News
Compiled by Mike Hernandez, Nov. 15, 2025
There are so many stories making up the mosaic of national/international news that we can’t cover them all every week. The biggest stories now seem to be: Israel and Iran, the Trump presidency (lawfare and judges), immigration (migrants and illegals), wars, weaponization of government (the deep state) against Trump and conservatives, our nation’s debt, massive inflation, climate change controversy and related expenses of government, industry attempting to address these issues, the Chinese threat, national security, abortion, taxpayer cuts, Ukraine peace, and hatred and violence against Christians. Here are just a few:
November 8: Gateway Pundit By Jim Hoft
Capitol Police Officer Shauni Kerkhoff Identified As J6 Bomber – Testified To Firing Pepper Balls on J6 Crowd – Then Months Later Went To Work At CIA
On January 5, 2021, a suspect planted pipe bombs near the Washington DC RNC and DNC headquarters the night before the January 6, 2021 protests. The culprit was caught on video but never caught by the FBI.
The US Capitol was shut down on January 6 after the feds found the bombs near the Republican and Democrat Party headquarters. As previously reported— A mysterious suspect planted two pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC DC Headquarters that were safely detonated by a bomb squad on January 6.
As The Gateway Pundit reported at the time and several times since Jan. 6 – Federal authorities shut down the counting of electoral votes by the US Congress when news broke that the “bombs” were found at the RNC and DNC headquarters.
It was not the J6 protesters storming the building that shut down the counting. It was news of the pipe bombs! The bombs were planted by a female US Capitol Police Officer who later went to work security at the CIA headquarters.
Shauni Kerkoff went to work for the CIA headquarters after the January 6 riots. She later testified against J6 defendant Guy Reffitt, who was set up by the FBI, who wired his son in his own home. Shauni reportedly scrubbed her social media accounts after joining the FBI.
November 8: Breitbart By Ian Hatchett
Washington Post: Democrats ‘Trying to Make’ ‘a Point’ ‘Through Causing Pain” On Government Shutdown
On Friday’s broadcast of PBS’s “Washington Week,” Washington Post columnist David Ignatius said that, with the government shutdown, Democrats are engaging in an effort “to try to make a point, the point that they’re trying to make is through causing pain for the people by holding fast and showing that Trump is refusing to make concessions on health care.”
November 8: Breitbart By Lowell Cauffiel
Trump-Appointed Federal Judge: President Cannot Use National Guard In Portland
A federal judge who was nominated to the bench by President Donald Trump has permanently blocked the 47th president from deploying the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, in response to demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in that city.
U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, who issued a preliminary injunction last month preventing the president’s troop order, ruled Friday that Trump overstepped his authority by federalizing Oregon’s National Guard soldiers. President Trump nominated Judge Immergut to the federal bench in 2018 during his first term. The permanent ruling stems from a lawsuit brought by the States of Oregon and California and the City of Portland.
Government lawyers for the Trump administration had argued that the often-violent protests at the ICE building disrupted officers who were trying to carry out immigration enforcement and represented a rebellion against the United States of America.
November 8: RedState By Becca Lower and Streiff
Supreme Court Issues Stay In Response To Trump Admin Emergency Appeal Of SNAP Case
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued an administrative stay on Friday night, in response to the Trump administration’s emergency appeal on the SNAP funding case. Late Thursday afternoon, a federal district court ordered the Trump administration to pay out full SNAP benefits for the month of November, requiring it to comply within 24 hours. They quickly appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.
A handful of states used the time lag between a rogue ruling by Rhode Island District Court Judge and major donor to Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, John J. McConnell, Jr., and that ruling being slapped down by the U. S. Supreme Court to make off with what would’ve been a 65 percent payment for the entire universe of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients.
These states did full SNAP benefits before this ruling:
- California
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Kansas
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Washington
- Wisconsin
November 9: Breitbart By Bradley Jaye
Democrats Cave On Government Funding, Will Receive Nothing For Ending Schumer Shutdown
A disastrous shutdown for Democrats got worse Sunday when Senate Democrats folded on government funding while receiving nothing of substance in return. The motion passed 60 to 40, without a single vote to spare, and will enable a future vote on a clean continuing resolution through January 30, 2026, packaged with three relatively non-controversial appropriations bills extending through the fiscal year: agriculture, military construction-Veterans Affairs, and legislative branch.
The agreement includes back pay for federal employees and guarantees that the 4,000-plus federal employees laid off during the shutdown will be rehired, as well as a blanket prohibition on future reductions in force through January 30. Those jobs are a drop in the bucket compared to the 250,000 or so the Trump administration eliminated before the shutdown.
Most significantly, the agreement does not guarantee an extension of Covid-era enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies, with Democrats only receiving assurances of a vote on a bill of their choice.
Democrat Sens. Maggie Hassan (NH), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Dick Durbin (IL), Jacky Rosen (NV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) supported the procedural vote. They joined Sens. Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), and John Fetterman (D-PA), who had previously voted to allow the House-passed CR to advance. The vote was held open for well over an additional hour to allow Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who was in Texas during a brutal three-way primary fight, to arrive in Washington.
The Senate must receive unanimous consent on time agreements to enable speedy passage, but a vote on final passage is likely by the middle of the week. The amended bill must then pass the House.
November 10: Gateway Pundit By Cullen Linebarger
Leftist Meltdowns Ensue As Eight Senate Democrats Cave And Vote To End Government Shutdown
The Democratic base is in an unhinged uproar this morning after a handful of Senate Democrats cut a face-saving ‘deal’ to reopen the government.
The Motion to Invoke Cloture on the House-passed continuing resolution was passed on the 15th attempt by a vote of 60-40. Republicans plan to amend the bill and attach three full-year-long appropriations bills. The House will return to session on Wednesday to vote on the Senate-passed funding package.
November 10: Fox News By Alex Miller, Elizabeth Elkind
Senate Ends 41-day Government Shutdown Stalemate, Sends Bipartisan Deal To House
The shutdown stalemate that has dragged on in the Senate officially ended late Monday night, and it places Congress on a path to reopen the government later this week. Senators advanced a bipartisan funding package to end the government shutdown after a group of Senate Democrats broke from their colleagues and joined Republicans in their bid to reopen the government.
The votes went deep into Monday night on the shutdown’s 41st day and resulted in an updated continuing resolution (CR) being combined with a trio of spending bills in a minibus package that is now headed to the House. The House Rules Committee should be ready to move by Tuesday at the earliest.
November 11: Gateway Pundit By Jim Hoft
Veterans Day 2025
Veterans Day is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. A federal holiday, it is observed on November 11. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. There are 23.5 million US veterans.
November 11: Breitbart By Staff
Donald Trump Participates In Veterans Day Ceremony
President Donald Trump attends a wreath laying ceremony and speaks in observance of Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday, November 11.
“The story of America is written with the courage, honor, and dedicated service of our veterans,” the president wrote in a proclamation issued Monday. “Through their sacrifice, the fires of freedom burn brightly, our Republic secured, and our way of life made possible. For nearly 250 years, their unyielding spirit has carried our Nation through every trial and triumph, ensuring that liberty endures for all time,” Trump declared. “This Veterans Day, we show our gratitude and recommit to honor their service, uphold their legacy, and give every veteran the loyalty, respect, and support they have earned and so dearly deserve.”
November 12: Breitbart By Elizabeth Weibel
NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani To Call Trump: Relationship ‘Will Be Critical To The Success’ Of The City
New York City (NYC) Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani explained that the relationship he has with President Donald “will be critical to the success” of the city, and added that he plans to call Trump before taking office.
Mamdani, who has advocated for city-run grocery stores and conveyed his opposition to having police officers to respond to domestic dispute calls, has previously vowed to defend the rights of illegal aliens who live in the city. Mamdani has also accused the Trump administration of “waging war on the First Amendment” and people’s “constitutional rights” in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
After Mamdani defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the mayoral election, Trump stated that the nation was facing a decision “between communism and common sense.” Trump also vowed that as long as he was in office, the country was “not going communist in any way, shape, or form.”
November 12: Gateway Pundit By Joel Gilbert
Congressman Eric Swalwell Names Washington DC Home As ‘Principal Residence’ And Has No California Address
Despite serving as a Congressman from California’s 15th District and claiming Hometown: Livermore on his official House profile, Swalwell has declared his Washington, DC property as his “principal residence.”
Under Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, members of Congress must be “inhabitants” of the state they represent at the time of their election.
In California, maintaining this inhabitancy means holding tangible, verifiable ties to the state, such as owning or renting a residence, registering to vote, paying state income taxes, and possessing a California driver’s license.
November 12: Red State By Bob Hoge
Sean Duffy Yanking 17,000 Illegal Trucker’s Licenses In California
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has admitted to illegally issuing 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to foreign nationals who were not legally eligible to hold them, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday.
“After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed,” Duffy wrote in a statement. “Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked.”
According to Newsweek, at least 19 states are all too happy to fork over licenses to drivers who are in this country illegally:
November 12: Breitbart By Nick Gilbertson
Trump Signs Bill To Reopen Government After 43 Days Of Democrat Shutdown
President Donald Trump signed legislation to reopen the government on Wednesday, ending the 43-day Democrat shutdown. The clean continuing resolution (CR) funds the government through the end of January and includes three of twelve appropriations for Fiscal Year 2026–agriculture, military construction-Veterans Affairs, and legislative branch–with funding for those through the end of September.
Trump, flanked by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), and cabinet officials, blasted Democrats for refusing to open government ahead of the signing.
“For the past 43 days, Democrats in Congress shut down the government of the United States in an attempt to extort American taxpayers for hundreds of billions of dollars for illegal aliens and people that came into our country illegally,” Trump said. “Today, we’re sending a clear message that we will never give in to extortion, because that’s what it was. They tried to extort–the Democrats tried to extort our country,” he added.
Trump said that Democrats “inflicted massive harm” in keeping the government closed since October 1.“They caused 20,000 flights to be cancelled or delayed; they departed so many times so late. People were hurt so badly. Nobody’s ever seen anything like this one. This was a no-brainer, this was an easy extension, but they didn’t want to do it the easy way,” he said, adding:
“They deprived more than one million government workers from their paychecks and cut off food stamp benefits for millions and millions more Americans in need. They caused tens of thousands of federal contractors and small businesses to go unpaid, and the total effect of the damage their antics caused will take weeks and probably months to really calculate accurately, including the serious harm that they did to our economy and to people and to families.”
November 13: Associated Press By Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael R. Blood
Justice Department Sues To Block California US House Map In Clash That Could Tip Control Of Congress
The Justice Department on Thursday sued to block new congressional district boundaries approved by California voters last week, joining a court battle that could help determine which party wins control of the U.S. House in 2026.
The complaint filed in California federal court targets the new congressional map pushed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in response to a similar Republican-led effort in Texas backed by President Donald Trump. It sets the stage for a high-stakes legal and political fight between the Republican administration and the Democratic governor, who’s seen as a likely 2028 presidential contender.
California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50, a constitutional amendment changing the congressional boundaries to give Democrats a shot at winning five seats now held by Republicans in next year’s midterm elections.
The Justice Department is joining a case challenging the new map that was brought by the California Republican Party last week. The Trump administration accuses California of racial gerrymandering in violation of the Constitution by using race as a factor to favor Hispanic voters with the new map. It asks a judge to prohibit California from using the new map in any future elections.
November 13: Gateway Pundit By Cristina Laila
Border Commander Bovino Issues Warning To Radical Biden Judge Who Ordered Release Of Hundreds Of Illegals In Chicago
Border Commander Gregory Bovino issued a warning after a radical Biden judge demanded the release of more than 600 illegal aliens in Chicago.
Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings announced Wednesday that he plans to grant bond to hundreds of illegal aliens detained during ICE’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” a crucial crackdown on criminal migrants and repeat border jumpers. Judge Cummings ruled Wednesday that the illegal alien invaders could walk free on a measly $1,500 bond as long as they lack a prior criminal rap sheet or deportation order.
The radical judge’s decision to grant bond to hundreds of illegals comes as Border Patrol agents in Chicago were shot at by a criminal illegal alien from Mexico. The federal agents were shot at by a gunman driving a black Jeep in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday. Other anti-ICE agitators threw bricks and a paint can at federal agents.
It was also reported over the weekend that the Latin Kings, one of the largest Hispanic street gangs in the world, has authorized a “shoot on sight” directive toward federal agents, mainly Border Patrol Agents, involved in Chicago’s “Operation Midway Blitz.” According to NewsNation Correspondent Ali Bradley, the Latin Kings are now targeting Border Patrol Agents.
Gregory Bovino said Border Patrol agents and other officers risked their lives to apprehend the 650 illegal aliens in the greater Chicago area. And then he issued a warning to the judge: If the judge releases the illegals, Bovino vowed to go into overdrive and arrest more illegals. “I’ll tell you what’s gonna happen. We’re gonna go even harder on the streets! If he releases those 650? We’re gonna apprehend 1,650 on the streets of Chicago!” Bovino said on Fox News.
November 14: Breitbart By Ian Hanchett
Rollins: ‘Next Step’ Is To Make ‘Everyone Reapply’ For SNAP To Ensure Integrity
On Thursday’s broadcast of Newsmax TV’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins discussed data on food stamps and said that data from blue states is “going to give us a platform and a trajectory to fundamentally rebuild this program, have everyone reapply for their benefit, make sure that everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through SNAP or food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable and they can’t survive without it.”
Rollins stated, “29 states, mostly the red states, responded with their data sets, February, March, April. … But here’s the most unbelievable news I have really, just over the last few days: That 5,000 dead people, that was just one month, the number is closer to 186,000 deceased men and women and children in this country receiving a check. Now, that is what we’re really going to start clamping down on. Half a million are getting two. But here’s the really stunning thing: This is just data from those 29 mostly red states. Can you imagine when we get our hands on the blue state data, what we’re going to find?”
November 14: Gateway Pundit By Cassandra MacDonald
Trump DHS Launches Nationwide Operation To Locate Hundreds Of Thousands Of Migrant Children
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has launched the UAC Safety Verification Initiative, a new partnership with state and local 287(g) law enforcement agencies, to locate and protect roughly 450,000 unaccompanied migrant children that the previous administration either “lost” or deliberately released to unvetted, often criminal sponsors.
This new effort represents a significant step toward cleaning up one of the most disturbing scandals of the Biden-Harris administration’s open-border era. The initiative, which began rolling out in Florida earlier this week and is now expanding nationwide, focuses on welfare checks to ensure these children are not being sexually abused, trafficked, or exploited.
DHS blasted the Biden administration’s reckless policies that “empowered human and sex traffickers,” noting that many of the sponsors turned out to be gang members, abusers, and predators. “Secretary Noem is leading efforts to rescue and stop the exploitation of the 450,000 unaccompanied children the Biden administration lost or placed with unvetted sponsors.
Many of the children who came across the border unaccompanied were allowed to be placed with sponsors who were smugglers and sex traffickers. The Trump administration has located more than 24,400 of these children in-person, in the United States, through visits and door knocks,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
McLaughlin added, “We’ve jumpstarted our efforts to rescue children who were victims of sex and labor trafficking by working with our state and local law enforcement partners to locate these children. President Trump and Secretary Noem are laser-focused on protecting children and will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to reunite children with their families.”
President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem have made child trafficking and border security a top priority of the new administration.
November 14: RedState By Steiff
SecWar Pete Hegseth Announces ‘Operation Southern Spear’ As US Carrier Strike Group Enters the Caribbean
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Thursday the inauguration of Operation Southern Spear. This operation, Hegseth said, “defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people.”
The announcement came two days after Carrier Strike Group 12, led by the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, entered USSOUTHCOM’s Tactical Area of Operations. The Ford passing under the control of USSOUTHCOM’s Naval element, the US 4th Fleet, probably completes one of the largest concentrations of US Navy assets in the last two decades. The Ford and her consorts, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Mahan (DDG-72), USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81), and USS Bainbridge (DDG-96), will join ships already present,
Mike Hernandez, is co-founder of the Citizens Journal–Ventura County’s online news service and writes for Citizensjournal.net and MountainTopMedia.com. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor, writer of “CaliRed News” on Substack.com and “Prayer Over News Daily” and edits the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes” and other columns. Mr. Hernandez mentors citizen journalists and can be contacted at MikeHernandezMedia.com.
