WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee met Tuesday to vote on whether to publicly release years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;tax returns, which the former president has long tried to shield.

Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., has kept a close hold on the actions of the panel, which planned to vote on the release in a closed session that could span several hours. And if lawmakers move forward with plans to release the returns, it's unclear how quickly that would happen.

But after a yearslong battle that ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-donald-trump-business-john-roberts-congress-8ea516dace48875ad7c5dd472dd16dcf">clearing the way</a>&nbsp;last month for the Treasury Department to send the returns to Congress, Democrats are under pressure to act aggressively. The committee received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-business-donald-trump-personal-taxes-congress-7cc1a1a0d10de7bdfc1252603f53ab69">six years of tax returns</a>&nbsp;for Trump and some of his businesses. And with just two weeks left until Republicans formally take control of the House, Tuesday's meeting could be the last opportunity for Democrats to disclose whatever information they have gleaned.

Republicans have railed against the potential release, arguing that it would set a dangerous precedent.

Before Tuesday’s meeting, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the committee’s top Republican, called any release of Trump’s tax records a “dangerous new political weapon” that “even Democrats will come to regret.”

“Our concern is not whether the president should have made his tax returns public, as is traditional, nor about the accuracy of his tax returns,” Brady said. “Our concern is that, if taken, this committee action will set a terrible precedent that unleashes a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond the former president and overturns decades of privacy protections for average Americans that have existed since the Watergate reforms.”

Trump has long had a complicated relationship with his personal income taxes.

As a presidential candidate in 2016, he broke decades of precedent by refusing to release his tax forms to the public. He bragged during a presidential debate that year that he was “smart” because he paid no federal taxes and later claimed he wouldn't personally benefit from the 2017 tax cuts he signed into law that favored people with extreme wealth, asking Americans to simply take him at his word.

Tax records would have been a useful metric for judging his success in business. The image of a savvy businessman was key to a political brand honed during his years as a tabloid magnet and star of “The Apprentice” television show. They also could reveal any financial obligations — including foreign debts — that could influence how he governed.

But Americans were largely in the dark about Trump's relationship with the IRS until October 2018 and September 2020, when The New York Times published two separate series based on leaked tax records.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html">2018 articles</a>&nbsp;showed how Trump received a modern equivalent of at least $413 million from his father's real estate holdings, with much of that money coming from what the Times called “tax dodges” in the 1990s. Trump sued the Times and his niece, Mary Trump, in 2021 for providing the records to the newspaper. In November, Mary Trump asked an appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision to reject her claims that her uncle and two of his siblings defrauded her of millions of dollars in a 2001 family settlement.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">2020 articles</a>&nbsp;showed that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018. Trump paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the past 15 years because he generally lost more money than he made.

The articles exposed deep inequities in the U.S. tax code as Trump, a reputed multi-billionaire, paid little in federal income taxes. IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than the former president paid.

Details about Trump's income from foreign operations and debt levels were also contained in the tax filings, which the former president derided as “fake news."

At the time of the 2020 articles, Neal said he saw an ethical problem in Trump overseeing a federal agency that he has also battled with legal filings.

"Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary," Neal said in 2020. “It is essential that the IRS’s presidential audit program remain free of interference.”

The Manhattan district attorney’s office also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-prosecutor-trump-tax-records-87f675d7ae8e24fbf2e8f33c480869d6">obtained copies of Trump’s tax records</a>&nbsp;in February 2021 after a protracted legal fight that included two trips to the Supreme Court.

The office, then led by District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., had subpoenaed Trump’s accounting firm in 2019, seeking access to eight years of Trump’s tax returns and related documents.

The DA’s office issued the subpoena after Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that Trump had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets. Those allegations are the subject of a fraud lawsuit that New York Attorney General Letitia James filed against Trump and his company in September.

Trump’s longtime accountant, Donald Bender, testified at the Trump Organization’s recent criminal trial that Trump reported losses on his tax returns every year for a decade, including nearly $700 million in 2009 and $200 million in 2010.

Bender, a partner at Mazars USA LLP who spent years preparing Trump’s personal tax returns, said Trump’s reported losses from 2009 to 2018 included net operating losses from some of the many businesses he owns through his Trump Organization.

The Trump Organization was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.

The current Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.

“We’re going to follow the facts and continue to do our job,” Bragg said.

Trump, who refused to release his returns during his 2016 presidential campaign and his four years in the White House while claiming that he was under IRS audit, has argued there is little to be gleaned from the tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.

“You can’t learn much from tax returns, but it is illegal to release them if they are not yours!” he complained on his social media network last weekend.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671573521427.png" alt="Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, Republican leader of the House Ways and Means Committee, speaks before the House Ways &amp; Means Committee holds a hearing regarding tax returns from former President Donald Trump -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, Republican leader of the House Ways and Means Committee, speaks before the House Ways &amp; Means Committee holds a hearing regarding tax returns from former President Donald Trump -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee met Tuesday to vote on whether to publicly release years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;tax returns, which the former president has long tried to shield.Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., has kept a close hold on the actions of the panel, which planned to vote on the release in a closed session that could span several hours. And if lawmakers move forward with plans to release the returns, it's unclear how quickly that would happen.But after a yearslong battle that ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-donald-trump-business-john-roberts-congress-8ea516dace48875ad7c5dd472dd16dcf">clearing the way</a>&nbsp;last month for the Treasury Department to send the returns to Congress, Democrats are under pressure to act aggressively. The committee received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-business-donald-trump-personal-taxes-congress-7cc1a1a0d10de7bdfc1252603f53ab69">six years of tax returns</a>&nbsp;for Trump and some of his businesses. And with just two weeks left until Republicans formally take control of the House, Tuesday's meeting could be the last opportunity for Democrats to disclose whatever information they have gleaned.Republicans have railed against the potential release, arguing that it would set a dangerous precedent.Before Tuesday’s meeting, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the committee’s top Republican, called any release of Trump’s tax records a “dangerous new political weapon” that “even Democrats will come to regret.”“Our concern is not whether the president should have made his tax returns public, as is traditional, nor about the accuracy of his tax returns,” Brady said. “Our concern is that, if taken, this committee action will set a terrible precedent that unleashes a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond the former president and overturns decades of privacy protections for average Americans that have existed since the Watergate reforms.”Trump has long had a complicated relationship with his personal income taxes.As a presidential candidate in 2016, he broke decades of precedent by refusing to release his tax forms to the public. He bragged during a presidential debate that year that he was “smart” because he paid no federal taxes and later claimed he wouldn't personally benefit from the 2017 tax cuts he signed into law that favored people with extreme wealth, asking Americans to simply take him at his word.Tax records would have been a useful metric for judging his success in business. The image of a savvy businessman was key to a political brand honed during his years as a tabloid magnet and star of “The Apprentice” television show. They also could reveal any financial obligations — including foreign debts — that could influence how he governed.But Americans were largely in the dark about Trump's relationship with the IRS until October 2018 and September 2020, when The New York Times published two separate series based on leaked tax records.The Pulitzer Prize-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html">2018 articles</a>&nbsp;showed how Trump received a modern equivalent of at least $413 million from his father's real estate holdings, with much of that money coming from what the Times called “tax dodges” in the 1990s. Trump sued the Times and his niece, Mary Trump, in 2021 for providing the records to the newspaper. In November, Mary Trump asked an appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision to reject her claims that her uncle and two of his siblings defrauded her of millions of dollars in a 2001 family settlement.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">2020 articles</a>&nbsp;showed that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018. Trump paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the past 15 years because he generally lost more money than he made.The articles exposed deep inequities in the U.S. tax code as Trump, a reputed multi-billionaire, paid little in federal income taxes. IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than the former president paid.Details about Trump's income from foreign operations and debt levels were also contained in the tax filings, which the former president derided as “fake news."At the time of the 2020 articles, Neal said he saw an ethical problem in Trump overseeing a federal agency that he has also battled with legal filings."Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary," Neal said in 2020. “It is essential that the IRS’s presidential audit program remain free of interference.”The Manhattan district attorney’s office also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-prosecutor-trump-tax-records-87f675d7ae8e24fbf2e8f33c480869d6">obtained copies of Trump’s tax records</a>&nbsp;in February 2021 after a protracted legal fight that included two trips to the Supreme Court.The office, then led by District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., had subpoenaed Trump’s accounting firm in 2019, seeking access to eight years of Trump’s tax returns and related documents.The DA’s office issued the subpoena after Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that Trump had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets. Those allegations are the subject of a fraud lawsuit that New York Attorney General Letitia James filed against Trump and his company in September.Trump’s longtime accountant, Donald Bender, testified at the Trump Organization’s recent criminal trial that Trump reported losses on his tax returns every year for a decade, including nearly $700 million in 2009 and $200 million in 2010.Bender, a partner at Mazars USA LLP who spent years preparing Trump’s personal tax returns, said Trump’s reported losses from 2009 to 2018 included net operating losses from some of the many businesses he owns through his Trump Organization.The Trump Organization was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.The current Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.“We’re going to follow the facts and continue to do our job,” Bragg said.Trump, who refused to release his returns during his 2016 presidential campaign and his four years in the White House while claiming that he was under IRS audit, has argued there is little to be gleaned from the tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.“You can’t learn much from tax returns, but it is illegal to release them if they are not yours!” he complained on his social media network last weekend.

Trump taxes: House panel mulls releasing long-sought returns

WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer banking giant Wells Fargo agreed to pay $3.7 billion to settle charges that it harmed customers by charging illegal fees and interest on auto loans and mortgages, as well as incorrectly applying overdraft fees against savings and checking accounts.

Wells was ordered to repay $2 billion to consumers by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which also enacted a $1.7 billion penalty against the San Francisco bank Tuesday. It's the largest fine ever leveled against a bank by the CFPB and the largest yet against Wells, which has spent years trying to rehabilitate its image after a series of scandals tied to its sales practices.

Regulators made it clear, however, that they believe Wells Fargo has further to go on that front.

“Put simply: Wells Fargo is a corporate recidivist that puts one out of three Americans at risk for potential harm,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, in a call with reporters.

The bank's pattern of behavior has made it necessary for regulators to take additional actions against Wells Fargo that go beyond the $3.7 billion in fines and penalties, Chopra said.

The violations impacted more than 16 million customers, the bureau said. In addition to improperly charging auto loan customers with fees and interest, the bank wrongfully repossessed vehicles in some cases. The bank also improperly denied thousands of mortgage loan modifications for homeowners.

Wells Fargo has been sanctioned repeatedly by U.S. regulators for violations of consumer protection laws going back to 2016, when employees were found to have opened millions of accounts illegally in order to meet unrealistic sales goals. Since then, executives have repeatedly said Wells is cleaning up its act, only for the bank to be found in violation of other parts of consumer protection law, including in its auto and mortgage lending businesses.

Wells paid a $1 billion penalty in 2018 for widespread consumer law violations, the largest against a bank for such violations at the time.

The bank had signaled to its investors that it anticipated additional fines and penalties from regulators and aside $2 billion in the third quarter for that reason.

Wells remains under a Federal Reserve order forbidding the bank from growing any larger until the Fed deems that its problems are resolved. That order, originally enacted in 2018, was expected to last only a year or two.

CEO Charles Scharf said in a prepared statement Tuesday that the agreement with the CFPB is part of an effort to "transform operating practices at Wells Fargo and to put these issues behind us.”

While Wells Fargo tried to frame the agreement with the CFPB as a resolution of established bad behavior, CFPB officials said some of the violations cited in Tuesday's order took place this year.

“This should not been seen as Wells Fargo has moved past its problems,” Chopra said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671558859312.png" alt="Wells was ordered to repay $2 billion to consumers by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which also enacted a $1.7 billion penalty against the San Francisco bank Tuesday.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>Wells was ordered to repay $2 billion to consumers by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which also enacted a $1.7 billion penalty against the San Francisco bank Tuesday.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer banking giant Wells Fargo agreed to pay $3.7 billion to settle charges that it harmed customers by charging illegal fees and interest on auto loans and mortgages, as well as incorrectly applying overdraft fees against savings and checking accounts.Wells was ordered to repay $2 billion to consumers by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which also enacted a $1.7 billion penalty against the San Francisco bank Tuesday. It's the largest fine ever leveled against a bank by the CFPB and the largest yet against Wells, which has spent years trying to rehabilitate its image after a series of scandals tied to its sales practices.Regulators made it clear, however, that they believe Wells Fargo has further to go on that front.“Put simply: Wells Fargo is a corporate recidivist that puts one out of three Americans at risk for potential harm,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, in a call with reporters.The bank's pattern of behavior has made it necessary for regulators to take additional actions against Wells Fargo that go beyond the $3.7 billion in fines and penalties, Chopra said.The violations impacted more than 16 million customers, the bureau said. In addition to improperly charging auto loan customers with fees and interest, the bank wrongfully repossessed vehicles in some cases. The bank also improperly denied thousands of mortgage loan modifications for homeowners.Wells Fargo has been sanctioned repeatedly by U.S. regulators for violations of consumer protection laws going back to 2016, when employees were found to have opened millions of accounts illegally in order to meet unrealistic sales goals. Since then, executives have repeatedly said Wells is cleaning up its act, only for the bank to be found in violation of other parts of consumer protection law, including in its auto and mortgage lending businesses.Wells paid a $1 billion penalty in 2018 for widespread consumer law violations, the largest against a bank for such violations at the time.The bank had signaled to its investors that it anticipated additional fines and penalties from regulators and aside $2 billion in the third quarter for that reason.Wells remains under a Federal Reserve order forbidding the bank from growing any larger until the Fed deems that its problems are resolved. That order, originally enacted in 2018, was expected to last only a year or two.CEO Charles Scharf said in a prepared statement Tuesday that the agreement with the CFPB is part of an effort to "transform operating practices at Wells Fargo and to put these issues behind us.”While Wells Fargo tried to frame the agreement with the CFPB as a resolution of established bad behavior, CFPB officials said some of the violations cited in Tuesday's order took place this year.“This should not been seen as Wells Fargo has moved past its problems,” Chopra said.

Wells Fargo to pay $3.7B over consumer law violations

News Release Federal Bureau of Investigation

The FBI, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is issuing a national public safety alert regarding an explosion in incidents of children and teens being coerced into sending explicit images online and extorted for money—a crime known as financial sextortion.

Over the past year, law enforcement has received over 7,000 reports related to the online financial sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys, and more than a dozen suicides. A large percentage of these sextortion schemes originate outside of the United States, and primarily in West African countries such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast. As many children enter winter break this holiday season, the FBI and our partners implore parents and caregivers to engage with their kids about financial sextortion schemes so we can prevent them in the first place. &nbsp;

“The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes targeting minor boys—and the fact is that the many victims who are afraid to come forward are not even included in those numbers,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is here for victims, but we also need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does. Victims may feel like there is no way out—it is up to all of us to reassure them that they are not in trouble, there is hope, and they are not alone.”

“The protection of children is a society’s most sacred duty,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It calls on each of us to do everything we can to keep kids from harm, including ensuring the threats they face are brought into the light and confronted. Armed with the information in this alert message, parents, caregivers, and children themselves should feel empowered to detect fake identities, take steps to reject any attempt to obtain private material, and if targeted, have a plan to seek help from a trusted adult.”

Financial sextortion schemes occur in online environments where young people feel most comfortable—using common social media sites, gaming sites, or video chat applications that feel familiar and safe. &nbsp;On these platforms, online predators often use fake female accounts and target minor males, between 14 to 17 years old but the FBI has interviewed victims as young as 10 years old.

“The sexual exploitation of children is a deplorable crime. HSI special agents will continue to exhaust every resource to identify, locate, and apprehend predators to ensure they face justice,” said Steve K. Francis, HSI Acting Executive Associate Director. “Criminals who lurk in platforms on the internet are not as anonymous as they think. HSI will continue to leverage cutting-edge technology to end these heinous acts.”

Through deception, predators convince the young person to produce an explicit video or photo. Once predators acquire the images, they threaten to release the compromising material unless the victim sends money or gift cards. Often the predators demand payment through a variety of peer-to-peer payment applications. In many cases, however, predators release the images even if payments are made. The shame, fear, and confusion that victims feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse.

“This is a growing crisis and we've seen sextortion completely devastate children and families,” said Michelle DeLaune, CEO of the National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children. “As the leading nonprofit focused on child protection, we've seen first-hand the rise in these cases worldwide. The best defense against this crime is to talk to your children about what to do if they're targeted online. We want everyone to know help is out there and they're not alone.”

If young people are being exploited, they are victims of a crime and should report it. Contact your&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEyMTkuNjg0ODkzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5mYmkuZ292L2NvbnRhY3QtdXMvZmllbGQtb2ZmaWNlcz91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkifQ.LFWH-Z61L4HwQQE5TG5mcWC_vf4wSSlptxtNXDizJT4/s/2584564785/br/150841004197-l" target="_blank">local FBI field office</a>, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEyMTkuNjg0ODkzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3RpcHMuZmJpLmdvdi8_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.45OBw_-9JL_9RgSfBA-D9JAbOHKOl_Khfg-rDFMN3Uw/s/2584564785/br/150841004197-l" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has outlined steps parents and young people can take if they or their child are a victim of sextortion, including:

Take a moment to learn how sextortion works and how to talk to your children about it. Information, resources, and conversation guides are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://fbi.gov/StopSextortion" target="_blank">fbi.gov/StopSextortion</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671550884464.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Federal Bureau of InvestigationThe FBI, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is issuing a national public safety alert regarding an explosion in incidents of children and teens being coerced into sending explicit images online and extorted for money—a crime known as financial sextortion.Over the past year, law enforcement has received over 7,000 reports related to the online financial sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys, and more than a dozen suicides. A large percentage of these sextortion schemes originate outside of the United States, and primarily in West African countries such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast. As many children enter winter break this holiday season, the FBI and our partners implore parents and caregivers to engage with their kids about financial sextortion schemes so we can prevent them in the first place. &nbsp;“The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes targeting minor boys—and the fact is that the many victims who are afraid to come forward are not even included in those numbers,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is here for victims, but we also need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does. Victims may feel like there is no way out—it is up to all of us to reassure them that they are not in trouble, there is hope, and they are not alone.”“The protection of children is a society’s most sacred duty,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It calls on each of us to do everything we can to keep kids from harm, including ensuring the threats they face are brought into the light and confronted. Armed with the information in this alert message, parents, caregivers, and children themselves should feel empowered to detect fake identities, take steps to reject any attempt to obtain private material, and if targeted, have a plan to seek help from a trusted adult.”Financial sextortion schemes occur in online environments where young people feel most comfortable—using common social media sites, gaming sites, or video chat applications that feel familiar and safe. &nbsp;On these platforms, online predators often use fake female accounts and target minor males, between 14 to 17 years old but the FBI has interviewed victims as young as 10 years old.“The sexual exploitation of children is a deplorable crime. HSI special agents will continue to exhaust every resource to identify, locate, and apprehend predators to ensure they face justice,” said Steve K. Francis, HSI Acting Executive Associate Director. “Criminals who lurk in platforms on the internet are not as anonymous as they think. HSI will continue to leverage cutting-edge technology to end these heinous acts.”Through deception, predators convince the young person to produce an explicit video or photo. Once predators acquire the images, they threaten to release the compromising material unless the victim sends money or gift cards. Often the predators demand payment through a variety of peer-to-peer payment applications. In many cases, however, predators release the images even if payments are made. The shame, fear, and confusion that victims feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse.“This is a growing crisis and we've seen sextortion completely devastate children and families,” said Michelle DeLaune, CEO of the National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children. “As the leading nonprofit focused on child protection, we've seen first-hand the rise in these cases worldwide. The best defense against this crime is to talk to your children about what to do if they're targeted online. We want everyone to know help is out there and they're not alone.”What if you or your child is a victim?If young people are being exploited, they are victims of a crime and should report it. Contact your&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEyMTkuNjg0ODkzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5mYmkuZ292L2NvbnRhY3QtdXMvZmllbGQtb2ZmaWNlcz91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkifQ.LFWH-Z61L4HwQQE5TG5mcWC_vf4wSSlptxtNXDizJT4/s/2584564785/br/150841004197-l" target="_blank">local FBI field office</a>, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEyMTkuNjg0ODkzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3RpcHMuZmJpLmdvdi8_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.45OBw_-9JL_9RgSfBA-D9JAbOHKOl_Khfg-rDFMN3Uw/s/2584564785/br/150841004197-l" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>.The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has outlined steps parents and young people can take if they or their child are a victim of sextortion, including:<ul>
 <li>Remember, the predator is to blame, not your child or you.</li><li>Get help before deciding whether to pay money or otherwise comply with the predator. Cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail and continued harassment.</li><li>REPORT the predator’s account via the platform’s safety feature.</li><li>BLOCK the predator and DO NOT DELETE the profile or messages&nbsp;because that can be helpful to law enforcement in identifying and stopping them.</li><li>Let NCMEC help get explicit images of you off the internet.</li><li>Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEyMTkuNjg0ODkzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5taXNzaW5na2lkcy5vcmcvZ2V0aGVscG5vdy9pc3lvdXJleHBsaWNpdGNvbnRlbnRvdXR0aGVyZT91dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9Z292ZGVsaXZlcnkifQ.7t5aekhG43GhFabWoicCyOOxfSFJfNF1lHDkhLv-TZ8/s/2584564785/br/150841004197-l" target="_blank">org/IsYourExplicitContentOutThere</a>&nbsp;to learn how to notify companies yourself or visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEyMTkuNjg0ODkzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5taXNzaW5na2lkcy5vcmcvZ2V0aGVscG5vdy9jeWJlcnRpcGxpbmU_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWdvdmRlbGl2ZXJ5In0.ySMlo3kVilTpJnJ7sL6Bonvxyq1KGIh0_amlr7OE7uc/s/2584564785/br/150841004197-l" target="_blank">cybertipline.org</a>&nbsp;to report to us for help with the process.</li><li>Ask for help. This can be a very complex problem and may require help from adults or law enforcement.</li><li>If you don’t feel that you have adults in your corner, you can reach out to NCMEC for support at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:gethelp@ncmec.org" target="_blank">gethelp@ncmec.org</a>&nbsp;or call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST.</li>
 </ul>Take a moment to learn how sextortion works and how to talk to your children about it. Information, resources, and conversation guides are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://fbi.gov/StopSextortion" target="_blank">fbi.gov/StopSextortion</a>.

FBI: Over 3,000 minors targeted for sextortion in 2022

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/12/20/judge-rules-for-nebraska-gop-says-palmtag-failed-to-prove-actual-malice-from-ads/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA
 — The two-year legal fight is not yet over between the loser of a 2020 
GOP-on-GOP legislative race and the Nebraska Republican Party that 
accused her in ads of wrongdoing.&nbsp;

Nebraska City business owner Janet 
Palmtag lost her defamation lawsuit against the state GOP, a Lancaster 
County District Court judge ruled Friday in a summary judgment.

District Judge Andrew Jacobsen ruled 
that Palmtag’s legal team failed to clear the higher bar for public 
figures alleging defamation, saying they didn’t prove the GOP acted with
 “actual malice.”

Her lawyer, David Domina, said Monday
 that he plans to appeal the judgment to the Nebraska Supreme Court. He 
said he sees several potential positives in the ruling for Palmtag.

“It found she did not violate the 
law,” Domina said of Palmtag. “She did not lose her license. The 
question is whether there was actual malice. Our argument is that 
belongs to the jury.”

Part of Jacobsen’s ruling found that a
 reasonable person could read the GOP ads inaccurately and think that 
Palmtag had gotten in legal trouble herself and lost her real estate 
license.

The GOP sent ads to southeast 
Nebraska’s Legislative District 1 saying Palmtag, a licensed real estate
 agent in Nebraska and formerly Iowa, “broke the law” and “lost her real
 estate license.”

She had not. The truth is more complicated.

Someone working for Palmtag’s real 
estate firm, J.J. Palmtag Inc., had gotten in trouble in Iowa, documents
 show, and she as the corporate officer had to sign off on an order 
issuing a fine.

The person who got in trouble, whom 
Palmtag supervised, had transferred money to an escrow account too soon,
 without written consent from both parties, Palmtag testified.

Former state GOP Executive Director 
Ryan Hamilton, with outside help, got hold of documents about the 
discipline against the firm from the Iowa Real Estate Commission.

He testified that he didn’t see a 
difference between the real estate firm being disciplined and Palmtag 
because she had signed the order as the company’s officer and broker.

Palmtag testified that she had given 
up her real estate license in Iowa, but not in Nebraska, and not for 
disciplinary reasons. She said she did so because she was doing less 
business in Iowa.

The judge appeared to side with her 
about the facts in the ads, saying an Iowa website referenced says she 
had received “no discipline or board actions.”&nbsp;

But he did not see enough to prove 
malice from the state GOP. The judgment references former state GOP 
chairman Dan Welch signing off on ads, “as long as this is accurate.”&nbsp;

Palmtag, a long-time state GOP 
volunteer, had the support of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and former 
Gov. Dave Heineman. She lost the race to State Sen. Julie Slama of 
Dunbar.

Slama had recently been appointed to 
the seat by Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, who controlled much of the 
state party apparatus at the time and gave her candidacy $20,000 on his 
own.

The state GOP, for which Ricketts was
 the top donor, donated another $113,000 to Slama and spent nearly 
$50,000 on ads and materials opposing Palmtag.

Disagreements about the state GOP 
taking sides in that all-GOP race lingered. Some mentioned it as 
motivating their support for the party populists who took over the state
 GOP this summer.

The new-look GOP had no immediate comment on the judgment.

Slama, reached Monday, said she was 
“glad to see justice prevail.” She criticized Palmtag for dragging the 
state GOP into a “wasteful, years-long lawsuit.”

“I hope this ruling brings closure to all involved,” Slama said.

Palmtag referred a message seeking 
comment to her lawyer. Since her race, she has reregistered as a 
Democrat, voting records show.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671548675809.png" alt="The headquarters of the Nebraska Republican Party is shown. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The headquarters of the Nebraska Republican Party is shown. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/12/20/judge-rules-for-nebraska-gop-says-palmtag-failed-to-prove-actual-malice-from-ads/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA
 — The two-year legal fight is not yet over between the loser of a 2020 
GOP-on-GOP legislative race and the Nebraska Republican Party that 
accused her in ads of wrongdoing.&nbsp;Nebraska City business owner Janet 
Palmtag lost her defamation lawsuit against the state GOP, a Lancaster 
County District Court judge ruled Friday in a summary judgment.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671548748188.png" alt="Janet Palmtag of Nebraska City (Courtesy of Palmtag For Nebraska)" />
 <figcaption>Janet Palmtag of Nebraska City (Courtesy of Palmtag For Nebraska)</figcaption>
 </figure>District Judge Andrew Jacobsen ruled 
that Palmtag’s legal team failed to clear the higher bar for public 
figures alleging defamation, saying they didn’t prove the GOP acted with
 “actual malice.”Her lawyer, David Domina, said Monday
 that he plans to appeal the judgment to the Nebraska Supreme Court. He 
said he sees several potential positives in the ruling for Palmtag.“It found she did not violate the 
law,” Domina said of Palmtag. “She did not lose her license. The 
question is whether there was actual malice. Our argument is that 
belongs to the jury.”Part of Jacobsen’s ruling found that a
 reasonable person could read the GOP ads inaccurately and think that 
Palmtag had gotten in legal trouble herself and lost her real estate 
license.<h2>Truth vs. truthiness</h2>The GOP sent ads to southeast 
Nebraska’s Legislative District 1 saying Palmtag, a licensed real estate
 agent in Nebraska and formerly Iowa, “broke the law” and “lost her real
 estate license.”She had not. The truth is more complicated.Someone working for Palmtag’s real 
estate firm, J.J. Palmtag Inc., had gotten in trouble in Iowa, documents
 show, and she as the corporate officer had to sign off on an order 
issuing a fine.The person who got in trouble, whom 
Palmtag supervised, had transferred money to an escrow account too soon,
 without written consent from both parties, Palmtag testified.Former state GOP Executive Director 
Ryan Hamilton, with outside help, got hold of documents about the 
discipline against the firm from the Iowa Real Estate Commission.He testified that he didn’t see a 
difference between the real estate firm being disciplined and Palmtag 
because she had signed the order as the company’s officer and broker.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663702099630.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Julie Slama (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Julie Slama (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>Palmtag testified that she had given 
up her real estate license in Iowa, but not in Nebraska, and not for 
disciplinary reasons. She said she did so because she was doing less 
business in Iowa.The judge appeared to side with her 
about the facts in the ads, saying an Iowa website referenced says she 
had received “no discipline or board actions.”&nbsp;But he did not see enough to prove 
malice from the state GOP. The judgment references former state GOP 
chairman Dan Welch signing off on ads, “as long as this is accurate.”&nbsp;<h2>Race split GOP</h2>Palmtag, a long-time state GOP 
volunteer, had the support of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and former 
Gov. Dave Heineman. She lost the race to State Sen. Julie Slama of 
Dunbar.Slama had recently been appointed to 
the seat by Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, who controlled much of the 
state party apparatus at the time and gave her candidacy $20,000 on his 
own.The state GOP, for which Ricketts was
 the top donor, donated another $113,000 to Slama and spent nearly 
$50,000 on ads and materials opposing Palmtag.Disagreements about the state GOP 
taking sides in that all-GOP race lingered. Some mentioned it as 
motivating their support for the party populists who took over the state
 GOP this summer.The new-look GOP had no immediate comment on the judgment.Slama, reached Monday, said she was 
“glad to see justice prevail.” She criticized Palmtag for dragging the 
state GOP into a “wasteful, years-long lawsuit.”“I hope this ruling brings closure to all involved,” Slama said.Palmtag referred a message seeking 
comment to her lawyer. Since her race, she has reregistered as a 
Democrat, voting records show.

Judge: Candidate failed to prove ‘actual malice’ from Neb. GOP ads

KANSAS CITY —Caring for sick children has become extra stressful recently for many U.S. parents due to shortages of Children’s Tylenol and other medicines.

Doctors and other experts say the problem could persist through the winter cold-and-flu season but should not last as long as other recent shortages of baby formula or prescription drugs.

They also say parents have alternatives if they encounter empty store shelves.

An unusually fast start to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-pandemics-covid-flu-7c784678637e51d4a8508f5dde70cded">annual U.S. flu season</a>, plus a spike in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-pandemics-072e11e5e3af77aac19fe95773a69610">other respiratory illnesses</a>, created a surge in demand for fever relievers and other products people can buy without a prescription.

“There are more sick kids at this time of year than we have seen in the past couple years,” said Dr. Shannon Dillon, a pediatrician at Riley Children’s Health in Indianapolis.

Experts say that’s the main factor behind the shortages, which vary around the country and even within communities.

“At this point, it’s more like toilet paper at the beginning of the (COVID-19) pandemic,” Dillon said “You just have to look in the right place at the right time.”

Drugmaker Johnson &amp; Johnson says it is not experiencing widespread shortages of Children’s Tylenol, but the product may be “less readily available” at some stores. The company said it is running its production lines around the clock.

In the meantime, CVS Health has placed a two-product limit on all children’s pain relief products bought through its pharmacies or online.

Walgreens is limiting customers online to six purchases of children’s over-the-counter fever reducing products. That limit doesn’t apply in stores.

Aside from over-the-counter products, the prescription antibiotic amoxicillin also is in short supply due to increased demand, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The drug is often used to treat nose and throat infections in children.

Check first for alternatives in the store if some products aren’t available. Generic versions of brand-name products are “perfectly safe and often a much more affordable option,” Dillon said.

Other stores nearby also may have better options. Manufacturers say there are no widespread national shortages of these medications, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.

A family doctor may know which stores have decent supplies.

A doctor also may be able to tell parents whether they can try alternatives like crushing the proper dose of a pill version and mixing it with food or chocolate syrup. Doctors say parents or caregivers should not try this on their own, because determining proper doses for children can be tricky.

“You don’t need to experiment at home,” said Dr. Sarah Nosal, a South Bronx family physician. “Your family doctor wants to talk to you and see you.”

Doctors also caution that fevers don’t always have to be treated. They are a body’s natural defense against infection, and they make it hard for a virus to replicate.

Dillon noted, for instance, that a fever may not be intrinsically harmful to older children. However, parents should take a newborn under 2 months old to the doctor if the child has a fever of 100.4 degrees or more. And doctors say any child with a fever should be monitored for behavior changes.

Instead of medicine, consider giving the child a bath in lukewarm water. Cold water makes the body shiver, which can actually raise the temperature.

Put fans in the child’s room or set up a cool mist humidifier to help their lungs.

Nosal also said two teaspoons of honey can help control coughs in children older than a year. Avoid using honey for young children because it carries a risk of infant botulism.

Shortages might last in some communities until early next year.

Resolving them can depend on whether there are enough workers at warehouses and stores to deliver the product and stock the shelves, noted Erin Fox. She researches drug shortages and is the senior pharmacy director at University of Utah Health, which runs five hospitals.

Fox said there are no problems at factories or a lack of ingredients contributing to current shortages. Those obstacles can lead to long supply disruptions.

“I don’t expect this to last a year or more like some of our other shortages do,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671488759640.jpeg" alt="A sign is placed near the section for children's medicine, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 at a CVS in Greenlawn, N.Y. Caring for a sick child has become even more stressful than usual for many U.S. parents in recent weeks due to shortages of Children’s Tylenol and other medicines. (AP Photo/Leon Keith)" />
 <figcaption>A sign is placed near the section for children's medicine, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 at a CVS in Greenlawn, N.Y. Caring for a sick child has become even more stressful than usual for many U.S. parents in recent weeks due to shortages of Children’s Tylenol and other medicines. (AP Photo/Leon Keith)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TOM MURPHYKANSAS CITY —Caring for sick children has become extra stressful recently for many U.S. parents due to shortages of Children’s Tylenol and other medicines.Doctors and other experts say the problem could persist through the winter cold-and-flu season but should not last as long as other recent shortages of baby formula or prescription drugs.They also say parents have alternatives if they encounter empty store shelves.Here’s a closer look:WHAT’S HAPPENINGAn unusually fast start to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-pandemics-covid-flu-7c784678637e51d4a8508f5dde70cded">annual U.S. flu season</a>, plus a spike in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-pandemics-072e11e5e3af77aac19fe95773a69610">other respiratory illnesses</a>, created a surge in demand for fever relievers and other products people can buy without a prescription.“There are more sick kids at this time of year than we have seen in the past couple years,” said Dr. Shannon Dillon, a pediatrician at Riley Children’s Health in Indianapolis.Experts say that’s the main factor behind the shortages, which vary around the country and even within communities.“At this point, it’s more like toilet paper at the beginning of the (COVID-19) pandemic,” Dillon said “You just have to look in the right place at the right time.”Drugmaker Johnson &amp; Johnson says it is not experiencing widespread shortages of Children’s Tylenol, but the product may be “less readily available” at some stores. The company said it is running its production lines around the clock.In the meantime, CVS Health has placed a two-product limit on all children’s pain relief products bought through its pharmacies or online.Walgreens is limiting customers online to six purchases of children’s over-the-counter fever reducing products. That limit doesn’t apply in stores.Aside from over-the-counter products, the prescription antibiotic amoxicillin also is in short supply due to increased demand, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The drug is often used to treat nose and throat infections in children.WHAT TO DOCheck first for alternatives in the store if some products aren’t available. Generic versions of brand-name products are “perfectly safe and often a much more affordable option,” Dillon said.Other stores nearby also may have better options. Manufacturers say there are no widespread national shortages of these medications, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.A family doctor may know which stores have decent supplies.A doctor also may be able to tell parents whether they can try alternatives like crushing the proper dose of a pill version and mixing it with food or chocolate syrup. Doctors say parents or caregivers should not try this on their own, because determining proper doses for children can be tricky.“You don’t need to experiment at home,” said Dr. Sarah Nosal, a South Bronx family physician. “Your family doctor wants to talk to you and see you.”GOING WITHOUTDoctors also caution that fevers don’t always have to be treated. They are a body’s natural defense against infection, and they make it hard for a virus to replicate.Dillon noted, for instance, that a fever may not be intrinsically harmful to older children. However, parents should take a newborn under 2 months old to the doctor if the child has a fever of 100.4 degrees or more. And doctors say any child with a fever should be monitored for behavior changes.Instead of medicine, consider giving the child a bath in lukewarm water. Cold water makes the body shiver, which can actually raise the temperature.Put fans in the child’s room or set up a cool mist humidifier to help their lungs.Nosal also said two teaspoons of honey can help control coughs in children older than a year. Avoid using honey for young children because it carries a risk of infant botulism.WHEN WILL SUPPLIES GET BETTER?Shortages might last in some communities until early next year.Resolving them can depend on whether there are enough workers at warehouses and stores to deliver the product and stock the shelves, noted Erin Fox. She researches drug shortages and is the senior pharmacy director at University of Utah Health, which runs five hospitals.Fox said there are no problems at factories or a lack of ingredients contributing to current shortages. Those obstacles can lead to long supply disruptions.“I don’t expect this to last a year or more like some of our other shortages do,” she said.___

Children's medicine shortage; pharmacy chains restricting purchases

NEW YORK (AP) — The Republican Party quickly and forcefully rallied behind Donald Trump in the hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-9e8d683afe87389407950af7ccfdbdd6">federal agents seized classified documents</a>&nbsp;from his Florida estate this summer.

Four months later, that sense of intensity and urgency was missing — at least for now — after the Jan. 6 House committee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/january-6-final-hearing-investigation-wraps-0bceb95826c1c836023d2810ccbeccca?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">voted to recommend</a>&nbsp;the Justice Department bring criminal charges against him. Leading Republicans largely avoided the historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-1b38ff48d28c08edd005454836efed44">criminal referral</a>&nbsp;Monday, while others pressed to weigh in offered muted defenses — or none at all.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Trump critic who suggested the former president likely benefited — politically, at least — from the FBI’s summertime search of his Florida home, said Trump was at least partly responsible for the deadly attack on the Capitol.

“No man is above the law,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/larry-hogan-maryland-ap-interview-aedd3c96fc4c8cfde31cef65dada580f">Hogan told The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;shortly before the committee’s vote.

The divergent responses are a sign of how quickly the political landscape has shifted for Trump as he faces a new legal threat and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">mounts a third bid for the presidency</a>. It’s a marked change for a party that has been defined, above all, by its unconditional loyalty to Trump under any and all circumstances for the last six years.

Monday’s hearing of the Jan. 6 House committee, comprised of seven Democrats and two Republican Trump critics, likely marks Congress’ final attempt to hold the former president accountable for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack on the U.S. Capitol</a>&nbsp;by hundreds of his loyalists as elected officials worked to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. The criminal referral, which is nonbinding, is the culmination of a yearlong investigation that included more than 1,000 witnesses, 10 televised public hearing and over 1 million documents.

The committee, which Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy boycotted and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-capitol-siege-93956045f7ab96c331a1ad515e3eca19">dismissed as a “sham process,”</a>&nbsp;will formally disband on Jan. 3 as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-house-control-79475a4fc11e4375cd0dded651b9eede">Republicans take over the House majority</a>.

Ever defiant, Trump predicted the criminal referral would ultimately help him.

“These folks don’t get it that when they come after me, people who love freedom rally around me. It strengthens me. What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,” Trump said in a statement posted on his social network, condemning the criminal referral as “a partisan attempt to sideline me and the Republican Party.”

This week’s vote comes just one month after Trump formally launched his 2024 White House campaign. He had hoped that his status as an announced candidate might give him new leverage in his many legal entanglements while warding off potential Republican primary challengers.

Such hopes have yet to materialize. Early polls suggest the 76-year-old former president is no lock to win the 2024 nomination as emboldened Republican rivals prepare to line up to run against him.

Already weakened, Trump is also bracing for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-donald-trump-richard-neal-c697c4e300948a9e2638d0d9fbbe2f96">potential release of his tax returns</a>, which he has worked for years to keep out of the public eye. The House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday was scheduled to consider the release of six years of Trump’s taxes, as well as those related to his businesses, although it wasn’t immediately clear when any documents might be available to the public.

Trump’s greatest liability heading into the next presidential election may have little to do with his legal challenges, however. Republicans are increasingly worried about his ability to win.

The GOP’s concerns about Trump’s electability intensified after the November midterm elections, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-00c770068d8b82f165a9f4871eee983b">Trump’s hand-picked candidates in several high-profile contests</a>&nbsp;were defeated. The setbacks followed deeper Republican losses in the two previous national elections under Trump’s leadership.

Indeed, the initial weeks of Trump’s third presidential campaign are going so poorly that some Trump allies are privately wondering whether he’s serious about his 2024 ambitions at all.

Trump faced Republican demands to apologize for his decision last month to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-kanye-west-entertainment-donald-trump-21ea30fc30a9a97074581015b25e18bf">share a private meal with noted white supremacist Nick Fuentes</a>. Days later, Trump called for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-donald-trump-8e6e2f0a092135428c82c0cfa6598444">“termination” of parts of the Constitution</a>&nbsp;over his lie that the 2020 election was stolen. And days after that, his hand-picked candidate in Georgia’s high-stakes Senate race, former football star Herschel Walker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-walker-warnock-runoff-3d4e4d1ab1760792454e1cbd618ce332">lost his runoff election</a>.

Trump has not held a single campaign event.

At the same time, Trump’s legal challenges are mounting.

Attorney General Merrick Garland last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-merrick-garland-government-and-550c01de053c08db4d53ca57f315feb6">appointed a special counsel</a>&nbsp;to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation into the presence of classified documents at Trump’s Florida estate as well as key aspects of a separate probe involving the insurrection and efforts to undo the 2020 election. The Fulton County, Georgia, district attorney is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-georgia-atlanta-f8222a15b5af7a789a77e8cee372c7b4">separately investigatin</a>&nbsp;g attempts to overturn that state’s 2020 election results.

It’s impossible to predict how much longer the investigations will last or whether the DOJ will take the unprecedented step of indicting a former president and current candidate. But Trump is no longer shielded from prosecution the way he was as president.

And his party is becoming less willing to stand behind him.

The Republican National Committee announced it would stop paying some of Trump’s legal bills after he launched his 2024 presidential campaign.

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell called for “an immediate and thorough explanation” after the FBI executed a search warrant at Trump’s estate in August. On Monday, he told reporters he had only one “immediate observation” about the criminal referral: “The entire nation knows who is responsible for that day.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for Garland’s resignation over the summer, but on Monday, he was silent on the committee’s referral, focusing instead on alleged FBI missteps.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, a 2024 presidential prospect himself who aggressively condemned the FBI after it seized classified documents from Trump’s estate, offered somewhat muted criticism of the Jan. 6 committee when given the chance.

“As I wrote in my book, the president’s actions and words on Jan. 6 were reckless. But I don’t know that it’s criminal to take bad advice from lawyers,” Pence told Fox News. He added, “When it comes to the Justice Department’s decision about bringing charges in the future, I would hope that they would not bring charges against the former president.”

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is also considering a 2024 White House campaign, acknowledged Trump’s role in Jan. 6 but said the criminal referral “isn’t helpful” to the DOJ’s investigation.

“The record is clear that former Pres. Trump is responsible for what happened on January 6, but accountability is most likely to come from the American people who are ready for our country to move beyond the events of January 6,” he tweeted.

So far, only a handful of members of Congress have endorsed Trump’s 2024 bid.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elise-stefanik-a6db4f53af168be7f8483f29495eaba1">One of them</a>, No. 3 House Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, called the Democratic-led committee “unconstitutional and illegitimate.” She said Trump was well positioned heading into the 2024 presidential contest.

“As of today — he announced a few weeks ago at this point — the only candidate is Donald Trump, and he is winning significantly against the field,” Stefanik told The Associated Press on Monday. “So, we’ll see what happens. But I think he’s in a very strong position.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671542816891.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The Republican Party quickly and forcefully rallied behind Donald Trump in the hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-government-and-politics-9e8d683afe87389407950af7ccfdbdd6">federal agents seized classified documents</a>&nbsp;from his Florida estate this summer.Four months later, that sense of intensity and urgency was missing — at least for now — after the Jan. 6 House committee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/january-6-final-hearing-investigation-wraps-0bceb95826c1c836023d2810ccbeccca?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">voted to recommend</a>&nbsp;the Justice Department bring criminal charges against him. Leading Republicans largely avoided the historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-1b38ff48d28c08edd005454836efed44">criminal referral</a>&nbsp;Monday, while others pressed to weigh in offered muted defenses — or none at all.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671542965902.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Trump critic who suggested the former president likely benefited — politically, at least — from the FBI’s summertime search of his Florida home, said Trump was at least partly responsible for the deadly attack on the Capitol.“No man is above the law,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/larry-hogan-maryland-ap-interview-aedd3c96fc4c8cfde31cef65dada580f">Hogan told The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;shortly before the committee’s vote.The divergent responses are a sign of how quickly the political landscape has shifted for Trump as he faces a new legal threat and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">mounts a third bid for the presidency</a>. It’s a marked change for a party that has been defined, above all, by its unconditional loyalty to Trump under any and all circumstances for the last six years.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671478126439.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Monday’s hearing of the Jan. 6 House committee, comprised of seven Democrats and two Republican Trump critics, likely marks Congress’ final attempt to hold the former president accountable for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">attack on the U.S. Capitol</a>&nbsp;by hundreds of his loyalists as elected officials worked to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. The criminal referral, which is nonbinding, is the culmination of a yearlong investigation that included more than 1,000 witnesses, 10 televised public hearing and over 1 million documents.The committee, which Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy boycotted and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-capitol-siege-93956045f7ab96c331a1ad515e3eca19">dismissed as a “sham process,”</a>&nbsp;will formally disband on Jan. 3 as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-house-control-79475a4fc11e4375cd0dded651b9eede">Republicans take over the House majority</a>.Ever defiant, Trump predicted the criminal referral would ultimately help him.“These folks don’t get it that when they come after me, people who love freedom rally around me. It strengthens me. What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,” Trump said in a statement posted on his social network, condemning the criminal referral as “a partisan attempt to sideline me and the Republican Party.”This week’s vote comes just one month after Trump formally launched his 2024 White House campaign. He had hoped that his status as an announced candidate might give him new leverage in his many legal entanglements while warding off potential Republican primary challengers.Such hopes have yet to materialize. Early polls suggest the 76-year-old former president is no lock to win the 2024 nomination as emboldened Republican rivals prepare to line up to run against him.Already weakened, Trump is also bracing for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-donald-trump-richard-neal-c697c4e300948a9e2638d0d9fbbe2f96">potential release of his tax returns</a>, which he has worked for years to keep out of the public eye. The House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday was scheduled to consider the release of six years of Trump’s taxes, as well as those related to his businesses, although it wasn’t immediately clear when any documents might be available to the public.Trump’s greatest liability heading into the next presidential election may have little to do with his legal challenges, however. Republicans are increasingly worried about his ability to win.The GOP’s concerns about Trump’s electability intensified after the November midterm elections, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-00c770068d8b82f165a9f4871eee983b">Trump’s hand-picked candidates in several high-profile contests</a>&nbsp;were defeated. The setbacks followed deeper Republican losses in the two previous national elections under Trump’s leadership.Indeed, the initial weeks of Trump’s third presidential campaign are going so poorly that some Trump allies are privately wondering whether he’s serious about his 2024 ambitions at all.Trump faced Republican demands to apologize for his decision last month to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-kanye-west-entertainment-donald-trump-21ea30fc30a9a97074581015b25e18bf">share a private meal with noted white supremacist Nick Fuentes</a>. Days later, Trump called for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-donald-trump-8e6e2f0a092135428c82c0cfa6598444">“termination” of parts of the Constitution</a>&nbsp;over his lie that the 2020 election was stolen. And days after that, his hand-picked candidate in Georgia’s high-stakes Senate race, former football star Herschel Walker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-walker-warnock-runoff-3d4e4d1ab1760792454e1cbd618ce332">lost his runoff election</a>.Trump has not held a single campaign event.At the same time, Trump’s legal challenges are mounting.Attorney General Merrick Garland last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-merrick-garland-government-and-550c01de053c08db4d53ca57f315feb6">appointed a special counsel</a>&nbsp;to oversee the Justice Department’s investigation into the presence of classified documents at Trump’s Florida estate as well as key aspects of a separate probe involving the insurrection and efforts to undo the 2020 election. The Fulton County, Georgia, district attorney is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-georgia-atlanta-f8222a15b5af7a789a77e8cee372c7b4">separately investigatin</a>&nbsp;g attempts to overturn that state’s 2020 election results.It’s impossible to predict how much longer the investigations will last or whether the DOJ will take the unprecedented step of indicting a former president and current candidate. But Trump is no longer shielded from prosecution the way he was as president.And his party is becoming less willing to stand behind him.The Republican National Committee announced it would stop paying some of Trump’s legal bills after he launched his 2024 presidential campaign.Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell called for “an immediate and thorough explanation” after the FBI executed a search warrant at Trump’s estate in August. On Monday, he told reporters he had only one “immediate observation” about the criminal referral: “The entire nation knows who is responsible for that day.”Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for Garland’s resignation over the summer, but on Monday, he was silent on the committee’s referral, focusing instead on alleged FBI missteps.Former Vice President Mike Pence, a 2024 presidential prospect himself who aggressively condemned the FBI after it seized classified documents from Trump’s estate, offered somewhat muted criticism of the Jan. 6 committee when given the chance.“As I wrote in my book, the president’s actions and words on Jan. 6 were reckless. But I don’t know that it’s criminal to take bad advice from lawyers,” Pence told Fox News. He added, “When it comes to the Justice Department’s decision about bringing charges in the future, I would hope that they would not bring charges against the former president.”Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is also considering a 2024 White House campaign, acknowledged Trump’s role in Jan. 6 but said the criminal referral “isn’t helpful” to the DOJ’s investigation.“The record is clear that former Pres. Trump is responsible for what happened on January 6, but accountability is most likely to come from the American people who are ready for our country to move beyond the events of January 6,” he tweeted.So far, only a handful of members of Congress have endorsed Trump’s 2024 bid.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elise-stefanik-a6db4f53af168be7f8483f29495eaba1">One of them</a>, No. 3 House Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, called the Democratic-led committee “unconstitutional and illegitimate.” She said Trump was well positioned heading into the 2024 presidential contest.“As of today — he announced a few weeks ago at this point — the only candidate is Donald Trump, and he is winning significantly against the field,” Stefanik told The Associated Press on Monday. “So, we’ll see what happens. But I think he’s in a very strong position.”___

Trump responds to Jan. 6 panel’s criminal referral

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders unveiled a $1.7 trillion spending package early Tuesday that includes another large round of aid to Ukraine, a nearly 10% boost in defense spending and roughly $40 billon to assist communities across the country recovering from drought, hurricanes and other natural disasters.

The bill includes about $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary programs and $858 billion in defense funding.

Lawmakers are working to stuff in as many priorities as they can into what is likely to be the last major bill of the current Congress. They are racing to complete passage of the bill before a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-race-and-ethnicity-716f72268376aad8e3e4fa8b2b9cd026">midnight Friday deadline</a>&nbsp;or face the prospect of a partial government shutdown going into the Christmas holiday. Lawmakers leading the negotiations released the details of the bill shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday.

The U.S. has provided about $68 billion in previous rounds of military, economic and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. President Joe Biden has requested more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-europe-congress-government-and-politics-bddc8fc02afcc2a072bbdd388dc1a658">$37 billion more</a>. Congress is going further with Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, saying the spending package includes about $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine.

“Finalizing the omnibus is critical, absolutely critical for supporting our friends in Ukraine,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Republican leader Mitch McConnell has warned that if the fiscal year 2023 spending measure fails to gain bipartisan support this week, he would seek another short-term patch into next year, guaranteeing that the new Republican majority in the House would get to shape the package.

Leahy argued against that approach in releasing the bill saying, “the choice is clear. We can either do our jobs and fund the government, or we can abandon our responsibilities without a real path forward."

Despite the warning, McConnell framed the longer-term spending bill as a victory for the GOP, even as many will undoubtedly vote against it. He said Republicans were successful in increasing defense spending far beyond Biden's request while scaling back some of the increase Biden wanted for domestic spending.

“The Congress is rejecting the Biden administration's vision and doing the exact opposite," McConnell said.

The bill's unveiling was delayed by haggling over language related to location of the FBI's future headquarters. Maryland lawmakers have argued that ensuring predominately Black communities get their fair share of federal investments should be more thoroughly considered as part of the selection process. They are advocating for building the headquarters at one of two sites in Maryland's Prince George's County.

In September, the General Services Administration issued a site selection plan based on five criteria, the most heavily weighted at 35% was proximity to the FBI training academy in Quantico, Virginia. Advancing equity was weighted at 15%.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said at a recent forum that a Biden executive order early in his administration emphasized that the issue of racial equity is not just an issue for any one department, but it has to be the business of the whole government.

“I would submit that the GSA and the FBI clearly haven’t gotten the message, given the low weight they’ve given to this factor," Van Hollen said.

A Senate Democratic aide familiar with the negotiations said Schumer worked to incorporate language in the spending bill ensuring the GSA administrator conduct “separate and detailed consultations" with lawmakers representing the Maryland and Virginia sites to get their perspectives.

Lawmakers are nearing completion of the 2023 spending package nearly three months late. It was supposed to be finished by last Oct. 1, when the government’s fiscal year began.

The last time Congress enacted all its spending bills by then was in 1996, when the Senate finished its work on Sept. 30, the very last day of the budget year. Then-President Bill Clinton signed it that same day.

The Senate is expected to vote on the spending bill first where support from at least 10 Republican senators will be needed to pass it before the measure is considered by the House. As has been the case with recent catchall spending bills, lawmakers voiced concerns about passing legislation containing thousands of pages on short notice.

“We still haven’t seen a single page of the Pelosi-Schumer spending bill, and they’re expecting us to pass it by the end of this week," tweeted Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. “It’s insane."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders unveiled a $1.7 trillion spending package early Tuesday that includes another large round of aid to Ukraine, a nearly 10% boost in defense spending and roughly $40 billon to assist communities across the country recovering from drought, hurricanes and other natural disasters.The bill includes about $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary programs and $858 billion in defense funding.Lawmakers are working to stuff in as many priorities as they can into what is likely to be the last major bill of the current Congress. They are racing to complete passage of the bill before a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-race-and-ethnicity-716f72268376aad8e3e4fa8b2b9cd026">midnight Friday deadline</a>&nbsp;or face the prospect of a partial government shutdown going into the Christmas holiday. Lawmakers leading the negotiations released the details of the bill shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday.The U.S. has provided about $68 billion in previous rounds of military, economic and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. President Joe Biden has requested more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-europe-congress-government-and-politics-bddc8fc02afcc2a072bbdd388dc1a658">$37 billion more</a>. Congress is going further with Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, saying the spending package includes about $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine.“Finalizing the omnibus is critical, absolutely critical for supporting our friends in Ukraine,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.Republican leader Mitch McConnell has warned that if the fiscal year 2023 spending measure fails to gain bipartisan support this week, he would seek another short-term patch into next year, guaranteeing that the new Republican majority in the House would get to shape the package.Leahy argued against that approach in releasing the bill saying, “the choice is clear. We can either do our jobs and fund the government, or we can abandon our responsibilities without a real path forward."Despite the warning, McConnell framed the longer-term spending bill as a victory for the GOP, even as many will undoubtedly vote against it. He said Republicans were successful in increasing defense spending far beyond Biden's request while scaling back some of the increase Biden wanted for domestic spending.“The Congress is rejecting the Biden administration's vision and doing the exact opposite," McConnell said.The bill's unveiling was delayed by haggling over language related to location of the FBI's future headquarters. Maryland lawmakers have argued that ensuring predominately Black communities get their fair share of federal investments should be more thoroughly considered as part of the selection process. They are advocating for building the headquarters at one of two sites in Maryland's Prince George's County.In September, the General Services Administration issued a site selection plan based on five criteria, the most heavily weighted at 35% was proximity to the FBI training academy in Quantico, Virginia. Advancing equity was weighted at 15%.Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said at a recent forum that a Biden executive order early in his administration emphasized that the issue of racial equity is not just an issue for any one department, but it has to be the business of the whole government.“I would submit that the GSA and the FBI clearly haven’t gotten the message, given the low weight they’ve given to this factor," Van Hollen said.A Senate Democratic aide familiar with the negotiations said Schumer worked to incorporate language in the spending bill ensuring the GSA administrator conduct “separate and detailed consultations" with lawmakers representing the Maryland and Virginia sites to get their perspectives.Lawmakers are nearing completion of the 2023 spending package nearly three months late. It was supposed to be finished by last Oct. 1, when the government’s fiscal year began.The last time Congress enacted all its spending bills by then was in 1996, when the Senate finished its work on Sept. 30, the very last day of the budget year. Then-President Bill Clinton signed it that same day.The Senate is expected to vote on the spending bill first where support from at least 10 Republican senators will be needed to pass it before the measure is considered by the House. As has been the case with recent catchall spending bills, lawmakers voiced concerns about passing legislation containing thousands of pages on short notice.“We still haven’t seen a single page of the Pelosi-Schumer spending bill, and they’re expecting us to pass it by the end of this week," tweeted Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. “It’s insane."

Lawmakers unveil $1.7 trillion spending bill to avoid gov't shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is temporarily blocking an order that would lift pandemic-era restrictions on asylum seekers. But it is leaving open the prospect of lifting the restrictions by Wednesday.

The order Monday by Chief Justice John Roberts comes as conservative states are pushing to keep limits on asylum seekers that were put in place during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. They are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort before the limits are set to expire.

In the one-page order, Roberts granted a stay pending further order and asked the government to respond by 5 p.m. Tuesday. That is just hours before the restrictions are slated to expire on Wednesday.

The order by Roberts means the high-profile case that has drawn intense scrutiny will go down to the wire.

The immigration restrictions, often referred to as Title 42, were put in place under then-President Donald Trump in March 2020 and have prevented hundreds of thousands of migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. in recent years. But as they’re set to expire, thousands more migrants are packed in shelters on Mexico’s border with the U.S.

Immigration advocates sued to stop the use of Title 42 to limit who can apply for asylum, saying that the policy goes against American and international obligations to people fleeing to the U.S. to escape persecution. And they’ve argued that things like vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus have made the policy outdated.

Conservative-leaning states have argued that lifting of Title 42 will lead to a surge of migrants into their states and take a toll on government services like health care or law enforcement. They also charge that the federal government has no plan to deal with an increase in migrants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317742720.png" alt="In the one-page order, Chief Justice Roberts granted a stay pending further order and asked the government to respond by 5 p.m. Tuesday- photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>In the one-page order, Chief Justice Roberts granted a stay pending further order and asked the government to respond by 5 p.m. Tuesday- photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is temporarily blocking an order that would lift pandemic-era restrictions on asylum seekers. But it is leaving open the prospect of lifting the restrictions by Wednesday.The order Monday by Chief Justice John Roberts comes as conservative states are pushing to keep limits on asylum seekers that were put in place during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. They are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort before the limits are set to expire.In the one-page order, Roberts granted a stay pending further order and asked the government to respond by 5 p.m. Tuesday. That is just hours before the restrictions are slated to expire on Wednesday.The order by Roberts means the high-profile case that has drawn intense scrutiny will go down to the wire.The immigration restrictions, often referred to as Title 42, were put in place under then-President Donald Trump in March 2020 and have prevented hundreds of thousands of migrants from seeking asylum in the U.S. in recent years. But as they’re set to expire, thousands more migrants are packed in shelters on Mexico’s border with the U.S.Immigration advocates sued to stop the use of Title 42 to limit who can apply for asylum, saying that the policy goes against American and international obligations to people fleeing to the U.S. to escape persecution. And they’ve argued that things like vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus have made the policy outdated.Conservative-leaning states have argued that lifting of Title 42 will lead to a surge of migrants into their states and take a toll on government services like health care or law enforcement. They also charge that the federal government has no plan to deal with an increase in migrants.

Supreme Court temporarily blocks lifting of asylum restrictions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Jan. 6 committee urged the Justice Department on Monday to bring criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, delivering what it called a “roadmap to justice” in response to the violent 2021&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">Capitol insurrection.</a>

(Click below to watch a replay of Monday's hearing)

After one of the most exhaustive and aggressive congressional probes in memory,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-congress-donald-trump-subpoenas-government-and-politics-af491858a41ce4f42416fe3a7131592e">the panel’s seven Democrats and two Republicans</a>&nbsp;are recommending criminal charges against Trump and associates who helped him launch a wide-ranging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Jan-6-hearings-Trump-capitol-10351fe6d555eaee7554379ceed8bb24">pressure campaign</a>&nbsp;to try to overturn his 2020 election loss. The panel also released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23466462-jan6-committee-final">lengthy summary</a>&nbsp;of its final report, with findings that Trump engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy” to thwart the will of voters.

At a final meeting Monday, the committee alleged violations of four criminal statutes by Trump, in both the run-up to the riot and during the insurrection itself, as it recommended the former president for prosecution to the Justice Department. Among the charges they recommend for prosecution is aiding an insurrection — an effort to hold him directly accountable for his supporters who stormed the Capitol that day.

The committee also voted to refer conservative lawyer John Eastman, who devised dubious legal maneuvers aimed at keeping Trump in power, for prosecution on two of the same statutes as Trump: conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstructing an official proceeding.

While a criminal referral is mostly symbolic, with the Justice Department ultimately deciding whether to prosecute Trump or others, it is a decisive end to a probe that had an almost&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/Jan-6-hearings-key-moments-b374e48ab5a1a0a597fd5b6ec69048c2">singular focus</a>&nbsp;from the start.

Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said the criminal justice system can provide accountability after Trump “broke the faith” that people have when they cast ballots in a democracy.

“We have every confidence that the work of this committee will help provide a roadmap to justice,” he said.

Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the panel’s Republican vice chairwoman, said in opening remarks that every president in American history has defended the orderly transfer of power, “except one.”

The committee also voted 9-0 to approve its final report, which will include findings, interview transcripts and legislative recommendations. The full report is expected to be released on Wednesday.

The report’s 154-page summary, made public as the hearing ended, found that Trump engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the election. While the majority of the report’s main findings are not new, it altogether represents one of the most damning portraits of an American president in recent history, laying out in great detail Trump’s broad effort to overturn his own defeat and what the lawmakers say is his direct responsibility for the insurrection of his supporters.

<a href="https://january6th.house.gov/">The panel</a>, which will dissolve on Jan. 3 with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-house-control-79475a4fc11e4375cd0dded651b9eede">the new Republican-led House</a>, has conducted more than 1,000 interviews, held 10 well-watched public hearings and collected more than a million documents since it launched in July 2021. As it has gathered the massive trove of evidence, the members have become emboldened in declaring that Trump, a Republican, is to blame for the violent attack on the Capitol by his supporters almost two years ago.

After beating their way past police, injuring many of them, the Jan. 6 rioters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">stormed the Capitol</a>&nbsp;and interrupted the certification of Biden’s presidential election win, echoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">Trump's lies</a>&nbsp;about widespread&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f">election fraud</a>&nbsp;and sending lawmakers and others running for their lives.

The attack came after weeks of Trump’s efforts to overturn his defeat — a campaign that was extensively detailed by the committee in its multiple public hearings, and laid out again by lawmakers on the panel at Monday's meeting. Many of Trump’s former aides testified about his unprecedented pressure on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-ivanka-trump-politics-elections-united-states-849994345a80ab4a82243967f6d822b5">states</a>, on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-elections-donald-trump-campaigns-presidential-4e7e68e2ff57aadd96d09c873a43a317">federal officials</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-crime-presidential-elections-cdc64a3de7950e6f3291851b3c5d9b1a">Pence</a>&nbsp;to object to Biden's win. The committee has also described in great detail how Trump riled up the crowd at a rally that morning and then did little to stop his supporters for several hours as he watched the violence unfold on television.

The panel aired some new evidence at the meeting, including a recent interview with longtime Trump aide Hope Hicks. Describing a conversation she had with Trump around that time, she said he told her that no one would care about his legacy if he lost the election.

Hicks told the committee that Trump told her, “The only thing that matters is winning."

Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the former president slammed members of the committee Sunday as “thugs and scoundrels” as he has continued to falsely dispute his 2020 loss.

While a so-called criminal referral has no real legal standing, it is a forceful statement by the committee and adds to political pressure already on Attorney General Merrick Garland and special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-special-counsel-prosecutor-donald-trump-garland-e1fdb71cfc258bc2be48a8b890a9269b">Jack Smith</a>, who is conducting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-arizona-donald-trump-0509a736c89010c0247a7b1428352689">an investigation</a>&nbsp;into Jan. 6 and Trump’s actions.

On the recommendation to charge Trump on aiding an insurrection, the committee said in the report's summary that the former president “was directly responsible for summoning what became a violent mob” and refused repeated entreaties from his aides to condemn the rioters or to encourage them to leave.

For obstructing an official proceeding, the committee cites Trump’s relentless badgering of Vice President Mike Pence and others to prevent the certification of the election results on Jan. 6. And his repeated lies about the election and efforts to undo the results open him up to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States, the panel said.

The final charge recommended by the panel is conspiracy to make a false statement, citing the scheme by Trump and his allies to put forward slates of fake electors in battleground states won by President Joe Biden.

Among the other charges contemplated, but not approved, by the committee was seditious conspiracy, the same allegation Justice Department prosecutors have used to target a subset of rioters belonging to far-right groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.

Thompson said after the hearing that the seditious conspiracy charge is “something that the committee didn’t come to agreement on.”

The panel was formed in the summer of 2021 after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michael-pence-donald-trump-capitol-siege-government-and-politics-4798a8617bacf27bbb576a4b805b85d9">Senate Republicans blocked</a>&nbsp;the formation of what would have been a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the insurrection. When that effort failed, the Democratic-controlled House formed an investigative committee of its own.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California, a Trump ally, decided not to participate after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected some of his appointments. That left an opening for two anti-Trump Republicans in the House — Reps.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-capitol-siege-donald-trump-wyoming-presidential-4fd397e5ba68de1924f52c79507eff2f">Liz Cheney</a>&nbsp;of Wyoming and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-committee-pelosi-kinzinger-b211da687cfba78f43ffb4042f9bd5db">Adam Kinzinger</a>&nbsp;of Illinois — to join seven Democrats, launching an unusually unified panel in the divided Congress.

While the committee’s mission was to take a comprehensive accounting of the insurrection and educate the public about what happened, they've also aimed their work at an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-merrick-garland-donald-trump-f70143880cb9be8a0610edcad1ed18e8">audience of one</a>: the attorney general. Lawmakers on the panel have openly pressured Garland to investigate Trump’s actions, and last month he appointed a special counsel, Smith, to oversee two probes related to Trump, including those related to the insurrection and the presence of classified documents at Trump's Florida estate.

The committee also made ethics referrals for five House Republicans — including McCarthy — who ignored congressional subpoenas from the panel.

The panel subpoenaed McCarthy, R-Calif., and Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Mo Brooks of Alabama. The panel has investigated McCarthy’s conversations with Trump the day of the attack and meetings the four other lawmakers had with the White House beforehand as Trump and some of his allies worked to overturn his election defeat.

The committee members said there is more work to be done, even as their work is concluding.