TV News LIES

Federal officials tasked with implementing the Trump administration’s “mass deportation” program faced an extraordinary campaign of intimidation inside the Department of Homeland Security during the final months of Kristi Noem’s tenure and the arrival of her successor, a Guardian investigation found.

Over the past four months, the Guardian spoke with more than three dozen current and former Department of Homeland Security officials who described a climate of fear driven by Trump loyalists in senior positions, who sidelined or removed career officials who raised concerns about possibly illegal acts, and threatened termination or arrest in order to stop dissent. Several have also claimed they were subjected to polygraph examinations conducted by US military personnel.

In the past year-and-a-half, entire offices were dismantled, and oversight bodies were stripped of staff and authority. The divisions responsible for refugee policy, asylum, humanitarian protections and family unity were among the hardest hit. The practices have continued during the leadership transition to Markwayne Mullin, the current and former officials said.

“I wanted to work with refugees,” said Harun Ahmed, a former deputy chief in the refugee affairs law division at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in a phone interview from Texas. “I wanted to help. I believe in public service.”

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The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is being drained again for another round of repairs, marking another setback in President Trump’s multimillion-dollar renovation of the historic Washington, D.C. landmark.

Trump had hoped to have the pool ready to be showcased by July 4, when the nation would celebrate its 250th anniversary, but the project quickly ran into problems. Peeling paint was seen on the surface and green algae blooms were seen in the water, prompting yet another round of repairs.

The delay caused disappointment for tourists who traveled to Washington in hopes of viewing the newly renovated pool.

“It kind of makes me sad a little bit,” Lindsay Anderson, a visitor from Nebraska, told DC News Now.

“I think it’s unfortunate that a lot of people are here in our nation’s capital.”

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A federal judge has awarded Hunter Biden $1.7 million in punitive damages in a defamation lawsuit against former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, ruling that Byrne made false claims about Biden’s alleged involvement in a bribery scheme with Iran, according to reporting from The Guardian and The Hill.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson of the Central District of California issued the judgment Friday after finding that Byrne acted with “intentional misrepresentation” and “conscious disregard” for Biden’s rights. The judge also awarded Biden $1 in nominal damages and ordered Byrne to pay nearly $35,000 in court sanctions.

The lawsuit, filed by Biden in 2023, centered on claims Byrne made in interviews and online that Biden had sought an $800 million bribe from Iran while his father, former President Joe Biden, was in office. Byrne alleged that Hunter Biden offered to help persuade his father to unfreeze billions of dollars in Iranian assets and take a softer approach during nuclear negotiations.

Biden denied the allegations, accusing Byrne of knowingly spreading false information designed to damage his reputation. The case had been scheduled for a jury trial, but Wilson entered a default judgment after Byrne failed to appear and the judge said he repeatedly disobeyed court orders and delayed proceedings.

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Lawyers for the suspect accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk are expected to keep questioning the reliability of DNA testing that prosecutors said links the defendant to the suspected murder weapon when a weeklong hearing continues Wednesday.

A member of Tyler Robinson's defense team interrogated a DNA analyst from the FBI on Tuesday about the techniques she used to connect Robinson to a rifle found wrapped inside a towel at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot in September while speaking to a crowd.

Defense lawyer Michael Burt cast doubt on the analyst's conclusions — a theme that's likely to come up again during the five-day preliminary hearing.

"She can't match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples," Burt concluded.

Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride countered that the reliability of the DNA testing could be examined if the case goes to trial. He suggested the preliminary hearing was not the time to take up the matter.

"The point is there are explanations that are susceptible to different interpretations and arguments," McBride said. "The court is going to determine if it meets the threshold of reliability at trial."

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Tensions between the Trump administration and the Smithsonian Institution have escalated after a White House report accused the National Museum of American History of promoting a "radical, activist ideology."

In the days after the report was released, historians rallied around the museum, Smithsonian leadership criticized the report, and visitors – including some supporters of President Donald Trump – told USA TODAY they saw little evidence of a https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/10/trump-smithsonian-national-museum-american-history/90860071007/radical agenda at the museum.

The 162-page report, released July 4 by the White House Domestic Policy Council, is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing review of the Smithsonian, which includes 21 museums and the National Zoo.

The report accuses the museum of overemphasizing themes like racism and inequality and says its leaders steered from historical scholarship toward social justice advocacy. It also argues that the museum's exhibits fail to sufficiently highlight American achievements and instead "teach disdain and inspire disgust of our great country."

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President Donald Trump has terminated two of the federal Election Assistance Commission's three members, eliminating the panel's ability to help local election officials prepare for the 2026 midterms.

The two commissioners selected by congressional Democrats, Chairman Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland, each received an email dismissing them on July 9. USA TODAY has reviewed a copy of that email.

Christy McCormick, the commission's vice chair who was selected by congressional Republicans, resigned June 9.

“These removals leave the agency without leadership and unable to carry out its major responsibilities,” Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, said in a statement.

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