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Latest developments and key stories from across the United States
A group of former judges has asked a federal court to reopen President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. They say the government bypassed the court by making a deal that set up a $1.776 billion fund for people claiming they were treated unfairly by the government.
Key Facts
Former federal judges want a court to reopen President Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS.
The issue is about a $1.776 billion fund created through a settlement.
The fund is for individuals who believe the government treated them unfairly.
The judges argue the government avoided proper court process by making this deal.
The settlement happened during President Trump’s administration.
The lawsuit involves questions about government accountability and legal procedures.
The judges represent both political parties (a bipartisan group).
The court will decide whether to reopen the case based on this request.
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The Trump administration secretly ordered prosecutors in Miami not to investigate Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who had been targeted by U.S. drug officials. This decision reflects efforts to improve relations with Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro’s removal and to encourage stability and U.S. investment in the country.
Key Facts
Federal prosecutors in Miami were told to avoid criminal investigations into Delcy Rodríguez.
Rodríguez has long been monitored by U.S. drug enforcement but was never charged.
The Justice Department said there was never an official investigation to close.
The pause was to help stabilize Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro was captured and removed.
The White House’s direct involvement in the decision is unclear.
President Trump praised Rodríguez and the U.S. later lifted sanctions against her.
The U.S. now recognizes Rodríguez as Venezuela’s sole leader.
This allows her to restore banking ties and attract U.S. investors.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the Republican Party must fully support Ken Paxton after Paxton won the GOP runoff election in Texas against Senator John Cornyn. Thune emphasized the importance of winning the November election to keep Texas under Republican control and stop a liberal Democrat from gaining the Senate seat.
Key Facts
John Cornyn lost the Texas GOP Senate runoff to Ken Paxton.
President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton after not backing a candidate earlier in the primary.
Thune previously supported Cornyn but now urges full support for Paxton.
The Texas Senate seat is important for maintaining the Republican majority in the Senate.
The Democratic nominee in November will be James Talarico.
Thune said the GOP must work hard to keep Texas "red," meaning Republican.
Democratic efforts aim to take control of the Senate and House in the upcoming elections.
Paxton and Talarico have publicly criticized each other on social media following the runoff.
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Timothy Hudson, a 16-year-old, is charged with sexually assaulting and killing his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, during a Carnival Cruise. A judge has decided that Timothy will stay free for now while the court reviews further arguments.
Key Facts
Timothy Hudson is 16 years old.
He is charged with sexually assaulting and killing his stepsister, Anna Kepner.
Anna Kepner was 18 years old.
The incident happened on a Carnival Cruise ship.
A hearing took place on Wednesday to discuss the case.
The judge ruled that Timothy will remain free temporarily.
The court is still considering more information before making a final decision.
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President Joe Biden is suing the U.S. Justice Department to stop them from releasing audio recordings and transcripts of his private interviews with a ghostwriter. These interviews were used in a special counsel investigation about how Biden managed classified documents.
Key Facts
President Biden gave private interviews to a ghostwriter.
The interviews were recorded and transcribed.
These materials were later part of a special counsel’s investigation.
The investigation focused on Biden’s handling of classified documents.
Biden is trying to prevent the Justice Department from releasing these recordings and transcripts.
The lawsuit aims to keep these private conversations confidential.
The news was reported by CBS News and legal expert Jessica Levinson.
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Members of the U.S. Congress congratulated Major Garrett on the first anniversary of his show "The Takeout" on CBS News 24/7. The event took place on a Wednesday and recognized the show's one-year milestone.
Key Facts
"The Takeout" is a show on CBS News 24/7.
Major Garrett is the host of the show.
The show reached its one-year anniversary.
Members of the U.S. Congress offered congratulations to Major Garrett.
The congratulatory event happened on a Wednesday.
CBS News provided coverage and access through their app and website.
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Senator Marco Rubio said the United States will not allow any more Ebola patients into the country. The Trump administration plans to set up a special center in Kenya to quarantine and treat Americans who have been exposed to Ebola overseas.
Key Facts
The U.S. will stop allowing Ebola patients to enter the country.
The Trump administration will create an Ebola quarantine and treatment center in Kenya.
The center is meant for Americans exposed to Ebola outside the U.S.
Senator Marco Rubio made the statement about stopping Ebola patient entries.
This plan aims to contain the virus and protect public health in the U.S.
The announcement was reported by CBS News.
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The U.S. Department of Justice has started a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault. The investigation is looking into whether Carroll lied under oath during her civil lawsuits against President Trump.
Key Facts
E. Jean Carroll, a former Elle magazine writer, accused President Trump of sexual assault.
Carroll won a $5 million judgment in civil court against President Trump.
The DOJ is investigating if Carroll committed perjury, which means lying under oath.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is not involved in this investigation because he previously represented President Trump in this matter.
The investigation is led by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Andrew Boutros.
The DOJ has opened other investigations involving political opponents of President Trump.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the investigation.
Carroll’s lawyers also declined to comment.
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President Donald Trump accused Iran of delaying peace talks to wait out the US midterm elections in November. He said Iran's economy is in bad shape and believes they want to make a deal, but current talks have not succeeded.
Key Facts
President Trump claims Iran is stalling peace negotiations until after the US midterm elections.
Iran allegedly aims to pressure the US and global economies by threatening the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Trump states Iran’s economy faces 250% inflation and collapsing currency value.
Peace talks to end a nearly three-month conflict are ongoing but have not reached an agreement.
Trump endorsed Ken Paxton in the Texas Republican Senate primary; Paxton won against Senator John Cornyn.
Trump’s administration is considering stopping international flights in some cities due to immigration protests.
Protests and violence occurred at a New Jersey ICE detention center during a hunger strike.
A company led by a Republican fundraiser pardoned by Trump won a $106 million federal contract.
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A former US government official, David Rush, was arrested after FBI agents found over $40 million worth of gold bars in his Virginia home. Rush allegedly requested the gold and large amounts of foreign currency from the government for work purposes but did not report what happened to them.
Key Facts
David Rush is a former senior official who recently worked at the CIA.
FBI found about 303 gold bars weighing around one kilogram each in his home.
The gold bars are worth more than $40 million based on current prices.
Rush also had about $2 million in US cash and 35 luxury watches at his home.
He was charged with criminal theft of public money.
Court papers say Rush lied about his education and military service on job applications.
Rush requested gold and foreign currency from the government for supposed work expenses between November 2025 and March 2026.
The CIA could not find records of Rush explaining what happened to the gold or money.
The FBI acted after CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred the case following an internal CIA investigation.
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Ken Paxton won the Texas Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. Political experts shared their views on his win and on President Trump’s recent remarks about not focusing on the upcoming midterm elections.
Key Facts
Ken Paxton won the Texas GOP Senate primary.
Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist, and T.W. Arrighi, a Republican strategist, discussed the results.
They appeared on the CBS News show called "The Takeout."
President Donald Trump said he doesn’t care about the midterm elections.
The discussion covered how Paxton’s win and Trump’s comments might affect the midterms.
The political strategists gave their analysis of the situation.
The information was shared through CBS News and its app.
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Jill Biden said she was scared during the 2024 debate because she thought President Biden might be having a stroke. She shared this in an interview on CBS Sunday Morning.
Key Facts
Jill Biden expressed fear during the 2024 debate.
She thought President Biden was having a stroke at that time.
The statement was made in an interview aired on CBS Sunday Morning.
The interview was teased ahead of its full airing on Sunday.
Political strategists discussed the interview and debate performance later on a CBS News show.
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A police officer in Palm Beach County pulled over Kathleen Thomas in February and cited her for using a phone with her right hand while driving. However, Thomas does not have a right hand. The officer later asked for the citation to be dropped.
Key Facts
Kathleen Thomas was stopped by a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy.
She was accused of holding a phone with her right hand while driving.
Thomas does not have a right hand.
The traffic stop was recorded on the officer’s body camera.
After reviewing the situation, the officer requested the citation be dismissed.
The incident happened in February.
The footage is available on CBS News.
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An anti-abortion activist, Joanna Howe, admitted that a picture she used, claiming it showed human fetuses, was likely of sugar glider babies instead. She said the mistake did not change her message opposing abortion and continued to use the image in her campaign.
Key Facts
Joanna Howe is an anti-abortion activist in Australia who used an image she believed showed twin human fetuses named Ruth and Emma.
The image was actually a photo of baby sugar gliders taken from a TikTok video.
Howe received the image via email and said she was "scammed" but called it an "insignificant detail."
Despite knowing the image was probably not human, she continued to use it to promote an upcoming rally.
The activist has worked with politicians to try to restrict abortion access.
Authorities have previously tried to remove a different fetal image circulated by Howe and others.
The person who sent Howe the sugar glider image emailed under a fake name to test her fact-checking.
Howe renamed the Sydney rally "the rally for Emma and Ruth," referring to the image.
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Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico apologized for past comments about religion and gender that some have criticized. He said these remarks were meant to provoke discussion and that attacks on him are distractions from the issues tied to Republican opponent Ken Paxton, who faces corruption allegations.
Key Facts
James Talarico is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate race in Texas.
Talarico previously said "God is non-binary" during a 2021 Texas legislature debate.
He now calls those comments "cringey" and says they were meant to challenge traditional ideas.
Republican Ken Paxton has used Talarico’s comments in ads to criticize him, including a phrase "Radical Talarico: too low-T for Texas," implying a lack of traditional masculinity.
Paxton is the Texas state Attorney General and the Republican Senate nominee; he was acquitted in a 2023 impeachment trial and faces ethics and personal controversies.
Texas Republicans, including Senate leadership, now support Paxton after earlier favoring incumbent John Cornyn, whom Paxton defeated in the primary.
Democrats hope Talarico can attract independent and moderate Republican voters to win the Senate seat.
Both sides are focusing on cultural issues like transgender rights as part of their campaign strategies.
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Rep. Christian Menefee won the Democratic primary against Rep. Al Green for Texas’ redrawn 18th Congressional District. Menefee spoke with CBS News about his victory after the election on Tuesday.
Key Facts
Christian Menefee and Al Green are both Democratic members of Congress from Texas.
They competed in a primary election for the 18th Congressional District.
The district boundaries were recently changed (redrawn).
Menefee won the primary election held on Tuesday.
Menefee discussed his win in an interview with CBS News reporter Major Garrett.
This primary decides who will represent the Democratic party in the general election.
The race was between two incumbents due to the redrawn district lines.
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A federal appeals court judge has allowed Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist, to stay free while his legal case against the Trump administration is reviewed by the Supreme Court. The judge is from the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals and was appointed by former President George W. Bush.
Key Facts
Mahmoud Khalil is a pro-Palestinian activist involved in a legal case against the Trump administration.
A judge on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals permitted Khalil to remain free during the appeals process.
The judge overseeing this decision is Thomas Hardiman, appointed by former President George W. Bush.
Khalil’s case is now set to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.
The 3rd Circuit had earlier required Khalil’s case to meet certain legal standards before moving forward.
This decision pauses any detention or legal restrictions on Khalil while the review is underway.
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The U.S. government has reinstated sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a UN human rights expert on Palestinian rights, after a judge temporarily stopped the sanctions. The sanctions prevent her from entering the U.S., freeze her assets, and block U.S. entities from doing business with her, following her criticism of Israeli policies.
Key Facts
Francesca Albanese is a UN special rapporteur focused on the occupied Palestinian territory.
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control placed her on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) sanctions list.
The sanctions were first announced in July 2025 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio under President Trump’s administration.
Albanese recommended the International Criminal Court issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials, which happened in November 2024.
The sanctions bar Albanese from entering the U.S., freeze her U.S. assets, and prevent U.S. businesses from working with her.
Albanese’s family filed a lawsuit claiming the sanctions disrupted her life and violated her free speech rights.
A federal judge granted a temporary injunction against the sanctions, but the Trump administration appealed and restored the sanctions list entry.
The sanctions are part of broader U.S. actions against critics of Israeli policies and International Criminal Court officials investigating abuses by U.S. and Israeli forces.
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A group of 35 former federal judges has asked a court to reopen a legal case between President Trump and the federal government. The case involves a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization fund" created to settle a lawsuit about leaked tax returns, which the judges say may be a fraudulent deal.
Key Facts
The fund was created to pay people who say they were harmed by government "weaponization."
The lawsuit was about President Trump accusing the IRS of leaking his tax returns.
The case was dismissed by Judge Kathleen Williams before she could fully review it.
The dismissal happened after President Trump’s lawyers and the government agreed to the settlement.
Retired judges say the settlement may be a fraud on the court and want the case reopened.
The $1.776 billion fund is controversial, with some politicians worried it may be used improperly.
The Justice Department says the fund is fair and decisions will be made by a board chosen by the attorney general.
The retired judges argue Judge Williams can undo the dismissal if fraud is proven.
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The 98th Scripps National Spelling Bee finals will take place on Thursday night. A spelling bee coach shared their goal to help every participant become the best speller they can be.
Key Facts
The 98th National Spelling Bee finals are scheduled for Thursday night.
The event is organized by Scripps.
Tony Dokoupil reported on the spelling bee.
A coach emphasized that every speller has the potential to improve.
The coach’s mission is to make each contestant the best they can be.
The story was featured on CBS News.
The coverage is available on the CBS News app and various web browsers.
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