US Is Terrorizing Its Own Citizens With “Less-Lethal” Weapons, Victim Says
Human rights experts condemn the increasing use of weapons like tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the Department of Justice has opened an investigation into him.Why it matters: Newsom alleged in a video that the DOJ is going after him at President Trump's direction because he's "considering running for president."The big picture: The apparent probe would be the latest example of a political adversary of the president alleging that Trump has "weaponized" the DOJ to target his enemies. What they're saying: "In recent days, federal agents have knocked on the doors of family friends and former employees," Newsom said in his statement."Not because they found a crime. Because they are simply trying to find one. They are demanding records. They are 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 am considering running for President. Because he hates that I've consistently called him out – over and over again – for his lies and deceit.""Donald Trump is simply the most corrupt President in American history. He has turned the levers of government into his own personal power ministries to reward cronies and to try to jail his opponents. His personal attorney now runs the Department of Justice, which has repeatedly gone after his political enemies."The other side: The White House referred Axios to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Context: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche previously represented Trump in cases involving his retention of classified documents, his 2020 election interference case and his New York "hush money" case.Zoom in: Newsom said that the probe resembles investigations into Former FBI Director James Comey, NY Attorney General Leticia James and Sen. Adam Schiff.Prosecutors were unable to secure an indictment in James' case and a court dismissed one of the cases against Comey. Zoom out: Newsom is widely seen as one of the biggest heavyweights for the 2028 presidential election, alongside former Vice President Kamala Harris.He's gained real traction and engagement on social media for trolling the president by imitating Trump's signature posting style. Newsom also came out with a new book in February called "Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery," which was widely viewed as the first step to launching a campaign.Watch: Newsom tells Axios, "I'm used to Trump attacking me 24/7. 'New-scum,' the whole thing."Go deeper: Swear Trump's weaponization fund is dead to kill lawsuit, judge saysEditor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.
Human rights experts condemn the increasing use of weapons like tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets.
President Donald Trump denied claims that the United States would pay Iran as part of a peace deal. The details of the peace agreement with Iran haven’t been made public, but one reported detail was a $300 billion reconstruction fund that would be paid for by the U.S. or its allies. Trump firmly shot the […]
California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed Monday that the Trump administration has opened a criminal investigation into him and his wife, characterizing it as politically motivated retaliation. According to The New York Times, multiple federal investigations are underway. These are said to be examining the governor and his wife's finances, initiated by California-based federal law enforcement officials rather than Trump appointees in Washington. Federal agents have contacted several people linked to their family and allegedly subpoenaed banking records, though Newsom's office has not seen written documentation. Newsom, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, has floated as a 2028 presidential contender. In a video statement published Monday, Newsom said, "He's coming after me because I am considering running for President." He characterized Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — Trump's personal attorney — as weaponizing the Justice Department against political enemies, citing investigations into Jerome Powell, James Comey, Tish James, Adam Schiff, Tim Walz, and E. Jean Carroll. Newsom concluded, "One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on his hit list. And today, I proudly join that list."Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.
President Donald Trump's attack on Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, could have unexpected repercussions, a CNN conservative columnist said on Monday.S.E. Cupp described how Trump's move could backfire on the Republican Party ahead of the 2028 presidential election. And for Newsom, who has considered running, the investigation could ultimately work in the top Democrat's favor."This is exactly what Gavin Newsom wants," Cupp said. "It's why he got dressed up, put on a tie and stood behind the seal of the state of California, and posted this very dramatic press conference because he wants to be Trump's main foil. That is good for business. And what Trump doesn't seem to realize yet is it's bad for Trump." Shelby Talcott, Semafor's White House correspondent, wrote in a post on X that the investigation could be part of a number of probes."New: A source familiar with the situation tells me that there are 'several investigations' ongoing relating to Gov. Gavin Newsom — I’m told they are focused on his wife’s taxes + his chief of staff," Talcott wrote. "They did not originate from the main DOJ, but are out of Sacramento and involve whistleblowers, per source. DOJ is declining to comment."Cupp pointed to previous polling and how Trump's influence has weighed in on other major Democratic campaigns."I'll remind people that James Talarico was polling double digits behind Jasmine Crockett in Texas before Trump pointed at him and said, 'that interview you did with Stephen Colbert, that's a big problem, and I'm coming for you,'" Cupp said.That backfired for Trump and Republicans. And it's not the only time it's happened."Well, that was great for James Talarico and for business," Cupp said. "Same [with] Mark Kelly when Trump pointed at Mark Kelly and attacked him for that video where he was encouraging servicemen and women not to follow illegal orders. Well, Mark Kelly just became a presidential nominee because of that. So he has a habit of making these guys, turning them into resistance heroes. And Gavin Newsom has been reaping the benefits of that, and I'm sure is looking forward to this fight."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that he and his wife are being investigated by the Justice Department and accused President Donald Trump of targeting him for political reasons.“Today, my wife & I joined Donald Trump’s hit list.
This live blog is now closed.Gavin Newsom says Trump directed DoJ to investigate him and his wifeSign up for the Breaking News US emailJD Vance also dodged the question when he was asked by CNBC who would be at the signing of the agreement on Friday.Without addressing who would be present for the US side, he said they “expect the negotiating team from the Iranian side is going to be the Speaker of the House [Mohammad Bagher] Ghalibaf, and also the foreign minister [Abbas] Araghchi, along with a number of security officials and people who represent the different constituencies within their country.”I think it’s a great day for the American people … our expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term.That’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations. There are a lot of very important details to figure out that we’re actually going to sit at the table and discuss together and figure out a path forward on these details.And what we’ve said is, OK, let’s talk about how exactly we’re going to do that.They want access to an unsanctioned economy. We’ve talked about, ‘OK, we’re open to that,’ but that would require a long-term commitment to the inspection and verification regime. Continue reading...
The vice president, in an interview with NBC News, also said text of the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran won’t be released until Friday.
Vice President JD Vance spoke with NBC News' Tom Llamas about the announcement of a deal being reached between the U.S. and Iran to end the war in the Middle East. Vance said that nuclear inspectors will be allowed back into Iran under the agreement, as a signing ceremony is set to be held in Switzerland.