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House Oversight subpoenas AG Bondi in probe of Epstein case 'mismanagement'
Equal justice apparently isn't equal anymore.

The House Oversight Committee has formally issued a subpoena compelling Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify in a deposition as part of its investigation into the Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., issued the subpoena for Bondi to testify on "possible mismanagement of the federal government’s investigation of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell," the cover letter for the subpoena released Tuesday read.
The committee voted earlier this month authorizing the move. Bondi is ordered to appear for a deposition April 14. Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche are scheduled to provide committee members with a private briefing Wednesday.
"The Committee has questions regarding the Department of Justice’s handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates and its compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act," Comer wrote, adding that Bondi is "directly responsible" for overseeing the review and release of related records.
The committee indicated the probe could lead to legislative changes aimed at strengthening federal anti-trafficking efforts and reforming the use of non-prosecution and plea agreements in sex-crime cases.
READ THE SUBPOENA COVER LETTER – APP USERS, CLICK HERE
Comer also underscored the panel’s authority to compel testimony, noting it has broad jurisdiction to investigate "any matter" and can require witness participation and document production as necessary.

EXCLUSIVE: Campaign Calls Out Waste Concerns at Cleveland Clinic
What's the endgame here?

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—While the Trump administration looks to crack down on waste and fraud across the country, a conservative watchdog group is looking to fight waste in Vice President JD Vance’s own background by highlighting concerns at one of the nation’s top hospitals.

Save Our States, a group dedicated to defending the Electoral College, has—along with its 501c4 action arm—come up, with a TV ad, digital ad campaigns, mobile billboards, and a website to highlight its concerns with the Cleveland Clinic and their tax-exempt status.

The TV ad from Save Our States Action framed the Cleveland Clinic as an example of “bejeweled, bedazzling lifestyles of the rich and famous.”

Among the concerns listed in the ad are allegations of suing patients, “deceptive billing,” and sexual assaults.

Such concerns were revealed in a report from last April by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions.

The TV ad also highlighted an art museum, a sports center with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and a Super Bowl ad to speak to the clinic being at “the height of elegance!”

“With all that cash, they’ve become venture capitalists,” the ad proclaimed. “And due to their tax-exempt status, it’s subsidized by you, the taxpayer!”

“A wealthy urban hospital using tax loopholes to take money meant for rural hospitals. But it’s all about the money and fame! Cleveland Clinic-taking your tax dollars, betraying their patients,” the ad concluded. 

A statement from Save Our States Executive Director Trent England shared exclusively with The Daily Signal highlighted how Ohioans are affected.

“Should taxpayers subsidize Super Bowl commercials? Should health care dollars pay for art museums? Cleveland Clinic thinks so. It benefits from countless government programs, then pays executives multi-million-dollar salaries and builds lavish facilities in places like London and Abu Dhabi,” England said. “How does this help patients in Ohio, or American taxpayers?

“Meanwhile, Cleveland Clinic faces accusations of overcharging, deceptive billing, and suing patients for medical debt. Taxpayers and patients need to know: We’re being systematically overcharged for health care and places like Cleveland Clinic are behind it.”

England also sent a letter on Tuesday to Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., chairman of the Subcommittee on Health.

“Chairman Bill Cassidy and the Senate HELP Committee released a report that examined Cleveland Clinic’s use of 340B. It found the system receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits each year. It clearly has plenty of resources, having built luxurious facilities in places like London and Abu Dhabi, and even its own art collection. Yet it has faced allegations of deceptive billing, accusations of overcharging patients, and even reports of a secret settlement to cover up sexual assaults during exams,” the letter first shared with The Daily Signal stated. 

England also expressed what he hopes lawmakers will do. 

“Taxpayers subsidize it all, but these expenses do little to benefit American patients,” England …

Johnson reiterates Iran posed an ‘imminent threat’ after counterterrorism director resigns
Is this competence or optics?

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) responded to the resignation of National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent on Tuesday, challenging the departing Trump official’s assertion that Iran “posed no imminent threat” to the United States.

“I don’t know where Joe Kent is getting his information, but he wasn’t in those briefings clearly,” Johnson told reporters at a press conference on Capitol Hill.

The House Republican leader is a member of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” group, which receives closed-door briefings from the executive branch on classified intelligence and covert operations.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed the Gang of Eight on Iran in the days and hours leading up to the initial joint U.S.-Israel strikes that commenced late last month. The conflict has lasted over two weeks now.

Johnson explained he and the seven other lawmakers were told that Iran was actively seeking nuclear capability and quickly building ballistic missiles. With that information in hand, the Trump administration deemed the Islamic regime a credible threat in the Middle East and abroad.

Rubio and other top officials in the administration, Johnson said, “had exquisite intelligence, and we understood that this was a serious moment for us.”

The potential loss of American lives was a major factor in President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran in “Operation Epic Fury,” the speaker told the press.

“Had the president waited, I am personally convinced that we would have had mass casualties of Americans, service members, and others. And our installations would have been dramatically damaged,” he added. “The president felt that he had to strike first to prevent those mass casualties.”

In a lengthy statement after the House GOP press conference, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt restated many of Johnson’s points.

There are many false claims in this letter but let me address one specifically: that "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation."
 
This is the same false claim that Democrats and some in the liberal media have been repeating over and over.
 
As President Trump has clearly and…
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 17, 2026

Kent became the first high-ranking Trump official to leave his post based on the president’s war in Iran. Tuesday is his last day as Trump’s counterterrorism head.

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent wrote in his resignation letter. “Iran posed no imminent threat …

5 things to watch in Tuesday’s Illinois primaries
This is performative politics again.

The Illinois primaries have seen gobs of spending, both in the highly watched Senate race and further down the ballot in competitive open House seats.

Groups affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee have poured millions of dollars into key contests, potential 2028er and Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker has found himself at odds with several prominent Black leaders in the state, and generational fights continue to plague the Democratic Party post-2024.

Here’s what POLITICO is watching today.

Can AIPAC avoid another fumble?

AIPAC faced backlash from moderate Democrats last month after inadvertently boosting a progressive candidate in New Jersey who said Israel has committed a genocide in Gaza. It's hoping not to make the same mistake again.

The group is facing a major test of its political muscle in Illinois as Democrats increasingly scrutinize Israel and AIPAC itself. It’s spending heavily in several House races, most notably in the contest to replace retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky in the 9th district.

But Democratic strategists have warned that the group’s attacks on Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss — the grandson of a Holocaust survivor who has criticized Israel — have created a late opening for progressive insurgent Kat Abughazaleh, a Palestinian-American who’s an even more vocal critic, rather than effectively boosting the AIPAC-preferred candidate, state Sen. Laura Fine. AIPAC has made a sharp pivot in the final stretch of the campaign, turning its focus squarely on Abughazaleh instead.

“There’s been a strategy shift,” said a person directly familiar with AIPAC’s thinking, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. “Our primary goal in Illinois is to prevent potential ‘Squad’ members from being elected to Congress.”

The big question for Tuesday will be whether that change in strategy happened too late to avoid another embarrassment for AIPAC.

Will JB’s involvement help or hurt him?

Pritzker has been vocally supporting, and heavily funding, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s campaign for Senate against Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly. That move has rankled some prominent Black leaders.

“A sitting governor shouldn’t be heavy-handing the race,” Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, whose caucus is supporting Kelly, told Punchbowl earlier this month. “Quite frankly, his behavior in this race won’t soon be forgotten.”

The worry from Black Democrats is that Kelly and Stratton — both Black women — could end up splitting the Black vote, with Pritzker's endorsement driving that wedge further. That may help Krishamoorthi win the race and kill their chances of electing a Black woman to the Senate this cycle.

Krishnamoorthi has led most public polls of the race and had a big cash advantage early on, allowing him to …

Capitol Police chief asks for record-breaking budget, citing 58% increase in threats to Congress
This is performative politics again.

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan on Tuesday argued sweeping threats against lawmakers justify his department’s historic budget request during a House Appropriations Committee hearing. 

Sullivan testified before the Legislative Branch Subcommittee on his budget proposal for fiscal 2027 funding. If approved, the latest budget would mark the first time it has gone over $1 billion. The request includes $734 million for salaries and benefits, $273 million for general expenses, and $15.7 million in multiyear funding to support security enhancements, according to officials.

In his testimony, the police chief warned that in 2026, the department is “on pace” to exceed around 15,000 threats made against Congress in 2025, which he said marked a 58% increase from the prior year. His remarks come amid a stream of political violence last year, including deadly attacks on Minnesota lawmakers, the firebombing of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D-PA) home, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk. 

“These are not just numbers, they’re threats against real people. We understand how disruptive and unsettling that can be,” Sullivan said. 

“The threat environment tends to grow,” the police chief added. “We must continue to strengthen our workforce. We’ve made real progress in hiring, but the mission has expanded—more protective details, more congressional events, more security requirements, and more threat investigations. That has placed a strain on our staffing model and increased overtime. Overtime is part of policing, but we are very mindful of the toll it takes.”

Sullivan said that the costs of expanding security are high. Adding police presence to just one other entry point at the Capitol costs over half a million dollars, he testified. 

“We get consistently asked to open additional doors. And just for an example, for one door to open during eight hours, it costs nearly $650,000 just for that eight-hour door to be open,” he said. “Those pressures continue to add up, and those additional expansions of what we are asked to do continue to be there, and without this funding, we would have to make some very, very tough decisions about where we have folks to be able to do the work.”

Sullivan said that the department has already widened its security apparatus after seeing threats escalate against members last year. U.S. Capitol Police now has “mutual aid agreements” in every state to enhance protection and crisis response for lawmakers, he said, and “quickly surge resources …

NYC $30 minimum wage proposal pushed by Mamdani would 'obliterate' certain industries: expert warns

The city council in New York City is weighing a proposal to boost the minimum wage to up to $30 — a move that newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani signaled that he would sign on the campaign trail — causing consternation among the business community.
The proposal from New York City Council Member Sandy Nurse, a Democrat representing Brooklyn, would require employers to pay workers $25 an hour if those employers provide qualifying benefits and $30 an hour if not. The current $17 minimum wage would undergo a phased increase to reach $30 per hour by 2030 for businesses with 500+ employees and $29 by 2032 for smaller businesses. 
Santiago Vidal Calvo, a policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News Digital that the new law will have "unintended consequences" and "constrain the economy for everybody that actually needs the current minimum wage to live."
"You don't make a place more affordable by making people earn more. That's not directly correlated in the best way," Calvo explained. "If you have people earning more, then prices are likely going to also increase, so my question for many of those people is, okay, you're earning more, but also prices have increased in the same amount, are you actually making things more affordable?"
SMALL NEW YORK LANDLORDS 'AT THEIR BREAKING POINT' UNDER MAMDANI'S HOUSING POLICIES: REPORT
Calvo continued, "That's one of the fallacies that a lot of people that don't know about economics fall into. So many of these champagne socialists go and believe that increasing the minimum wage is going to solve everybody's problems, because people are going to earn more and prices are going to stay the same. That’s Econ 101. That's not going to happen. That’s why many socialist countries have failed around the world."
The legislation echoes a prominent campaign pledge from Mamdani, who promoted a "$30 by ‘30" minimum wage message.
"In the world’s richest city, making the minimum wage shouldn’t mean living in poverty," Mamdani posted on X last year. "As Mayor, I'll work with City Council to raise the wage floor to $30/hour by 2030. When working people have more money in their pocket, the whole economy thrives."
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment on whether he intends to sign the legislation if it were to arrive at his desk, but did not receive a response. 
THE SOCIALIST EXPERIMENT COMES TO NYC: MAMDANI’S VISION FOR A MORE AFFORDABLE CITY
While many proponents of raising the minimum wage argue that the cost of living in New York City makes it nearly impossible to comfortably live, business owners are …

Democrats move to ban bets on government actions in prediction markets
How is this acceptable?

Democrats are proposing a ban on prediction markets that allow wagers on government actions or potentially rigged outcomes after bets over U.S. attacks against Iran and the arrest of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro made users thousands of dollars.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) unveiled legislation titled the Banning Event Trading on Sensitive Operations and Federal Functions Act on Tuesday, the latest bill seeking to regulate prediction markets.

“These are fundamentally corrupt markets,” Murphy said during a press conference. “They are rife with insider trading, and they offer incredibly perverse incentives, especially inside government, for government actors to push official decision-making towards their financial interests.”

Murphy pointed to bets made on Polymarket, a market platform that is not fully regulated in the United States, regarding whether or not the U.S. was going to attack Iran the next day, as a prime example of why he feels the BETS OFF Act is necessary. 

At least one user, with the username “Magamyman,” on Polymarket made more than $553,000 for betting that Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be out of power hours before U.S. strikes killed him on Feb. 28. 

The account, which was displayed on a poster board behind Murphy and Casar during their remarks to the press, was created in October 2024.

Prediction markets are largely federally regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and U.S. law prohibits trades on death or war. Insider trading laws also prohibit trades based on material and nonpublic information.

Still, Murphy described the bets placed on Polymarket as happening on a “very exceptional day,” before going on to allege that someone in or close to President Donald Trump’s White House who knew of the imminent attack, “cashed in” on their knowledge.

“Most of those accounts were set up on the day that they made those bets,” Murphy said. “That is fundamentally corrupt, and it is frankly stunning to people that it is legal, that it is allowed for.”

SEE IT: VISUALIZING THE US AND ISRAEL’S WAR WITH IRAN

“The only special interest guiding the Trump Administration’s decision-making is the best interest of the American people,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement.

The CFTC in March asked prediction market platforms to work with regulators before opening markets that could be vulnerable to insider trading, marking a step toward asserting its authority over platforms.

NRCC rebrands ‘Young Guns’ initiative with MAGA Majority candidates for 2026
Transparency shouldn't be controversial.

Republicans are rebranding their long-running “Young Guns” programs for the 2026 midterm elections, elevating a slate of candidates they describe as “MAGA Majority” contenders.

The National Republican Congressional Committee unveiled the updated brand as it rolls out its latest class of top recruits by embracing President Donald Trump’s political movement as the GOP holds a narrow majority in the House ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The rebrand’s role in 2026

The Young Guns initiative, launched in 2007, has historically served as the party’s premier candidate development pipeline, offering fundraising benchmarks, strategic guidance, and national support to help recruits build viable campaigns. Candidates typically progress through tiers based on their ability to raise money and organize effectively. 

The NRCC’s decision to reframe the program around “MAGA majority” branding reflects Trump’s continued dominance in Republican primaries and his influence over the party’s messaging heading into 2026. The belief is that aligning candidates more explicitly with Trump’s agenda can energize the GOP base and boost turnout in key districts. 

TRUMP ENDORSEMENT TRACKER: HERE’S WHO THE PRESIDENT HAS PICKED IN GOP MIDTERM ELECTION PRIMARIES

But the strategy also carries potential downsides. Many of the newly branded candidates are running in competitive races where general election voters are more ideologically mixed. If a significant number of these candidates lose, Democrats are likely to argue that a heavy emphasis on MAGA alignment hurts Republican chances in swing areas. 

Control of the House is expected to hinge on a narrow set of districts, with both parties aggressively targeting seats. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is mounting its own recruitment push through its “Red to Blue” program, which similarly focuses on competitive races. 

Republicans, however, are betting that their candidate roster, even in toss-up districts, can translate Trump’s enduring popularity among GOP voters into broader electoral success. 

The NRCC’s Democratic counterpart celebrated the move, with DCC spokesperson Justin Chermol telling the Washington Examiner, “The NRCC should definitely continue to call their loser recruits ‘MAGA.’ It’ll play perfectly with swing-district voters in November.”

The NRCC’s newly branded strategy represents a high-risk, high-reward scenario. It is effectively testing whether Trump-aligned messaging can win not just …

Trump bids goodbye to intel official who resigned over Iran: 'Good thing that he's out'
What's the administration thinking here?

President Donald Trump said Tuesday it's a "good thing" that National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent resigned in protest of the Iran war because Kent thought "Iran was not a threat."
"I read his statement," Trump said during a meeting at the White House with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin on St. Patrick's Day. "I always thought he was a nice guy, but I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security."
Kent served under Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has rejected "regime-change wars" for years.
"I didn't know him well, but I thought he seemed like a pretty nice guy, but when I read his statement, I realized that it's a good thing that he's out," Trump said. "Because he said that Iran was not a threat. 
"Iran was a threat. Every country realized what a threat Iran was. The question is whether or not they wanted to do something about it."
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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OppArt Today 9:55 am Topple the Regime! Topple the Regime!
Trump’s Iran war splinters his base.

Anthony Freda

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March 17, 2026

(Anthony Freda).

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Support independent journalism that does not fall in line

Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets. 

Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.  

As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war. 

In these dark times, independent journalism is uniquely able to uncover the falsehoods that threaten our republic—and civilians around the world—and shine a bright light on the truth. 

The Nation’s experienced team of writers, editors, and fact-checkers understands the scale of what we’re up against and the urgency with which we have to act. That’s why we’re publishing critical reporting and analysis of the war on Iran, ICE violence at home, new forms of voter suppression emerging in the courts, and much more. 

But this journalism is possible only with your support.

This March, The Nation needs to raise $50,000 to ensure that we have the resources for reporting and analysis that sets the record straight and empowers people of conscience to organize. Will you donate today?

Anthony FredaAnthony Freda is an artist, illustrator, and activist.

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Trump says he no longer wants NATO allies involved in Iran war
Equal justice apparently isn't equal anymore.

President Donald Trump claimed the United States does not need the help of members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the war against Iran, despite calling for allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week.

The president said on Tuesday that the U.S.-Israel operation against Iran was successful in decimating Tehran’s military, not warranting additional help from other nations.

“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer “need,” or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID!” Trump fumed on Truth Social. “Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”

Trump reiterated his comments in person during a bilateral with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Ireland’s prime minister, in the Oval Office.

“And I didn’t do a full court press, because I think if I did, they probably would,” he said. “But we don’t, we don’t need help.” Trump also claimed, “NATO is making a very foolish mistake.”

Trump’s frustrations with NATO allies’ desires to stay neutral as the Iran war enters its third week of battle.

“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East,” he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday.

“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one-way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump also wrote.

The president has long criticized NATO members for not contributing enough funding to the alliance. He successfully negotiated an increase in their defense spending from 2% gross domestic product to 5%. But allies have been wary of wading into the Iran war, even as Trump had previously asked for help to secure the Strait of Hormuz to help reduce oil prices.

JOE KENT, TRUMP’S COUNTERTERRORISM DIRECTOR, BECOMES FIRST ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TO RESIGN OVER IRAN WAR

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a Trump ally on Capitol Hill, said he spoke to the president Tuesday morning about NATO.

“I have never heard him so angry in my life. I share that anger given what’s at stake,” he wrote on X. “The repercussions of providing little assistance to keep …

NCTC Director Joe Kent Resigns Claiming Iran Posed No Threat & Trump Started War for Israel Lobby
This deserves loud pushback.

Excerpt:
You know that classic flip-flop moment when a high-level Trump appointee suddenly turns on the boss and blames “the Israel lobby” for a war — only for an old tweet to resurface and expose the hypocrisy? That’s exactly what just happened with Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
Kent announced his resignation effective today in a letter that reads like pure isolationist talking points:
“After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
It has been an honor serving under u/POTUS and u/DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC. May God bless America.”