Austin, Texas Authorities are looking for a Texas man who was freed from prison following President Donald Trump's massive pardons for the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol on a 2016 allegation of soliciting a minor online, according to prosecutors. Andrew Taake, 36, was charged with using a metal whip and bear spray to strike police officers during the Capitol assault. Since his pardon last week, he is one of only a few former Jan. 6 defendants who have attracted the interest of law enforcement. Get real-time updates here. Following the pardon of almost 1,600 individuals charged in relation to the Capitol attack by Trump, Taake was released from a federal prison in Colorado. According to a statement from the Harris County District Attorney's Office, he was freed on January 20th, even thou...

According to two people briefed on the situation who spoke to NBC News, a lawyer for New York City Mayor Eric Adams has reached out to the leadership of the Justice Department with a petition to dismiss the prosecution against him. Officials in Washington have also reviewed the proposal with prosecutors in New York. Adams' attorney's outreach is typical for a well-known defendant like Adams who wants the Justice Department of a new administration to take a second look at the case. However, according to a person familiar with the situation, there is currently no sign that federal prosecutors in Manhattan in the Southern District of New York will abandon the case. According to a Justice Department official who spoke to NBC News, the office of acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove is parti...

Washington Democrats were caught off guard by President Donald Trump's rapid-fire actions in his first week in office, which caused division within the party about how to react to key aspects of his program and a number of his well-known nominations. However, Trump's botched attempt on Monday to put a blanket block on federal help across the government sparked a fierce backlash from Democrats. Two days later, the White House retracted the budget memo due to the pressure and the confusion and disruption it created. Unknowingly, Trump's action gave Democrats the political gift of a cohesive narrative that centered on economic issues that they feel would restore the party's damaged reputation and help them regain power following a crushing loss in the 2024 election. It followed days of inte...

Texas's COLDSPRING A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder charges and will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the killings of five people in Texas in 2023 after a neighbor complained that he was keeping a baby awake by discharging a gun in his yard late at night, according to the prosecution. Todd Dillon, the district attorney for San Jacinto County, told The Associated Press that Francisco Oropeza, a Mexican national, entered a guilty plea to capital murder of numerous victims in order to avoid a potential death sentence. Prosecutors spoke with victims' relatives for a long time before offering Oropeza the deal, he added. Between 2009 and 2016, Oropeza was deported four times, according to U.S. immigration officials. However, Dillon stated that he will be inca...

The PresidentA decree signed by President Donald Trump on Wednesday begins the construction of a facility to detain thousands of migrants in Guantnamo Bay, Cuba, which he claimed was an attempt to "halt the border invasion." "I hereby direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to take all appropriate actions to expand the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to full capacity to provide additional detention space for high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States," according to the memo to the Pentagon and DHS. During a signing ceremony for the immigration detention law known as the Laken Riley Act, Trump gave a sneak peek at the plan, stating that he will "direct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to star...

According to court documents, a man who was about to wed the suspect in the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent was also detained and charged with the murder of a Californian three days prior to the agent's shooting death. The allegations against Maximilian Snyder are the most recent development in the case of his 21-year-old Seattle companion, Teresa Youngblut. She is charged with shooting Border Patrol officers during a traffic check in northern Vermont last week, starting a gunfight that claimed agent David Chris Maland's life. Youngblut was accompanied by a German national who was also killed. According to police records, Youngblut's parents reported her missing in May 2024. According to a police record acquired by NBC News, Youngblut's parents informed Seattle police at the time that ...

WashingtonA comprehensive executive order that would prioritize and free up government funding to expand school choice programs was signed by President Donald Trump on Wednesday. According to a senior White House official, the directive affects many federal departments and instructs the Education Department to give school choice initiatives first priority when allocating discretionary grants. It also provides states with direction regarding federal funding for districts and schools. According to the order, the Secretary of Education must provide direction to States on how to use Federal formula monies to assist K–12 educational choice programs within 60 days of the order's date. "Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families," the order, requires the Department of Health and H...

The Summary The Biden administration proposed a ban on menthol cigarettes but never finalized it. The Trump administration has withdrawn the proposal, so menthol appears likely to remain in cigarettes. The American Lung Association is criticizing Biden s inaction, saying the ban could have saved lives. The medical world applauded when Joe Biden's government declared its intention to outlaw menthol cigarettes, believing it would persuade more people to give up smoking and perhaps save hundreds of thousands of lives over several decades. In the United States, menthol is the only exemption to the prohibition on flavored cigarettes, which has been in place since 2009. Cigarettes taste better and cause less throat irritation thanks to the flavor, which might make them very add...

Many were shocked to see a longtime daytime TV mainstay take center stage as the Trump administration's immigration raids increased throughout the United States."Dr. Phil," whose real name was Philip McGraw, accompanied ICE officers on raids throughout the Chicago area. McGraw, who became well-known nationwide with Oprah Winfrey and presented Dr. Phil for over 20 years, claimed to have infiltrated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers when they captured terrorists and known criminals. Over the past year, McGraw has emerged as a strong advocate for Trump's immigration policies, voicing his opinions on TV, podcasts, social media, and even during a Trump rally. In a statement following the conclusion of his CBS daytime program in 2023, McGraw expressed his deep worry for the Ameri...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the Senate Finance committee on the day of his confirmation hearing as Secretary of Health and Human Services, surrounded by ardent supporters and anti-vaccine campaigners. Kennedy attempted a delicate balancing act in the face of growing criticism from Democrats, doctor's groups, and public health officials (as well as some skepticism from some Republicans). He defended and denied his contentious past as a well-known anti-vaccine lawyer while promising to be a responsible steward for an agency with 80,000 employees, a $1.8 trillion budget, and the health of the country at stake. I would like to clarify a few points for the Committee. I have been accused by the media of being anti-industry or anti-vaccine. In his opening remarks to the committee, Kenne...