Bennito L. Kelty

Bennito L. Kelty is an award-winning journalist at Raw Story. He covered the U.S.-Mexico borderlands in Arizona and later homelessness, immigration and politics for Denver Westword. A graduate of the University of Missouri Journalism School, he now lives in Aurora, Colorado.

'It's just not right': Lawmakers sound the alarm on sneaky Pentagon move

Congressional lawmakers are hitting the brakes on the Pentagon's efforts to to quietly move forward with powering AI, per Politico.

The Department of Defense is already leasing land to private companies to build data centers proposed for military bases, but the move is drawing scrutiny from members of Congress, according to reporting by Politico.

"It's just not right for every community," Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) said, per Politico. "Seemingly, the other side doesn't want to just admit the reality around resource consumption."

Congressional lawmakers are mostly worried about the amount of water and energy that data centers require. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) proposed amendments to the House's version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act that would check the development of data centers by the Pentagon before it accelerates, Politico reported.

Garamendi noted that AI data centers are "extraordinary consumers of both energy and water" and "the question arises as to whether they should be on military bases."

Levin added, "A bigger concern is that we haven't received the appropriate brief" from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or the Pentagon "about any of this."

One provision sought by lawmakers would require the Department of Defense to brief Congress on the impacts of military data centers on nearby communities before construction starts, according to Politico. Another would require DOD to publish annual reports on data center impacts.

"This Congress has an obligation to defend our people," Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) said. "Not to stick our heads in the sand or pretend it's 1946."

MAGA lobbyist busted for sneaking drugs and pistol magazine into the Senate: report

An employee for a right-wing think tank and MAGA lobbyist was caught trying to sneak drugs and pistol ammo into Senate offices, per NOTUS.

Heritage Foundation employee Matthew Christopher Wingate faces a drug-possession charge after security at the Russell Senate Office Building found a substance that tested presumptive positive as cocaine and fentanyl in his briefcase, according to an arrest affidavit.

According to reporting by NOTUS, Wingate previously worked as a military legislative assistant for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and a national security adviser for Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). With the Heritage Foundation, he was the government-relations director for defense and foreign policy.

Wingate was arrested on July 14 by Capitol Police. According to the arrest affidavit, he came through the door of the Senate building and placed his drug-loaded briefcase on the X-ray belt for routine screening. However, it was a screening for a pistol magazine that led to Wingate getting busted.

Security officers noticed "what appeared to be a pistol magazine in a brown briefcase on the screen," which led to questioning and a secondary screening. One officer asked him, "Do you have a magazine in your bag?"

"There shouldn't be," Wingate responded. During the secondary screening, officers found the pistol magazine, which was loaded "with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition," per the affidavit. The affidavit didn't mention a pistol being found. Wingate claimed to be a "D.C. permit holder" during questioning by officers.

After Wingate was detained, Capitol Police "discovered a plastic sandwich bag" that had "four capsules and three blue pressed tablets," per the affidavit.

"The blue pills appeared to be hand pressed and were imprinted with the letter 'A' on one side and the numbers '7' '6' on the other side," the affidavit read. "The tablet was presumptive positive for Cocaine and Fentanyl" after testing.

Wingate claimed to have forgotten the magazine, though he was found to be a licensed permit holder. Meanwhile, he claimed the "drugs were prescribed."

'Needs to be immediately fired': DHS lawyer's wild online behavior stuns legal expert

A legal expert sounded the alarm on a lawyer for the Department of Homeland Security who's been attacking federal judges.

During an episode of The Intersection, Michael Popok called out the DHS general counsel, James Percival, and called for his immediate removal. Popok explained that Percival has been using official taxpayer-funded social media accounts to attack federal judges by name.

"He needs to be immediately fired," Popok said. "This guy's got to be impeached. This guy's got to be stopped. He never should have been confirmed."

Percival attacked federal judges from Massachusetts and Maryland by calling them "radical or leftist or criminal or illegal by name in social media posts," Popok explained.

Percival went after Judge Paula Xinis after she ruled that the United States needed to immediately facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose criminal case was later dismissed as vindictive prosecution.

"The judiciary is concerned that their ability to do their job is undermined because of their own personal safety concerns," Popok said, noting recent testimony by Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan about such fears.

Popok said that Percival's behavior "lays at the feet ultimately of Todd Blanche," the acting attorney general. Percival is "taking his cues from Todd Blanche, who at a conference was caught saying that there was a war against the federal judiciary," Popok explained.

According to Popok, Percival was a "right-wing radical" who worked for former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, "and that's how he got this top job."

'Shameful' Trump cover-ups torched by ex-CIA director: 'Tiptoe past the graveyard'

A former CIA director on Saturday slammed the Trump administration for a cover-up he predicts is doomed to fail.

In an interview with The Guardian, Leon Panetta laid out how he believes the Pentagon is trying to combat press access amid the war in Iran.

"There's a deliberate effort here to basically withhold information from the American people," Panetta said. "And I think it represents in many ways a shameful approach to sharing the responsibility that we all have when it comes to fighting a war."

The Department of Defense has not held a press briefing in two and a half months, The Guardian reported.

This stands in stark contrast to Panetta's weekly briefings during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Panetta said that Pentagon officials are "trying to tiptoe past the graveyard."

The Pentagon has also challenged the press by limiting access with rules requiring reporters to be escorted onto Pentagon grounds and stripping their credentials, The Guardian noted.

"They're hoping that the less they say, the less controversy they'll be involved in," Panetta said about Pentagon officials. "The reality is that the press will only operate that much more aggressively to find out exactly what's going on."

However, Panetta held out hope that Pentagon reporters will be able to hold those officials accountable.

"In essence, what they're doing is challenging the press to find what's really happening, and they will," Panetta said. "They can dodge, bob and weave, they can hide it, but my experience is that no matter how much you try to hide it, in the end, the truth comes out."

'Scary!' MAGA meltdown erupts as young man states fact to Erika Kirk in church

A MAGA meltdown erupted online Saturday because a young man stated a fact to Erika Kirk in church.

The supposed infiltration occurred Friday night as Kirk spoke at the Pursuit Church in Kirkland, Washington, as part of her "Make Heaven Crowded" tour event — and was interrupted by the shouts of a young man who rose to his feet.

"You married Charlie Kirk," he cried out.

Video then shows the young man being dragged away and handcuffed by heavy security.

The X account Frontlines TPUSA, which is affiliated with the Kirk-led Turning Point USA, described it as a "scary moment," despite the young man being the only one standing up and shouting the one line.

According to the account, "A far-left activist infiltrated" the event.

Jonathan Choe, who recorded the video posted by Frontlines TPUSA, asked the young man what he wanted to say to Erika Kirk, but he mostly remained silent, only saying, "The things she supports is offensive."

Kirk took the reins at TPUSA following the assassination of her husband Charlie Kirk at a Utah University speaking event on Sept. 10, 2025.

Earlier this year, students successfully got their Phoenix high school to pull the plug on her planned on-campus event because they found her views "too extremist."

Her husband's violent death complicated the legacy as a MAGA influencer who made a career promoting what the Congressional Black Caucus Black Caucus has condemned as “racist, harmful, and fundamentally un-American” ideals.

Choe described the events on his own account by writing, "Unhinged whacko went on a tirade" and "he got owned real fast." Meanwhile, other MAGA accounts agreed, "It was scary," while others praised Kirk for continuing.

Some accounts questioned the description.

Seattle-based journalist Hannah Krieg asked "what infiltrate means" here, as "It was a publicly advertised event with no screening process."

Writer Matthew Boedy agreed, noting, "Interesting use of 'infiltrated.' Isn't this a tour to evangelize? Don't want people like this?"

The event was also met with protesters who marched outside the church. MAGA commentators similarly went after them, with radio show host Jason Rantz calling them "wicked, evil monsters" in an X post.

Katy Perry 'appalled' Trump 'weaponized' her song in military video: 'Complete violation'

A pop star is furious her song appeared in a White House video about military strikes in Iran.

Katy Perry took to X Saturday to condemn the Trump administration for using her 2010 hit "Firework" in a White House video posted on TikTok earlier this week.

"I am deeply appalled and angry to see 'Firework' used on the @WhiteHouse TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes," Perry wrote. "I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it."

The TikTok video — in which we see explosives erupt in Iran as Perry sings "boom, boom, boom" — was still present on the White House account as of Saturday afternoon.

It isn't the first time that entertainment stars have denounced Trump's use or planned use of their material. The late Leonard Cohen's estate even refused to let Trump use "Hallelujah" for the Great American State Fair.

Perry, who is dating former Canadian leader Justin Trudeau, said she was upset to see her music set to military violence.

"My music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare" she wrote.

"I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments," Perry continued.

"To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for."

Onlookers ridiculed the Trump administration for getting caught red-handed by the pop star.

Former GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger wrote, "The White House has no cool people supporting them."

'Seems like a bad thing': Arsenic-laced dirt fight erupts on Trump's public golf course

President Donald Trump is embroiled in an arsenic-laced dirt fight — and opponents say his administration is fighting dirty, reports show.

The Trump administration is refusing to allow testing on soil it dumped on a public golf course in Washington, D.C. despite National Park Service findings the dirt contains arsenic and lead, according to new reporting from the Wall Street Journal.

The East Potomac Golf Links, where the administration plans to build a major golf championships facility, has been topped with dirt from the East Wing demolition where Trump wants to build a ballroom, the Journal reported.

Now opponents led by the D.C. Preservation League are suing the Department of the Interior to stop the project, according to reporting by NBC News.

They claim dirt dumped on the links by the Trump administration will hurt golfers and the environment, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The National Park Service tested the dirt and reported that while no asbestos was detected, there appeared to be toxins such as arsenic and lead the Journal reported.

The D.C. Preservation League is now asking a federal judge to allow it to test the dirt itself.

In a hearing this month, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said that she didn't understand why the Trump administration wouldn't allow for more testing of the dirt.

"If there isn't a problem with it, who cares?" Reyes asked. The judge reportedly added, "there appears to be a lot of arsenic in the soil 'and that seems like a bad thing.'"

Trump's 'dumbest' reasoning set to embroil him in fresh military strike: Dem

An alarmed House Democrat said Saturday that President Donald Trump may consider sending the military into yet another country — and for the "dumbest" reason.

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) delivered a scathing rebuke of a new Trump administration report that takes aim at Cuba during a Saturday segment on CNN.

"Two-thirds of this report is about the '60s and '70s, and all of a sudden they jump to today," Pocan said. "It's so ridiculous. It's probably the dumbest report I've read in my 14 years of being here, and whoever wrote it should be embarrassed."

The Trump administration's continued blockade against fuel coming into Cuba has caused trash to pile up in the streets and power outages, CNN reported. The Trump administration carried on the blockade even as it ended a naval blockade against Iran.

Pocan was tearing into a report released by the State Department earlier this week that accused Cuba of promoting left-wing extremism in the United States.

The Democrat described it as "fantastical" and warned, "This report by the State Department, I think, is setting up a military action."

Pocan told CNN that the U.S. campaign against Cuba is largely being pushed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and added that Rubio could be arguing for greater U.S. military involvement.

"We're already in a quagmire in Iran, but I think this is Marco Rubio's personal South Florida pet project," Pocan said. "He wants us to go into Cuba in a way that I don't think the American people support."

'Scammers being scammed': High-rollers seeking Trump pardon met with brutal surprise

Wealthy criminals seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump are running into a brutal surprise, according to the New York Post.

Not only have convicted criminals with deep pockets been confronted with "staggering" seven-figure prices for a bid at a Trump pardon, but some of them aren't even being pardoned despite paying up, the Post reported Saturday.

"The majority of the people paying big bucks are not getting what they want," Mark Osler, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas, told the Post. "A lot of them are scammers being scammed."

According to the Post, Louisiana rapper Boosie BadAzz, whose real name is Torence Hatch Jr., "learned that lesson the hard way." He paid lobbyists $600,000 to help him obtain clemency from Trump for his felony gun possession charge.

However, his pardon never came, and Hatch Jr. sued the lobbyists, the Post reported.

Another example mentioned in the Post's reporting is Fred Daibes, who was convicted in 2024 of bribing former Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife with gold bars in exchange for Menendez's assistance with a bank fraud case.

Daibes paid $1 million to a lobbying firm run by Keith Schiller, a former Trump bodyguard, but a pardon for Daibes has not materialized since he was sentenced to seven years in federal prison in January 2025, per the Post.

"They say don't play a player," Osler said. "A lot of them seem to be getting played right now."

According to the Post, lobbying firms are charging large sums for help obtaining "executive relief."

Flesh-eating 'screwworm' has Trump on the run before midterms: report

A flesh-eating parasite has the Trump administration backpedaling fast ahead of the midterm elections, according to a new report.

New World screwworm, a parasite that threatens U.S. livestock, forced the Agriculture department to partially lifting its ban on cattle imports from Mexico, according to a Friday night report from Politico.

The Trump administration is reportedly trying to lower the prices of beef ahead of the midterms.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also resisted pressure from Republicans and the cattle industry to lift the ban as a way to lower beef prices.

"Protecting the United States from [New World screwworm] and pushing this pest out of Mexico and back to the Darien Gap is a top priority at USDA," Rollins said in a statement. "[The screwworm] has the full attention of the Trump administration."

The USDA announced on Friday that it would open a port in Arizona to cattle trade, but the port won't open until Aug. 24, according to Politico.

"The closure of the Southern ports of entry for the last year has been a tough but necessary action to control the spread of [New World screwworm] in Mexico and protect the American livestock industry," Rollins said, per Politico.

The USDA is also taking steps to open two ports in New Mexico while keeping ports along Texas closed, per Politico. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a state of disaster across Texas in early June due to the spread of screwworm and the threat to the state's wildlife and livestock industry.

'Bomb after bomb': CNN pundits rip into Trump's 'mean and small' WHCD speech

President Donald Trump's White House Correspondents' Dinner speech drew sharp criticism from CNN pundits immediately after it finished.

On Friday night, Trump delivered his first speech as president at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and it took just over an hour. Shortly after it wrapped, CNN pundits tore into it, with conservatives even having trouble defending it.

"It just wasn't funny at all," political commentator Van Jones said. "It just wasn't funny. It was mean and small, but you could be mean and small and funny. This was mean and small and not funny."

CNN anchor Laura Coates said that Trump "shot himself in the foot" by missing an opportunity to speak to people. Jones agreed, saying, "He didn't talk about any American besides himself and his enemies" when he could have talked about people at home "and maybe make fun of their enemies."

Former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin said that "even from a performance standpoint" and compared to previous presidents, "he bombed. He objectively bombed." She also pointed out "missed opportunities."

Conservative CNN pundit Scott Jennings noted that Trump started the speech by denouncing political violence and ended it by saying he respected journalists and people in their profession.

"Now the middle of it is going to be controversial because some of the jokes landed and some of the jokes didn't," Jennings said, noting he liked Trump's jab at RFK Jr. during the speech. "Some of the jokes veered off into very, sort of, ornery insults, and that's not going to land for many audiences."

Jones made a joke of his own about Trump's speech, saying, "It was just bomb after bomb after bomb. It's like, we're not Iran. We're the American people. Quit bombing."

Trump trashes his own 'freaking stupid speech' at White House Correspondents' Dinner

President Donald Trump slammed the writing and jokes in his own speech for the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

On Friday night, Trump delivered an hour-long speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, but he wasn't happy with the jokes laced throughout it.

Several times during the speech, Trump asked, "Who the h— wrote this?" One of Trump's jokes used a point about congressional term limits as a setup.

"All joking aside, I do think we need term limits in Congress," Trump said. "I think term limits are very important because I see what's happening."

However, Trump had trouble making it clear what was going on in his joke. The point about term limits drifted into a joke about "a senator I knew...a great guy" getting a text from his wife.

"She said, 'When you get home, I want to have you immediately come up the stairs and make love to me,'" Trump said. "And he said, 'I can't do both.'"

The "can't do both" line seemed to be the punchline, but it was met with silence. Trump immediately caught the silence and tried to signal that it was a joke. "Haha," he said, smiling at the crowd. "You know? You know?"

Trump repeated the punchline and kept trying to explain it. The audience stayed silent, however, as Trump flashed a mocking grin to tell people it was supposed to be funny.

"In other words, you can't go up the stairs and make love," Trump said. "Does anybody get that one? I thought that was actually pretty good. That was actually the only thing I thought was good in this whole freaking stupid speech."

Trump roasts his own Cabinet member during WHCD speech: 'He's a piece of work'

President Donald Trump roasted one of his own Cabinet members with bizarre habits in a moment that drew laughs.

During his speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Trump made fun of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his odd treatment of animals.

"I hope that everyone finally got to enjoy their entire very delicious beef tenderloin, very special beef," Trump said, before pointing to Kennedy and saying he "personally ran over the cow in his car."

Earlier this year, Kennedy was shown in a video grabbing and being bitten by snakes and responded to the viral moment by posting another video of him handling a snake. The moment prompted ridicule over how Kennedy has handled animals in the past, like picking up a dead bear cub on the side of the road, chainsawing the head off a dead whale and traveling with a falcon on a plane.

Trump continued his joke about the tenderloin by saying that Kennedy "cut it up, and he brought it here for you to eat tonight, so it's very fresh."

Kennedy was shown laughing along with the joke alongside his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, while others around him laughed.

"And Bobby also suggested an appetizer featuring his favorite cut of male raccoon roadkill," Trump said. "But we drew the line at that, Cheryl. We said, no, 'We're not going to do that. We're not doing that.'"

Trump wrapped up his joke about Kennedy by adding "he's a piece of work," and "it is fun, but he is a very different kind of a person."

'Terrible waste': DOJ spent big to hang banners with Trump's face

A new report found that the Department of Justice spent hundreds of thousands and possibly more to hang banners with President Donald Trump's face.

According to reporting by Politico, the DOJ spent nearly a million dollars to unfurl banners from its Washington headquarters featuring an image of Trump scowling.

The DOJ signed a contract in January for an "RFK Beautification Project" to clean the building's exterior walls, upgrade the facade lighting system, and install "Celebratory Banners," Politico reported. The total price of the contract was more than $892,000, along with another $55,000 charge for the project added as a "supplemental agreement."

"Not only is this a terrible waste of Americans' hard-earned money," Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told Politico, "it is clearly against the law."

Schiff said in a statement last week that he found a $39,000 contract from the Department of the Interior for similar banners and another for up to $114,000 for banners at the Federal Aviation Administration, Politico reported.

However, Politico noted that in records it obtained, officials blacked out the line-item that would have revealed the cost of creating and hanging the Trump banners.

The DOJ hung its banners earlier this year at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, also known as Main Justice. The banners feature Trump's face above the phrase "MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN," per Politico.

"The banners were part of a broader beautification project for the historic RFK building, executed under an existing DOJ construction contract," a DOJ spokesperson said. "We are proud at this Department of Justice to celebrate 250 years of our great country, and our historic work to make America safe again at President Trump’s direction."

An anonymous DOJ official told Politico that a contract was signed "due to the urgent nature of this requirement and to ensure it was completed prior to the 250th anniversary."

JD Vance's 'extremely self-conscious' worries 'grated' on White House staff: report

White House staff described how difficult Vice President JD Vance can be when worrying about his image, MS NOW reported Friday.

Vance's obsession with his self-image hasn't gone over smoothly with White House staff, especially amid a rumored contest with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to win Trump's favor in becoming his successor, according to MS NOW.

"Team Vance is extremely self-conscious about what people are saying about him — both here and just randos online — almost to a fault," a White House official told MS NOW.

A White House official also told MS NOW that Vance and his team "grated" on senior staff because of his near-obsessive focus on online chatter about him. Vance apparently has a "near-obsessive" focus on his public image in the context of his recent book tour and "sauerkraut-heavy" diet, the insider said.

However, Trump has been friendlier and more complimentary to Vance in recent weeks, according to MS NOW, which reported that "Trump's informal audition for his 2028 successor appears to be over," with Vance the winner.

"It's become, 'JD's our guy, we gotta help JD,'" a senior administration official told MS NOW, saying that Trump has become warmer towards Vance ever since he launched his book tour.

Trump has even been complimenting Vance's weight loss and remarking that he's been looking good lately, according to MS NOW.

Olivia Wales, a spokesperson for the White House, told MS NOW in an email that Vance has become Trump's "right-hand man" and an "invaluable member" of his national security team.