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A pardoned Capitol riot defendant wants her restitution money back. The Justice Department wants to keep it

2026-08-07T16:50:06.404Z / CNN

By Holmes Lybrand

3 hr ago

PUBLISHED Aug 7, 2026, 12:50 PM ET

Congressional news January 6th Federal agencies Donald Trump

Prosecutors identified Felicia Konold in a video still from January 6, 2021. Also seen is who they said was her displaying a Proud Boys membership coin.

United States District Court for the District of Columbia

After the protracted demise of the $1.776 billion fund meant to pay perceived victims of government lawfare, prosecutors say they don’t have to give a now-pardoned January 6, 2021, defendant her restitution money back.

It’s all because she never appealed her conviction.

Prosecutors have taken a narrow approach to who is, and who is not, eligible for such a refund or waiver for the fines that were built into January 6 defendants’ sentences to help fund repairs to the Capitol building from damage done during the attack.

The Justice Department’s fight to keep the $2000 in fines paid by riot defendant Felicia Konold — an Arizona woman who pleaded guilty to obstructing law enforcement during the attack — stands in contrast to the administration’s controversial effort to give payouts to the same group of people who Trump has said were victims of DOJ weaponization.

CNN attempted to reach Konold for comment.

As part of a contorted settlement between the IRS and President Donald Trump over his leaked tax information in 2020, the Justice Department announced earlier this year it would establish the nearly $1.8 billion fund for those alleged victims of weaponized prosecutions in the past. The fund was quickly panned by Republican and Democratic lawmakers, and became a sticking point in the long battle over Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s effort to get confirmed by the Senate to formally take the top spot at DOJ.

Lawmakers focused on the notion that the fund could be used to give payments to those who attacked the Capitol and forced the entire Congress to evacuate for safety.

Blanche, who announced the fund would be nixed shortly after its formation, eventually ceded to demands by a small contingent of Republican senators to announce in a sworn declaration the fund was dead.

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing regarding $1.8 billion taxpayer fund in Washington, DC, on May 19, 2026.

Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Acting Attorney General has instead suggested that supposed victims could file civil lawsuits in order to receive payments for alleged past wrongs by the Justice Department — an approach that has proved successful for several Trump allies in recent months.

Who gets what, and why?

Beyond questions of future settlements for those convicted in the attack and now pardoned, some January 6 participants have tried to get back funds they paid as part of their sentencing to fund the multi-million dollar repairs to the Capitol.

Konold, who is one of them, joined a group of Proud Boys marching to the Capitol the day of the attack and was among the first to breach police barricades. She was sentenced to 45 days in prison and ordered to pay the restitution.

On Thursday, prosecutors wrote in a filing that Konold “cannot obtain the return of these funds because her conviction was final at the time of the pardon and has not been vacated.”

Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Other participants in the attack who appealed their conviction have been given the Justice Department’s blessing to dismiss the restitution payments. In court filings, prosecutors have taken the stance that if an appeal was pending at the time a rioter was pardoned by Trump, they no longer needed to pay up.

The Appeals Court in DC is weighing the issue after a handful of January 6 rioters whose convictions were not finalized before Trump’s blanket pardons have fought to have the restitution payments returned.

In August of last year, a federal judge made the first ruling that a January 6 defendant would get her restitution payments back.

In an opinion explaining his decision, Judge John D. Bates wrote that he had not determined the defendant, Yvonne St Cyr “innocent of the crimes for which she was convicted.”

“Sometimes a judge is called upon to do what the law requires, even if it may seem at odds with what justice or one’s initial instincts might warrant,” Bates wrote.

Sen. Cassidy announces he will support Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general

12:20 PM EDT, Fri August 7, 2026 / CNN Politics

Sen. Cassidy announces he will support Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said Friday that he will support Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, clearing the way for his narrow confirmation to the high-profile role.

0:33 • Source: CNN

Maryland’s lone congressional Republican blasts Moore’s redistricting push as alleged 2028 White House play

August 7, 2026 12:46pm EDT / Fox News

U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital in an interview that Gov. Wes Moore is not “paying attention to Maryland issues” and is more concerned with the “national political scene.”

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U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the only Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation, is accusing Gov. Wes Moore of backing an amendment to the state constitution that could eliminate his district through redistricting, arguing that the push is driven by the governor’s alleged presidential ambitions.

The amendment, if approved by voters in November, would give the Democratic-controlled General Assembly far greater latitude to redraw the state’s congressional districts ahead of the 2028 election.

“The governor certainly led the charge in trying to eliminate the only Republican in the Maryland delegation in furtherance of his presidential aspirations,” Harris told Fox News Digital in an interview. “It’s obvious that this is not being done for Maryland, it is being done for a national agenda.”

Moore has repeatedly said he is not running for president in 2028. but speculation around his potential White House bid remains.

TRUMP-BACKED INCUMBENT OUSTED IN HOUSE PRIMARY AS GOP REDISTRICTING PUSH SET TO RESHAPE TENNESSEE

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., arrives for a news conference following a Maryland delegation meeting at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 25, 2026.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Harris also called out Moore for engaging in a “photo-op” on Wednesday by publicly signing the bill that will put the amendment on the ballot this fall.

The bill passed Tuesday with three-fifths majorities in both chambers, which is the only requirement for an amendment to become a ballot question, according to Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution.

“Gov. Moore, never missing a photo op for his presidential aspirations, convened a signing ceremony, which is a little unusual considering there’s really nothing to sign for the governor,” Harris said. “But again, this is all for show. This is to make sure that he can look Gavin Newsom in the eye and say, ‘Yeah I did something too for mid-cycle redistricting.’”

Fox News Digital reached out to Moore’s office for comment.

Harris, who worked as an anesthesiologist before getting into politics, has represented Maryland’s first congressional district since 2011. The district contains the entire Eastern Shore, a relatively rural part of the state, as well as parts of Baltimore County.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore sits between Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk during a signing ceremony for HB2100 on August 5, 2026. The bill Moore signed puts a question on the November ballot to amend the state’s redistricting practices.(Maryland Governor’s Office)

VIRGINIA VOTERS CEMENT SWING DISTRICT REMATCH AFTER DEMS’ REDISTRICTING FAIL

The proposed amendment Harris is fighting against could allow state lawmakers to carve up his district and make it untenable for a Republican to win.

As it stands, the Maryland Constitution requires General Assembly districts and U.S. House districts to respect natural boundaries and existing county and municipal lines.

The amendment would remove those requirements for congressional districts while leaving them in place for state legislative districts.

“It absolutely sets up a double standard for redistricting in the state of Maryland. And again, the blatant attempt is to eliminate the Republican representation,” Harris said.

The Maryland State House, which houses the General Assembly, in Annapolis on April 22, 2025. If the amendment Moore supports is approved by voters, state legislators would be granted far greater leeway to redraw congressional maps.(Jonathan Newton/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

MARYLAND BALLOT BLUNDER SPARKS HOUSE GOP PROBE AHEAD OF PRIMARY

The amendment is already facing a court challenge from the Oversight Project, a conservative watchdog group that filed a complaint Thursday night in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court seeking to keep it off the November ballot.

The Oversight Project accused state legislators of bypassing the established July 1 deadline to introduce statewide ballot questions.

The ballot question for the amendment was introduced by Maryland House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk and Senate President Bill Ferguson on Aug. 3, more than a month after the deadline.

Fox News Digital reached out to Peña-Melnyk and Ferguson for comment.

The move by Peña-Melnyk and Ferguson at the tail end of the legislative session is a response to a 2022 court ruling that struck down Democratic lawmakers’ proposed congressional map at the time.

Judge Lynne Battaglia found that the map — which added more Democratic voters to Harris’ district — failed to give sufficient regard to the natural boundaries and political subdivisions throughout the state.

An aerial view of Chesapeake City, a city in Maryland’s mostly-rural Eastern Shore that has been represented by Harris in Congress since 2011.(Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

TWIN COURT RULINGS RESHAPE HOUSE BATTLEFIELD AS DEMOCRATS FIGHT UPHILL REDISTRICTING BATTLE

Amending the state constitution could be a way to get around this, but Harris said that even if voters approve the amendment, it would not guarantee that the courts would approve subsequently drawn maps that have “hyper-partisan gerrymandering.”

If the state legislature tried to eliminate or substantially dilute Republican voting power his district, Harris said he would sue based on the precedent set by Battaglia’s 2022 ruling.

Meanwhile, Moore has framed his support of the amendment as a necessary response to GOP redistricting around the country, which he called “political redlining.”

“For over a year, I have warned that Donald Trump and Republicans across the country are working to rig the system, weaken voting rights, and make this pain permanent. I am proud that today we united and took action,” Moore said. “I continue to believe that our country needs national redistricting reform. But until that happens, inaction is not an option.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks during a press conference at the Maryland State House on August 5, 2025 in Annapolis, Maryland.(Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

DEMOCRATS TARGETING 12 ADDITIONAL RED DISTRICTS IN MIDTERMS PUSH TO RETAKE HOUSE

Harris pushed back on Moore’s assertion that Republicans are responsible for the current redistricting battle playing out in dozens of states.

He pointed out that the redistricting organization founded by Eric Holder, who served as attorney general under President Obama from 2009 to 2015, aggressively pursued litigation to change legislative and congressional maps in North Carolina and Alabama.

However, a mid-decade congressional redraw was successfully enacted by Texas Republicans in 2003. The Supreme Court largely upheld the redraw in 2006 but said one district violated the Voting Rights Act because it diluted Latino voting strength.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder attends Lambda Legal Hosts 2024 National Liberty Awards at The Glasshouse on May 30, 2024 in New York City. Harris pointed out that Holder, a Democrat, has also pursued redistricting.(Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

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Although courts have upheld the legality of redrawing congressional maps between the decennial censuses, Harris said he would like to move away from the practice in the future.

“I don’t think it is good for anyone,” Harris said. “It’s not good for democracy. You get to know your constituents, your constituents get to know their representative. That’s important in a representative government like we have.”

James Cirrone is a writer on the Breaking/Trending News team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to james.cirrone@fox.com.

Trump administration to back three mineral projects with $58 million in financing

2026-08-07 19:02 UTC / Reuters

EXCLUSIVE

By Jarrett Renshaw and Ernest Scheyder

August 7, 2026 7:02 PM UTC Updated 40 mins ago

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks on the day he announced the creation of a critical mineral reserve, in the Oval Office at the White House, February 2, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) – The U.S. Export-Import Bank is lending $58 million to three critical-mineral companies as part of President Donald Trump’s push to ​wean the country off Chinese supplies and bolster American mining and ‌processing, according to a document seen by Reuters.

The funding is timed to coincide with Trump’s meeting in Washington on Friday with executives from some of the world’s largest mining companies to underscore ​the country’s need for better supplies of minerals used to build weapons ​and electronics.

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“Critical mineral security is national security,” said John Jovanovic, ExIm’s ⁠chairman, adding the funding aims to “fortify our supply chains, restore crucial industries that ​support well-paying American jobs and safeguard everyday Americans from supply shocks.”

Westwater Resources (WWR.A) will ​receive a $25 million loan for its Alabama graphite mine and processing facility, in what would be the country’s first source of so-called natural graphite. Graphite is the largest metal by volume used to ​build lithium-ion batteries.

The U.S. produces some so-called synthetic graphite from petroleum coke, a ​byproduct of oil refining. Battery manufacturers typically prefer one version or the other, depending on ‌a range ⁠of factors.

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ExIm is also lending $25 million to privately held Global Advanced Metals to expand processing of tantalum and niobium, neither of which the U.S. mines, making it reliant on foreign supply. The company mines the metals in Australia and processes ​them in Pennsylvania.

Tantalum is ​primarily used to ⁠make capacitors for smartphones, automobiles and other electronics, whereas niobium is used as an alloy to harden steel for pipelines ​and airplanes.

And 5E Advanced Materials (FEAM.O) will receive an $8 million loan ​to boost ⁠production of boron, which last year was added to a list of minerals considered critical by the U.S. government. The metal is used in the nuclear energy industry as ⁠well as ​in body armor and other defense-related products.

The U.S. ​imports most of its boron needs. 5E’s California boron project is slated to begin commercial production in 2028.

Reporting ​by Jarrett Renshaw in Washington and Ernest Scheyder in Houston; Editing by Matthew Lewis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Senate passes Russia sanctions bill named in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham

2026-08-07T17:23:11.887Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/07/politics/senate-russia-sanctions-bill

The Senate on Friday passed a major Russia sanctions bill, named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who played a key role in the painstaking negotiations over the legislation that lasted over a year.

The bill ultimately sailed through the Senate on bipartisan vote, 86 to 11.It would next need a vote in the House, which is currently on recess until September.

The package would place mandatory sanctions on top figures in the Russian government, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Russian oligarchs, state-owned enterprises and foreign companies supporting Russia’s defense industrial base.

In addition, it would impose up to a 100% tariff on the top five countries, including China and India, that purchase Russian crude oil and natural gas, with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer determining the final tariff level. It allows an exemption for countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s total natural gas exports and are working to significantly lower their use of Russian natural gas.

The day before he died, Graham announced – while standing in front of tanks in the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine – that the administration and the bill’s key Senate backers had finally reached a deal on the package. In the days after he passed, his colleagues rallied for passage of the bill, casting it as a “fitting legacy” for the senator-statesman.

“I’ve known this man for 32 years, and I’m willing to say this: this is Lindsey Graham’s greatest achievement,” declared Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker shortly after Graham’s death.

The Senate took its first procedural vote on the package in the hours after Graham’s DC funeral. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who attended the service, met with senators in the Capitol and watched the vote from the gallery above the chamber, alongside Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso and Senate Foreign Relations Chair James Risch.

Zelensky told reporters that night, “This bill is very important, and sanctions pressure on Russia is very important, and really gives – It’s not only about money, how Russia, how to stop to finance this war, but it’s also a big signal to Europe, big signal to Ukraine.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the lead Democratic co-sponsor of the bill, emphasized that while he had seen Graham at times frustrated with the president over the package, Graham never gave up on it.

“He was often as frustrated with the president as any of us, you know. But he accepted it with good humor — not necessarily — maybe accepted is the wrong word, but he never abandoned the cause of the Russia sanctions bill because he knew it was the right thing, and he was totally dedicated to getting it done,” Blumenthal told CNN last month.

“His understanding of the president, but also his seeming ability to influence him, again made him a unique figure here. The combination of his alacrity in reaching across to Democrats, but also his continuing ties to Trump were part of his unique role.”

The original text of the package, first released in April 2025, had minimum tariffs set to 500%, with fewer exceptions. However, over more than 15 months of negotiations, the administration and congressional negotiators had reached a lower tariff number, but also given the execution power to Greer, rather than the president directly.

But in the weeks leading up to this vote, some senators expressed concern over handing the administration any more tariff authority. Sen. Elizabeth Warren told CNN in July, “I’ve been saying for a year and a half we need tougher sanctions against Russia. That’s very, very important. But Donald Trump has shown what he will do with broad tariff authority. Heck, he’s shown what he’ll do even if he doesn’t have authority.”

Ultimately, the Senate voted on one amendment to change the tariff language in the package, which failed. Sen. Raphael Warnock had also pushed for an amendment stating that if any nation drops out of the top five importers of Russian oil, they will no longer be subject to the bill’s tariffs, but he withdrew the demand once Greer made that pledge in writing.

Blumenthal pushed back on his colleagues concerns, arguing the tariff authority in the package is “narrowly tailored and limited.”

Appeals court says Trump is unlawfully constructing White House ballroom

2026-08-07 3:34 PM EDT / CNN

By Blake McGill, CNN

A divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump is unlawfully constructing a massive new ballroom at the White House, teeing up a high-stakes showdown over the issue before the Supreme Court. Senior White House Correspondent Kristen Holmes joins CNN News Central.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/07/politics/video/cncpm-appeals-court-says-trump-unlawfully-constructing-white-house-ballroom

Lindsey Graham’s final mission to punish Putin clears Senate after yearlong fight

August 7, 2026 1:25pm EDT / Fox News

The bipartisan package targets Putin’s oil and gas revenue and includes up to 500% tariffs on Russian imports

By Alex Miller Fox News

Senate advances bipartisan Russia sanctions bill named for late Sen Lindsey Graham

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Katie Britt, R-Ala., discuss the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill, named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. They say the bill aims to cut off funding for Russia’s war in Ukraine by targeting top oil and gas purchasers and authorizing tariffs.

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It’s taken well over a year of stops, starts, promises and derailments, but the Senate has at last advanced a bone-crushing package of sanctions against Russia, capping off one of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s biggest fights.

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act sailed through the Senate on another colossal bipartisan vote and is now headed to the House. It has the backing of President Donald Trump, too.

It comes after personal lobbying from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, who, hours after Graham’s memorial service in Washington, D.C., pleaded with lawmakers to put a check on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

GRAHAM’S FINAL MISSION ADVANCES AS SENATE MOVES TO CRUSH PUTIN’S WAR MACHINE WITH RUSSIA, IRAN SANCTIONS

Sen. Lindsey Graham is pictured before President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 24, 2026.(Kenny Holston/Pool/Getty Images)

“Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine, and Putin is watching from Moscow,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said on the Senate floor. “I would like to think that Lindsey Graham is watching, too.”

The bill focuses on kneecapping Putin’s war machine by targeting Moscow’s top financial driver: oil and gas sales.

It also extends sanction authority against Iran that hampers funding to the country’s weapons and energy sectors as the administration and negotiators abroad seek to find a long-lasting peace agreement for the war in the Middle East.

There are also targeted sanctions against Putin, Russian officials and Russian military leaders, up to 500% tariffs on Russian imports and tariffs of up to 100% on the top five countries buying Russian energy, like China and India. And it gives Trump flexibility for when to turn off some aspects of the sanctions.

‘A BIG EFFING DEAL’: GRAHAM’S FINAL MISSION MOVES FORWARD AFTER HIS DEATH

Video

The tariff authority, however, threatened one last derailment of the package.

Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., initially held up the package over the issue and offered an amendment to solve the problem.

Paul, who has staunchly opposed Trump’s tariff strategy since he retook office, argued that slapping tariffs on superpowers working with Russia, like China, would only cause them to cozy up.

“These tariffs threaten to undermine America’s strategic position in the world,” Paul said. “Some naively think that the tariffs will get China to distance themselves from Russia, but it might be the opposite.

TRUMP ALLIES PUSH TO ARM PRESIDENT WITH NEW TARIFF WEAPON TO PUNISH COUNTRIES ‘RIPPING OFF’ AMERICA

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual end-of-year news conference in Moscow Dec. 19, 2024.(Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)

“Recent history suggests that they will instead push Russia and China together,” he continued. “China is not going to get this 100% tariff and say, ‘Oh, we’re sorry, we’re no longer going to cooperate with Russia.’”

Then came Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., who proved to be the last hurdle.

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But after meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer Thursday, Warnock backed down after receiving a commitment that Trump’s tariff authority was indeed limited to just the top five countries purchasing oil and gas exports from Russia.

“We should not have to choose between putting a check on Putin’s aggression and putting a check on this president’s tariff regime,” Warnock said. “That is a false choice, and it is one that I am not willing to accept.”

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402334396112

Trump nominates agency lawyer to serve on Federal Communications Commission

2026-08-07 16:01:57 / Reuters

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seal decorates a wall inside their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 22, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary
• Companies

• Trump-picked lawyer would fill one of two open seats on five-member commission
• FCC now has two Republicans and one Democrat
• If confirmed, nomination ​could let Trump fire Democratic commissioner because FCC needs three members for quorum

WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday nominated a senior lawyer at the Federal Communications Commission to serve on the five-member agency as he presses it to revoke the licenses of broadcasters.

The White House said Trump is tapping Danielle Thumann Severs, who is a senior ​counsel to FCC Chair Brendan Carr and goes by Thumann professionally, to serve on one of the ​two open seats on the commission.

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“Danielle is a total pro. She’s been running one of ⁠the most important portions of the FCC’s economic agenda — everything from cracking down on robocalls and combatting fraud — to ​a lot of work on bridging the digital divide and public safety,” Carr said in an interview on Friday.

Trump ​has repeatedly urged broadcasters to drop comedy or news programs he dislikes or which have been critical, and pressed the FCC to revoke licenses of broadcasters he says are unfair. Last month, Trump called on the FCC to revoke licenses of Comcast

CMCSA.O, opens new tab
-owned NBC and Walt ​Disney

DIS.N, opens new tab
-owned ABC for not airing his remarks on election security on their broadcast channels.

Broadcasters have broad First Amendment rights ​to make content decisions.

The FCC currently has two Republicans and one Democrat, Commissioner Anna Gomez. Trump fired two Democrats on the Federal ‌Trade ⁠Commission and
dismissed numerous other Democrats, opens new tab
.

The FCC historically is divided 3-2 with the party in control of the White House holding a majority. The law requires three members for a quorum, so if Thumann is confirmed it could allow Trump to fire Gomez.

EARLY REVIEW OF ABC STATIONS

Carr in April ordered an unusual, early review of broadcast licenses held by Disney’s ​eight company-owned ABC television stations, ​even though the stations’ ⁠license renewals were not scheduled to be considered until October 2028. The day before Carr ordered the early review, Trump urged ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Broadcast stations ​need FCC licenses to use public airwaves. While license revocations are exceptionally rare, critics ​say the prospect ⁠of losing a license can pressure broadcasters and raise concerns about government interference in editorial and programming decisions.

Trump demanded in November that the FCC revoke ABC licenses after he criticized an ABC News correspondent for asking Saudi Arabia’s crown prince ⁠about the ​2018 killing of a Washington Post columnist, in a question he ​dubbed “insubordinate.”

The FCC is also investigating ABC daytime talk show “The View,” which discusses U.S. politics, after the agency said it may be subject to federal ​rules requiring broadcasters to provide equal opportunities to political candidates.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Nia Williams and Matthew Lewis

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Idaho shooting video shows gunman start deadly rampage in In-N-Out drive-thru

2026-08-07T14:54:00-0400 / CBS News

By Alex Sundby Senior Editor
Alex Sundby is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.

Read Full Bio

Updated on: August 7, 2026 / 3:22 PM EDT / CBS News

Police released surveillance video footage Friday showing chilling moments from last weekend’s deadly shooting that started at an Idaho In-N-Out restaurant.

Three people were killed in last Saturday’s rampage in Twin Falls, Idaho. The gunman, 24-year-old Chad Williams, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said during a news conference Friday that investigators still don’t know the motive for the shooting.

Security camera footage released Friday shows the shooting started in the In-N-Out’s drive-thru. The gunman shot from his car through the payment window, hitting 23-year-old Ashley Garibay, of Stockton, California, who died later at a hospital, police said.

The gunman pulled up in the drive-thru lane and parked. He got out of his car and shot 59-year-old Christopher Claunch of Hagerman, Idaho, in his vehicle, who died at the scene, police said.

Austin James, a former Idaho State Police trooper and former Twin Falls police officer, ran toward the gunman and was shot, police said. He retreated to his car, drew his own weapon but pulled back because of his wounds, police said.

The gunman in a deadly mass shooting in Twin Falls, Idaho, looks into an In-N-Out restaurant during the rampage, Aug. 1, 2026. Twin Falls Police Department

The gunman went back to the payment window and fired into the In-N-Out again as employees tried to help Garibay, police said. His handgun jammed and he went back to his car to get a rifle.

An unidentified off-duty state police trooper in the restaurant moved past workers toward the payment window and exchanged fire with the gunman.

The gunman then left the restaurant and walked toward a street, firing at vehicles stopped at a red light, wounding three people, police said.

At a nearby parking lot, the gunman went to a Tesla charging station and fired at three people in two Teslas, including the third person who died, 66-year-old Dale Schultz, of Salt Lake City, police said.

Outside the Twin Falls Visitor Center, the gunman came across workers who evacuated from nearby stores. One of them started talking with the gunman, which let others get away from him, police said.

“To that young man, you are a hero,” Hicks said Friday. “Your courage, your composure, your selflessness in that moment likely gave others the time they needed to escape harm. In the middle of fear and chaos, you thought of others, and that kind of bravery deserves to be acknowledged.”

The gunman encounters a worker outside the Twin Falls Visitor Center in Idaho, Aug. 1, 2026. Twin Falls Police Department

Police didn’t identify the worker.

Braxton Stuebe, who was working at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store near the scene, told CBS affiliate KMVT-TV he came face-to-face with the gunman after running out of the store.

“I saw the gun and I kind of just froze. I put my hands up and that’s when he pointed the gun directly at me,” he said. “The only thing I was really thinking was, don’t try and make any sudden movements, don’t try and run. Just hopefully talk to him and hopefully he can change his mind.”

“I said, I have a family. I said, you don’t have to do this. I’ll tell you whatever you want. I’ll do anything,” Stuebe said. Then, the gunman “just got like emotional, it seemed like. And he said to me, just get away from me, man.” But a moment later, “He turns back around and kind of has a firearm on his hip. As he’s walking backwards, he fires a shot towards me. Thankfully, he had missed me.”

Faris Tanyos contributed to this report.

https://youtu.be/bej58mQ3smY?si=aAiTk-RoqTBdL8ar

US intel assesses Putin could launch attack aimed at testing NATO unity

2026-08-07T17:47:40.159Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/07/politics/us-intelligence-russia-putin-nato-attack

Recent US intelligence assessments indicate Russian President Vladimir Putin could try to test NATO’s resolve by launching a limited attack on an allied country within the next few years, according to three sources familiar with those reports.

The intelligence assessments outline several possible scenarios for Russian escalation, ranging from a cyberattack to a small-scale incursion intended to challenge NATO’s unity and commitment to Article 5, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all, without necessarily crossing the threshold for an allied response, the sources said.

While how and when Putin might do so remains an open question, one of the sources said he is most likely to escalate in some way by targeting the Baltics or Poland. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the recent assessments.

US and NATO officials believe Putin may choose to escalate against NATO if he is unable to secure a face-saving off-ramp to the war with Ukraine, the sources added, noting the Russian president’s window for choosing his next course of action spans between now and the next few years.

Martin O’Donnell, a senior NATO military spokesperson, declined to comment on classified intelligence assessments but said NATO is “always thinking through and preparing for any number of scenarios.”

“NATO is watching and we are ready to deter and defend as necessary, which we continue to demonstrate,” he added.

There have been numerous instances over the last few years of Russia encroaching on NATO territory. In May, a drone carrying explosives hit an apartment building in Romania as Russian forces attacked a nearby Ukrainian port, injuring two people. And last September, NATO fighter jets shot down multiple Russian drones that had violated Polish airspace during an attack on Ukraine.

And just this week, the US assessed that an explosive-laden drone discovered at an airport in Germany overnight on Wednesday belonged to a Russian intelligence service, a US defense official in Europe told CNN. The official said the drone was carrying military-grade explosives; CNN previously reported it was discovered by an airport staff member in a secure area of cargo flight operations.

CNN asked the Kremlin for comment on the US intel assessment on Putin as well as the assessment on the drone.

“Drone sightings, drone threats including in a hybrid context, are something we know from the past,” German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told reporters on Wednesday. “That a drone armed with explosives is at an airport is a new threat scenario.”

Dobrindt indicated Thursday that the drone could be tied to “foreign powers” though he stopped short of providing specifics.

The German National Security Council, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, met on Friday to discuss the airport incident.

The intelligence assessments on Russia’s plans also come amid heightened concerns over the US’ munitions stockpile which has been significantly depleted in the war against Iran, and an increase in civilian casualties from Russian long-range weapons.

CNN previously reported that nearly 80% of its THAAD missile interceptors — a key missile defense system — have been exhausted in the war compared to pre-war levels, as well as roughly half of its Patriot interceptors. Meanwhile, the UN has said that civilian casualties from Russian long-range weapons increased 60% between January to June, compared to the same period last year.

In one night of attacks this week, Russian ballistic and anti-ship missiles killed at least 17 people and wounded dozens more. None of the missiles were intercepted by Ukrainian defenses, CNN reported.

Concerns over key munitions and interceptors are impacting the way senior military commanders are planning for potential future conflict, including escalation against NATO by Putin or war with China in the Pacific.

President Donald Trump has privately complained in recent days about reports of the US’ dwindling stockpiles due to the war with Iran, including last week at a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, six sources familiar with the meeting previously told CNN.

“The U.S. has massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types,” Trump said on Truth Social late Thursday night. “Additionally, large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed. Defense companies are building the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history.”

The recent intelligence assessments also come as US-led diplomatic efforts to bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an end have stalled. Ongoing US and European sanctions against Moscow have had an impact on Russia’s economy but have not stopped Putin’s continued assault on Ukraine.