Friday, October 16th

What happened

President Donald Trump reversed the Pentagon’s plan to livestream Nidal Hasan’s execution, saying the firing squad would proceed but would not be broadcast. Trump said immediate family members of the victims may attend in person if they choose. Hasan, a former Army major and psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 in the 2009 Fort Hood attack. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had announced a public livestream, saying people needed to see the consequences of such attacks. Trump said a broadcast might deter terrorism, but that many people would rather not watch Hasan die. An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that 80% of Americans opposed livestreaming it. Hasan’s execution remains scheduled for Dec. 3 at Fort Hood.

What happened

Katie Zacharia confirmed she took the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine law school in 2011 and failed. She has not passed a bar exam or obtained a U.S. law license. The disclosure deepened scrutiny of the new White House press secretary, who gave a first briefing of about 14 minutes. Zacharia has called herself a lawyer, while President Donald Trump described her as an attorney. Zacharia said she was told the label fit her law degree and international transactional work, but legal experts say those titles usually mean a license to practice. Two watchdog groups filed complaints asking California authorities to investigate. The state bar has not confirmed any investigation.

What happened

Federal agents seized Rep. Ilhan Omar’s phone, passport, computers and notebooks during a court-authorized search of her Washington home. The criminal investigation is examining possible fraud or false statements in her family’s immigration paperwork, including whether her age was misstated when she became a citizen in 2000. That age matters because Omar says she was 17 and received citizenship through her father; at 18, she would have needed her own naturalization process. Omar denies wrongdoing and says the case targets political opponents. Investigators have issued more than a dozen grand-jury subpoenas, and a judge limited access to legislative materials. A separate financial-disclosure review is ongoing.