A horrific attack unfolded Sunday morning at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. Authorities say Thomas Jacob Sanford, age 40, drove his pickup truck into the church before opening fire on worshipers and setting the building ablaze. Police engaged the gunman roughly eight minutes after the assault began, killing him at the scene.
At least four people were confirmed dead and eight others wounded by gunfire, though additional victims may be found as investigators recover bodies from the burned structure. Federal agencies, including the FBI and ATF, have joined the investigation, but Sanford’s motive remains unclear. The attack came just a day after the death of LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson, though officials have not connected the two events. The tragedy has reignited concerns over the security of America’s houses of worship and the persistent threat of violence directed at religious communities.
President Trump ordered the deployment of the Oregon National Guard under federal authority to Portland, citing threats to federal immigration facilities from “Antifa and domestic terrorists.” The move immediately sparked backlash from Oregon’s Democratic leadership, with the governor, attorney general, and city officials filing lawsuits to block the deployment. They argue the order represents federal overreach and say there is no credible evidence that Portland is under siege.
The deployment, authorized under Title 10 authority, places the Guard under federal command for up to 60 days, bypassing state control. Oregon officials are now suing to block President Trump from deploying the National Guard, citing that protest activity in Portland has been limited and manageable by local law enforcement. The controversy has revived debates about the balance of power between federal and state governments, with critics calling the decision an unprecedented intrusion into local security matters.
The fallout continues from the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. Prosecutors charged Comey with making false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding, alleging he misled lawmakers in his 2020 Senate testimony about authorizing anonymous leaks. The indictment has already drawn scrutiny: a majority of the grand jury rejected one of the three proposed counts, a rare development in such proceedings.
Critics, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, have labeled the prosecution a “vengeance prosecution,” suggesting it reflects political retaliation more than impartial justice. Former Trump lawyer Ty Cobb echoed those concerns, warning the case could collapse under judicial review. The indictment is being pursued by newly appointed U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, whose controversial selection raised eyebrows just before the charges were filed. Reports suggest some career prosecutors opposed moving forward, citing insufficient evidence. The case is widely seen as a bellwether for whether the Justice Department is being wielded as a political weapon, or whether legal norms will hold firm under political pressure.
In Dallas, Texas, a sniper attack on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility left one detainee dead, two critically wounded, and the shooter dead by suicide. Authorities identified the gunman as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, who opened fire from a rooftop onto ICE transport vans before turning the weapon on himself. Investigators recovered shell casings marked “ANTI-ICE,” suggesting the attack was ideologically motivated, though officials have not found evidence tying Jahn to any organization.
The victims, all detainees, were being transported at the time of the attack; no ICE personnel were harmed. Homeland Security labeled the shooting a “targeted attack” and immediately heightened security measures at facilities nationwide. The incident has amplified tensions around immigration enforcement in the U.S., with political leaders already drawing sharp divisions over whether anti-ICE rhetoric contributes to such violence.
