Bill would allow Rubio to revoke US citizen's passports based on speech, critics say - National & International News - TUE 16Sep2025 -

Bill would allow Rubio to revoke US citizen’s passports based on speech, critics say.

FBI director Patel claims “no credible information” linking others to Epstein’s crimes.

Judge dismisses terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione, accused of killing health insurance CEO.

Bill would allow Rubio to revoke US citizen’s passports based on speech, critics say

Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) has sponsored a bill (HR 5300), Section 226 of which would authorize the Secretary of State to deny any US citizen who the Secretary determines “has knowingly aided, assisted, abetted, or otherwise provided material support to an organization the Secretary has designated as a foreign terrorist organization”.

Given the often broad, vague, and subjective definition of “material support”, civil liberties advocates fear that this provision would essentially give Sec. of State Marco Rubio the power to curtail Americans’ freedom of travel based solely on speech. Earlier this year, Rubio revoked the student visa of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, claiming that she “supported Hamas”. The claim, it turns out, was based on an op-ed Ozturk had written for the student newspaper. Her article did not mention Hamas but called on the university to divest from Israel.

Mast himself has stoked controversy by appearing on the House floor in an Israel Defense Forces uniform. He has also said that Palestinian babies killed in Israeli attacks are “not innocent Palestinian civilians“.

Following a public outcry, Rep. Mast has introduced a manager’s amendment striking Section 226 from the bill. While the American Civil Liberties Union welcomed the change, the provision is not defeated yet. Mast’s new amendment must be approved in a hearing on Wednesday. Otherwise the language expanding the Secretary’s powers will remain in the larger bill as it heads to the Senate.

UN Human Rights Council says Israel committing genocide in Gaza.

FBI director Patel claims “no credible information” linking others to Epstein’s crimes

FBI director Kash Patel appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee today after coming under fire for what many Democrats and Republicans see as grave missteps in his leadership. Most recently, Patel has come under fire for his handling of the investigation and manhunt following the assassination of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk last week. The day of the event, Patel declared publicly that they had the suspect in custody, but that person was later released after being questioned. Furthermore, he has made statements publicly that could severely complicate the prosecution of the current suspect Tyler Robinson, especially in the event that federal charges are brought.

Fox News published an article over the weekend indicating that both the White House and the Department of Justice had lost confidence in Patel, citing well-placed sources. Following Kirk’s assassination, President Trump quietly appointed a new Deputy FBI Director, which may indicate that Trump himself has lost faith in Patel.

Patel doubles down on Epstein

Senators also took the opportunity to press Patel on the first big scandal to hit his office this summer, namely his handling of the Epstein files. In July, the FBI issued a memo saying that no further public disclosures would be forthcoming in the case and that there was no evidence incriminating anyone other than Epstein. The memo sparked a massive public outcry which continues to reverberate among both Democrats and Republicans.

Despite the backlash, Patel largely stuck to this story during the hearing, claiming there was “no credible information” in the FBI’s files that Epstein trafficked his young victim to anyone other than himself. Moreover, Patel claimed that a court order restrained him from any further disclosures of investigative materials in the Epstein case. Legal experts have disputed this claim. Court orders have only applied to a few hundred pages of grand jury testimony- a tiny percentage of the 100,000 or so pages of case documents believed to be in the FBI’s possession. In a ruling last month, a federal judge wrote that the government is in a better position to release the Epstein files than the courts.

Judge dismisses terrorism charges against Luigi Mangione

The judge overseeing the New York state trial of Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused of gunning down UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson last year, has dismissed terrorism-related charges brought by the state. In December, the state brought 11 charges against Mangione, including first-degree murder and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism.

Judge Gregory Carro found that the state’s evidence for terrorism was “legally insufficient”. Carro wrote that there was no evidence “of a desire to terrorize the public, inspire widespread fear, engage in a broader campaign of violence, or to conspire with organized terrorist groups”. Carro left in place the second-degree state murder charges against Mangione – which carries a sentence of 25 years to life – as well as weapons charges.

Prosecutors alleged that Mangione had intended to “violently broadcast a social and political message to the public at large”. His attorneys countered that it was the police, not Mangione, who had broadcast that message. The defense wrote that “this would have been an alleged murder of a man outside a hotel. Instead, the police leaked what was written on the bullets,” referring to the words “deny,” “delay” and “depose” written on shell casings found at the scene.

“The police leaked Mr. Mangione’s alleged writings. And the police called these alleged writings a ‘manifesto’ – a term synonymous with terrorism,” the defense said, referring to notebooks found with Mangione when he was arrested describing his anger at the greed of the for-profit healthcare industry. “None of this was done by Mr. Mangione. It was law enforcement that created the air of terrorism surrounding this alleged crime and who now seek to blame Mr. Mangione for the hysteria and fear they created”.

In addition to the state charges, Mangione is also facing a federal murder charge. Federal prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty.

Other news of note:

Prosecutors to seek death penalty for Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin.

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After ending protections, ICE now deporting migrants who have been victims of crime.

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