The Department of Justice (DOJ) informed a sentencing judge Wednesday that a former contractor for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Charles Littlejohn, intentionally took on the role so he could steal and leak former President Trump’s tax returns.
Littlejohn pleaded guilty to unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and return information in October of last year. Prosecutors have requested the maximum penalty of five years in prison, citing Littlejohn’s breach of public trust, claiming it “merits significant punishment.”
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According to prosecutors, Littlejohn “weaponized his access to unmasked taxpayer data to further his own personal, political agenda, believing that he was above the law.” Littlejohn, who had worked for Booz Allen between 2008 and 2013, returned to the company “with the intention of accessing and disclosing” Trump’s tax returns, viewing the former president as “dangerous and a threat to democracy.”
Prosecutors are pushing for the maximum sentence, arguing that Littlejohn leaked over a thousand individuals’ tax returns, which resulted in significant harm, including invasion of privacy, psychological distress, and undermining “public faith and confidence in the IRS, an institution that is critical to the effective functioning of our government.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Christianity in America is projected to lose its majority status by 2070, as Islam, other religions, and people with no religion increase.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Christians in America, Muslims, the irreligious, and Pew Research Center.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Families and churches today have relaxed standards for what constitutes Christianity, and parents aren’t raising their children in the church like they once were.” – Dr. George Barna, Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University
🎯IMPACT: The decline of Christianity and the rise of Islam could reshape America’s religious landscape within decades.
IN FULL
Christianity in the U.S. is facing steep declines, with the share of Americans identifying as Christian falling from about 90 percent in 1970 to 62 percent today, and projected to drop to 46 percent by 2070, according to the Pew Research Center. Meanwhile, Islam is growing, aided by a younger median age (35 versus 54 for Christians in the U.S.) and higher fertility rates. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of U.S. mosques rose 31 percent, while roughly 1,500 Christian churches closed during the same decade.
However, it is people of no religion, including atheists, agnostics, and the so-called unaffiliated, who are projected to first displace Christians as the largest group in America, comprising 52 percent of the population by 2070.
Christian leaders are warning that the faith’s slide is rooted in both cultural shifts and internal change within Christian communities. Pastor Brent Madaris of Hometown Hope Ministries, for instance, warned that seminaries “are certifying people to lead churches who have no business doing so.”
Dr. George Barna of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University noted, “Families and churches today have relaxed standards for what constitutes Christianity, and parents aren’t raising their children in the church like they once were.”
At the same time, the religious landscape is shifting in other ways. President Donald J. Trump has spoken publicly about what he calls “anti‑Christian bias.” In February 2025, he announced an executive order creating a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias. “I created the first‑ever Department of Justice task force to eradicate anti‑Christian bias. You hear about anti‑Semitic, but you don’t hear about anti‑Christian,” he stressed.
In contrast, a European anti‑terror police recently raided a charity that supports Middle Eastern Christians, a case some say highlights how Christian communities face pressure globally as they lose majority status across the West.
There have been some signs of renewal, however, with young people in England increasingly embracing Catholicism, while the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has also sparked a renewal in interest in the faith.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been voted out after celebrating the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: George Abaraonye, Oxford Union members, and Charlie Kirk.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Oxford, England, with the vote occurring in October.
💬KEY QUOTE: “[Y]our public reaction to a fatal shooting displayed a callousness inconsistent with the Union President’s duty to safeguard free and open debate, rendering it untenable for you to accede to the Office of President.” – Letter from former leaders of the Oxford Union to Abaraonye.
🎯IMPACT: Abaraonye will not assume the presidency, and the incident has led to donor withdrawals and criticism of the union.
IN FULL
George Abaraonye, the president-elect of the Oxford Union debating society, attached to England’s Oxford University, has been removed from his position following a no-confidence vote by members of the prestigious institution. The decision follwed the leak of a WhatsApp message and an Instagram post in which Abaraonye reacted to the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk by writing, “Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s f**king go.” The comment sparked immediate backlash, prompting an internal vote in which 1,228 members supported the motion to oust him, against 501 opposed.
Abaraonye, elected in June, had debated Kirk earlier this year at the Oxford Union on topics including “toxic masculinity” and male suicide. Abaraonye has denied that his comments reflected his true beliefs, stating, “In that moment of shock … I reacted impulsively … Those words did not reflect my values.” Despite submitting a motion of confidence in himself, the Union stated that he is “deemed to have resigned” following the result of the no-confidence vote.
An open letter signed by numerous Oxford Union alumni, including former presidents, condemned Abaraonye’s remarks on Kirk’s assassination and called for his resignation. The letter emphasized that while the signatories held diverse political views, they were unified in their opposition to his reaction to Kirk’s death.
“Your public reaction to a fatal shooting displayed a callousness inconsistent with the Union President’s duty to safeguard free and open debate, rendering it untenable for you to accede to the Office of President,” the letter stated.
Similar consequences have played out elsewhere following public reactions to Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Karen Attiah, a columnist for The Washington Post, was fired after social media posts criticizing what she called “excessive, false mourning” of Kirk. In Texas, over 100 teachers were suspended after celebrating or justifying the killing. A transgender writer also lost a comic book deal for making dismissive remarks about Kirk’s death, and MSNBC contributor Matthew Dowd was terminated following comments suggesting that so-called hate speech invited political violence.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed new sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector, specifically its two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Treasury Department, Rosneft Oil Company, Lukoil OAO, and their subsidiaries.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced today, impacting entities operating in Russia’s energy sector and U.S. financial systems.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.
🎯IMPACT: These sanctions block property and restrict transactions involving the targeted entities, aiming to hinder Russia’s ability to fund its military operations.
IN FULL
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector, citing “Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.” The sanctions specifically target Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft Oil Company and Lukoil OAO, along with their subsidiaries.
Rosneft and Lukoil are major players in the exploration, production, refining, and sale of oil and gas. The sanctions, enacted under Executive Order 14024, aim to block these companies’ access to U.S. financial systems and restrict their ability to raise revenue for Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
“Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” stated Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. He added, “Treasury is prepared to take further action if necessary to support President Trump’s effort to end yet another war. We encourage our allies to join us in and adhere to these sanctions.”
The sanctions also extend to subsidiaries of Rosneft and Lukoil, including entities involved in oil and gas production, refining, and exploration. All property and interests in property of these companies under U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions with them unless specifically authorized.
OFAC emphasized that foreign financial institutions facilitating significant transactions with these entities risk secondary sanctions. The move is part of the broader effort to pressure Russia into negotiating a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, which has stalled since Trump staged a major in-person meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August.
Russia may be stalling because it believes it is close to a significant military breakthrough in a war that has been stalemated for months, with reports indicating that Ukraine may be on the verge of retreating from the lynchpin fortress city of Pokrovsk, in the hotly contested Donbass (Donbas) region.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A lawsuit has temporarily halted the transfer of downtown Miami, Florida, real estate intended for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library, with a far-left retired academic claiming that the Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees violated a state transparency law.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Dr. Marvin Dunn, a retired professor, filed the lawsuit against Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed in Miami, with a court ruling on the matter in October 2025.
🎯IMPACT: The court ruling has blocked the property transfer, requiring either an appeal or a new public vote.
IN FULL
An 85-year-old, far-left, retired college professor is the mastermind of a lawsuit based on a technicality in Florida’s Sunshine Law that has—for now—succeeded in temporarily blocking the transfer of a key piece of downtown Miami real estate designated for the future site of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. Marvin Dunn, who taught psychology at Florida International University (FIU) from 1972 until 2006, is a well-known Miami-area progressive political activist, frequently comparing President Trump to German dictator Adolf Hitler.
Dunn contends that Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees breached Florida’s “Government in the Sunshine” law. He alleges the board did not provide adequate public notice before a meeting where the board voted to transfer a $66 million state-owned property to the Trump Foundation.
The property in question is a 2.63-acre parking lot adjacent to Miami’s historic Freedom Tower. It was approved for transfer by the state to the foundation overseeing Trump’s proposed library. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and his cabinet had endorsed the plan, describing the site as ideal for a significant cultural and tourist landmark.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. military destroyed a boat off the coast of Colombia in its campaign against drug-trafficking “narco-terrorists.”
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. military forces, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and drug traffickers.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Off the coast of Colombia, in the Pacific Ocean, during October 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Just as al-Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people.” – Pete Hegseth
🎯IMPACT: The strike marks an expansion of anti-cartel U.S. military operations into the Pacific Ocean.
IN FULL
The U.S. military has carried out a missile strike on a small boat off the coast of Colombia, marking the first such operation in the Pacific Ocean as part of its ongoing campaign against drug-traffickingcartels. The strike reportedly killed two people.
A video released by War Secretary Pete Hegseth showed the vessel carrying what appeared to be brown packages before it was destroyed. In a statement, Hegseth compared the drug traffickers to al-Qaeda, saying, “Just as al-Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people. There will be no refuge or forgiveness – only justice.”
This latest operation expands the Trump administration’s anti-cartel campaign, which had previously focused on the Caribbean region, particularly near Venezuela. The White House has not explained why the campaign has now shifted into the Pacific. Since September, the administration has conducted several strikes on maritime targets it claims were transporting narcotics, though specific details about the individuals or groups targeted have not been made public.
The Colombia strike follows a series of earlier military actions in South American waters. On October 3, Hegseth announced a previous attack on “narco-terrorists,” and less than two weeks later, on October 14, President Donald J. Trump confirmed another strike on a vessel near Venezuela, reportedly killing six people.
Notably, the Colombia strike comes as President Donald J. Trump and Colombia’s Marxist leader, Gustavo Petro, are engaged in a public feud, with President Trump branding the Colombian a “lunatic” and Petro suggesting he may attempt to “get rid of” the America First leader.
The U.A. operations are part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to classify certain drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in order to tackle them more robustly. Much of the intelligence used to select targets has reportedly come from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), but remains classified.
The Trump administration has defended the operations as a matter of national security, citing the President’s Article II powers to act in self-defense.
Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel being operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization and conducting narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) says Democrats in Congress are deliberately leveraging the “suffering” of American families during the government shutdown.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Katherine Clark, the Democratic Party, President Donald J. Trump, and affected American families.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The government shutdown is ongoing as of October 2025, impacting the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “There will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have.” – Rep. Katherine Clark
🎯IMPACT: Federal employees remain unpaid, small businesses face challenges, and services like food stamps are at risk.
IN FULL
Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) has candidly admitted that the hardship faced by American families due to the ongoing shutdown offers a strategic advantage to the Democratic Party. “There will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have,” Clark stated.
House and Senate Republicans have repeatedly attempted to pass legislation to fund the government, but they lack the 60 votes in the Senate required to stop Senate Democrats from preventing it from moving forward. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is demanding that key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act be changed before he will allow the government to be funded. Like Clark, Schumer appears to believe the ongoing hardship caused by the shutdown is working in his party’s favor, recently telling the press, “Every day gets better for us.”
The shutdown has impacted over a million federal workers, leaving them without paychecks and causing widespread disruptions. Airports are grappling with major delays, food stamp programs are running low on funds, and small businesses are fighting to survive. Tourists are also being turned away from Washington, D.C.’s iconic landmarks.
President Donald J. Trump has taken measures to ease the burden, ensuring military personnel continue to receive pay and maintaining funding for essential nutrition programs for low-income women and children.
The Democrats’ strategy has drawn sharp criticism, with many believing they are making a deliberate effort to amplify suffering for political advantage. They appear to be calculating that the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans, who hold majorities in both the House and Senate, will be blamed by the public for the shutdown, and not them. However, some polling suggests blame is beginning to shift towards the Democrats rather than the ruling party as the situation drags on.
🚨 @WhipKClark, the number two House Democrat, on the Democrat Shutdown: “Of course there will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Over 1,000 arrests were made and dozens of missing children were located in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of President Donald J. Trump’s crime crackdown.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Federal agents, local authorities, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R), National Guard troops, and President Trump.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Since September in Memphis, Tennessee, with arrests continuing through October.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Tolerating crime is a choice: under President Trump, we refuse to accept the victimization of innocent American citizens and will continue making our cities safe again.” – Pam Bondi
🎯IMPACT: 1,309 arrests, 72 missing children located, and 247 firearms seized, with a focus on dismantling gang activity and violent crime.
IN FULL
Law enforcement authorities in Memphis, Tennessee, have made 1,309 arrests and recovered 72 missing children as part of a significant crime crackdown launched in September under the direction of President Donald J. Trump. The operation, established through a presidential memorandum signed on September 15, created the Memphis Safe Task Force and authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to assist in tackling violent crime and gang activity in what is considered one of the most dangerous cities in the country.
According to a White House official, those arrested include over 100 confirmed gang members from groups such as MS-13 and the Gangster Disciples. The crackdown has also led to the seizure of 247 firearms and the apprehension of suspects involved in serious crimes, including aggravated rape of a child and kidnapping.
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the initiative, stating, “From arresting more than 100 gang members to locating more than 70 missing children, our brave federal agents and local authorities are doing incredible work to protect the good people of Memphis.” She continued, “Tolerating crime is a choice: under President Trump, we refuse to accept the victimization of innocent American citizens and will continue making our cities safe again.”
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) expressed strong support for the operation, suggesting it could continue indefinitely. He emphasized the need for a sustained approach to address the city’s long-standing issues with violent crime.
The operation in Memphis comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to address child trafficking and recover missing children. Recent investigations have revealed that as many as 85,000 unaccompanied migrant children went missing after being placed with sponsors by the Biden regime, according to whistleblowers.
Trump officials say they have tracked down approximately 25,000 of those children since taking office. Separate law enforcement actions have also led to the rescue of dozens of children from trafficking rings, including a recent operation in Florida where 60 missing children were recovered.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: North Carolina Republican lawmakers approved new U.S. House district maps aimed at securing an additional GOP seat for the 2026elections.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: North Carolina General Assembly Republicans, Democratic Rep. Don Davis, and state Democrats.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The maps were finalized on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, in North Carolina’s legislative chambers.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The new congressional map improves Republican political strength in eastern North Carolina and will bring in an additional Republican seat to North Carolina’s congressional delegation.” – GOP Rep. Brenden Jones
🎯IMPACT: Republicans could secure 11 of 14 U.S. House seats in North Carolina, bolstering GOP efforts to maintain control of Congress.
IN FULL
North Carolina Republican lawmakers adopted new U.S. House district maps on Wednesday, aiming to secure an additional GOP seat in the 2026 elections. The state House approved the maps following a party-line vote in the Senate on Tuesday. The changes are likely to significantly reduce the reelection odds for Congressman Don Davis (D-NC), who represents a district in northeastern North Carolina that is considered a swing seat as neither Republicans nor Democrats hold a clear partisan advantage.
Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly, and Governor Josh Stein ID-NC) cannot veto redistricting maps under state law. This leaves the GOP’s proposal poised for implementation unless legal challenges from Democrats or voting rights groups succeed. Candidate filing for the 2026 elections is set to begin on December 1, 2025.
Speaking on the floor, state Representative Brenden Jones (R), defended the mid-cycle district redraw, arguing: “The new congressional map improves Republican political strength in eastern North Carolina and will bring in an additional Republican seat to North Carolina’s congressional delegation.” Democrats, however, criticized the maps as a racial gerrymander, with state Rep. Gloristine Brown (D) declaring, “You are silencing Black voices and are going against the will of your constituents.”
The new map could shift counties in Rep. Davis’s 1st District to a coastal district more favorable to Republicans. Statewide election data suggests the GOP could win 11 of 14 House seats under the new boundaries. However, the new districts will likely draw numerous legal challenges from Democrats and leftist lawfare groups who claim the map violates the Voting Rights Act.
Republican leaders in the state legislature contend that the redistricting was based on political considerations, not racial data. GOP leaders also pointed to North Carolina’s support for President Donald J. Trump in recent presidential elections as justification for increasing Republican representation in Congress. Senate leader Phil Berger said the maps align with “listening to the will of the people.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The National Pulse officially joined the Pentagon’s press corps on Wednesday, following an effort by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to open access to the department to news outlets beyond Washington, D.C.’s corporate media establishment.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam and political editor Will Upton, along with senior Pentagon officials like Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell, and the corporate media.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday, October 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We are excited to announce over 60 journalists, representing a broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists, have signed the Pentagon’s media access policy and will be joining the new Pentagon press corps.” — Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell
🎯IMPACT: The Pentagon press corps and new media policy aim to prevent the leakage of classified information, while also expanding access to “a broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists.”
IN FULL
The National Pulse officially joined the Pentagon’s press corps on Wednesday, following an effort by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to open access to the department to news outlets beyond Washington, D.C.’s corporate media establishment.
“Thank you for opening this up from previously only being accessible to the (often foreign-funded) corporate media,” The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief, Raheem Kassam, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) addressed to Hegesh. The National Pulse’s political editor, Will Upon, will serve as the lead Pentagon correspondent, with Kassm providing coverage as well.
NEWS: I am pleased to announce @TheNatPulse is now part of the Pentagon’s press corps.
“We are excited to announce over 60 journalists, representing a broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists, have signed the Pentagon’s media access policy and will be joining the new Pentagon press corps. Twenty-six journalists across 18 outlets were among the former Pentagon press corps who chose to sign the DOW media access policy,” Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell said in a statement.
“New media outlets and independent journalists have created the formula to circumvent the lies of the mainstream media and get real news directly to the American people. Their reach and impact collectively are far more effective and balanced than the self-righteous media who chose to self-deport from the Pentagon,” he added.
Today, the Department of War is announcing the next generation of the Pentagon press corps.
We are excited to announce over 60 journalists, representing a broad spectrum of new media outlets and independent journalists, have signed the Pentagon’s media access policy and will be…
In late September, the Pentagon undertook a major shake-up of its press corps aimed at cracking down on leaks of classified information and the malicious publication of national security secrets. This included issuing a renewed Pentagon media policy designed to prevent media presence in sensitive national security areas and limit access to Pentagon officials without approval from the Department of War.
Notably, the number of former Pentagon press corps members who have signed on to the media policy has risen to 26, representing 18 total media outlets. Just over 60 journalists are being accredited for the first time.
The leak of a preliminary, low-confidence Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment of the U.S. strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities via CNN’s Natasha Bertand likely gave urgency to the policy change. Media outlets used documents to prematurely declare the bombings a failure.
Bertrand has a long history of politically motivated reporting, having aggressively promoted the Russiagate hoax. She has also been credibly accused of serving as a conduit for defense and intelligence community partisans who worked to suppress news coverage of Hunter Biden’s “Laptop from Hell,” smearing it as Russian disinformation.
Notably, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, née Cortes, previously served as a writing fellow at The National Pulse,
❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration agreed to cancel billions in student loan debt for up to 2.5 million borrowers as part of a federal court settlement over stalled income-driven repayment (IDR) programs.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Trump administration, and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).
📍WHEN & WHERE: The settlement was filed on October 17, 2025, in federal court as part of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) v. U.S. Department of Education case.
💬KEY QUOTE: “For nearly a decade, the AFT has fought for the rights of student loan borrowers to be freed from the shackles of unjust debt – and today, a huge part of that affordability fight was vindicated.” – Randi Weingarten, AFT President
🎯IMPACT: Borrowers eligible for relief are being notified, with options to accept forgiveness or opt out, according to the Department of Education.
IN FULL
The Trump administration has agreed to cancel billions of dollars in federal student loan debt for as many as 2.5 million borrowers, following a federal court settlement in the case American Federation of Teachers (AFT) v. U.S. Department of Education. The settlement, filed on October 17, reinstates loan forgiveness provisions tied to income-driven repayment (IDR) programs, including Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Income-Based Repayment (IBR). These plans cap monthly payments based on income and household size, and forgive remaining balances after 20 to 25 years of qualifying payments.
The agreement comes after the AFT sued the Trump administration in March 2025, claiming it had unlawfully reversed Joe Biden-era loan forgiveness initiatives. According to the lawsuit, the Department of Education, under President Trump, removed IDR enrollment applications from federal websites and directed servicers to stop processing new enrollments and forgiveness applications. The AFT argued that this violated federal law by denying borrowers access to debt relief guaranteed by Congress.
“For nearly a decade, the AFT has fought for the rights of student loan borrowers to be freed from the shackles of unjust debt—and today, a huge part of that affordability fight was vindicated,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten in a statement. “Our agreement means that borrowers stuck in limbo can either get immediate relief or finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. And, crucially, they won’t ever get taxed on that relief. The AFT will hold the federal government to its word, and we won’t stop fighting until college is affordable and taking out a student loan doesn’t trap millions of Americans in a ruinous and exploitative debt cycle.”
The Department of Education began notifying eligible borrowers in October, sending emails that offer the option to accept forgiveness or opt out. Borrowers who receive forgiveness by the end of 2025 will not face federal income taxes on the discharged debt, under provisions maintained from previous legislation.
This settlement comes amid broader changes to the Department of Education under Trump. In March 2025, the president signed an executive order directing the department’s dismantling, aiming to return educational authority to states and local governments.
Earlier that year, the department eliminated over $600 million in funding for teacher training programs which promoted “divisive ideologies,” including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. As part of this shift, the department’s workforce has also been significantly reduced.
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