WASHINGTON — Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte touted a new round of heavy cuts to the agency on Tuesday just hours before the Senate votes to confirm his replacement as President Donald Trump&#8217;s spy czar.
&#8220;Good News,&#8221; Pulte <a href="https://x.com/DNIPulte/status/2082069735118967004">wrote</a> on X on Tuesday. &#8220;In addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago.&#8221;
&#8220;The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class,&#8221; he added.
ODNI did not immediately respond to a request for comment clarifying how many of Tuesday&#8217;s cuts involved staff firings or staff returned to their home agencies.
The Senate is expected to vote on Pulte&#8217;s replacement, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-outmaneuvers-schumer-on-pick-for-top-federal-prosecutor">Jay Clayton</a>, at 6:30 pm ET on Tuesday evening, meaning that Pulte will likely no longer serve in the role by the end of the day.
Pulte, who came into ODNI with a mandate from President Donald Trump to “execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office,&#8221; has focused heavily on reducing the size of the agency in recent months. His entrance came shortly after former DNI Tulsi Gabbard announced she would be leaving the agency to help her husband deal with a cancer diagnosis.
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<div id="attachment_1145675" style="width: 791px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hours-ahead-of-his-replacement-as-spy-czar-pulte-touts-more-dni-cuts/senate-holds-confirmation-hearing-for-jay-clayton-to-be-director-of-national-intelligence" rel="attachment wp-att-1145675"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1145675" class="wp-image-1145675 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226941-781x576.jpg" alt="(Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)" width="781" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226941-781x576.jpg 781w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226941-300x221.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226941-768x566.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226941.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 781px) 100vw, 781px" /></a>Jay Clayton appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee during his nomination hearing on Capitol Hill July 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)</div>
Critics argue Pulte <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-pultes-odni-purge-triggers-intel-community-civil-war">forced</a> Gabbard out sooner than expected and say his aggressive cuts will leave ODNI too weak to effectively rein in rogue agencies like the FBI and CIA. Before Pulte arrived, Gabbard had already cut 40% of staff, which left the agency with fewer than 1,400 employees, compared to the estimated 38,000 at the FBI and 20,000 at the CIA.
The Daily Wire previously reported that Pulte was working closely with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), both of whom have argued that ODNI has become an unnecessary layer of oversight over agencies such as the CIA and FBI.
Both Ratcliffe and Cotton are supporters of Clayton, and have publicly praised his nomination.
Ahead of Tuesday&#8217;s vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) accused Democrats of delaying Clayton&#8217;s confirmation despite their earlier criticism of Pulte&#8217;s appointment.
“Now Democrats have the opportunity to replace that acting official,&#8221; Thune <a href="https://www.thune.senate.gov/news/press-releases/thune-on-jay-claytons-nomination/">said</a> in a statement. “But they’re in no apparent rush to confirm a permanent director of national intelligence. They’ve opposed his nomination in committee. They’ve delayed things here on the floor. And I don’t expect we’ll see a lot of Democrat support for him in the final roll call.&#8221;

Fannie, Freddie IPOs Can Still ‘Very Much’ Happen, Pulte Says

Hours Ahead Of His Replacement as Spy Czar, Pulte Touts More DNI Cuts

Bill Pulte

Donald Trump

Jay Clayton

John Ratcliffe

John Thune

odni

Tom Cotton

Tulsi Gabbard

A man believed to be an anti-ICE activist armed with two airsoft rifles deployed an incendiary device outside 26 Federal Plaza in New York City on Monday morning, prompting a swift response from federal and local law enforcement.
At least two people were injured in the incident after the suspect &#8220;menaced&#8221; bystanders with the airsoft rifles, MS NOW <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/20/new-york-nyc-fbi-incendiary-device.html">reported</a>. Five law enforcement sources told MS NOW that the suspect appeared to be an anti-ICE radical.
Video <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2079203258724471267?s=20">footage</a> showed a plume of smoke rising near the building&#8217;s entrance as law enforcement officers, including ICE agents and FBI personnel, rushed out with guns drawn. Federal Protective Service officers apprehended the suspect on scene. The sidewalk was shut down, and the building was evacuated as authorities responded.
According to the FBI, the incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. ET, Fox News <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2079203258724471267?s=20">reported</a>.
&#8220;This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza. The individual has been taken into custody and the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the incident,&#8221; the FBI said.
FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2079219684717596752">added</a> that &#8220;two minor injuries reported thus far.&#8221;
Sources told MS NOW that the incendiary device was fireworks that were placed in a shopping cart and then doused in accelerant and lit on fire.
The New York Police Department told Fox News that a firearm was found in relation to the event, though officials could not confirm whether it was recovered from the suspect. It&#8217;s unclear if the firearm found by authorities is different from the airsoft rifles the suspect reportedly had on him.
The building at <a href="https://www.ice.gov/field-office/new-york-city-field-office">26 Federal Plaza</a> houses the ICE New York City Field Office on the 9th Floor as well as a federal immigration court. The ICE office oversees Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations across the five boroughs of New York City and several surrounding counties, including Dutchess, Nassau, Putnam, Suffolk, Sullivan, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester.
This incident comes amid a broader trend of heightened concerns regarding threats to ICE operations. The Department of Homeland Security has previously reported a significant rise in vehicle attacks against ICE officers, noting a <a href="https://dallasexpress.com/national/dhs-warns-sanctuary-rhetoric-linked-to-surge-in-ice-vehicle-attacks/">3,300% increase</a> in such incidents during a recent period compared to the prior year.
Authorities have not released additional details about the suspect or possible motives as the investigation continues. The Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes partners from the NYPD and other agencies, is handling the case.
The building, a federal facility in lower Manhattan, serves multiple government functions and is a known hub for immigration enforcement activities in the region.

Fox News/NYC fire

Armed Man Triggers Terrorism Investigation Outside ICE Office

Fire

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

New York City

Terrorism

At least one shooter opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Phoenix Tuesday, the FBI said Thursday.
Several rounds struck the building&#8217;s exterior &#8220;on various parts of the structure,&#8221; the FBI said, adding that &#8220;one or more unidentified people&#8221; fired the shots.
No injuries were reported as a result of the shooting. It is not yet clear whether anyone is in custody.
One video of the building appeared to show some of the damage to windows riddled with bullet holes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
FBI Phoenix Investigates Shooting Incident at Federal ERO Building
Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area of North Central Avenue on Tuesday, July 14, in the afternoon, or who has information regarding this shooting, is urged to contact the FBI: 
•Call the FBI… <a href="https://t.co/NBLoy0hHxF">pic.twitter.com/NBLoy0hHxF</a>
— FBI Phoenix (@FBIPhoenix) <a href="https://x.com/FBIPhoenix/status/2077808050040099233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Federal investigators have asked members of the public to report any &#8220;suspicious activity in the area of North Central Avenue on Tuesday, July 14, in the afternoon.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
⁦<a href="https://x.com/FBIPhoenix?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBIPhoenix</a>⁩ looking into several shots fired into ⁦<a href="https://x.com/HSIArizona?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HSIArizona</a>⁩ facility near Central &amp; McDowell from July 14th , authorities say the investigation is ongoing and no injuries reported <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/fox10phoenix?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fox10phoenix</a> <a href="https://t.co/yVGiuK69mN">pic.twitter.com/yVGiuK69mN</a>
— Rick Davis (@rdavisfox10) <a href="https://x.com/rdavisfox10/status/2077821155378151837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The latest shooting comes amid rising tensions across the country following two recent shootings by ICE officers in Houston last week and Maine on Monday that have resulted in the deaths of two migrant men.
Anti-ICE demonstrators have taken to the streets to express outrage with the agency and lawmakers supporting it.
ICE has faced a massive surge in attacks since the Trump administration commenced its mass deportation effort.
In one case, a group of Antifa members lured officers out of a North Texas ICE facility with fireworks on July 4, 2025, before opening fire. One local police officer was shot in the neck but survived.
The Trump administration brought its first terrorism case against Antifa as a result of the attack. More than a dozen Antifa militants received hefty charges for their roles in carrying out the ambush.
The ringleader, former Marine Corps Reservist Benjamin Hanil Song, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/antifa-terror-cell-leader-in-anti-ice-ambush-gets-hefty-prison-sentence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> the maximum sentence of 100 years for his crimes during a sentencing hearing last month.
Last September, anti-ICE shooter Joshua Jahn attempted to shoot ICE officers from a rooftop adjacent to the agency&#8217;s facility in Dallas. Jahn killed two ICE detainees and turned the gun on himself.
Jahn left bullet casings at the scene that were engraved with the phrase “ANTI-ICE.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-IMMIGRATION-ICE

Shots Fired Into Arizona ICE Office

Shooting

The Justice Department unleashed a barrage of grand jury subpoenas, sending federal agents to the doorsteps of four New York Times reporters who wrote a story that the FBI warned would compromise highly classified national security secrets and give America&#8217;s enemies a roadmap to the commander-in-chief&#8217;s vulnerabilities.
The Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/business/media/new-york-times-trump-subpoenas.html">admitted</a> on Saturday that according to federal law enforcement sources, a top FBI official contacted “a reporter and a senior editor,” asking them to kill a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/us/politics/trump-air-force-one-security.html">story</a> citing unnamed sources about President Donald Trump departing Turkey on the old Air Force One instead of the new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/questions-swirl-around-security-lapses-for-new-qatari-air-force-one">Qatari-gifted jet</a>.
The Times ignored the FBI’s urgent request, slammed the &#8220;publish&#8221; button, and refused to unmask who leaked the classified information in the first place.
Now, the Justice Department is bringing down the hammer. New York Times scribes Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt have been ordered to appear before a Manhattan grand jury to answer for the breach.
“Reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are,” a DOJ spokesman stated.
The administration made it clear it isn&#8217;t playing games when it comes to the nation&#8217;s secrets.
“We are not going to ignore the law and stop investigating the people who work in the administration and think it’s okay to leak classified information impacting national security,&#8221; the spokesman added.
The drama started after the Times published details of the security protocols of Trump’s new Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8, claiming it lacked antimissile defenses. The paper suggested that the classified leaks explained why the Secret Service briefly put Trump on the older aircraft during a high-stakes NATO summit in Turkey while tensions flared with Iran.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung blasted the reporting, confirming that the new jet is a &#8220;state-of-the-art aircraft&#8221; packed with high-level security protocols.
&#8220;There are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal — including distraction and misdirection — to address those threats,&#8221; Cheung said.
The Times immediately started crying foul, with their top newsroom lawyer David McCraw complaining that the home-visit subpoenas were a &#8220;brazen act&#8221; and meant to &#8220;shock the conscience.&#8221;
&#8220;This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country,&#8221; McCraw said.

TURKEY-US-NATO-SUMMIT-DEFENCE

The NYT Story That Just Triggered DOJ Subpoenas

Air Force One

classified information

The New York Times

Republican Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley is investigating FBI Director Kash Patel&#8217;s alleged misuse of taxpayer money on lavish travel and personal projects. 
Grassley wrote a letter to Patel in May asking for more information about his taxpayer-funded flights and purchase of BMW vehicles as head of the FBI, which was revealed <a href="https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-members-raskin-durbin-launch-bicameral-investigation-into-kash-patel-s-abuse-of-fbi-jets-and-tax-dollars-following-private-senate-gop-letter-questioning-patel-s-spending-travel">in a letter</a> this week from Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrats on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. Durbin first <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2026-02-24%20Letter%20to%20GAO%20and%20DOJ%20IG%20on%20Kash%20Patel%20Olympic%20Travel.pdf">sent a letter</a> about Patel&#8217;s activities to federal officials in February. 
Raskin and Durbin wrote they “appreciate Chairman Grassley raising these concerns, which mirror those raised repeatedly by House and Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats.”
Grassley said Thursday that Democrats are &#8220;riding his coattails&#8221; and criticized his colleagues for not holding past directors accountable under Democratic administrations. Grassley emphasized in his letter that he&#8217;s held FBI leaders of both parties to account.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I see Dems r riding my coattails &amp;suddenly showing interest in doing oversight of FBI aircraft Where was that energy w Wray&amp;other directors??? My oversight is the same no matter the admin UNLIKE Dems who only seem interested in oversight when it benefits them politically
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) <a href="https://x.com/ChuckGrassley/status/2075353795081408952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“For each trip where you used an FBI aircraft for personal travel, have you reimbursed the FBI as required by law? If yes, please provide the records,” Grassley&#8217;s letter asked.
Grassley, who has defended and praised Patel in the past, requested that his transportation be subject to an “independent and objective review.” He also questioned why the FBI opted to purchase BMW vehicles rather than Chevy Suburbans, which has previously been standard. 
“Government agencies, including the FBI, routinely evaluate, replace and update vehicle fleets based on usage, security needs or budgetary decisions,” said FBI Spokesman Ben Williamson last year. 
In their letter, Raskin and Durbin referenced a whistleblower that claimed Patel told field office personnel last year, “If you have golf, hockey, fishing, or hunting and beautiful sights, you’re going to see a lot of me.”
Durbin&#8217;s February letter highlighted Patel&#8217;s trip to the Olympics, during which he celebrated in the locker room with the American hockey team after their gold medal win. He&#8217;s also been accused of using his FBI jet to travel to his girlfriend&#8217;s country music concerts on the taxpayer&#8217;s dime.
The allegations have drawn the ire of Democrats for much of Patel&#8217;s term leading the FBI. He has repeatedly denied any misconduct.

FBI Director Patel And Eastern District U.S. Attorney Nocella Holds News Conference On Major Illegal Sports Gambling Schemes

Powerful Senate Republican Joins Democrats To Investigate Top Trump Official

Chuck Grassley

kash patel

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) is being investigated by the FBI for its alleged involvement in money laundering and fraud in the United States of over $300 million, The Miami Herald <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article316433770.html">reported</a> Wednesday.
The FBI and United States federal prosecutors are reportedly looking into the involvement of the reigning World Cup champions in hundreds of millions of dollars flowing through the American financial system and if any violated the law. The probe was first reported by <a href="https://www.lanacion.com.ar/politica/agentes-del-fbi-y-fiscales-federales-toman-testimonios-para-investigar-operaciones-financieras-de-la-nid06072026/">Argentine newspaper La Nación</a>, which stated that investigators are examining commercial and financial agreements tied to the football association’s operations in America.
The FBI declined to comment.
Investigators are focusing on the Miami-based company TourProdEnter LLC, which was created in 2021, according to La Nación. TourProdEnter allegedly acted as a collection agency for the AFA&#8217;s commercial contracts. Some of the sponsorship payments came from Adidas and Warner.
La Nación reported that TourProdEnter LLC moved $260 million among Citibank, Synovus, Bank of America, JPMorgan, and PNC Bank. An additional $57 million was transferred without a &#8220;clear purpose.&#8221;
No charges have been made yet, but La Nación is reporting that federal investigators have begun taking testimonies and gathering financial records.
This is not the first time AFA president Claudio Tapia has faced an investigation in his time in leadership. In December 2025, Argentine authorities raided the AFA headquarters and several soccer clubs as a part of another investigation into potential tax evasion and money laundering beginning in 2024. 
Three months later, Tapia was <a href="https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/sports/afa-chief-tapia-and-top-officials-formally-charged-in-tax-evasion-case.phtml">charged</a> with tax evasion and the misappropriation of social security funds. The president was punished with a travel ban and a court-ordered asset freeze.
Tapia was elected in 2017 and has led the country’s football organization throughout its recent success, including the back-to-back Copa América tournament wins in 2021 and 2024, as well as the 2022 World Cup win.
The investigation comes at the beginning of the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where soccer star Lionel Messi and Argentina are looking to win back-to-back World Cups and become the first country to do so since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. The off-the-field allegations are not expected to affect the country’s run at the title. 
At the time of publication, neither the AFA nor Tapia has commented on the ongoing investigation.

Argentina Press Conference & Training Session

FBI Probes Soccer Powerhouse During World Cup Run

Argentina

Soccer

The FBI is hunting for a Somali-born man suspected of stealing millions of dollars in funds meant for children in need.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Wednesday that Fahad Mohamed Nur was added to the bureau&#8217;s list of “Most Wanted Fraudsters.” Nur, a naturalized American citizen born in Somalia, was charged in September 2022 for stealing $5 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program.
“After the outstanding early success of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudster List, already arresting TWO subjects within weeks with apprehensions out of Somalia and Philippines, today the [FBI] is announcing another addition,” Patel <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2074820494319067311" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We have already seen over $13 billion in fraud uncovered on behalf of hardworking Americans — and there is more to come.”
A $150,000 reward is <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/most-wanted-fraudsters/fahad-mohamed-nur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered</a> for information that leads to Nur’s capture and conviction. The FBI said it believes he may be hiding out in Somalia. He is charged with multiple counts of money laundering, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Nur ran a Minneapolis-based business called The Produce that purported to supply meals to children in need that received millions of dollars in federal nutrition funds, according to the indictment against him. The business was sponsored by Feeding Our Future, the infamous entity behind the largest COVID-era scam.
Federal prosecutors say that Nur submitted fake meal counts, rosters, and invoices to obtain federal funds. The funds given to Nur and his co-defendants “substantially” exceeded the amount of money that should have been allocated for the meals they actually provided, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors said that by the time Nur distributed any meals in September 2021, he had already received $3.5 million in food payments.
Misappropriated funds went toward real estate, luxury vehicles, and travel. Nur moved nearly $700,000 of fraudulently obtained dollars into his bank account, took $78,000 in cash out, and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on real estate purchases and vehicles, according to prosecutors.
Nur reportedly fled the country after federal agents started serving search warrants in relation to their investigation of the Feeding Our Future scheme. In May 2026, Feeding Our Future founder Aimee Bock was sentenced to almost 42 years in prison for orchestrating the $250 million scam.
Led by Vice President JD Vance, the Trump administration has placed a renewed focus on tracking down fraudsters targeting welfare programs.
“If you defraud American taxpayers you will be found and brought to justice,” the White House Task Force on Fraud <a href="https://x.com/WHFraudTF/status/2074831393012494634" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Wednesday.
The focus on fraud comes as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-legislature-passes-medicaid-fraud-crackdown-after-daily-wire-expose?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ohio+Legislature+Passes+Medicaid+Fraud+Crackdown+After+Daily+Wire+Exposé" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> on the widespread abuse of the Medicaid home healthcare system in Ohio triggered federal and state investigations.

MixCollage-08-Jul-2026-11-20-AM-3693

The Fraudster Suspect The FBI Is Now Hunting Across The Globe

Fraud

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Somalia

A Democratic operative with deep ties to California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom&#8217;s administration secretly recorded conversations for the FBI as part of a corruption investigation that has since expanded to scrutinize the governor, his wife, and members of his inner circle, The California Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/02/us-news/gavin-newsom-ally-alexis-podesta-wore-fbi-wire-in-corruption-probe-lawyer/">reported</a> on Thursday.
Alexis Podesta, a power broker who has served in senior roles under both Newsom and former California Governor Jerry Brown, wore a wire to record conversations beginning as early as June 2024 while cooperating with federal investigators probing Newsom&#8217;s former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, Podesta&#8217;s lawyer revealed. Williamson pled guilty in May to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and lying to the FBI.
“According to court documents, between February 2022 and September 2024, Williamson conspired with Greg Campbell, 52, of Davis, Sean McCluskie, 57, of Davis, and others to steal approximately $225,000 in funds from a dormant political campaign and funnel it to McCluskie for his personal use. Collectively, they funneled the money through various business entities and disguised it as pay to McCluskie’s spouse for what was, in reality, a no-show job,” the DOJ <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/california-political-consultant-and-former-public-official-pleads-guilty-conspiracy">stated</a>.
Podesta, who has not been charged, has been identified by her attorney as the unnamed co-conspirator in Williamson&#8217;s case and has cooperated with prosecutors. Court records indicate she and Williamson discussed how to handle a public records request involving state litigation against a major corporate client.
The latest news is part of a broader federal inquiry that has drawn Newsom&#8217;s family finances into question. Newsom has publicly framed the expanding investigation as politically motivated retaliation by the Trump administration, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/15/us-news/gavin-newsom-says-hes-being-investigated-by-department-of-justice/">saying</a>, “They’re demanding records; they’re abusing the grand jury process, digging through years and years of random documents. Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets, he’s coming after me because I’m considering running for president.”
The federal probe into Newsom&#8217;s former chief of staff began under the Biden administration.
Financial records reviewed by the Post raise questions about the finances of The Representation Project, the gender-equity nonprofit founded by Siebel Newsom. The leftist project reported $1.24 million in revenue, while adding that it spent $1.75 million in expenses last year, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/26/us-news/fbi-probes-jennifer-siebel-newsoms-taxes-as-her-nonprofit-lost-1m/">noted</a>. The net assets for Siebel Newsom&#8217;s project plunged to just $44,853 from $553,081 since the start of the new fiscal year.
Siebel Newsom, meanwhile, raked in a $161,250 salary for the fiscal year ending in March 2025, The Representation Project reported. That salary came despite the nonprofit&#8217;s financial struggles and despite several of her films failing to gain traction with critics or audiences.
Separately, earlier reporting by the Post found that Newsom “helped funnel more than $4.4 million from special interests and wealthy individuals to California Partners Project, one of Siebel Newsom’s pet projects.”

US-POLITICS-BIDEN-GOVERNORS

FBI Embedded Wired Informant Inside Newsom’s Admin, Lawyer Says

Gavin Newsom

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Wire

After months of silence, the FBI said Wednesday that some ransom notes sent during the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping investigation may &#8220;potentially&#8221; be legitimate, while others appear to be bogus.
&#8220;Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy. Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such,&#8221; the FBI posted on X. &#8220;This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Statement on Guthrie Investigation <a href="https://t.co/zTUKcjPfsv">pic.twitter.com/zTUKcjPfsv</a>
— FBI Phoenix (@FBIPhoenix) <a href="https://x.com/FBIPhoenix/status/2072451468766941575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
The statement appears to contradict a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fbi-determines-nancy-guthrie-kidnapping-notes-be-fakes-source-says-2026-07-01/">Reuters</a> report citing an FBI official who said none of the ransom notes were believed to be genuine.
The FBI added that it continues to provide resources to assist in the investigation to find the mother of &#8220;Today&#8221; host Savannah Guthrie, but made it clear the probe is being led by local authorities in Pima County, Arizona.
This is the latest back-and-forth in the case of the missing 84-year-old who was abducted from her home on February 1.
During the first week of the search, multiple ransom notes were sent to several outlets demanding money in the form of bitcoin, while describing disturbing details about Guthrie&#8217;s condition.
Last month, NewsNation&#8217;s Brian Entin reported that sources told him the second ransom note alluded to Guthrie being dead.
The note indicated her death was unintentional and said that Guthrie was &#8220;buried with nature now,&#8221; per Entin.
Savannah Guthrie addressed the report last month on the &#8220;Today&#8221; show alongside co-anchor Craig Melvin and Carson Daly.
&#8220;Somebody knows something, and this is a new story today that is on your radar, but this is the life that my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives, that our extended families live, that our children live, every day,&#8221; Savannah said. &#8220;And we are in agony. We cannot be at peace.&#8221;
Shortly after Savannah&#8217;s plea, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2026/06/26/new-nancy-guthrie-demand-letter-claims-video-evidence/">TMZ</a> reported that it had received another email containing a bombshell claim about the investigation.
The note contained a password to a phone in a &#8220;secure location&#8221; that had information on Guthrie&#8217;s disappearance. The sender of the note said they would provide the password in exchange for bitcoin, per TMZ.
TMZ has received numerous emails over the past several months, but the latest had the same bitcoin address as the sender who emailed the outlet in February.
The more than $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of Guthrie is still available.
The number for tips is 1-800-CALL-FBI.

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The FBI arrested two more men accused of plotting to conduct a terror plot at the UFC Freedom 250 event, including one suspect investigators said had experience piloting drones. 
The Justice Department announced Monday that William Lee Spartacus Falkner and Jordan Rincker had been charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The alleged plot was supposed to involve setting off explosive-carrying drones to cause panic before snipers would open fire and target certain political figures. 
Falkner was arrested Friday in Washington and made his first court appearance in Tacoma on Monday while Rincker was arrested on Sunday and made his first court appearance on Monday in Kansas City. 
“Law enforcement continues to do what it does — move to disrupt and hold accountable those allegedly plotting to do harm on the White House Grounds on June 14,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Each and every day, the FBI and their federal, state and local law enforcement partners, along with U.S. Attorneys offices across the country, safeguard American communities and our nation’s security.”  
The plot, which the FBI says was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-immigrant-masterminded-ufc-white-house-drone-attack-plot-dhs-says">masterminded</a> by an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was uncovered after one of the suspects&#8217; moms called local law enforcement about concerns she had about plans her 19-year-old son was making. Eventually, investigators gained access to multiple group chats where the attack was discussed and planned. 
Communications reviewed by investigators revealed that Falkner had experience in making and piloting drones and that he discussed loading them with explosives, according to the Justice Department. After the arrest of several over the plot last week, investigators said Falkner and others canceled a “work trip” they had been discussing. 
Rincker, 28, is accused of accepting $1,200 in cash from Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, the alleged illegal immigrant ringleader, to make payments to others involved in the plot. Some of the money was supposed to go toward paying for gas for another suspect to go pick up the drone operator before traveling to Washington, D.C., for the attack. 
Investigators said that Rincker met with Alvarez in Omaha, Nebraska, and gave him a 12-gauge shotgun in exchange for a ballistic plate, face shield, 3D printer, 3D printing filament, night vision goggles, binoculars, and a minicomputer.
“These arrests are the latest result of the FBI, teaming up with our great partners, to identify and apprehend those who allegedly wanted to attack the UFC Freedom 250 event — a threat this FBI and our partners prevented,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

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New Arrests Reveal The Full Scope Of The White House UFC Terror Plot

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Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, was arrested in the Philippines after failing to appear for his sentencing hearing in August 2024, according to federal officials. His capture marks the second arrest from the FBI’s new “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list in just over two weeks.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Kimble had been on the run since 2024 after orchestrating a $1.2 billion scheme from 2014 to 2019.
“In just over two weeks, this is the second Most Wanted Fraudster arrested on the FBI’s list led by Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud,” Patel posted on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
In just over two weeks, this is the second Most Wanted Fraudster arrested on the FBI’s list led by Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Herbert Leon Kimbel was apprehended in the Philippines and is now back in the United States, on the run… <a href="https://t.co/9ju6cnEfFX">pic.twitter.com/9ju6cnEfFX</a>
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2068051952525520968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/most-wanted-fraudsters/herbert-leon-kimble">Kimble</a> had <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/most-wanted-fraudsters/herbert-leon-kimble/download.pdf">pleaded guilty</a> in 2019 to multiple federal offenses, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, making false claims, and offering kickbacks and bribes.
Prosecutors said Kimble <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/fbi-captures-12b-medicare-fraud-fugitive-philippines-second-arrest-wanted-fraudsters-list">operated</a> a health care fraud scheme that generated more than $1.2 billion in Medicare charges and affected thousands of beneficiaries, many of them elderly. Authorities said the operation used call centers to steer patients toward medically unnecessary orthopedic braces.
The case puts a face on the kinds of large-scale fraud federal officials say they are trying to root out. Authorities say elderly beneficiaries were pushed toward unnecessary medical equipment, taxpayers were left with more than a billion dollars in charges, and Kimble fled before he could be sentenced.
Patel said the FBI remains committed to carrying out President Donald Trump’s directive to crack down on fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.
Kimble’s arrest comes after federal officials announced the apprehension of <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/most-wanted-fraudsters/said-abdullahi-ereg/download.pdf">Said Abdullahi Ereg</a>, 47, who was wanted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Ereg was the first person on the list to be taken into custody.
Vice President JD Vance said Kimble’s capture was tied directly to the creation of the Most Wanted Fraudsters list.
“Our message is simple,” Vance <a href="https://x.com/JDVance/status/2068059922294542472">wrote</a> on X. “If you defraud the American people, we will find you and we will bring you to justice.”
“Kimble preyed on the elderly for years, costing taxpayers over a billion dollars,” Vance continued. “The FBI catching Kimble is a direct result of the task force’s partnership with the FBI to create the Most Wanted Fraudsters list.”
Vance said authorities had been unable to capture Kimble for months, but that the Philippine government helped locate him after the Justice Department published its list.
The arrest comes months after the Justice Department announced the creation of a National Fraud Enforcement Division to support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vance. The task force was launched to investigate and recover fraudulent spending in programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Kimble fled to the Philippines rather than face accountability in the United States.
“Fleeing the United States does not mean you can flee justice,” Blanche <a href="https://x.com/TheJusticeDept/status/2068069402109423726">wrote</a> on X.
“Instead of facing accountability for his $1.2 billion Medicare fraud crimes in the United States, Kimble fled to the Philippines hoping to escape justice,” Blanche continued. “That plan failed.”
Blanche said the FBI has now apprehended two fraudsters from its recently unveiled list in just two weeks, adding that there are “more to come.”

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A concerned mother called authorities over her son&#8217;s alleged role in plotting an attack at the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House over the weekend after she noticed alarming behavior.
Officers responded to the family&#8217;s home on the evening of June 10 after the mother, Danielle Proper, called about a &#8220;disturbance&#8221; involving her son Tycen Proper, according to a criminal complaint. She grew concerned over his recent firearms purchases and communications with random individuals online who claimed to be military veterans and Christians.
The 19-year-old allegedly used $3,000 of his graduation money to purchase “several boxes of ammunition (estimated by law enforcement to be in the thousands of rounds of ammunition), two plate carriers with AR-style magazines, an AR-style rifle, and a bullpup rifle painted with an American flag.&#8221; The weapons were turned over to law enforcement.
Proper later admitted that he and multiple others were plotting to execute an attack involving explosive drones and snipers at the White House event Sunday, according to the complaint.<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/DtijUF01TWHV6XwVU3BFOpWQJ4lC01CHrK?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=33a8430f-ed29-41d4-80e2-a98082a95a9d&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-6-16%20TikToks%20surface%20of%20White%20House%20UFC%20suspect&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F9836b883-a12d-4398-b27b-174ce8e6d166.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The suspect&#8217;s mother, an Ohio-based cosmetologist, broke her silence Wednesday, posting a Bible verse to her Facebook page.
&#8220;Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,&#8221; the post read.
One user commented: &#8220;I can&#8217;t begin to imagine how difficult your choice, the right one, was, but you undoubtedly saved untold numbers of lives, including Tycen&#8217;s. You know we&#8217;re praying &#8230; We love you guys!&#8221;
Another wrote, &#8220;You have done the hardest thing but the Lord will hold you tightly in His tenderest care because of it!&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1117999" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1117999" class="size-medium wp-image-1117999" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-17T112530.517-300x228.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="228" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-17T112530.517-300x228.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-17T112530.517-758x576.jpg 758w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-17T112530.517-768x583.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-2026-06-17T112530.517.jpg 1332w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Danielle Proper on Facebook</div>
She also shared a video of a Christian musician singing about her desperation for &#8220;help.&#8221;
&#8220;Oh God, I&#8217;m desperate, down on my knees, send help from heaven cause that&#8217;s what I need. Redeem this wreckage, restore my peace. I&#8217;m not asking I&#8217;m begging, Lord come through for me,&#8221; the musician sang.
Proper was arrested in Ohio and hit with four criminal charges, including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, attempted murder against any officer or employee of the United States, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and receipt or transfer of a firearm used to commit a felony, according to the complaint.
Law enforcement authorities also arrested four others for their alleged roles in the plot.
Proper&#8217;s parents told authorities that the 19-year-old had recently quit his job and begun messaging online with unknown individuals about plans to carry out “missions” and “recons,” according to the complaint.
Proper&#8217;s family members said he had become increasingly isolated and recently made “sympathetic comments about Adolf Hitler” while “posting anti-Semitic comments on Facebook,” the complaint said.
Proper&#8217;s mother said her son&#8217;s conversations with his alleged coconspirators online led him &#8220;to lean heavily into his religion,&#8221; adding that &#8220;she believed that those individuals were using religion to manipulate and influence her son.&#8221;
Upon searching Proper&#8217;s phone, authorities found Signal groups “that laid out detailed plans” to carry out an attack in Washington, D.C., featuring maps of sniper positions and potential drone launch sites, according to the complaint. Proper later confessed to his leading role in “planning … a coordinated attack” during the UFC event at the White House.
Proper wrote in one of the chats on or about May 13 that he “got a possible target,&#8221; whom he identified as &#8220;Marsha Blackburn &#8230; senator for Tennessee,” saying they should target her for taking “money from the Israel pro Israel lobby and supports them,&#8221; according to the complaint.
On May 31, he allegedly sent messages saying, “These are people we’re going to focus on,” before sharing photos of Senator Jim Justice, Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Rep. Carol Miller, and Rep. Riley Moore. The four images appeared to have been taken from the website “TrackAIPAC.com,” which shows how much cash each lawmaker received “from pro-Israel PACS.”

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Mom Who Turned In Son Over UFC White House Plot Shares Heartbreaking Message

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