Federal agents clash with resistance in sanctuary cities. State officials defy Supreme Court rulings. And energy policy takes a sharp turn amid efforts to restore what was once considered a strategic safety net. 

Violence Erupts in LA Amid ICE Crackdown

A routine enforcement operation turned violent in Los Angeles when an illegal migrant — previously escaped from federal custody — allegedly rammed law enforcement with his vehicle. ICE agents and U.S. Marshals responded with defensive rounds, injuring both the suspect and an officer in the chaos.

According to DHS, the suspect was known to authorities and targeted in a pre-planned operation. The situation escalated quickly — a ricocheted shot struck an officer’s hand, while the migrant was wounded in the elbow.

This incident is part of a broader trend: assaults against federal agents have reportedly spiked over 1,000% amid rising tensions between sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration enforcement. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blamed sanctuary politicians for encouraging resistance and hostility, pointing directly to policies and practices from California Governor Gavin Newsom, LA Mayor Karen Bass, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Los Angeles, a sanctuary city, experienced waves of unrest as illegal immigrants and their allies resisted the Trump administration’s renewed immigration push. Anti-ICE protests spiraled into riots earlier this summer, resulting in hundreds of arrests and millions in damages.

Wisconsin Defies Supreme Court Over Catholic Charity Ruling

In a rebuke to a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Wisconsin’s Democratic Attorney General is pressing forward with a legal maneuver to strip tax exemptions from religious nonprofits — rather than extend them equally.

The Court had ruled 9–0 that Wisconsin violated the First Amendment by denying Catholic Charities Bureau a religious exemption from unemployment taxes. But AG Joshua Kaul now argues the only way to comply with the Court is to eliminate exemptions for all religious groups — secularizing the entire system.

Religious liberty advocates are calling foul. Eric Rassbach of the Becket Fund condemned the state’s defiance as “absurd,” adding, “Trying to wriggle out of a 9–0 loss is even more absurd.”

Wisconsin claims it’s caught in a constitutional catch-22 — either it expands the exemption to all faith-motivated nonprofits (which would leave secular counterparts taxed), or eliminates the exemption entirely.

Critics say the state's continued push reveals ideological hostility toward faith-based organizations.

Department Of Energy Begins Refilling Strategic Oil Reserve 

The Department of Energy has announced plans to purchase one million barrels of oil to begin slowly refilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) — a key national asset that hit historic lows after being heavily depleted during the Biden years.

Energy Secretary Christopher Wright described the Trump administration’s move as "a first step in restoring our energy security," and explained it as a course correction after the “costly and irresponsible” use of the reserve for “political purposes.”

Critics have long accused the Biden administration of using the SPR to shield Democrats from political fallout amid record gas prices. Analysts now warn the U.S. remains in a vulnerable position with ongoing instability in the Middle East and reduced strategic reserves compared to pre-2021 levels.

The current SPR level — around 402 million barrels — remains well below the 638 million recorded at the end of Trump’s first term. Energy policy experts say Trump’s pro-drilling stance helped lay the groundwork for the industry's resilience.