The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Monday that it is reopening investigations into three unresolved incidents that sparked national controversy and public scrutiny over the past several years: the 2023 discovery of cocaine at the Biden White House, the 2022 leak of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization draft opinion, and the 2021 D.C. pipe bomb case, where pipe bombs were left at the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters.
In a joint statement issued by FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, the agency confirmed that the cases are being revisited under the umbrella of “potential public corruption” due to what the agency described as “sustained public interest and unresolved questions.”
Review of the cases:
Cocaine: On July 2, 2023, a plastic bag containing 0.2 grams of cocaine was found in a storage cubby located near the West Executive Avenue entrance of the White House. The US. Secret Service closed its investigation in just 11 days, citing a lack of physical evidence, including no identifiable fingerprints or usable DNA on the packaging. Officials said “several hundred” individuals had potential access to the area, making it difficult to narrow down a suspect.
Although no new evidence has been publicly disclosed, the FBI stated that it will reassess the circumstances surrounding the case and review claims, including some made by Bongino, that whistleblowers may have suggested possible links to individuals within President Joe Biden’s inner circle, possibly even his son Hunter Biden, who has had known addiction to cocaine.
Leak: The leak of a draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, provided to Politico and published May 2, 2022. The leaked document revealed the US Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade. A formal investigation led by the Supreme Court Marshal’s Office concluded seven months later without identifying the source of the leak. The draft opinion leak was the most significant breach of confidentiality in recent memory.
Pipe bomb: The third case is the unsolved crime two pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC Jan. 5, 2021. Despite extensive video footage, witness interviews, and a $500,000 reward for information, a suspect has never been identified.
By CARLEEN JOHNSON AND DAN MCCALEB | THE CENTER SQUARE
More than 500 Christians gathered outside Seattle City Hall Tuesday evening to protest what they say are the anti-faith policies of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle City Council, just days after 23 people were arrested when counter-protesters interrupted a rally Saturday focused on protecting children from transgender ideologies.
All of the arrests on Saturday were among counter protesters who also injured Seattle Police.
Counter-protesters also gathered Tuesday evening but were prevented by police from interrupting the main permitted protest. There still were skirmishes between trans rights activists who tried to force their way inside the police barricades. At least two counter-protesters were placed into custody after confronting an independent conservative journalist who was filming their activity, video posted to X showed.
The Center Square witnessed at least three other arrests including protesters wearing gas masks.
Inside the permitted event, various Christian church leaders sang songs of worship and talked of loving those who they don’t agree with. Hundreds of Christians had to be escorted through security into the event, as counter-protesters attempted to block the entrance at 4th Avenue and Cherry Street.
The religious organization Pursuit Northwest hosted the “Rattle in Seattle” protest Tuesday to “stand against the religious bigotry” of city policies.
Organizers drew loud cheers from the crowd when it was announced that the Trump administration plans to investigate the city of Seattle for its handling of last weekend’s event.
Hundreds of Seattle Police on bike patrol stood behind metal barricades on Tuesday as security for the event guarded the entrance to the westside of city hall along Seattle’s 4th Avenue. The Center Square witnessed three arrests by police as hundreds of trans rights counter-protesters shouted at officers and attempted to push their way into the event.
As the rally on Tuesday wrapped up, rallygoers chanted their thanks to Seattle Police, while on the opposite side of the barricades, protesters were shouting, “I smell bacon,” a reference to the derogatory term of calling police “pigs.”
The city shut down Saturday’s rally at Cal Anderson Park early during the violence. Saturday’s rally was hosted by On Fire Ministries and was in protest of policies that expose children to transgender ideologies. As The Center Square previously reported, Cal Anderson Park is within the Capitol Hill neighborhood – a prominent LGBTQ area.
Seattle City Hall is flooded with Christians! Despite the political violence from Antifa and trans activists, as well as a condemnation from Mayor Harrell — the group of Christians say they will not be stopped from worshipping in the city. pic.twitter.com/5TR2iVDdjo
— Katie Daviscourt 📸 (@KatieDaviscourt) May 28, 2025
Mayor Harrell called the Saturday rally far-right and claimed it was held in Capitol Hill to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that “are inherently opposed to our city’s values.” But the rally’s organizers said that the park was suggested by the mayor’s office. Permitting decisions are made by the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department.
Harrell’s office sent The Center Square an email on Tuesday related to the Saturday protest stating: “Organizers directly explained their provocative thinking around a location for the event when planning for near Pike Place – stressing they would be at ‘antifa’s headquarters’ and ‘where thousands showed up for BLM.’”
As Tuesday’s event wrapped up, Seattle Police had to push back protesters so that rallygoers could safely exit the area, while officers on loudspeakers urged the protesters to vacate the area. An hour after the event ended, at least a hundred trans activist counter-protesters were still gathered on the steps outside city hall, hurling insults at organizers of the Christian event as they packed up their equipment.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday directed a comprehensive review of how the Department of Defense supports homeschooling among military-connected families.
In a memorandum, Hegseth instructed the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness to conduct a department-wide review that will examine current practices and identify new ways the military can assist families who choose to homeschool their children. The directive also calls for an evaluation of best practices, including whether Department of Defense facilities or other resources could be made available to homeschooled students within military communities.
“Through these efforts, the department will uphold the directive to improve the education, well-being and future success of military-connected students, supporting parents in choosing the best educational options for their children,” Hegseth wrote. “Ensuring that military-connected families receive strong educational support maintains morale and readiness, reinforcing the overall stability and effectiveness of our military communities. This is vital to the department and the quality of life of our service members, who deserve no less.”
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy called it a positive step for the large military community of Alaska.
“Alaska welcomes the support for our homeschooling families. Alaska has one of the most robust public homeschool systems in the country as well as private non-affiliated homeschool. With close to 22,000 students enrolled in Alaska’s public homeschools, Alaska does homeschool as well or better than any anywhere else in the nation, and we want to be known as the state where homeschool families are welcomed and supported,” he said.
The move is part of a broader Trump Administration effort, initiated in January through Executive Order 14191, which directed federal agencies to review how they can expand educational freedom for American families.
The executive order, signed by President Donald Trump, tasked the Department of Defense with assessing mechanisms that would allow military families to use DOD funds for school options of their choice, including private, faith-based, and public charter schools.
“The secretary of defense shall review any available mechanisms under which military-connected families may use funds from the Department of Defense to attend schools of their choice … and submit a plan to the president describing such mechanisms and the steps that would be necessary to implement them beginning in the 2025-26 school year,” the order states.
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell [not the same Parnell as the former Alaska governor] said in a statement that the review reflects the department’s commitment to both military readiness and family well-being.
“The department recognizes the vital role parents play in the education of their children and remains committed to providing military families with the flexibility and support necessary to choose the educational path that best meets their needs,” Parnell said. “Through this effort, the DOD will strengthen support for military-connected students and reinforce the readiness and quality of life of service members and their families.”
Military families, often facing frequent relocations and deployments, have increasingly turned to homeschooling for flexibility and stability in their children’s education. The Pentagon’s new initiative is expected to generate recommendations later this year.
Gov. Dunleavy has a long history of promoting homeschooling. As a state senator in 2013, he sponsored legislation (SB100, passed in 2014 as part of HB278) that created Alaska’s correspondence school allotment program, allowing parents to use state education funds for educational materials and services from public, private, or religious organizations. This program aimed to increase flexibility for homeschooling families to tailor education to their children’s needs.
Dunleavy considers public homeschooling and correspondence programs as part of Alaska’s public school system, emphasizing that they serve public school students with certified teachers to achieve public educational outcomes. He has defended the constitutionality of these programs, particularly the use of allotments, arguing they provide an “indirect benefit” to private or religious institutions rather than a direct one, which he believes aligns with the Alaska Constitution.
In 2024, when a Superior Court judge ruled that the allotment program violated the state constitution by allowing public funds to be used for private or religious education, Dunleavy appealed the decision to the Alaska Supreme Court, which reversed the ruling, affirming the legality of the program.
In 2025, Dunleavy introduced education legislation (HB 76, SB 82) that included provisions to fund homeschool students at the same level as the Base Student Allocation for brick-and-mortar schools, increasing funding from 90% to 100% of the BSA. His proposals often tie increased education funding to reforms that boost homeschooling and charter schools, which he sees as high-performing alternatives to traditional schools.
In a ceremony held May 23 in Sitka, 36 new law enforcement officers officially joined the ranks of Alaska’s public safety professionals, marking the completion of the Alaska Law Enforcement Training Academy’s 17-week program. It was one of the largest graduating classes, just three short of the record of 39.
Graduates from the class represent agencies from across the state, including the Alaska State Troopers, Wildlife Troopers, municipal police departments, and Village Public Safety Officer programs.
“These new officers represent the future of law enforcement in Alaska,” said Gov. Mike Dunleavy. “I am confident that they will uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, and I wish them all the best as they embark on their careers.”
Over the course of more than 1,000 hours of training, recruits received instruction in topics ranging from use-of-force and de-escalation to physical fitness and complex scenario-based exercises tailored to the unique challenges of policing in Alaska.
“We are proud to welcome these new officers to our law enforcement family,” said Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell. “This rigorous training program has prepared them to protect and serve Alaskans. We are grateful for their bravery and dedication to our communities.”
Graduating Officers and Their Agencies:
Alaska State Troopers: Tyler Anderson, Abigail Danaher, Jess Evans, Levi Farrelly, Andrew Fishe, Noah Gandy, Nathan Marble, Wyatt Miller, Brycen Mitten, Christopher Morland, Riley Moss, Edward Owens, Stevan Smith, Jonah Strauel, Colten Taratko, Ethan Wynecoop
VPSO Programs: Alexa House-Hoffman (Kodiak Area Native Association), Ryan Lane (Northwest Arctic Borough), Dakota Strong (Tlingit & Haida), Manmeet Teja (Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association)
Kenai Police Department: Lucas Michael
Soldotna Police Department: Cajewl Musgrave
North Slope Borough Police Department: Michael Reahl
Craig Police Department: Dylan Vanstralen
Other Departments: Axel McCrumb (Juneau PD)
Trooper recruits will now complete an additional week of department-specific training with the Department of Public Safety. After that, they will report to duty stations in Fairbanks, Soldotna, or the Mat-Su Valley to begin the Field Training and Evaluation Program. Those who complete the program and their probationary period, typically one year from the start of the academy, will be promoted to the rank of Trooper.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has removed Covid-19 vaccines from its recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and healthy pregnant women. In contrast to the CDC’s former stance that the shot is safe for children and pregnant women, the announcement signals that the Trump Administration believes more research is needed.
The decision was unveiled in a video posted to X by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was joined by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. The three officials said the move reflects a “common sense” strategy that aligns US policy with countries like Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, all of which currently limit Covid-19 vaccination recommendations to high-risk populations.
Citing a lack of clinical data supporting routine Covid-19 boosters for low-risk groups, Kennedy said the change is a course correction from previous recommendations from the Biden Administration that he believes were overly broad and not supported by clinical data. The officials emphasized that Covid-19 vaccines remain available for those over 65 and individuals with underlying health conditions, but will no longer be promoted for universal use among healthy children or pregnant women without additional, more rigorous clinical trials.
Today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from @CDCgov recommended immunization schedule. Bottom line: it’s common sense and it’s good science. We are now one step closer to realizing @POTUS’s promise to Make America Healthy Again. pic.twitter.com/Ytch2afCLP
Only 13% of children and 14% of pregnant women got the most recent booster, Makary noted in the video, adding “We need to follow the data, not double down on mandates that the public is increasingly rejecting.”
The decision bypassed the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which was scheduled to meet in June to review fall vaccine guidance.
Dr. Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, called the policy change “complete madness,” and said it ignores well-established data showing that Covid-19 poses serious risks to pregnant women and that vaccination is both safe and protective for them and their babies.
According to the CDC’s website, pregnancy increases the risk of severe illness from Covid-19, including hospitalization, intensive care, and preterm birth. The agency has also consistently cited studies indicating that Covid-19 vaccines are effective and pose no known safety risks during pregnancy.
However, as of April, only 23% of US adults have received the updated 2024–25 Covid-19 vaccine, according to the CDC. And only 13% of children are getting the shots now.
Beyond the medical debate, the policy change could have downstream effects on insurance coverage. Many insurers base vaccine reimbursements on CDC recommendations, and the removal of Covid-19 vaccines from the routine immunization schedule could mean some patients will need to pay out of pocket.
Commissioner Makary earlier this year implemented more stringent approval processes for future Covid-19 vaccines, requiring placebo-controlled trials for healthy populations before broad authorization.
The head of the CDC was not included in the announcement because there is no current head of the CDC.
Dr. Susan Monarez, who served as acting director from Jan. 23 through March 24, is no longer serving in that position and a replacement has not been named, which left the announcement of the Covid recommendation change to HHS Sec. Kennedy. The CDC website shows only deputy directors.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced on X that there is an investigation into a violent attack on a Christian rally and concert in Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park on May 27.
The event, organized by On Fire Ministries to oppose abortion and promote science-based views on gender, was disrupted by Antifa and transgender activists, leading to 27 arrests.
Bongino stated, “We have asked our team to fully investigate allegations of targeted violence against religious groups at the Seattle concert. Freedom of religion isn’t a suggestion.”
As reported Monday in Must Read Alaska, a worship rally organized by Christians from On Fire Ministries turned violent Saturday afternoon at Cal Anderson Park, located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, a formerly family-oriented neighborhood that has been taken over by the LGBTQ+ community.
The Mayday USA event was part of a five-city national tour and in Seattle drew violent opposition from transgender activist groups and resulted in 23 arrests after the trans-activists attacked the worship attendees and police.
After the mayhem was brought under control and arrests were made, Mayor Bruce Harrell criticized the Christians for holding a rally and said closer review of rally permits would take place.
Mayor Harrell said the event was counter to the values of Seattle. He called the prayer gathering a “right-wing extremist rally.”
“When the humanity of trans people and those who have been historically marginalized is questioned, we triumph by demonstrating our values through our words and peaceful protest – we lose our voice when this is disrupted by violence, chaos, and confusion,” Harrell said.
Later, Harrell pulled the race card and said that “We will not be intimidated by the kind of fear-mongering and divisiveness inspired by the rally and extreme rhetoric … that takes aim at our residents and at Seattle’s second black and first Biracial mayor.”
NEW: Hundreds of evangelical Christians will pack Seattle City Hall Tuesday evening (5pm) to demand an apology and resignation from Mayor Bruce Harrell(@MayorofSeattle.) Over the weekend, he called their concert an "extreme right-wing rally." 🧵👇pic.twitter.com/UXNHnrzTSE
“Seattle is proud of our reputation as a welcoming, inclusive city for LGBTQ+ communities, and we stand with our trans neighbors when they face bigotry and injustice. Today’s far-right rally was held here for this very reason – to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city’s values, in the heart of Seattle’s most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhood. When the humanity of trans people and those who have been historically marginalized is questioned, we triumph by demonstrating our values through our words and peaceful protest – we lose our voice when this is disrupted by violence, chaos, and confusion. Anarchists infiltrated the counter-protestors group and inspired violence, prompting SPD to make arrests and ask organizers to shut down the event early, which they did,” Harrell said.
Alaskans are among nearly 300 elderly victims in 37 states who were targeted in a wide-reaching transnational fraud and money laundering scheme that cost seniors across the US and Canada at least $5 million, according to a federal indictment unsealed in Rhode Island.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) say the conspiracy involved fraudulent pop-up messages on victims’ computers, often posing as alerts from well-known technology companies, claiming that bank accounts were compromised or that victims were under investigation.
The pop-ups directed victims, including residents of Alaska, to call bogus “agents” posing as employees of financial institutions or government entities like the Federal Reserve and Federal Trade Commission. Victims were then pressured through coordinated phone calls into transferring their life savings, via wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or even in-person deliveries of gold bars or cash, to fraudsters posing as government couriers, under the guise of “protecting” their assets.
The fraud included a scheme to steal cash, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, and gold from victims who were “defrauded through misrepresentations, including, but not limited to, statements to victims that their bank accounts and assets had been compromised by fraudulent transactions; that their bank accounts and assets were subject to garnishment by the government because the victims were under investigation for criminal activity; that to protect their assets and to avoid garnishment, the victims needed to withdraw funds from their bank accounts and liquidate their assets and obtain cash, cryptocurrency, and gold; and that if the victims gave the cash, cryptocurrency, and gold to a courier or government representative, the funds from their cash, cryptocurrency, and gold would be held in a secure location, would be protected, and would not be subject to garnishment,” the indictment reads.
Authorities have charged eight individuals for their alleged roles in orchestrating and facilitating the scheme:
Nanjun Song, 27, of Brooklyn, New York, a Chinese national alleged to have overstayed a B2 visa, was arrested in Las Vegas.
Jirui Liu, 23, of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, a dual citizen of China and Canada, was arrested in Rhode Island.
Xiang Li, 37, and Xuehai Sun, 37, both of Flushing, New York, Chinese nationals, were arrested in New York.
Fangzheng Wang, 24, of Westborough, Massachusetts, a Chinese national, was arrested in New England.
Cynthia Jia Sun, 25, of Houston, Texas, is in federal custody pending transfer to Rhode Island.
Zhenyang Xin, 25, of Hamilton, Ontario, and Wing Kit Ho, 22, of Markham, Ontario, are still at large. Arrest warrants have been issued.
In addition to the $5 million in confirmed victim losses, authorities say they uncovered a bank account that may have laundered an additional $16 million in suspected fraud proceeds.
The indictment, returned in US District Court in Providence, charges the defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and/or money laundering. If convicted, they could face significant prison time.
The investigation was led by HSI Providence and IRS Criminal Investigation, with support from agencies in Texas, New York, New England, and Canada, including the Narragansett and East Providence Police Departments, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Connecticut State Police.
The case is part of a broader effort by the Rhode Island Homeland Security Task Force, a multi-agency initiative aimed at dismantling transnational criminal organizations involved in fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes.
Federal authorities are urging the public, particularly seniors, to remain vigilant and skeptical of unsolicited tech warnings or financial threats appearing online. Anyone who believes they may have been targeted is encouraged to report the incident to law enforcement.
After Democrats blocked former Mayor Dave Bronson’s solution to the homeless and vagrant problem in Anchorage, voters elected a new mayor — Suzanne LaFrance, who had been on the Assembly during the time when Mayor Bronson was attempting to develop a navigation center to get services to the inebriates, drug addicts, and down-and-outers.
With the navigation center blocked by the Assembly, Bronson opened up Centennial Campground for a summer camping area for the growing population of outdoor-living enthusiasts.
Today, as part of our series on Mayor LaFrance’s management of the decline of Anchorage, we take you through the Chester Creek trail and watershed, and the Benson and New Seward Highway rights of way, where vagrant encampments have fouled the land, burning it and moving on to the next unburned area, defecating in the watershed, and leaving litter everywhere in their wake. It’s another of many lawless areas of Anchorage, where criminals have staked their territory and where law enforcement is never seen.
Mayor LaFrance says she plans to spend millions on a pilot project that will set up tiny homes for a couple of dozen people this winter. But in the meantime, the pillaging and fouling of Anchorage goes on.
According to the local media that has written about the tiny home pilot project, the mayor’s special assistant Thea Agnew Bemben said: “This could be unrealistic. But we’re just gonna give it a whirl.”
LaFrance was one of the leaders of the opposition to Mayor Bronson’s navigation center, which was to be located in the area of Elmore Road and Tudor Road, where now the 24 100-foot cabins with no running water are planned.
Click on the links below these photos for previous coverage of the vagrant crisis in LaFrance’s Anchorage.
Along Chester CreekAlong Chester CreekEncampments like this along Chester Creek use the creek for both kitchen and toilet.Campers are cutting down trees and building foundations Along Chester Creek trailMidtown Anchorage.Midtown Anchorage.Municipal workers are providing maid service along New Seward Highway and Benson Blvd. rights of way (on Sunday, during a holiday weekend, and that’s double overtime and a half.)
A mandatory system upgrade at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Juneau is expected to cause an extended outage of NOAA Weather Radio services from May 27-29. Officials have warned the outage could last longer than initially scheduled.
The planned maintenance will also affect the Alaska Weather Information Line, a popular phone service used by residents and mariners throughout Southeast Alaska. During this period, the NWS is urging users to turn to alternative sources for weather forecasts and updates.
In the event of severe or significant weather during the outage, the Juneau Forecast Office has arranged to relay critical weather alerts via the US Coast Guard on emergency marine Channel 16 and other maritime transmitters. Additionally, the Marine Exchange of Alaska will assist in disseminating information over the Automatic Identification System network.
NOAA Weather Radio is the resource for continuous weather information and emergency alerts across Alaska. This temporary disruption comes during a period when mariners and residents rely heavily on accurate forecasts during summer travel and fishing season.
The NWS has not provided a specific time for service restoration but will issue updates as work progresses.
