Vance Boelter, the suspected assassin who killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, has reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.According to The New York Times, "The Justice Department’s letter to the judge described 'a proposed plea agreement' and asked for a hearing in which Mr. Boelter could change his not guilty plea." While the letter did not give details on the nature of the agreement, the letter "said that prosecutors would not seek the death penalty."Boelter was also accused of shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, who survived the attack.The assassination of Hortman sparked political fears around the country, including worries that more such killings could happen in an elevated climate of anger.
The New York Times had historians look at President Donald Trump's presidential walk of fame and called out obvious biases and an odd writing style.Trump's "Walk of Fame" features 47 plaques and a summary of all of the 47 presidencies, including Trump's. According to a detailed article by the Times, the histories are skewed and "peppered with falsehoods, misrepresentations, insults, praise, self-promotion and erratic capitalizations."Historians familiar with Democratic and Republican presidencies looked at the summaries included in the walkway and found a "skewed narrative" that cast Trump "as the protagonist." The summaries are written in "Trump's signature hyperbolic style, as seen in his social media posts," the Times wrote based on feedback from the historians.Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in a statement, "As a student of history, many were written directly by the president himself." Sean Wilentz, an American history professor at Princeton University, told the Times that the presidential walk of fame is "not so much bad history as it is anti-historical."The Times also noted a "sharper and more partisan tone" in the summaries for more recent presidents such as Joe Biden and Barack Obama. The "Walk of Fame" also describes the White House ballroom as already built, and the description of the first year of Trump's second term is longer than those for presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt combined.
President Donald Trump declared, "I love the inflation," while signing the Secure America Act, drawing swift criticism from Democratic leaders and political analysts. Inflation has climbed to its highest level since 2023, currently at 4.2%. Reactions poured in. "Trump really said, 'I love the inflation.' On camera. For all of America to hear. His contempt for you knows no bounds," Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wrote on X."Donald Trump just said 'I love the inflation,' while handing over another $70 billion to ICE thugs. This administration doesn’t care about working people," Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) wrote on X.Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov suggested the statement handed Democrats the midterms, while economist Ben Zipperer sarcastically noted real wages have declined to January 2025 levels due to inflation.UC Riverside public policy professor Stan Oklobdzija wrote on Bluesky, "Imagine if a political reporter decided to treat Trump's brain-pudding ramblings seriously and wrote a story that led with 'President declares 'Love' for Inflation' and then asked prominent Republicans whether they also loved the 4.2% CPI increase."Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.
Republican lawmakers were not pleased after President Donald Trump said he was not concerned about inflation, telling reporters on Wednesday, "I love the inflation."Trump signed the Secure America Act surrounded by GOP leaders in the Oval Office when reporters asked him to respond to rising inflation, which reached its highest level since 2023. In a series of exclusive interviews with Raw Story, several congressional members reacted to the president's comments and skyrocketing inflation hitting the economy.Sen. Ron Johnson (R-MN) was not happy about the inflation spike."I don't like it, nor do the American people," Johnson said. When asked if he was concerned that Trump's comments could impact Republicans, the loyal MAGA senator had a quick response."I'm opposed to inflation," Johnson added.Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) chuckled when Raw Story asked him about the new inflation numbers."Inflation is created over time, and it was a f------ disaster for four years," Tuberville said, arguing that the pandemic had complicated the economy."It's a huge problem," Tuberville said. The longtime Republican lawmaker declined to comment on the president's remarks."No comment," Tuberville added.Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told Raw Story that he was concerned about the cost of living for Americans."Inflation is a challenge and it puts a real burden on working men and women," Cruz said.Cruz claimed he has seen "significant victories" in driving down the cost of housing and food — but rising costs at the pump remain a problem."But gas prices are up," Cruz said, blaming the Biden administration and citing gas prices from the previous administration, then saying it was a "short-term effect" of the military conflict in the Middle East."I think this war in Iran will be resolved and if we can see a stable government there that is not antagonistic to the United States, I think that will have a long-term downward pressure on gas prices, which would be a good thing. I want gas and I want all of the expenses of everyday life to be affordable to Americans, and more affordable."When asked if Trump would benefit from speaking more clearly — and honestly — to Americans about the affordability crisis, Cruz sidestepped the question."The president can speak for himself and I'm confident he will continue doing so," Cruz added.Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) told Raw Story inflation was "high" and suggested that changing that could come down to the gas tax."That's what's driving the inflation — the energy," Hawley said. "If we took 20 percent off the gas tax, that would be a huge help to people." Hawley said he had not seen or heard Trump's comments yet.Democrats also had thoughts about the president's comment.Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) was stunned by Trump's praise for inflation amid a struggling economy, citing how her constituents have been struggling to pay for groceries and gas."It's crazy, he's out of touch with Nevadans, and I'm sure the rest of the country," she said.
President Donald Trump set a dubious presidential record during his latest medical checkup, according to reporting by the Washington Post.Although the White House hasn't said why, Trump was assessed by 22 medical specialists during his latest checkup, according to the Post. That's a new record for presidents, outpacing President George W. Bush by 10 specialists."It is an extraordinary number," Jonathan Reiner, the longtime cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney, told the Post. "What specialties do they represent? Why so many?"The Post looked at Trump's medical records released by the White House. The 22 medical specialists that Trump saw nearly doubled the number who assessed him during his first term, according to the Post. Trump saw 11 specialists during a 2019 checkup. Last year, he saw 14 specialists in a single checkup, the Post reported based on past medical reports from the White House.According to the Post, the specialists that Trump saw included physicians affiliated with Harvard, Duke University, and other well-known institutions, including generalist physicians.White House officials explained the record number of specialists at his latest checkup by saying it was commensurate with the need for a "complete and preventive evaluation," the Post reported, adding that the president's physician said Trump is in "excellent health.""The involvement of multiple specialists reflects a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation consistent with best practices for executive-level medical care," The White House told the Post in a statement. "We have nothing to hide."
