President Trump said Monday he will start paying for the pro-Trump ads that have blanketed the airwaves in recent weeks with money raised by his super PAC, after his administration drew intense pushback for using public funds on the ads.  “The Radical Left is upset with the fact that I am taking Ads, which I consider to be a positive promotion for our Great U.S.A., and paying for them with U.S.A. money,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “This is a rather standard thing to do but, rather than doing that, although nothing will make them happy, I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc.”Emblazoned with the message “Paid for by the U.S. Government,” the ads began popping up late last month on national cable and broadcast networks, including CBS, as the November midterm elections approach.Several variations have aired, including one that features a recording of Mr. Trump saying, “We will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America,” as photos of the president flash across the screen. Another recounts the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.CBS News reported last month that there are multiple versions of the ads. The U.S. government produced the content and paid for the airtime through an ad agency. The Department of Homeland Security awarded LMD Agency $20 million for a “National Media Campaign” starting on Sept. 20, contracting records show. A day earlier, the White House Office of Management and Budget granted DHS’s Customs and Border Protection $20 million for “OBBB Commemorative Events,” according to a nongovernment database. The source of the funds was first reported by The Washington Sun.The White House has defended the ads, calling them public service announcements and denying that they constitute campaign advertisements.A White House official said last month the PSAs “are clearly not political,” and noted: “The President is not on the ballot and the ads don’t have a call to action.”Asked about the anti-communism ad, a spokesperson for the White House said: “The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country.”The advertising campaign has drawn bipartisan criticism. Democrats have argued the ads could violate federal laws that bar the use of government funds for “propaganda” purposes and limit political activity by executive branch employees.”This is the sort of government propaganda one might expect in North Korea, not the United States of America, and it is an egregious and illegal misuse of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars,” a group of Senate Democrats said in a letter last month.A handful of Republicans have also voiced criticism.”I don’t think any public official, including President Trump or [former DHS Secretary] Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves,” GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said on “Face the Nation.”By using his own super PAC to pay for the ads, Mr. Trump is tapping a nine-figure war chest that many Republican candidates hope will be spent in battleground states ahead of the midterms — despite a late start in this election cycle. Since last month, the group has reported tens of millions of dollars in spending on the Texas Senate contest, where Trump-allied Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton is in a tight race against Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico.The group had more than $400 million on hand at the end of August, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Mr. Trump said last month he is “going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us.”This article originally appeared on CBS News at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-super-pac-maga-inc-taxpayer-funded-ads/

CHICAGO (WGN) — A Chicago woman who was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent during Operation Midway Blitz filed a lawsuit against the federal government Monday, calling for more action against the agent who shot her. Marimar Martinez said the encounter with Border Patrol agents happened in Oct. 2025. She was allegedly heading to church to drop off clothing donations when she noticed immigration officers on her street. “For the next 15 to 20 minutes, I followed these Border Patrol agents through my neighborhood, honking my horn, shouting out ‘La Migra,’” Martinez said while testifying on Capitol Hill in Feb. Martinez said the driver of the Border Patrol vehicle she was following made eye contact with her before swerving into and hitting her truck. “I drove forward and went around the Border Patrol agent who jumped out of his car and pointed his gun at me. I moved to the far-left lane, striking the curb on the far-left side of Kedzie (Avenue). The next thing I knew, I felt a burning sensation in my arms and legs,” Martinez said. “As I continued trying to drive past the Border Patrol agents, I could hear my back passenger window shatter, and I felt bullets continue to pierce my body.” Chicago woman recounts violent encounter with Border Patrol before Congress The Department of Homeland Security called her a domestic terrorist and charged her with using her vehicle to assault federal agents. However, the Department of Justice later dropped all charges against her. While addressing the civil lawsuit outside a downtown Chicago law office Monday, attorneys representing Martinez said they are seeking more transparency and accountability. “We are here today, exactly one year and one day after the shooting of Marimar by agent Charles Exum. As you all know, there has been absolutely zero progress from the Department of Justice as far as accountability goes,” attorney Chris Parente said. “There’s been no investigation. There’s been no charges.” Judge delays decision on releasing sealed Border Patrol shooting bodycam footage The lawsuit alleges that Border Patrol’s account of the shooting contradicts what Martinez says actually happened. The Department of Homeland Security said that during the immigration crackdown altercation, Martinez tried to ram agents with her vehicle. Martinez maintains that she was driving away from them when one of the agents fired into her vehicle. “What we’ve done here as a defense team is that we essentially became our own Department of Justice. We have hired our own experts, we have done our own investigation,” Parente said. DHS Sec. Noem’s lack of knowledge on Chicago shootings raises eyebrows Martinez’s attorneys presented new video and photo evidence from the incident, saying it shows the agent was not in harm’s way when he started shooting. Martinez said she and her family saw the material for the first time Sunday. “It brought a lot of clarity for them. They got a lot of answers on what happened on Oct. 4,” Martinez said. Read more coverage from WGN on Operation Midway Blitz Martinez said she’s thankful to be alive to share her story and wants to fight for others affected by Operation Midway Blitz. “I want to spread awareness because what’s happening is not normal. We shouldn’t sit here and normalize what’s happening,” Martinez said. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Martinez and her attorneys have been planning to sue for months. In Feb., they filed an administrative Federal Tort Claims Act complaint, the first step in the lengthy process of filing a lawsuit against the federal government. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.This article originally appeared on WGN Chicago at https://wgntv.com/news/operation-midway-blitz/chicago-woman-shot-by-border-patrol-agent-sues/

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) dropped by almost 800,000 barrels last week, and the Trump administration moved forward with plans to sell another 40 million barrels in the coming months.New data released on Monday by the US Department of Energy showed the US energy backstop sitting at 283 million barrels, down from 283.77 million the week prior.That leaves about two weeks of US oil consumption in the reserve amid widespread worries about global stockpiles, which the head of Saudi Arabia’s state producer on Monday called “scarily thin.”Amin Nasser, chief executive of Saudi Aramco, added at an Energy Intelligence Forum in London on Monday that releasing stockpiles will buy economies some time but won’t fix the imbalances that have developed between supply and demand.Yet these withdrawals in the US could soon accelerate after the Trump administration unveiled a request for bids from companies to buy up to 40 million barrels of crude oil from the SPR, with the aim of having the companies return those supplies “with additional premium barrels.” The solicitation process is ongoing, and it’s unclear if companies will agree to those terms.The Strategic Petroleum Reserve storage at the Bryan Mound site is seen in 2022 in Freeport, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)Brandon Bell via Getty ImagesThe Trump administration continues to wrestle with high energy prices, less than a month before the midterm elections, and is reportedly preparing an executive order to expand access ‌to tax-exempt diesel, with the president confirming on Monday afternoon, “I’ll be helping [farmers] with diesel.”In recent days, G7 countries — including the US — announced a new set of plans to release up to 100 million barrels of emergency fuel, including “a frontloaded substantial diesel release.”A White House official told Yahoo Finance that Trump intends to follow through on a commitment to release a total of 172 million barrels from the SPR, which was announced earlier this year. The US energy backstop already sits at the lowest level seen since October of 1982, and a withdrawal of another 40 million barrels would put the reserve at its lowest level since records began being kept earlier in 1982, as the backstop was still coming online under President Ronald Reagan.For his part, President Trump continues to project confidence that the US reserves will be quickly refilled. He told a crowd in Alabama over the weekend that, because of an energy deal with Venezuela, “we’re going to be filling up very shortly our strategic reserves for nothing.” Experts say that, despite Trump’s promises, refilling the reserves will be a complex and far-from-free process that could take years.Historically low levelsIt was back in March that the Trump administration announced the US part of a worldwide release of government oil in response to the war in Iran, with plans to sell 172 million barrels from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve to steady global markets.But the announcement came amid plenty of signals that the withdrawals could be pared back.”The releases out of the US strategic petroleum reserve go over about four months,” US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a Fox News interview at the time. “But this conflict, I don’t think, goes that long.”President Donald Trump and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright are seen during a roundtable in Washington in July. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)Kevin Dietsch via Getty ImagesWright added that the Trump team had plans in place to “replace these strategic reserves with approximately 200 million barrels within the next year.” Analysts at Goldman Sachs also cast doubt on the numbers at the time, suggesting all those barrels would be withdrawn only “under longer/much longer disruptions.”Yet seven months later, the administration has maintained a steady pace of withdrawals, and refills have yet to begin.Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.Click here for political news related to business and money policies that will shape tomorrow’s stock pricesRead the latest financial and business news from Yahoo FinanceThis article originally appeared on Yahoo Finance at https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/article/trump-plans-another-oil-stockpile-sell-off-with-global-reserves-already-scarily-thin-203729409.html

An Ohio man who was found guilty of murdering his wife and staging the crime scene to make it seem as if an intruder had broken into their home and fatally shot the mother of two was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.Caleb Flynn, 40, a former pastor who once appeared as a contestant on “American Idol” in 2013, was found guilty of aggravated murder and multiple counts of murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of his wife, 37-year-old Ashley Flynn.Judge Jeannine Pratt called the former pastor’s actions “abhorrent” and “quite honestly impossible to fathom” while handing down the life sentence on Monday.Caleb Flynn called 911 early on Feb. 16 to report that his wife had been shot by an intruder at their home in Tipp City, north of Dayton. He was arrested three days later. Prosecutors alleged that Caleb Flynn “executed” his wife by shooting her twice in the back of the head in bed so that he could be with his mistress and manipulated the crime scene to make it seem as if an intruder had broken in through the garage.Pool via ABC News – PHOTO: Caleb Flynn appears for his sentencing in the Miami County Court of Common Pleas, Oct. 5, 2026, in Troy, Ohio.Pratt said that after considering the evidence in the case, there is “one clear and obvious conclusion” — that Caleb Flynn poses the “highest risk” of harm to the public — and admonished the “layers of deceit, manipulation and cruelty” that he has shown.”You could have walked away. You could have separated from her and left her here on this earth to be able to be with the people that need her, who loved her, who looked forward to having her in their lives. But instead, through your greed, your selfishness, your lust, and your cruelty, you chose to take Ashley’s life, and in doing so, you did far more than take the life of your wife,” Pratt said. “On that fateful day in February, the person who should have been protecting their children shattered their lives.”Pool via AP – PHOTO: Caleb FlynnCaleb Flynn addressed the court prior to learning his sentence, crying while reading from prepared remarks that he shakily clutched while in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit.He repeatedly denied killing his wife, saying, “I have unfortunately lied about a lot of things over the last couple of years. But as I stand here before God, who is my ultimate judge, I am not lying when I say I did not kill my wife.””I will continue to fight for my innocence as long as the Lord allows me to, since I did not kill my wife,” he said.He apologized to his wife’s family and asked for their forgiveness.”I made vows to Ashley on our wedding day — I failed those vows, and through my decisions, I have caused you guys an incredible amount of pain,” he said. “Through those decisions, I’m sure you have felt betrayal, confusion, anger and so much more.””I take complete accountability for my words and my decisions,” he said. “I am so sorry, I am so sorry, and pray that you can one day forgive me.”Pool via ABC News – PHOTO: Caleb Flynn appears for his sentencing in the Miami County Court of Common Pleas, Oct. 5, 2026, in Troy, Ohio.Caleb Flynn also addressed members of his family, including his young daughters.”I don’t know if they’ll ever be able to hear this, but I want them to hear it regardless — I love you two,” he said, calling them his “greatest joy in his life.”He apologized for not being able to see them grow up and said through tears that he misses them “more than you’ll ever know.”The judge said she received over a dozen victim impact statements, and several members of Ashley Flynn’s family addressed the court prior to the sentence being handed down, speaking to the impact the murder of their mother has had on his daughters, Alyssa and Ava, and asking for the maximum possible sentence.In a searing letter read on her behalf, Alyssa said, “You have already caused so much pain to your family and the world. The least you can do is tell everyone you did it and receive your outcome.””Did you really even think about how much pain you would bring your own two daughters?” the statement continued. “By the way, Ashley Flynn was the best thing that ever happened to you. You had the best life ever, and you decided to throw it away for a girl who was half your age.”In closing, she said her family has “never been stronger” and she doesn’t plan to visit him in prison.Her sister, Ava, asked their father in a statement read on her behalf, “Mommy was the perfect person, the absolute perfect person — what did she ever do to make you hate her so much?””She was my best friend. And then you chose to kill the only mother I ever had. I miss her so much — so, so, so much. You have no idea,” the statement continued, calling on him to “confess and repent” to God.Caleb Flynn could be seen crying as the statements were read.Pool via ABC News – PHOTO: Caleb Flynn listens to the reading of his guilty verdict inside the Miami County Court of Common Pleas, Sept. 29, 2026, in Troy, Ohio.He faced up to life in prison without parole.Prosecutors asked for the maximum possible sentence, arguing in a sentencing memorandum filed ahead of the hearing that he is a “dangerous individual with no regard for human life and has refused to accept accountability or show any remorse.””It is important to note that Defendant could have lawfully left his marriage. Instead, he chose murder. He planned Ashley’s murder for months. This was a planned and calculated execution,” Prosecuting Attorney Paul Watkins stated.In his memo, Watkins said Caleb Flynn’s “effort to escape responsibility did not end with the staged scene or the false intruder narrative,” but that his two daughters described him instructing them on what to say in their forensic interviews and that their statements “could be the difference between life and death for him.””Thus, after taking their mother from them, Defendant attempted to use his grieving daughters to reinforce the story he had created to protect himself,” Watkins stated.The defense, meanwhile, said in its memorandum that Flynn continues to maintain his innocence and has no prior criminal history while asking for a sentence that “preserves the possibility of parole and a return to society following his rehabilitation.”Former ‘American Idol’ contestant found guilty of murdering wifeThe jury deliberated for nearly 2 1/2 hours before reaching a verdict on Sept. 29, finding him guilty of all charges.During closing arguments, Miami County Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Joseph pointed to evidence including the physical scene and a side garage door he said was made to look as if an intruder had damaged it, Caleb Flynn’s 911 call, text messages between the defendant and his mistress discussing the end of his marriage and digital records from the night of the shooting, which he argued “leads straight to the defendant.””The evidence showed that being the victim would allow the defendant to keep his lucrative job working for Ashley’s family business, he would benefit from Ashley’s life insurance, and he could keep his position as a working worship leader with zero impact to his reputation within the church,” Joseph said during closing arguments on Sept. 29 in the Miami County courtroom. “The evidence does not tell the story of an intruder.”Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan argued during his closing that the state’s evidence is circumstantial, and that the only thing prosecutors proved was that Caleb Flynn was having an affair.”Connecting a couple of meaningless dots doesn’t solve the case,” Mulligan told jurors.Ashley Flynn/Facebook – PHOTO: Ashley and Caleb Flynn.Caleb Flynn did not testify during the trial and the defense called no witnesses.He denied killing his spouse in an interview with police days after the deadly shooting, according to video shown during the more than weeklong trial.His former mistress testified for the state during the trial, reading from some of the more than 100,000 messages they exchanged over her two days of testimony.”If I could literally kill her and not go to hell, I would do it in a heartbeat,” Caleb Flynn said in one message from May 2025, Botner testified. Pool via ABC News – PHOTO: Caleb Flynn cries after being found guilty inside the Miami County Court of Common Pleas, Sept. 29, 2026, in Troy, Ohio.Following the guilty verdict, Mulligan told reporters that he expected there to be a notice of appeal filed.When asked what appellate issues they have, he said, “There’s a lack of evidence on prior calculation and design.”Watkins thanked the jury “for their dedication to justice in this case.”Ex-mistress testifies against former ‘American Idol’ contestant: ‘I believe that he murdered his wife’In a statement read by Watkins, Ashley Flynn’s family said they “refuse to let the evil that ended Ashley’s life have the final word in her story.””Ashley loved Jesus with her whole heart. Her faith wasn’t simply something she simply spoke about. It was how she lived,” the statement said. “She loved people well, found joy beyond her circumstances, prayed boldly for her family, and wanted her life to point people to Jesus.””Most of all, she loved being a mom,” the statement continued. “She prayed over her girls, taught them to love God, and showed them what it looked like to live with faith, kindness, joy, and grace.”This article originally appeared on Good Morning America at https://abcnews.com/US/former-american-idol-contestant-sentenced-wifes-murder/story?id=136953520

The woman who alleges she was drugged and raped by multiple members of a Cornell University fraternity in October 2024 told one of the accused men in a recorded phone call weeks later that she was “10 shots deep” when she arrived at the Chi Phi house and was now struggling to remember what had caused “so much damage on my body and brain.””The only way for me to heal is to know what happened,” the woman, identified as “Jane Doe” in a civil lawsuit, said during a Nov. 7, 2024, call, according to audio obtained by ABC News. “That’s why I’m trying to just piece it together, you know, like I’m just like confused.” During the call, the Chi Phi fraternity member told her that she consented to having a threesome with him and another fraternity brother. He also insisted that Jane Doe had told him she had not been drinking when she showed up.”You did tell me you were sober, by the way,” he said. “You said you hadn’t been anywhere.””That is not true. I never would have said that,” she replied.Students walk on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., on Oct. 1.Matt Rourke/APAt one point during the call, Jane Doe told him, “If I wanted to take this somewhere, what y’all did would be classified as gang rape.” The fraternity member then suggested that their memories of what transpired may not be accurate.”I have racked my brain for this mystery,” he said. “You know, it’s possible that both of us, like, remember this, and it’s not true.”Jane Doe pushed back: “No, because I remember looking up and being like, ‘That is too many people.'”Other text messages published by ABC News suggested that some of the accused fraternity members attempted to contain the allegations in the weeks following the incident.”What’s the plan of action? Should I call [Jane Doe]? I don’t think she would have reported this,” the fraternity member in the recorded call wrote in a small group chat.Read more from Yahoo: A timeline of the Cornell University rape caseJane Doe, who was 20 at the time of the alleged 2024 rape, reported the incident to Cornell University police on Nov. 8, 2024.She filed a civil lawsuit on Sept. 16 against the school, seven current and former Chi Phi fraternity members, the Tri-Delta Alpha Beta sorority where she lived, and a local bar where she said she was served drinks on the night of the incident.Lawyers for two of the men identified in Jane Doe’s civil suit have denied they participated in a sexual assault, according to the Associated Press.A sign marks the entrance of the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, N.Y., on Oct. 1.Lauren Petracca/ReutersCornell University has come under intense scrutiny for its handling of the case.In an eight-minute video statement released on Saturday, Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff said the university “must do better.””What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come. My heart aches when I think of what she experienced,” Kotlikoff said. “It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use. It also raises questions around the investigations conducted after the allegations were reported.”New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Friday that the woman was “failed” by those obligated to protect her, including university police and a prosecutor who initially declined to bring charges.Hochul said that she had lost faith in Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten and appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as the special prosecutor to oversee the criminal investigation.”This young woman had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable,” the governor said. “And then at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her.”Meanwhile, Jane Doe’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, said that his client has received “multiple threats” in recent days.”There are people out there trying to track her down,” Giuffra said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday. “They said we’re gonna shut you up. You’re gonna still get hurt by us. You’re gonna pull this lawsuit out or we’re gonna do something to hurt you even more.”This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/article/cornell-rape-case-jane-doe-sought-to-know-what-happened-in-call-with-one-of-the-accused-frat-brothers-the-day-before-reporting-incident-to-police-171906056.html