patterned after the US’s own export control mechanism established in 2007, targets dual-use commodities essential for both commercial innovations like electric vehicles and defense hardware such as F-35 fighters and drones, ensuring that over 90 percent of the world’s processed rare earths—materials China overwhelmingly dominates—do not bolster American military capabilities. Despite pledges for streamlined general licenses post-truce, September’s 29 percent drop in US-bound rare earth magnet exports signals lingering frictions, with experts noting the selective barriers could heighten risks to the agreement’s stability, as Beijing sustains curbs on allied minerals including antimony, tungsten, and uranium, emphasizing enduring supply chain dependencies that demand robust American self-reliance for national defense priorities.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post
Australian Intelligence Chief Flags Chinese Cyber Intrusions on Key Infrastructure
Australia’s Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Mike Burgess, has issued a direct alert on the persistent efforts by Chinese state-linked hackers to penetrate the nation’s critical infrastructure, including telecommunications, energy, water, and transportation systems, with operations shifting from mere espionage to potential sabotage that could disrupt essential services and economic stability. Burgess highlighted specific groups such as Volt Typhoon, which has targeted power grids and transport networks to preposition for high-impact disruptions, and Salt Typhoon, responsible for breaching over 200 telecommunications firms to harvest sensitive data, underscoring that access once gained hinges on adversarial intent rather than mere capability. He emphasized the broadening scope of these threats beyond the United States to include Australia, noting the country’s $12.5 billion economic hit from espionage and foreign interference in the past year, while calling on businesses and government to fortify defenses amid warnings echoed by U.S. and U.K. allies.
Sources: ABC.net.au, The Epoch Times
Zelensky Ally Flees Ukraine Over $100 Million Defense Funds Embezzlement Probe
A high-profile corruption investigation has erupted in Ukraine, targeting a longtime associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Timur Mindich, accused of embezzling approximately $100 million from defense procurement budgets, leading to the suspect’s abrupt flight from the country as police issued an international arrest warrant. Ukrainian authorities, including the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and State Bureau of Investigation, uncovered the scheme involving inflated contracts for ammunition and equipment through intermediary firms, with funds allegedly diverted to personal accounts shortly after Western aid infusions in late 2024. The prosecutor’s office confirmed the associate’s ties to Zelensky’s inner circle via prior advisory roles, and while the president distanced himself in a statement emphasizing zero tolerance for graft, the case has prompted parliamentary scrutiny and demands for audits of all military spending. Law enforcement reports indicate initial recoveries of $20 million frozen in offshore accounts, with ongoing efforts to extradite the fugitive and dismantle the network, highlighting persistent vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s wartime financial oversight.
Indigenous Protesters Breach COP30 Venue in Brazil Demanding Central Role in Climate Talks
On the night of November 11th, dozens of indigenous demonstrators in Belém, Brazil, overpowered security barriers and stormed the entrance to the United Nations’ COP30 climate summit, clashing with guards who had barricaded the venue using tables, resulting in at least one officer being wheeled away clutching his stomach after the confrontation. Brandishing batons, the protesters forced their entry to press negotiators for placing indigenous voices at the heart of discussions on transforming climate pledges into binding actions among world leaders and activists, as evidenced by video footage from TeleSURtv reporter André Vieira shared on X, where he noted nearly 3,000 indigenous participants assembled in the city for the week’s activities. The incident underscores the friction at the gathering of global figures focused on Amazon-related environmental commitments, with security personnel confiscating weapons amid the brief but intense scuffle.
Cooperative Banks Terminate AfD Accounts Amid Allegations of Political Interference
In a move that underscores escalating tensions between Germany’s financial institutions and the opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, two cooperative banks in the East Westphalia region—Volksbank Minden Lübbecke and another local co-op—have abruptly closed accounts held by AfD’s district associations in Minden-Lübbecke and Lippe, citing compliance with internal risk policies but providing no specific reasons, prompting the party to denounce the actions as a blatant case of politically motivated debanking designed to marginalize conservative voices ahead of elections. AfD co-chair Alice Weidel highlighted the closures as part of a broader pattern targeting the party, which has faced similar account terminations from major banks like Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank in recent years, leaving it reliant on smaller institutions and raising concerns over financial access for political groups challenging the establishment. The party has formally appealed to Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) to investigate and halt what it describes as an assault on democratic participation, while the banks maintain their decisions stem from routine assessments rather than ideological bias, though AfD officials point to the timing and lack of transparency as evidence of coordinated efforts to stifle opposition funding and operations.
Sources: The Epoch Times, EuroNews