“The wife of ex-Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was on Thursday sentenced to more than four years in prison for her role in a scheme to trade her husband’s political power for lavish bribes. Nadine Menendez, 58, was convicted in April of plotting with her husband, the former chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to exchange his clout for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz.” (09/11/25)
“President Trump on Tuesday threatened to sue The New York Times for publishing articles related to a sexually suggestive note and drawing that was given to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and appears to have been signed by Mr. Trump. The note was released by Congress this week. Mr. Trump and his aides have denied that he was involved in the creation of the note …. The Times reported in an article on Monday that the signature on the Epstein note … closely resembled the signatures on personal notes that Mr. Trump wrote to New York City officials from 1987 through 2001. In a letter to The Times, a personal lawyer for Mr. Trump …. requested a retraction and apology from The Times. He also raised the prospect that Mr. Trump would file a $10 billion lawsuit against the news organization.” (09/11/25)
“A new Girl Scout cookie that’s reminiscent of a classic ice cream flavor is joining the lineup. Girl Scouts of Northern California and Girl Scouts of the USA announced Wednesday that the latest flavor to join the cookie roster is Exploremores, a sandwich cookie inspired by rocky road ice cream. The new treat — which is made with chocolate, marshmallow and almond-flavor creme — will be available at Girl Scout sales booths and online between Jan. 12 and March 15, 2026. ‘We are thrilled for the new cookie and its theme that perfectly sums up the curious, courageous, and caring spirit of Girl Scouts all across the country,’ Girl Scouts of Northern California CEO Mary-Jane Strom said in a news release. The new flavor comes on the heels of a January announcement that the Girl Scouts would discontinue S’mores and Toast-Yay next year.” (09/10/25)
“The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Thursday said it is seeking information from seven companies including Alphabet, Meta and OpenAI that provide consumer-facing AI-powered chatbots, on how these firms measure, test and monitor potentially negative impacts of the technology. The FTC said it is seeking information on how the companies monetize user engagement, process user inputs and generate outputs in response to user inquiries and also use the information obtained through conversations with the chatbots.” (09/11/25)
“A New Zealand court has rejected the latest bid by internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom to halt his deportation to the United States on charges related to his file-sharing website Megaupload. Dotcom had asked the High Court to review the legality of an official’s August 2024 decision that he should be surrendered to the U.S. to face trial on charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering. It was the latest chapter in a protracted 13-year battle by the U.S. government to extradite the Finnish-German millionaire from New Zealand. The Megaupload founder had applied for what in New Zealand is called a judicial review, in which a judge is asked to evaluate whether an official’s decision was lawful. A judge on Wednesday dismissed Dotcom’s arguments that the decision to deport him was politically motivated and that he would face grossly disproportionate treatment in the U.S.” (09/11/25)
“The Trump administration approved an assistance package worth $14.2 million to assist Lebanon with its efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the U.S. Defense Department announced Wednesday. The Lebanese military will use funds from the Presidential Drawdown Authority package to dismantle arms held by non-state groups, including Hezbollah. On Friday, the Lebanese government welcomed a plan by its army to disarm the Iran-backed Hezbollah. This came after Lebanon’s Cabinet approved of a U.S. proposal to direct the Lebanese military to enforce a state monopoly on weapons by the end of the year.” (09/10/25)
“Republicans triggered the ‘nuclear option’ to change the rules of the Senate on a party-line basis Thursday, a move that will allow them to speed up confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nominees for key executive branch positions. The vote was 53-45 to establish a new rule that allows the Senate to confirm an unlimited number of nominees en bloc, rather than process each one individually. The rule applies to executive branch nominees subject to two hours of Senate debate, including subcabinet picks and ambassadors. It will not affect judicial nominations. Republicans say they’ll allow their own senators to object to individual nominees in any given block, but the rule will strip away the power of the minority party to do the same thing.” (09/11/25)
“A 16-year-old boy who had been radicalized by an ‘extremist network’ fired a revolver multiple times at a suburban Denver high school, wounding two students, authorities said Thursday. Some students ran and others locked down during Wednesday’s shooting at Evergreen High School in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. One of the victims was shot inside the school and another outside. The suspect, a fellow student at the school, later died, officials with the Jefferson County sheriff’s office said. The new details were released at a news conference Thursday.” (09/11/25)
“NASA has begun barring Chinese nationals with valid visas from joining its programs, underscoring the intensifying space race between the rival powers. The policy shift was first reported by Bloomberg News and confirmed by the US government agency. ‘NASA has taken internal action pertaining to Chinese nationals, including restricting physical and cybersecurity access to our facilities, materials, and network to ensure the security of our work,’ NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens told AFP Wednesday. According to Bloomberg, Chinese nationals had previously been allowed to work as contractors or students contributing to research, although not as staff. But on September 5 several individuals told the outlet they were suddenly locked out of IT systems and barred from in-person meetings.” (09/10/25)
“Former North Carolina Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn was arrested Wednesday in Florida on an out-of-county warrant after he failed to show up in court, according to news coverage. Cawthorn was arrested Wednesday morning in Cape Coral for failing to make an appearance in court over an Aug. 19 citation for driving without a valid license, according to Gulf Coast News. The former one-term congressman was later released on a $2,000 bond, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Gulf Coast News reported. … The arrest comes after Axios reported on Sept. 3 that Cawthorn is preparing to launch a 2026 bid for Florida’s 19th congressional district. The open seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, who announced in February that he is running for Florida governor instead of reelection.” (09/11/25)
