Domestic Politics: United States Archives

ICE Detentions Hit Record Levels as Deaths and Medical Failures Mount

2Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Human rights, Immigration, Migration, Types of News: Analysis

ICE Detentions Hit Record Levels as Deaths and Medical Failures Mount

Private Firms Profit, Prisoners Beg for Medical Help, and DHS Investigates Deaths Aug. 26, 2026 ICE announced its agents detained 1,328 people in Virginia and Maryland over a two-week period. September 2, 2026—As the number of people taken and held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement soared this Summer amid reports of “abysmal” conditions at the detention centers. Since President Donald Trump started his second term in office in January 2025, 57 people have died in ICE custody. Last week, a Chinese national by the name of Lianyong Wei died hours after ICE arrested him in Saipan, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Meanwhile, thousands of others have suffered medical emergencies, such as head injuries, dehydration, strokes, and malnutrition, while in ICE custody, ac...

U.S. Economy: Bessent May Tap U.S. Treasury’s General Account to Buy Bonds

24Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Domestic Politics: United States, Global Economics, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Economy: Bessent May Tap U.S. Treasury’s General Account to Buy Bonds

As U.S. Debt Tops $40 Trillion, Debt-Holders Demand Higher Yields August 24, 2026—One of the most notable effects of soaring U.S. national debt are the rising yields on Treasury’s long-term bond market. Bond investors are simply no longer willing to invest in U.S. long-term debt unless the risk premium on those bonds pay higher yields. Since July, yields on Treasury’s long-term bonds have steadily risen. The 10-year and 20-year bonds rose climbed above 5.2 and 5.25, up from 4.7 and 4.74 earlier this year. Meanwhile, the 30-year bond rose by 11.49 percent in the past six months, up to 5.23 percent today. When it peaked at 5.30 percent earlier in the month, it was a two-decade high. That might not seem significant to everyone, but interest rates on long-term debt impact everything f...

US Attorney Drops Criminal Probe Against Federal Reserve

24Apr

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Domestic Politics: United States, Types of News: Brief

US Attorney Drops Criminal Probe Against Federal Reserve

Trump and Powell tour Federal Reserve headquarters, where renovations are taking place, in July 2025. April 24, 2026—Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, announced today that she is closing a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve. Pirro wrote on X that someone has asked the Inspector General of the central bank to “scrutinize the building costs overruns” to settle questions. The criminal probe is part of a larger politicalization of the Justice Department under President Donald Trump. It has also been characterized as a pressure campaign against the central bank to lower interest rates, at the risk of the Fed’s independence. Timeline of Criminal Probe of the Federal Reserve In January, the U.S. Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas t...

Trump to Headline Controversial Memecoin Event at Mar-a-Lago

14Apr

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Domestic Politics: United States, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Types of News: Analysis

Trump to Headline Controversial Memecoin Event at Mar-a-Lago

Event Highlights Questions About Pay-For-Access April 14, 2026—President Donald Trump is expected to headline an upcoming cryptocurrency memecoin conference giving top investors exclusive access at a luncheon at the Trump family’s Mar-a-Lago estate later this month, according to advertisements for the event. It’s an indication that even as the president implements public policy, he takes time off his official role to make money from sales of his personalized, celebrity memecoin. It is another sign of the merging of government and business. Furthermore, it raises concerns about political influence-for-sale amid the opaque world of cryptocurrency. Exclusive Gamified Invite The April 25 event is an exclusive, invite-only gala for people holding the $TRUMP token. It is the second ...

Pre-War, Hegseth Tried to Invest in Military Industrial ETF

31Mar

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Domestic Politics: United States, Types of News: Bit

Pre-War, Hegseth Tried to Invest in Military Industrial ETF

March 31, 2026—Among the news reports about war profits by those in Washington with insider information comes a report about War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Financial Times confirmed in its reporting today that Hegseth may have tried to invest millions of dollars in a fund specializing in the military industrial complex. Hegseth’s broker at Morgan Stanly reportedly contacted BlackRock, which flagged the request for the “high profile potential client.” The fund, iShare Defense Industrials Act (IDEF), has decreased in value by 9.7 percent over the past month but is up by 4 percent so far this year. Its largest holdings include: RTX, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. The FT reported that the investment was not completed because the fund “was not yet available for Morgan Stanley...

Judge Blocks Case Against Fed Chair, Citing Political Motives by Trump

13Mar

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Domestic Politics: United States, Types of News: Bit

Judge Blocks Case Against Fed Chair, Citing Political Motives by Trump

March 13, 2026—A U.S. District Court ruled that a criminal investigation of the Federal Reserve by the D.C. Attorney is politically motivated rather than for a “proper purpose.” In January, the U.S. Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas to the central bank relating to a $2.5 billion renovation at the Fed headquarters. The ruling asserts that President Trump “has long coveted control over interest rates and yearned to lower them to his advantage.” A decision by District Court Judge James Boasberg effectively stops that investigation. He writes in Case 1:26-mc-00012-JEB: “There is abundant evidence that the subpoenas’ dominant (if not sole) purpose is to harass and pressure Powell either to yield to the President or to resign and make way for a Fed Chair who will. On the othe...

U.S. Budget Deficit FY2026 on Track to Top $2 Trillion

10Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Domestic Politics: United States, Types of News: Bit

U.S. Budget Deficit FY2026 on Track to Top $2 Trillion

February 10, 2026—The U.S. budget deficit is on track to top $2 trillion this year. In the first four months of fiscal year 2026, which started on October 1, 2025, the federal government ran a deficit of $696 billion. Revenues increased by 12 percent with higher receipts coming into the government from individual taxes and tariffs. The customs duties saw an increase of $90 billion, four times the amount the government received in 2025. Individual income taxes are projected to reach $925 billion in FY2026. Government spending held steady in the first four months at $2.4 trillion. The largest expenditures in the first four months were: Social Security ($538 billion), Medicare ($402 billion), net interest on the debt ($351 billion), and defense ($324 billion). The data comes from the...

Banking, Cryptocurrency Industries Compete for Washington’s Attention

2Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Domestic Politics: United States, Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Types of News: Brief

Banking, Cryptocurrency Industries Compete for Washington’s Attention

Regulation of Stablecoins: Yield is the Issue February 2, 2026—The White House hosted a two-hour meeting today with representatives from the banking and cryptocurrency industry, two sectors that are likely to compete for capital. Though the meeting was not broadcast live, it reportedly included representatives from the American Bankers Association, the Crypto Council for Innovation, Blockchain Association, PayPal, Ripple, Tether, the Independent Community Bankers of America, and others. According to crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett, the two-hour meeting resulted in a “constructive discussion” on the risks and rewards of stablecoin yield. “Issues were framed so that both sides know where boundaries are,” Terrett posted on X on Monday. Regulations & The CLARITY Act Sinc...

27Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Domestic Politics: Europe, EU, Eurozone, Domestic Politics: United States, Global Economics, Types of News: Infographic

The Rise in Government Debt, 2000-2024

Debt-to-GDP is Soaring in These 20 Countries January 27, 2026—Debt is soaring across the world, but especially in countries considered part of the West. Five out of the seven G7 countries are in the top 10 debtor countries. Debt is measured as a ratio of the size of the economy (gross domestic product). See below how government debt in some countries, such as Japan, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Canada, grew over the past two decades. *The illustrations do not include data from Mexico, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Singapore, most countries in Africa, including Libya, Eritea, Sudan, Kenya, and South Africa, and several countries in South America and Central America. Source: IMF The 20 countries with the highest government debt. Source: IMF

America on the Brink of Turmoil, Tyranny and Perhaps Even Civil Conflict

26Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Domestic Politics: United States, Immigration, Migration, Types of News: Analysis

America on the Brink of Turmoil, Tyranny and Perhaps Even Civil Conflict

Photo pulled from YouTube video by NYT photographer David Guttenfelder about Jan. 24, 2026 the Minneapolis shooting. Federal Immigration Crackdown Incites Fear, Killings, and Civil Protests January 26, 2026—The United States is on the brink of a national crisis and a government shutdown after the second killing by gunfire of an American citizen by federal forces. Conflict over immigration in the United States is adding to the pressures of growing inequality, corruption, and a national debt above $38 trillion. Tensions are rising due to the deployment of federal forces in U.S. cities who are now targeting U.S. citizens as well as immigrants. ‘Under Siege and Occupation’ Citizens in some cities and states report across social media that they feel under siege or occupation by U.S...