Month: September 2025

A federal judge in California on Tuesday has ruled that the Trump administraion’s decision to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in June violated a 19th-century law barring the use of soldiers for civilian law enforcement activities when it mobilized .

In a 52-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer found that the president and his administration breached the Posse Comitatus Act, a statute dating back to the 19th century that prohibits the use of the military for domestic law enforcement.

At the time the troops were dispatched, Trump argued they were needed to safeguard federal buildings and agents during demonstrations sparked by immigration enforcement actions. The deployment led California Gov. Gavin Newsom to seek an injunction limiting federal intervention in the state.

In his written opinion, Breyer noted that both Trump and then–Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had signaled plans to use Guard units in other cities, raising the prospect of what he described as a “national police force with the President as its chief.”  Breyer wrote: “the evidence at trial established that Defendants systematically used armed soldiers (whose identity was often obscured by protective armor) and military vehicles to set up protective perimeters and traffic blockades, engage in crowd control, and otherwise demonstrate a military presence in and around Los Angeles. In short, Defendants violated the Posse Comitatus Act.” While acknowledging that some protesters engaged in violence, Breyer emphasized that the situation did not rise to the level of a rebellion and that civilian law enforcement was capable of maintaining order.

About the Posse Comitatus Act, Breyer wrote, “Nearly 140 years later, Defendants — President Trump, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, and the Department of Defense — deployed the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, ostensibly to quell a rebellion and ensure that federal immigration law was enforced. There were indeed protests in Los Angeles, and some individuals engaged in violence. Yet there was no rebellion, nor was civilian law enforcement unable to respond to the protests and enforce the law.”

To prevent more violations of the law in California, Breyer blocked Trump and Hegseth from using troops there for “arrests, apprehensions, searches, seizures, security patrols, traffic control, crowd control, riot control, evidence collection, interrogation, or acting as informants.” Breyer stayed the ruling until Sept. 12 to allow the administration to appeal.

Gov. Newsom praised the ruling in a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “DONALD TRUMP LOSES AGAIN. The courts agree — his militarization of our streets and use of the military against U.S. citizens is ILLEGAL.”

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Rescue operations were still underway Monday after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan ate Sunday night, destroying several villages and killing at least 812 people, with at least 2,500 more injured

According to Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, most of the victims were reported in Kunar province, though authorities also confirmed 12 deaths and 255 injuries in neighboring Nangarhar. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the magnitude 6.0 quake occurred at 11:47 p.m. local time (3:17 p.m. Eastern), with its epicenter located about 17 miles east-northeast of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province. The earthquake was shallow, just five miles below the surface—making the impact more destructive.

Taliban officials added that among the worst-hit areas are Nurgal and Siringal in Kunar Province, as well as several villages in Shaman District, which have been completely destroyed. Darr-e-Nur in Nangarhar Province has also sustained significant damage.

Throughout the night, the region was rocked by multiple aftershocks. One of the strongest, a shallow 5.2-magnitude tremor, struck shortly after 4 a.m., further shaking communities already reeling from the initial quake, according to USGS data. The initial tremor was powerful enough to make buildings sway for several seconds as far away as Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, about 230 miles from the epicenter.

Dr. Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the Taliban government’s Health Ministry, said the toll was likely to rise as search and rescue work continued, noting that “several villages have been completely destroyed.” Medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area, said Zaman.

The U.N. said on X that it had rescue teams on the ground “delivering emergency assistance & lifesaving support.” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on social media that the U.N. would “spare no effort to assist those in need in the affected areas. I stand in full solidarity with the people of Afghanistan after the devastating earthquake that hit the country earlier today. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”

For Homa Nadir, the Deputy Head of the Red Crescent in Afghanistan, said that 200 Taliban soldiers were deployed to assist in retrieving survivors, with helicopters and 30 ambulances were also being used in the rescue operations.

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The House Oversight Committee has officially withdrawn its request for former special counsel Robert Mueller to testify before the panel regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case, after receiving information about his health.

A committee spokesperson told ABC News: “We’ve learned that Mr. Mueller has health issues that preclude him from being able to testify. The Committee has withdrawn its subpoena.”

Mueller’s family told The New York Times in a statement that the 81-year-old has been battling Parkinson’s disease, prohibiting him from coming before Congress: “Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the summer of 2021. He retired from the practice of law at the end of that year. He taught at his law school alma mater during the fall of both 2021 and 2022, and he retired at the end of 2022. His family asks that his privacy be respected.”

Mueller, who gained national attention for leading the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race and released his long-awaited report in March 2019, previously served as FBI director for 12 years.  The subpoena had been issued last month as part of a broader push to gather testimony from former Justice Department officials and others. Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer noted in an August 5 letter that Mueller’s role as FBI director from 2001 to 2013 overlapped with investigations into Epstein, making his insights potentially valuable. Comer directed Mueller to appear for a deposition on September 2.

The decision to withdraw comes amid renewed scrutiny over documents tied to Epstein. The Justice Department recently released findings from an internal review, concluding there was no evidence of a so-called “client list” or proof that Epstein blackmailed influential figures. Still, the issue has fueled public debate, with some calling for more openness while sparking division within former President Trump’s political base.

In late August, the administration also made public transcripts of a two-day interview with Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Additionally, the Oversight Committee has announced plans to release certain Epstein-related files it obtained from the Justice Department, with sensitive details redacted.

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