US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle speaks during a dedication ceremony at the chancery of the US Embassy in Athens, on October 7. – Mark Schiefelbein/AFP/Pool/Getty Images President Donald Trump is weighing whether to dismiss Kimberly Guilfoyle from her position as US ambassador to Greece after a string of reports about misconduct, a person familiar with the matter said Sunday. Trump has been monitoring reports claiming Guilfoyle, who was engaged to Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr. for four years, accepted lavish gifts as ambassador and sought money in exchange for providing access to administration figures before she was confirmed. Lawyers for Guilfoyle have denied the allegations about seeking money and said reports about her travel were misleading, adding that she complied with federal gift and reporting requirements. The State Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is investigating Guilfoyle amid the misconduct allegations, a source familiar with the effort told CNN Monday. The OIG’s press office did not respond to a request for comment. The office does not typically comment on ongoing investigations. “As a matter of policy, OIG does not confirm, deny, or comment on investigative matters,” a State OIG spokesperson told CNN last week. The reports about Guilfoyle have irked senior administration officials, particularly since they emerged when Secretary of State Marco Rubio was visiting Athens for a high-profile speech on Western democracy delivered from the Acropolis. Trump is expected to decide soon whether to fire Guilfoyle, the person said. The president offered no defense of Guilfoyle when questioned by CNN about the allegations Friday. “I just heard about it. Too bad. I mean, I don’t know,” Trump said. “I just heard a little bit about it. I don’t know too much, but she was always very nice.” CNN has reached out to the White House for comment. Eric Deters, a former Trump donor, said Guilfoyle asked him in a text message to wire her $100,000 to pay off an American Express card in the days before her Senate confirmation. Deters ultimately did not wire Guilfoyle the money, saying he didn’t have the liquid assets at the time. The messages were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Lawyers for the ambassador said in a statement provided to CNN that Deters owed Guilfoyle money for speeches and consulting work and called his statements false. “When Ms. Guilfoyle was preparing to leave private life for public service, she did what any professional does and tried to close out her outstanding receivables. Asking a client to pay for work already done is not corruption. It is the opposite of corruption,” her lawyers wrote. Guilfoyle also denied to administration officials last week that she sent the messages, the person familiar said. Guilfoyle has remained close to the Trump family. After her breakup with Donald Trump Jr., she received the plum assignment in Greece. Allies of the president and his son told CNN they felt the episode is embarrassing, though it’s not clear whether there will be consequences for Guilfoyle. Trump has repeatedly made clear he is not happy when allies profit off of their relationship with him. On Monday, Deters told CNN he had not been contacted by the inspector general’s office but said he had reached out to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles to say he plans to sue Guilfoyle for defamation, after her lawyers disputed the authenticity of messages that she allegedly sent him. He did not get a response, he said. “This problem is not getting any better for them,” Deters told CNN of the Trump administration. “I am going to sue her and her lawyers for defamation for claiming that her text messages were fake. Then they will have a lawsuit, she will have the committees looking at her, and the news media.” CNN asked the White House for comment on Deters’ plans to sue. Vice President JD Vance on Friday withheld judgment on whether there should be consequences for Guilfoyle, saying he refused to “try people in the court of public opinion.” But the vice president said, in general, he was uncomfortable with access-for-pay schemes. “Of course I don’t like anybody selling access to another government official, certainly a high-level government official,” he said. “Let’s see what the truth is. And obviously, if there was something bad that happened, then people have to suffer consequences for it,” he said. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.comThis article originally appeared on CNN at https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/11/politics/trump-considering-whether-to-fire-guilfoyle-source-says

By Jan Wolfe WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) – A US judge said on Monday that she was “furious” with Justice Department lawyers for their conduct in a lawsuit seeking to halt the Trump administration’s takeover of a historic golf course in Washington, saying it was “inexcusable” that hundreds of trees ‌were removed from the course over the weekend. “More than being upset and furious right now, I am just deeply disappointed in the government,” US ‌District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington told government lawyers during a court hearing. “On what universe did anyone in your office think this was acceptable?” Reyes, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, said the ​abrupt removal of about 500 trees at East Potomac Golf Links, which began on Friday afternoon, was unacceptable because in May she had demanded that the government provide advance notice of any substantive construction work at the golf course. The judge issued a temporary order blocking further tree removal and said any defiance of that order would result in proceedings to determine if government officials should be held in contempt of court. The Justice Department’s failure to notify the preservationist group that filed the lawsuit over the tree removal work “has ‌cost the government all of its credibility” in the case, ⁠the judge said. Reyes said she regretted that she had not put in writing her remarks in May that notice be given of any substantive construction work on the golf course. The judge said the lack of a prior written order was why she ⁠had not yet moved forward with contempt proceedings, which begin with a ruling known as a show cause order. “The only reason I have not yet entered a show cause on contempt is because I never put this in a formal order, which, believe me, now I am regretting,” the judge said. ‘YOU DID YOUR ABSOLUTE WORST’ Justice Department lawyer Marissa Piropato said during ​the ​hearing that government attorneys had done their best to gather details on tree removal so they ​could share them in a court filing. “You did not do ‌your best,” Reyes replied. “You did your absolute worst.” Since taking office in January 2025, US President Donald Trump has targeted US cultural and historical institutions — from museums and monuments to national parks and arts centers — in an attempt to reshape them. The president announced plans last year to overhaul East Potomac Golf Links, a century-old public golf course owned by the federal government and managed by the National Park Service, part of the Interior Department. Trump, a frequent golfer who owns several courses, has said he hopes the renovation will allow the course to host major tournaments. The DC Preservation League said in a February 2026 lawsuit that Trump was flouting environmental laws to “irreparably destroy a ‌priceless piece of American history” so he could “convert a public recreation space into an exclusive, high-end ​golf course.” Reyes told Trump administration lawyers at a May hearing that there would be “serious consequences” if ​major construction work began without prior court notification. In an October 9 court ​filing, the Trump administration asked Reyes to dismiss the litigation, saying it was premature because the “proposed project remains at an early and ‌conceptual stage.” Lawyers for the DC Preservation League asked Reyes on Sunday ​to issue an emergency order blocking further ​tree removal at the course and requiring notice of any other irreparable modifications, saying that despite her May remarks more than 500 trees were removed on Saturday. Reyes issued a temporary order on Sunday that paused any tree removal until Tuesday morning, and indicated during Monday’s hearing that she intended to extend ​the block until she can hear testimony from Gregory ‌Wischer, a deputy chief of staff at the US Interior Department. Kevin Griess, a National Park Service official, said at Monday’s hearing that tree removal ​was intended to improve safety at the park and restore its original design, and was part of a 2019 plan that predates Trump’s ​ambitions for the course. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Berkrot) This article originally appeared on Reuters at https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/judge-blasts-trumps-doj-over-160408594.html

It’s crunch time. With less than a month to go until the 2026 midterm elections, Democratic and Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives nationwide are making one last push to persuade voters in their districts — and help their party win or retain control of the chamber on Nov. 3.The stakes are high. President Trump has enjoyed complete Republican control of Congress for the first half of his second term. Flipping the House would give Democrats the power to block parts of the president’s agenda, investigate his administration and even impeach him (again).Historically speaking, a president’s party almost always loses seats when voters return to the polls to judge his first two years in office. (The average number lost since World War II? Twenty-six.) Sometimes, the backlash is so pervasive that the president’s party loses seats across a wide range of competitive districts — a phenomenon known as a “wave” election.But the past doesn’t necessarily predict the future, and Republicans have certain advantages today that they didn’t have before. Here’s what needs to happen for each party to come out on top. YahooThe races to watchThe first thing to know about any House election is that while all 435 congressional districts are technically up for grabs, roughly 83% of those contests (representing about 360 seats) are not considered competitive. House incumbents have always had huge advantages: money and name recognition, mostly. But their head start has only widened in recent years as partisan polarization and redistricting have helped make the vast majority of congressional districts “safe” for one party. These days, incumbents tend to focus more on fending off primary challengers. The general election can be a breeze in comparison.As a result, this year’s true battleground is relatively small. According to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report’s “race ratings,” just 21 contests are genuine “tossups” at this point. Another 12 “lean Democratic,” and 9 “lean Republican.” There’s also a third competitive category that includes 16 seats where Democrats are the “likely” winners, and 18 seats where the same could be said about Republicans.  That’s 76 competitive districts — again, out of 435. It’s clear from looking at this year’s ratings which party is playing more defense and which is playing more offense — and where. Six Democratic seats are too close to call; two more lean Republican; another three are likely to break for the GOP; and three are rated solidly Republican. That’s a total of 14 potential blue-to-red flips for Democrats to worry about. Republicans, by contrast, have to worry about 25 red-to-blue flips — including a full 15 in the tossup category.Geographically, this year’s tossups are concentrated in certain kinds of places: Rust Belt districts in states that have swung from party to party in the past (such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio); Mid-Atlantic suburbs (in states such as New York, Virginia and North Carolina) where Trump has scrambled some of the usual coalitions; and Sun Belt districts (think Florida, Texas, California and Nevada) where Latinos factor heavily. Trump carried many of these areas in 2024.Overall, the map gives Democrats more pickup options — which could mean more paths to a House majority. The path to a Democratic HouseSenate and governor contests can be quirky — more state-specific and personality-driven. But national dynamics tend to play a larger role in shaping the composition of the incoming House. So it’s not just a matter of who has more targets on the board. It’s that the board itself tends to tilt to one side or the other, taking most of those targets with it. A recent example was the 2010 midterm election, when impatience with America’s slow recovery from the 2008 financial collapse and frustration with President Barack Obama’s response helped Republicans gain 64 House seats. Beyond the history of midterm backlash against the president’s party, Democrats have two big advantages right now. One is that the current Republican majority is so minuscule — just 219 votes to 214, including an independent who caucuses with Republicans — that Democrats only need a net gain of three seats to win back the House. The other is that the board seems to be tilting in Democrats’ favor — assuming the polls are right. Surveys suggest there’s one underlying factor pulling the national electorate to the left: dissatisfaction with Trump. According to the data journalists at Silver Bulletin, 60% of Americans, on average, currently disapprove of how Trump is handling his job compared with 37% who approve. That puts the president’s net disapproval rating at about 23 percentage points. Trump is earning even lower marks on voters’ top issue this year: the cost of living. Shortly after he returned to office, roughly equal numbers of Americans approved and disapproved of how the president was handling inflation. But today — as tariffs and the Iran war help drive prices up — 72% disapprove and 24% approve. That’s a 48-point gap.President Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at F&M Bank Arena on Oct. 10, 2026, in Clarksville, Tenn.AP Photo/Alex BrandonDemocrats aren’t particularly popular. But for the party in power, it may be hard to overcome this level of dissatisfaction with the status quo. That’s why, when pollsters ask their so-called generic ballot question — If an election for U.S. Congress were held today, which party’s candidate would you vote for in your district? — Americans are currently giving Democrats a substantial lead of about 9 percentage points, on average. Making matters worse for Republicans, that lead has grown over the last month as some voters who favored Trump in 2024 — including some Latinos and independents — say they’re planning to vote Democratic. Over the last two weeks, Cook has shifted 33 of its race ratings toward the Democrats as well.  To put a 9-point lead in perspective, Democrats were leading by an average of 7 points on the generic ballot at this point in 2018, with Trump as president and Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Four weeks later, they picked up 41 seats and flipped the House.If the polls are right, Democrats might win control of the House again.The path to a Republican HouseBut are the polls right? In recent days, Republicans have pointed to some surprising survey results on the Senate side — including Democratic leads in rural red states such as Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska — to argue that pollsters might be misjudging public sentiment. They’re not wrong to say the polls have missed in the past. Polling errors are commonplace; they happen in most elections. But they tend to be random and to change directions from one cycle to another. The Trump era has been a little different. In each of the three presidential contests that Trump himself has competed in, the final average of polls conducted before Election Day underestimated Republicans’ performance in the popular vote by an average of 3.8 percentage points, according to data journalist Nate Silver. The theory is that a phenomenon called nonresponse bias — in which Democratic voters are more eager or available to respond to pollsters than Republican voters — might have made Democratic support look stronger than it actually was. Pollsters try to adjust for this by weighting their results — that is, using statistical methods to give less weight to respondents who are overrepresented demographically and more weight to respondents who are underrepresented demographically. But it’s difficult to predict in advance who will show up on Election Day. This time around, there are signs that rural Republicans are not responding to pollsters in certain states.Could that mean Republican candidates in those places will outperform their polling? Possibly. But experts say it may also mean that rural Republicans are less supportive of the GOP than they were in 2024 — potentially voting Democratic or staying home on Nov. 3. A voter walks toward his polling place.REUTERS / REUTERSAfter all, there’s been virtually no polling bias toward Democrats in Trump era elections when Trump himself wasn’t on the ballot. In fact, the polls since 2016 have overestimated Republican support in midterm elections (by an average of 0.2%) and off-year, special and runoff elections (by an average of 1.3%), according to Silver. Either way, pollsters aren’t seeing signs of this rural effect in most states — and even if they were, it might make only a minor dent in Democrats’ 9-point national lead. Redistricting is the other Republican advantage. House redistricting efforts typically take place every 10 years, after each new census reveals changes in population distribution. But last summer, Trump successfully pushed GOP legislators in Texas to pass new congressional district boundaries five years earlier than normal to help Republicans win five additional House seats in 2026. This kicked off a tit-for-tat cycle that saw nine states adopt new congressional maps for the midterms — some to benefit Democrats, others Republicans.Now that the dust has settled, Cook projects that Republicans could win nine seats because of redistricting (in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas), while Democrats could win five (in California and Utah). That would net the GOP four seats overall. It’s not what Republicans initially hoped to gain from gerrymandering. “We’re not gonna win all 13 of those redistricted seats. That’s correct. We’re not,” GOP House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota told Axios recently. But it’s also not nothing. The hope for the GOP is that some combination of polling error and redistricting boost — along with a late influx of hundreds of millions of dollars to help defend districts Trump won in 2024 — will be just enough to preserve their slim House majority.This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/article/what-needs-to-happen-for-democrats-or-republicans-to-win-control-of-the-house-165959466.html

Sean “Diddy” Combs was transported from federal prison for medical treatment early Saturday after suffering a head injury, according to TMZ, while his representative told Newsweek that Combs’ team was working to confirm the situation.“We are aware of the reports concerning Sean Combs and are working to confirm the circumstances. Sean’s health and well-being are our immediate concern, and we appreciate everyone who has reached out,” the representative said Monday.Sources at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey told TMZ that an ambulance carrying Combs left the prison grounds around 1 a.m. The outlet said it was unclear how Combs sustained the injury and that it had not confirmed whether he was taken to a hospital. Combs was conscious and speaking when he was returned to the prison before sunrise, TMZ said.The Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to discuss Combs’ medical status with Newsweek. “For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not comment on the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individual, including quarters assignment or medical status,” the agency said in an email.The reported medical incident follows shortly after an NBC News investigation into Combs’ life at Fort Dix, citing four men who spent time in his unit, along with photos and videos the outlet reviewed. NBC reported allegations that Combs had access to contraband cellphones and alcohol and paid other inmates to perform tasks for him. Sean “Diddy” Combs arrives at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, on May 15, 2022.Combs’ spokesperson downplayed the report, while the Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on his conditions. NBC subsequently reported that Combs was placed in solitary confinement following publication of the story.Combs had previously been placed in solitary confinement following a fight with another inmate over the summer, NBC News reported in July. The circumstances surrounding his latest reported injury remain unclear.What Did Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Do?Combs was found guilty in 2025 of transporting two women, identified in court as Cassie Ventura and “Jane,” for the purpose of prostitution, violations of the Mann Act. He was acquitted of the more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking charges.The split verdict followed a closely watched federal trial in Manhattan. Prosecutors had accused Combs of operating a criminal enterprise and using his businesses and employees to facilitate sexual encounters, allegations that formed part of the government’s broader racketeering case. The jury ultimately rejected the racketeering and sex-trafficking counts while convicting him on the two prostitution-related transportation charges.Combs was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison, a $500,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. He appealed his sentence to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, arguing that the sentencing judge improperly relied on conduct connected to charges he had been acquitted of. The appeals court heard arguments on April 9, 2026, but did not immediately issue a ruling.Separately, Combs faces dozens of lawsuits alleging misconduct. Those cases are proceeding independently of his federal criminal appeal, meaning the outcome of his challenge to the prison sentence would not itself resolve the civil claims against him.Combs has a projected release date of March 2, 2028, according to Bureau of Prisons records. The date is subject to change and was recently pushed back from January 21, 2028.This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Sam Wilson.Related ArticlesTrump’s Russia Diesel Deal: Experts Weigh in on Price Impacts at the PumpWhich Tech Leaders Are Adopting Trump’s ‘Super Intelligence’ Rebrand?Susan Collins Opposes Trump’s Russian Diesel Deal as Maine Prices Stay HighStart your unlimited Newsweek trialThis article originally appeared on NEWSWEEK at https://www.newsweek.com/sean-diddy-combs-head-injury-prison-new-jersey-12557238

ERIE, PA – Authorities identified the adult victims and the suspected gunman who were found dead after what police described as a “horrific” mass shooting at a home near Lake Erie. Police say on Oct. 9, a gunman fatally shot eight people, most of them relatives, including two young children and a pregnant woman. Authorities say the suspected shooter took his own life before police arrived. The victims included the suspect’s wife, children and grandchildren, according to officials. Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook on Oct. 12 identified the adult victims as Twila Tanner, 51; Angelina Stone, 24, who was eight months pregnant; Jonathan Stone, 19; Matthew Stone Jr., 21; Michelle Stone, 44; and Lora Roberts, 37, reported the Erie Times-News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Cook identified the suspect as Matthew Stone Sr., 45. Cook told the Erie Times-News he is not permitted to release the names of the other two shooting victims, a 5-year-old boy and a girl who was 22 months old, because they are under 18. Erie police also did not release the names of the children. Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the suspect shot and killed six people inside the house on the evening of Oct. 9. The gunman then allegedly met two other women, including a family friend, outside the home after they arrived in a “state of distress,” Lorah said, citing surveillance video. The gunman allegedly shot the two women before he reentered the home and shot himself, according to the police chief. Authorities have not determined a motive for the incident, which police are treating as a domestic situation because many of the victims are related and lived in the same home. Cook ruled the death of Matthew Stone Sr. as a suicide and the deaths of the others as homicides. All but Lora Roberts were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Cook. All members of the Stone family, as well as the two young children, lived at the home where the shooting occurred. Police said the suspect was married to Michelle Stone. Matthew Stone Jr., Jonathan Stone and Angelina Stone were their children, according to Erie police. The 5-year-old boy and the 22-month-old girl were Angelina Stone’s children, police said. No autopsies were performed on any of the victims or the suspect. Lorah said officers recovered a handgun that was legally registered to the suspect. He said the suspected shooter last interacted with police in 2022 but did not provide any further information. “I think mental health is at play here, but I think it is too soon to really go into a motive,” Lorah said. He said the crime scene was the “worst” he had ever seen in his many years working in law enforcement. “It was horrific,” he said. Contributing: Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY; Ed Palattella, Erie Times-News Suicide Lifeline: If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time, day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they text “HOME” to 741741. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Adult victims, suspected shooter ID’d in Erie mass shootingThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/10/12/erie-mass-shooting-victims-identified/92217171007/