Jack Smith Defends Trump Probes Before Senate Panel Former special counsel Jack Smith defended his Trump prosecutions for about four hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Republicans pressed him on lawmakers' phone records. The Gap: Fox News Digital leads with the records' reach. Its own story says the journalist communications turned up in subpoenaed National Archives records of White House phones. The lawmaker toll records show call times, not content. Grassley's "mapping" charge is his reading, not a finding. Common Dreams leads with Schmitt's stumble. That moment does not settle the dispute Republicans raised: whether the lawmaker subpoenas breached speech-or-debate protections, which Smith denies. What the left said: Common Dreams built its coverage around Sen. Eric Schmitt's failed perjury charge. AP quoted Democrats and Smith pushing back. “They are nothing but a smoke screen to distract from the president's own clear, unlawful conduct.” (Sen. Dick Durbin, AP, September 29) “I will not be silenced by the continued threats of prosecution from the president or others.” (Jack Smith, AP, September 29) What the right said: Fox News Digital framed the hearing around how far the records reached. “Jack Smith's Trump probe swept up Fox News, other media communications as investigation went beyond lawmakers” (Fox News Digital headline, September 29) “Nearly 50 journalists from major news outlets were swept up in the probe” (Fox News Digital, September 29) “It was about partisan agents and prosecutors mapping out the Republican apparatus.” (Sen. Chuck Grassley, AP, September 29) The Record: On September 29 former special counsel Jack Smith testified for about four hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He said his investigation developed proof that President Trump "engaged in serious crimes against our nation." Republicans focused on subpoenas for toll records of GOP lawmakers contacted by Trump or his aides on January 6, 2021. The records show call times and durations, not content. Smith said the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section approved them. His cases were dropped after Trump's 2024 election win. SCOTUS Lets Third-Country Deportations Resume, Sets December Argument The Supreme Court paused a Boston judge's ruling and let the administration resume deportations to countries not named in removal orders. It will hear the case in December. The Gap: Breitbart's "win" holds for now, but the order decided nothing on the merits and gave no reasoning. The merits rulings so far, Murphy's and the 1st Circuit's, went against the policy. Democracy Now's estimate of 25,000 matches the human rights groups' count Breitbart cites: more than 25,000, most sent to Mexico. What the left said: “the conservative majority in the Supreme Court is temporarily allowing the Trump administration” (Democracy Now, September 30) “During Trump's second term, an estimated 25,000 immigrants have been deported from the U.S. to third countries” (Democracy Now, September 30) “The Supreme Court has now allowed the administration to resume sending people to third countries where they may face persecution” (Lawyers for the deportees, Politico, September 29) What the right said: Breitbart called the order a win. “Win: SCOTUS Allows 'Safe Third Country' Deportations” (Breitbart headline, September 29) “this is entirely lawful and a critical tool for immigration enforcement.” (Todd Blanche, Breitbart, September 29) “an essential tool to remove certain aliens, including some of the worst criminal aliens.” (Solicitor General John Sauer, NPR, September 29) The Record: On September 29 the Supreme Court, in an unsigned order, paused U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy's ruling barring third-country removals without advance written notice and a meaningful chance to contest them. Justices Sotomayor, Kagan and Jackson would have denied the government's request. The order gave no reasoning. The Court took up the case, Department of Homeland Security v. D.V.D., for argument on December 9. On September 18 the 1st Circuit had largely upheld Murphy. Fed Watchdog Finds Renovation Failures, No Crime; Trump Says Powell Must Go The Federal Reserve's inspector general faulted management of the $2.4 billion headquarters renovation but found no crime. Within hours, Trump said Jerome Powell should leave the Fed board. The Gap: Fox Business calls the renovation troubled, and the report backs that on management and cost. Trump blames Powell; the report found no administrative misconduct. The Daily Beast says Trump ordered DOJ to probe Powell again. He directed Blanche to study the report and decide what to do; U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office said it was under review. What the left said: The Daily Beast cast Trump's response as a new pursuit of Powell. “The president has ordered his DOJ attack dogs to probe Jerome Powell yet again.” (The Daily Beast, September 30) “the watchdog found no evidence that anyone, including Powell, violated federal criminal law” (The Daily Beast, September 30) “have no basis to restart the President's witch hunt against former Fed Chair Jerome Powell.” (Sen. Elizabeth Warren, CNBC, September 30) What the right said: Fox Business framed the renovation as troubled and quoted Trump at length. “The final verdict is in for the Fed's troubled renovation and Jerome Powell” (Fox Business headline, September 30) “This is Jerome Powell's fault, and he should be forced to resign, IMMEDIATELY!” (President Trump, Truth Social, Fox Business, September 30) “I could have done a far better Renovation for 25 Million Dollars” (President Trump, Truth Social, Fox Business, September 30) The Record: On September 30 the Federal Reserve's inspector general reported on the $2.4 billion headquarters renovation. It found management and oversight failures, including no enforced guaranteed maximum price, as construction costs more than doubled. It found no reasonable grounds to believe a federal crime occurred and no administrative misconduct. Trump said former Chair Jerome Powell, still a governor, should resign, and that he had directed Justice Department chief Todd Blanche "to study the report, and make a determination as to what to do."