2020 Day 1335: The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation and issued grand jury subpoenas to John Bolton’s publisher and literary agent; a federal judge ruled that Chad Wolf is likely unlawfully serving as acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; the White House trade adviser refused to testify to Congress about a canceled ventilator contract that would have wasted $504 million; the Trump administration's top health spokesperson apologized to staffers for accusing career federal scientists of "sedition" and working to undermine Trump; and Jared Kushner claimed that the tapes of Trump privately downplaying the threat of the coronavirus in March are an example of him being "very forthcoming with the American people" about the dangers of COVID-19. Sep 15, 2020
2021 Day 239: The Justice Department asked a federal judge to block enforcement of a new Texas law that effectively bans almost all abortions; the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff called China twice in the final months of the Trump administration to reassure them that Trump had no plans to attack China; a federal judge denied Trump's request to stop E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit against him from moving forward; the number of Americans living in poverty fell to a record low last year due to the pandemic relief aid Congress enacted; 1 in 500 Americans have died from Covid-19 in the 19 months since the nation's first reported coronavirus infection; the FDA declined to endorse Pfizer’s Covid-19 booster shot. Sep 15, 2021
2022 Day 604: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shipped about 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard without warning; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent two buses of migrants to Harris’s home in DC; the Senate delayed a vote to protect same-sex marriage until after the midterm elections; the White House announced a "tentative" agreement between rail carriers and union leaders to avert a nationwide strike; mortgage rates topped 6% for the first time in 14 years and more than double their level a year ago; Mark Meadows complied with a subpoena from the Justice Department's investigation into Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol; the New York attorney general’s office rejected an offer from Trump's lawyers to settle the civil investigation into the Trump Organization; and Trump – threatening the Justice Department – warned that there would be "big problems" if he's indicted over the mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House. Sep 15, 2022
2025 Day 1700: Utah authorities booked Tyler Robinson on suspicion of aggravated murder in the killing of Charlie Kirk; Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, providing no concrete evidence, said Robinson held a “leftist ideology” and had been “radicalized” online; the FBI said Robinson had an “obsession” with Kirk based on his digital footprint; investigators said Robinson’s partner has become a key witness in the Kirk case, turning over texts and other communications to the FBI after being “aghast” at the killing; the Trump administration asked Congress for $58 million to boost security after Kirk’s assassination; Trump and his aides, providing no evidence, continue to blame the “radical left” for Charlie Kirk’s killing and threatened to investigate liberal groups; Trump said the U.S. military carried out a second strike on a Venezuelan boat in international waters, killing three people; the U.S. and China agreed to a “framework” deal on TikTok; two House Republicans said they’ll oppose Speaker Mike Johnson’s short-term funding bill, putting Republicans’ plan to avoid a Sept. 30 shutdown at risk; and Fox host Brian Kilmeade apologized after saying on air that mentally ill homeless people should face “involuntary lethal injection” and “Just kill ’em.” Sep 15, 2025