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LAW

⚖️ Former FBI Director James Comey indicted

It took 20 years, but Martha Stewart appears to have finally gotten her revenge. A federal grand jury in the D.C. suburbs indicted former FBI Director James Comey on two felony charges for allegedly lying to Congress back in 2020.

The grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, approved two of the three criminal counts proposed by the Department of Justice (DOJ): Making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. Both charges are punishable by up to five years in prison.

• A federal grand jury has between 16 and 23 members. At least 12 must agree to charge someone with a crime.

• During a trial, the jury typically has 12 members. All 12 must agree to convict someone of the crime.

Who is this guy? James Comey was named director of the FBI by President Obama in 2013. He served in that role until President Trump fired him in 2017. During the Dubya years, Comey served as a high-level official in the Department of Justice (DOJ). Until 2016, he was a registered Republican.

• Weird fun fact #1: No Democrat has ever served as director of the FBI. Even Democratic presidents have appointed Republicans.

• Weird fun fact #2: During his time at the DOJ, Comey was the guy who prosecuted Martha Stewart.

Since getting canned eight years ago, Comey has been an active opponent of Trump. Back in May, he posted an "86 47" message on social media that many interpreted as a call for violence against the president.

• Democrats criticized Comey in 2016 for reopening an FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server just two weeks before Election Day.

What’s the alleged crime? Prosecutors say Comey “willfully and knowingly” lied to Congress while under oath during a testimony in 2020. Sen. Ted Cruz asked Comey whether he had authorized anyone at the FBI to leak information to the media about investigations related to Trump and Clinton during his time as director. He said he hadn’t. According to the DDOJ, that’s not true.

Opinions vary on whether this is a legit indictment or just Trump weaponizing the government to go after his enemies.

• Legit: Lying to Congress is a crime. Comey clearly lied, so he’s paying the price. Attorney General Pam Bondi, head of the DOJ, said, “No one is above that law” and that those who “abuse positions of power” will be held “accountable for misleading the American people."

• Not legit: Digging through Senate archives for a verbal flub proves this is just Trump going after someone he doesn't like. He even fired the last prosecutor and hired a new one who agreed to move forward with this. Comey responded to the charges, saying, “I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump."

Next steps: Comey’s first court date is October 9. He’ll probably plead not guilty, while his lawyers will try to get the charges thrown out by the judge.

In related news, President Trump has directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue the death penalty in certain federal criminal cases in Washington, D.C.

GOVERNMENT

🍎 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested a man they claim is an illegal immigrant from Guyana, South America. He reportedly tried to evade capture by hiding in the bushes. ICE says the guy's an active fugitive with a minor gun-related charge in 2020 who's had a deportation order on the books since May 2024. Why is this particular arrest controversial? Because Dr. Ian Andre Roberts isn't some random dishwasher or construction worker — he's the superintendent of Iowa's largest public school district. In other ICE news, an officer has been relieved of duty after a video showed him shoving a woman to the ground in New York City. An ICE statement called his behavior "unacceptable."

🌲 RIP, Portlandia. President Trump federalized part of the state-run Oregon Army National Guard on Saturday. He ordered 200 troops to Portland for a 60-day deployment. Trump authorized them to use "full force" to protect federal immigration (ICE) facilities in the area, which he said are "under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists." Local and state officials say the move is illegal and have already filed a lawsuit to stop it. Gov. Tina Kotek accused Trump of abusing his authority here, arguing "there is no insurrection" and thus no need for troops.

🛑 The U.S. Department of State revoked Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visa on Friday due to alleged “reckless and incendiary actions.” Petro attended a pro-Palestine protest in New York City on Friday. The State Department claims he used his perch there to urge "soldiers to disobey orders and incite violence." But Petro says revoking his visa violates international law. He was in New York for meetings at the United Nations, which he claims gives him "total immunity," which the U.S. cannot infringe upon as the U.N.'s host nation.

POLITICS

💰️ Washington works overtime to prevent shutdown

The clock is ticking. If Congress doesn’t fund the government, all nonessential services will shut down on Wednesday. They’re trying to pass a short-term two-month funding bill, but disagree on the details.

• Getting a one-party bill through the Republican-controlled House isn’t a problem.

• But, due to the Senate’s filibuster rules, passing this in the upper chamber will require 60 votes.

• That means Republicans will have to convince 7 Democrats to vote for their bill, ooor Democrats will need to flip 13 Republicans.

The top Senate Democrat, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), said keeping the government open “depends on the Republicans.” He wants a “serious negotiation” over funding healthcare subsidies and tax credits (for the Obamacare exchange) that are set to expire at the end of the year.

The White House claims the Dems want “free health care for illegal aliens.” And Senate Republicans say they’re willing to have that healthcare debate … once the shutdown crisis is averted.

• The two sides are meeting with President Trump at the White House today. But time is running out, and neither side seems willing to budge.

Republicans might win this fight either way. These things usually result in a bunch of federal government employees getting sent home for a while. But Trump’s budget director, Russ Vought, is working hard to turn those temporary furloughs into permanent layoffs.

Meanwhile, over in the world of elections:

1. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of NYC’s mayoral race, lending a hand to Normie Democrat™ Andrew Cuomo in his bid to defeat Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani.

2. Rahm Emanuel (D) has served in Congress, as Obama’s chief of staff, as mayor of Chicago, and as ambassador to Japan. Now, he wants to add another role to that list: 2028 presidential candidate.

3. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) signed a new congressional map into law that’s designed to flip a seat from D to R in next year’s midterm elections. Now, North Carolina Republicans are considering doing the same.

TRIVIA

The good people of Moldova — a lil guy just west of Ukraine — cast their votes in a pivotal election this weekend. Counting is still underway, but the pro-European Union side seems to have soundly defeated the party that would prefer closer ties to Russia.

The place has been independent since the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991. But the idea of being “Moldovan” isn’t super clear-cut. There’s even a growing movement to do away with Moldova altogether and unite it with the country next door. With which country do many Moldovans want to merge?

Hint: The country gets its name from an ancient empire. Its capital is Bucharest.

BRIEFS

● President Trump will attend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's last-minute meeting with top military brass on Tuesday in Quantico, Virginia. Hegseth hastily summoned generals and admirals from around the world to discuss the need for "warrior ethos."

● A 40-year-old gunman killed at least two people and injured eight others at a Mormon church in Michigan on Sunday. He drove his vehicle into the building, set the place on fire, and opened fire before being killed by police. His motive isn’t yet known.

● United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled plans for a new digital ID card. Anyone hoping to work in the U.K. will need the new ID. Starmer says the policy was designed to address voter concerns over illegal migration.

● Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is in talks to lead a potential post-war government in the Gaza Strip. The idea for a five-year Gaza International Transitional Authority is supported by the United Nations and nearby Arab countries.

● Ten years after lifting them, the U.N. on Saturday reinstated an arms embargo and tough economic sanctions on Iran. Three European countries forced the change and accused Iran of refusing to cooperate with rules designed to nix its nuclear program.

QUOTE

ANSWER

There’s a strong debate among nerds over whether being ethnically Moldovan is even a thing or if it’s just another word for the ethnic group next door in Romania. The two languages, Romanian and Moldovan, are identical, and a significant number of Moldovans consider themselves ethnically Romanian.