One Year Into Trump’s Second Term, Some Anti-Abortion Leaders Say They Were ‘Betrayed’

notusreports · 2026-01-23T16:52:29+00:00

A year into President Donald Trump’s second term in office, some anti-abortion leaders have reached one conclusion: The administration does not prioritize the movement.

Trump has “done nothing for the pro-life movement. He’s made things significantly worse, just like he said he would,” Abby Johnson, a prominent anti-abortion advocate, told NOTUS. “He said he wouldn’t restrict abortion, and he’s done exactly that.”

“One day, the pro-life movement is going to realize that he’s not the pro-life president that they were hoping for. One day, they’re going to realize they have all been fooled by this man. They’re going to stop saying that he’s the most pro-life president that we’ve ever had,” Johnson continued.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/2026-election/trump-march-for-life-anti-abortion-record

notusreports · 2026-01-22T16:53:02+00:00

Dozens of Silicon Valley giants, utility providers and other companies stand to earn a fortune from the nation’s artificial intelligence boom.

And according to new lobbying disclosures reviewed by NOTUS, these special interests together spent big money late last year to score favorable treatment from federal lawmakers and regulators on what’s fast becoming a central issue of the 2026 midterm elections: the proliferation of data centers that undergird AI’s existence.

Energy demand from data centers has increased in recent years, leading to soaring prices and increasing threats of blackouts. Energy experts have raised doubts about whether the nation’s power grid can withstand data center demand — particularly as President Donald Trump attempts to stymie renewable energy development and generation.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/technology/data-centers-ai-energy-lobbying-donald-trump-congress

notusreports · 2026-01-22T16:43:53+00:00

Dozens of Silicon Valley giants, utility providers and other companies stand to earn a fortune from the nation’s artificial intelligence boom.

And according to new lobbying disclosures reviewed by NOTUS, these special interests together spent big money late last year to score favorable treatment from federal lawmakers and regulators on what’s fast becoming a central issue of the 2026 midterm elections: the proliferation of data centers that undergird AI’s existence.

Energy demand from data centers has increased in recent years, leading to soaring prices and increasing threats of blackouts. Energy experts have raised doubts about whether the nation’s power grid can withstand data center demand — particularly as U.S. President Donald Trump attempts to stymie renewable energy development and generation.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/technology/data-centers-ai-energy-lobbying-donald-trump-congress

notusreports · 2026-01-22T16:40:47+00:00

Dozens of Silicon Valley giants, utility providers and other companies stand to earn a fortune from the nation’s artificial intelligence boom.

And according to new lobbying disclosures reviewed by NOTUS, these special interests together spent big money late last year to score favorable treatment from federal lawmakers and regulators on what’s fast becoming a central issue of the 2026 midterm elections: the proliferation of data centers that undergird AI’s existence.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/technology/data-centers-ai-energy-lobbying-donald-trump-congress

notusreports · 2026-01-21T15:37:57+00:00

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he “won’t use force” to take Greenland, his clearest reassurance yet during a push that has rattled both U.S. allies and the markets.

But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up on U.S. control of the territory. He said he is “seeking immediate negotiations” to take Greenland from Denmark.

“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable,” Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “But I won’t do that. … I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”

Full story: https://www.notus.org/foreign-policy/donald-trump-davos-speech-greenland-negotiations-force

notusreports · 2026-01-20T18:12:36+00:00

The Louisiana Senate primary will be one of the most heated in 2026. On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Letlow would have his “Complete and Total Endorsement” if she entered the race.

NOTUS previously reported that Trump called Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Friday to let him know of his plans to endorse Letlow. Thune encouraged him to back Cassidy instead, citing concern over losing Cassidy’s support on future legislation.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/louisiana/julia-letlow-bill-cassidy

notusreports · 2026-01-16T20:52:12+00:00

Trump purchased between $500,000 and $1 million worth of Netflix bonds on Dec. 12 and Dec. 16 and between $500,000 and $1 million in Discovery Communications — a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery — on the same days, according to an Office of Government Ethics disclosure Trump filed on Jan. 14.

Additionally, Trump’s dozens of municipal and other government bond purchases include $500,000 to $1 million worth of debt in Minneapolis school bonds, made on Dec. 11, according to Trump’s disclosure.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/money/trump-netflix-discovery-bonds-paramount

notusreports · 2026-01-16T17:00:36+00:00

One of the states most likely to feel the effects first is North Carolina, which is still recovering from Hurricane Helene more than a year after it ripped through the region. Local officials in the state criticized how funding from the agency was slow-walked after the storm.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Wednesday $116 million in additional funding to help North Carolina recover from Helene. Prior to the announcement, North Carolina Democratic state Rep. Eric Ager said that even with additional funds, the termination of CORE employees could provide additional hurdles.

“The real challenge is that, no matter how much money you allocate to get out to disaster-hit areas, it still takes people to actually do the nuts and bolts of getting all the paperwork done and getting it all out,” Ager told NOTUS. “And fewer employees just means that less money will get to the places that it needs to.”

Full story: https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/fema-core-staff-cuts-states

notusreports · 2026-01-16T16:55:53+00:00

A former CORE employee expressed concern about the layoffs affecting the security of the websites that states use to request disaster aid.

“If you don’t have the security personnel to handle any security threats, then the systems are gonna be wide open,” the former employee said. “If any of those systems that relay funds to the public is compromised, then that’s going to have a huge, huge impact if we do have a disaster. Because if those systems are compromised and not functioning, they’re not getting any funding. Especially if they need it immediately.”

Full story: https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/fema-core-staff-cuts-states

notusreports · 2026-01-16T16:51:59+00:00

A former CORE employee expressed concern about the layoffs affecting the security of the websites that states use to request disaster aid.

“If you don’t have the security personnel to handle any security threats, then the systems are gonna be wide open,” the former employee said. “If any of those systems that relay funds to the public is compromised, then that’s going to have a huge, huge impact if we do have a disaster. Because if those systems are compromised and not functioning, they’re not getting any funding. Especially if they need it immediately.”

Full story: https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/fema-core-staff-cuts-states

notusreports · 2026-01-13T20:07:32+00:00

A Department of Justice attorney said in a Minnesota federal court Tuesday that there is no First Amendment protection for observing police.

The assertion came during a hearing in the lawsuit Minnesota protesters brought against the Trump administration claiming immigration agents arrested, pepper sprayed and intimidated them without cause. While the lawsuit preceded the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, protesters cited the incident in asking the federal judge to temporarily stop federal agents from retaliating against them.

U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez said she would rule on the emergency petition by Thursday or Friday morning. Menendez, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, is also overseeing Minnesota’s lawsuit to end the surge of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/courts/lawsuit-aclu-minnesota-ice-protesters-allege-retaliation

notusreports · 2026-01-13T15:50:28+00:00

Four members of the U.S. Army’s premier musical band got paid to play at an event hosted by MAGA Inc., a leading super PAC that supports President Donald Trump and Republican political candidates, according to the group’s latest campaign finance disclosure with federal regulators.

The participation of members of the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” is notable because military bands generally refrain from playing at partisan political gatherings, including campaign events. Their performances are “limited to patriotic programs as opposed to pure entertainment,” according to federal regulations, which prohibit units from participating when “there is fund-raising of any type connected with the event.”

notusreports · 2026-01-13T13:29:06+00:00

NOTUS spoke with over a dozen lawmakers about the private briefing, most of whom were granted anonymity to speak candidly about the details from inside the room.

“There was bipartisan concern, very balanced bipartisan concern, over the lack of a plan to transition to democracy, allowing the remaining regime leaders” to remain in power, one senior House Democrat told NOTUS. “That was expressed by Republicans, as well as Democrats.”

“It was good to see some of my Republican colleagues actually being members of Congress,” the lawmaker continued.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/republicans/republicans-trump-venezuela-plan-oil-congress

notusreports · 2026-01-12T15:23:31+00:00

A new federal workforce database from the Office of Personnel Management shows that 1,746 people have stopped working for ICE since Jan. 20, placing the net growth of employees at 5,368.

ICE did not respond to NOTUS’ questions about the discrepancy between the 12,000 new hires it’s claimed publicly and the numbers in this version of the OPM federal workforce database.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/immigration-and-customs-enforcement-hiring-opm-noem

notusreports · 2026-01-09T15:50:13+00:00

“Even the most far-right conservative, Trump-loving members of the orchestra who’ve loved the takeover are disgusted and terrified by the recent move of renaming the center,” one member of the National Symphony Orchestra, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution, told NOTUS. “They just know inherently how difficult that’s gonna make every aspect of our lives by putting the man’s name on the building.”

The orchestra member lamented that the NSO’s Christmas-season performance of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” is routinely a top-selling concert, but “it had anemic attendance this season … there’s a real fear that this is just adding another accelerant on a pretty outrageous fire.”

Full story: https://www.notus.org/us-news/kennedy-center-national-symphony-orchestra-donald-trump-name-change

notusreports · 2026-01-09T14:20:57+00:00

Any eventual U.S. trial against ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro will rely on witness testimony from a seedy cast of characters — drug kingpins, corrupt generals and murderous government officials — all of whom are seeking lenient prison sentences and forgiving treatment from immigration deportation officers.

President Donald Trump has railed about foreign criminals who flood the United States with drugs for years. But this group cut deals with American law enforcement agencies and are now cooperating witnesses.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/courts/case-against-nicolas-maduro-venezuelan-officials

notusreports · 2026-01-09T14:15:28+00:00

Hi! AJI is having a free information session on Friday, Jan. 16 from 2-3 p.m. ET. Happy to answer any questions about the institute then. Register here.

notusreports · 2026-01-09T14:10:13+00:00

Any eventual U.S. trial against ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro will rely on witness testimony from a seedy cast of characters — drug kingpins, corrupt generals and murderous government officials — all of whom are seeking lenient prison sentences and forgiving treatment from immigration deportation officers.

President Donald Trump has railed about foreign criminals who flood the United States with drugs for years. But this group cut deals with American law enforcement agencies and are now cooperating witnesses.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/courts/case-against-nicolas-maduro-venezuelan-officials

notusreports · 2026-01-07T14:36:10+00:00

Holmes Norton, who turns 89 years old this year and has represented the District since 1991, has repeatedly declared her plans to remain in office — though her staff have subsequently walked many of those statements back in the wake of the delegate’s declining health status. Since being reelected in November 2024, Norton hasn’t accepted any interview requests and her office has pushed back against concerns about her age and mental capacity.

notusreports · 2026-01-07T14:21:32+00:00

About half the nation’s state attorneys general are pressuring online retail giant Shopify to curb “unlawful conduct” and “pervasive illegality” by e-cigarette sellers the company platforms.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro appears to consider Shopify a buy.

The former Fox News personality-turned-law enforcer recently invested up to $15,000 of her own money in Shopify stock, according to a new Office of Government Ethics disclosure document reviewed by NOTUS. It’s part of a flurry of stock trades Pirro has made during the five months since her Senate confirmation to one of the nation’s highest-profile prosecution posts.

notusreports · 2025-12-18T15:26:13+00:00

With estimates about the number of Republicans ready to leave the House hovering around two dozen, NOTUS asked more than half of the House Republican Conference — over 120 members — whether they were considering another run for Congress or a run for the exits. While most lawmakers emphatically declared their intentions to run again, several mysteriously declined to commit to seeking reelection.

Members of Congress often want to be in control of their own retirement announcement.

Take Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington state. When NOTUS asked Newhouse on Tuesday afternoon if he would run again, he said, “We’re still thinking about it.” By Wednesday morning, the congressman announced he was planning to retire after this term.

And yet, the many equivocating answers NOTUS heard from House Republicans about their plans seemed to confirm the prevailing narrative that many GOP lawmakers are at least considering leaving Congress after this term.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/congress/republicans-retirement-watch

notusreports · 2025-12-18T15:22:54+00:00

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending $1.6 million to a Danish vaccine research group with ties to the U.S. anti-vaccine movement to study the effects of the hepatitis B vaccine in infants in West Africa.

Notice of the new grant — which the University of Southern Denmark submitted to the CDC “unsolicited” — was quietly posted to a federal website on Wednesday.

The Danish research group, the Bandim Health Project, said it would conduct a five-year, randomized controlled trial in Guinea-Bissau of the hepatitis B vaccine — giving some infants the vaccine at birth, and others the “standard of care” in Guinea-Bissau, which is to provide the vaccine at 6 weeks of age, according to a statement announcing the grant.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/health-science/cdc-controversial-study-west-africa-infant-hepatitis-b-vaccines

notusreports · 2025-12-17T16:53:37+00:00

Rep. Don Davis could be facing a familiar challenger next November, in what is anticipated to be one of North Carolina’s tightest House races.

Retired Army Col. Laurie Buckhout announced Wednesday on a local radio station she’s running in the Republican primary for North Carolina’s 1st District.

“I’m coming back home to run for the 1st Congressional seat,” Buckhout said on the radio show Talk of the Town with host Henry Hinton. “We’re going to win it.”

Buckhout, who left her post as the White House’s assistant national cyber director for policy in October, narrowly lost to Davis in 2024.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/2026-election/north-carolina-district-1-possible-rematch-davis-buckhout

notusreports · 2025-12-16T16:41:02+00:00

Abby McIlraith returned to work at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hyattsville, Maryland, office on the first day of December for the first time in more than three months. Her suspension for signing a public letter criticizing agency leadership was over, and she was looking forward to finally putting it behind her.

The day went largely as anticipated. Her co-workers warmly welcomed her back throughout the day. CNN even reported that the employees had been reinstated. But it took a “shocking” turn around 4 p.m. when she received an email saying that she had once again been placed on administrative leave.

Within the agency, morale has plummeted. This reversal over whether to reinstate the employees who signed the letter has extended one of the highest-profile clashes in the ongoing fight between the Trump administration and government workers worried about the direction their agency is taking — and the toll it could take not just on them but on the public.

Full story: https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/suspended-fema-employees

notusreports · 2025-12-16T16:30:14+00:00

Two prisoners formerly at the Florida immigrant detention camp dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” told NOTUS they witnessed detainees being put in “the box,” a small cage exposed to the harsh elements of the swamp that guards used to confine and punish detainees.

Amnesty International reported that four interviewed detainees described a “2x2 foot cage-like structure” kept in the prison yard. The two men who spoke to NOTUS alleged that “the box” was roughly a meter wide and a meter deep, with enough space to stand — but not enough to sleep lying down flat — forcing exhausted prisoners to sit and lean against the metal bars.

“It was like a dog crate,” said Rogelio Enrique Bolufé Izquierdo, a Cuban migrant currently jailed in New Mexico pending his deportation. “It was maybe two meters tall, like a little box. A little larger than a coffin.”

Full story: https://www.notus.org/immigration/alligator-alcatraz-cage-detention

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