MIAMI, Florida –  President Donald Trump, joined by Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization, filed a civil lawsuit Thursday in federal court in Miami against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

The complaint asks for at least $10 billion in damages and accuses the agencies of failing to protect confidential tax records that were exposed years ago. The case focuses on disclosures from 2019 and 2020.

The lawsuit says former IRS contractor Charles “Chaz” Littlejohn gained access to the plaintiffs’ tax returns and related files, then shared that information without permission.

Littlejohn pleaded guilty in 2023 to the unlawful disclosure of tax information and later received a prison sentence. News outlets, including The New York Times and ProPublica, published reports based on the leaked materials, describing Trump’s tax history and what he paid, or didn’t pay, in certain years before and during his first term.

Background of the Trump Tax Return Fight

Trump has pushed back for years against releasing his tax returns, breaking a long-running norm for presidential candidates and presidents. During the 2016 campaign and throughout his first term, he pointed to ongoing audits as his reason for keeping them private. The leaked documents, though, fueled public debate about his tax approach.

Reports said he paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and again in 2017, used large reported losses to reduce taxable income in other years, and paid no federal income tax in 10 of the 15 years before his first election.

Those reports sparked political backlash, congressional interest, and fresh scrutiny of possible conflicts connected to his business holdings. Trump and his supporters have repeatedly said the coverage was driven by politics, and they’ve described the outlets involved as biased.

The new lawsuit brings that argument back to the center. It claims the IRS and Treasury are responsible for the breach because they failed to follow required safeguards.

The complaint says the agencies ignored “mandatory precautions” that should have blocked improper access. It points to federal protections for taxpayer privacy and references Section 7433 of the Internal Revenue Code, which allows damage claims when officials recklessly or intentionally disregard rules tied to tax administration and privacy.

Claims of Negligence and Damage

The plaintiffs say the leak caused serious and lasting harm. They list reputational damage, financial losses, public embarrassment, and harm to business standing. They also argue tthat he released information casts them in a misleading light andhurtst how the public views them.

A key point in the filing is access. The complaint claims Littlejohn had what amounted to staff-level access to sensitive tax records, and it argues the government did not reduce that risk.

Legal analysts have noted that federal law can allow claims over wrongful tax data disclosures, but they also say proving $10 billion in damages will be difficult. In past cases, payouts for unauthorized disclosures have usually been far smaller, often in the thousands or low millions. The large number may be meant to send a message and apply pressure, not reflect a detailed accounting of losses.

The IRS and Treasury did not immediately comment on the lawsuit. The timing, early in Trump’s second term, is also drawing attention, as it arrives during renewed debate about how federal agencies operate and whether they treat certain public figures unfairly.

Political and Legal Backdrop

The lawsuit lands during a period of tension between the administration and parts of the federal workforce. Trump has often attacked what he calls the “deep state” and has promised changes at agencies such as the IRS. This case could become a high-profile test of whether government agencies can be held financially responsible for internal failures that expose private records.

Critics, though, have called the $10 billion demand over the top and politically motivated, since the leaks happened during Trump’s first administration,n and the person who took and shared the data has already been convicted and sentenced.

Others say the lawsuit could be aimed at discouraging future leaks and shifting attention away from what the returns showed, focusing instead on how they were obtained and released.

The case was filed in the Southern District of Florida, a court that has handled several Trump-related matters in recent years. The litigation is expected to move slowly. The government may try to dismiss it, including arguments tied to sovereign immunity and other defenses.

What it Means for Taxpayer Privacy

Beyond the Trump name, the lawsuit puts a spotlight on a bigger issue: use, taxpayer privacy, and the security of IRS systems. Littlejohn’s case raised concerns about how contractors are monitored and how access is controlled. After the incident, the Treasury canceled contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, the firm that employed Littlejohn, signaling an effort to reduce similar risks.

For everyday taxpayers, the episode is a reminder that the IRS holds extremely personal financial data. When that data leaks, it can weaken trust in the tax system, even as the agency handles millions of returns each year. Privacy advocates have long warned that breaches, especially high-profile ones, can make people less confident that their information is safe.

As the lawsuit gets underway, it reopens a story many assumed had ended. Whether the case leads to a major judgment, a settlement, or a dismissal, it keeps Trump’s tax returns and the government’s duty to protect private records in the public spotlight.

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MINNESOTA – A major investigative report has surfaced new information about Alex Pretti’s final days. Sources cited in a CNN exclusive say Pretti had a previously unreported run-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents just a week before he was killed.

In that earlier incident, he reportedly left with a broken rib after a physical struggle with federal officers during protest activity in Minneapolis. The disclosure adds a new layer to what happened on Saturday, January 24, 2026, when Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents.

The shooting happened during the Trump administration’s broad immigration enforcement push, described by federal officials as the largest operation in U.S. history. The crackdown has led to thousands of arrests and sharp backlash, especially in sanctuary-leaning cities such as Minneapolis.

Alex Pretti’s death was the third shooting involving federal immigration agents in the city in under three weeks, following the January 7 death of Renee Nicole Good.

Alex Pretti’s Prior Encounter

People familiar with federal records and witness statements say the earlier clash took place during a protest tied to immigration raids. Witnesses and Alex Pretti reportedly described a scene in which five agents tackled him while he watched officers chase a family on foot.

During the restraint, one agent allegedly put a heavy weight on Alex Pretti’s back, which led to a fractured rib. He was released at the scene and was not charged, but he later told people close to him that he thought he might die during the encounter.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has tracked contacts with protesters through internal paperwork described as “intel collection non-arrests.” Pretti’s name appeared in those records, according to the report, which suggests agents could have recognized him when they crossed paths again on January 24. That matters because it means Pretti may not have been viewed as a stranger at the scene, but as someone already known to immigration enforcement.

The new reporting also pushes back on early descriptions of Alex Pretti as a random troublemaker or only a “First Amendment witness,” a phrase used by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Instead, it paints a picture of repeated friction between Pretti and federal agents, with tensions that may have carried into the final encounter.

Shooting Video and Official Claims Collide

On the morning of January 24, near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis’s Whittier neighborhood, Alex Pretti was filming federal agents on his cellphone as they tried to enter a local business (reported as a donut shop) during protests.

Bystander video reviewed and verified by outlets including The New York Times and BBC Verify shows Pretti holding his phone in one hand while lifting his other, empty hand. The footage also appears to show him trying to protect a woman after agents pushed her down and used pepper spray.

Videos from multiple angles show agents taking Alex Pretti to the ground before shots were fired. Pretti, who held a legal firearm permit, had a gun on him, and agents tried to remove it during the struggle. Witnesses who later submitted affidavits with the ACLU said they did not see Pretti point or display the weapon.

A preliminary internal Customs and Border Protection review, leaked to congressional sources and reported by NPR, says Pretti resisted arrest, but it does not describe him attacking agents or making a lethal threat. That stands in contrast to early statements from the Trump administration that labeled him a “would-be assassin” planning to kill agents.

Alex Pretti’s family has strongly rejected those claims. In a statement, they called the government’s version “sickening lies” and pointed to a video that appears to show him unarmed in the moments before agents tackled him.

Megyn Kelly Truthful on Pretti

The new details have intensified debate across political media. Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly, host of The Megyn Kelly Show, drew widespread criticism after discussing the case on Monday. “I know I’m supposed to feel sorry for Alex Pretti, but I don’t,” Kelly said.

She argued that Pretti chose to “inject himself” into law enforcement activity, and she framed the outcome as “FAFO” (f*** around and find out). Kelly also called him an “agitator” and “subversive,” suggesting that staying away from federal operations could have prevented the death.

The remarks triggered accusations of cruelty, especially because Alex Pretti worked as an ICU nurse at a VA hospital caring for veterans.

Her response reflects the deep split over immigration enforcement. Supporters of tougher tactics see the earlier confrontation as proof that Pretti repeatedly interfered. Critics view the broken-rib incident as another example of excessive force by masked federal agents operating in city neighborhoods.

With the earlier ICE clash now public, the case looks less like a single confrontation and more like a series of escalating encounters between a committed protest observer and heavily armed federal agents.

The new context raises fresh concerns about training, de-escalation, and whether prior knowledge about Pretti affected how agents handled the January 24 scene.

Calls for an independent investigation have grown, including from some Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Minnesota leaders continue pressing for federal agents to leave, while protests continue and memorials expand at the site of the shooting.

As the country argues over the costs of aggressive immigration enforcement on city streets, the report about Pretti’s earlier injury adds a troubling detail. It also may reshape how many Americans think about accountability during a period of mass arrests and deportation efforts.

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TERRAN – A report coming from Iran describes what could be one of the worst cases of state violence against civilians in recent history. As many as 30,000 people may have been killed across Iran on January 8 and 9, based on claims shared with TIME by two senior officials in Iran’s Ministry of Health.

The reported figure comes from hospital logs and tallies kept by doctors and first responders. It suggests extreme force during a nationwide uprising that began in late December 2025. The unrest started with anger over economic collapse, then spread into calls to end the Islamic Republic’s rule. Hospitals in major cities, including Tehran and Shiraz, reportedly struggled to cope.

Morgues filled up, and authorities allegedly used trucks to move bodies after facilities reached capacity.

A confidential count inside the Ministry of Health listed 30,304 deaths recorded in civilian hospitals by late last week, according to Dr. Amir Parasta, a German-Iranian eye surgeon who reviewed the data.

The count reportedly does not include people taken straight to military morgues, those killed in rural areas, or bodies never entered into official systems. For that reason, the real number could be higher. Activists and human rights groups have reported lower totals, but still in the thousands, since protests began. Verification has been difficult because authorities imposed a near-total internet shutdown.

Accounts say the worst violence happened on January 8 and 9. Security forces, reportedly acting under direct orders, used live ammunition against crowds. Witnesses described streets filled with protesters chanting “Death to the Dictator” and “Death to Khamenei,” followed by heavy gunfire.

Cartridge cases reportedly covered the ground, then were cleared overnight by municipal crews. Demonstrations were reported in all 31 provinces, with claims that millions joined nationwide.

Large-scale killings in Iran

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is described as central to the crackdown. Sources familiar with internal orders said that on January 9, he instructed the Supreme National Security Council to end the protests “by any means necessary.”

Security units reportedly received clear direction to shoot to kill and show no mercy. What began as protests over prices and jobs then shifted into a large-scale killing spree, according to the report’s sources.

As pressure rose at home and abroad, Khamenei reportedly moved into a fortified underground bunker in Tehran. Opposition-linked outlets and people close to the government said the relocation was driven by fears of a U.S. missile strike.

Those fears were tied to President Donald Trump’s warnings and U.S. military moves in the region, including the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

Trump’s public messages urging protesters to keep going, along with statements suggesting U.S. action if killings continued, reportedly increased anxiety inside Iran’s leadership. Khamenei’s third son, Masoud, was said to be running daily operations of the Supreme Leader’s office, passing messages to government branches while Khamenei remained largely isolated.

Iran’s public messaging tells a different story. Hardliners tied to Khamenei announced 3,117 deaths on January 21. They described the dead as a mix of protesters, security forces, and people labeled as foreign-backed “rioters” or “terrorists,” with claims of links to the United States and Israel.

Crimes against humanity

Khamenei has also referred to “thousands” killed in speeches, while blaming outside powers and promising no retreat against what he called “saboteurs.” The internal Ministry of Health figures, as described in the report, point to a far larger toll and suggest an effort to hide the true scale.

The protests began in late December 2025 after the rial fell to new lows. Inflation rose, energy shortages worsened, and long-running mismanagement fueled public rage. Early action included bazaar merchants in Tehran closing shops.

It quickly expanded, with university students and everyday citizens joining rallies and chanting against the Supreme Leader. Some crowds also voiced support for exiled figures, including Reza Pahlavi, son of the late shah.

As unrest grew, the state response reportedly expanded, too. Reports described mass arrests, raids on hospitals treating injured protesters, and pressure on doctors and volunteers who helped the wounded.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights, condemned the crackdown as crimes against humanity. They pointed to what they described as systematic repression and planned killings.

Observers also drew stark historical comparisons. Analysts said a death toll of this size in 48 hours would rival major atrocities, including the Nazi massacre at Babyn Yar in 1941, where more than 33,000 people were executed over two days.

Anger and Outrage

In Iran, the killings described in the report were said to have taken place across many cities at once, not in a single location, which overwhelmed even parts of the state’s own system.

International reaction has been strong, though limited by the communications blackout. The United Nations and Western governments voiced alarm and called for independent investigations.

Trump increased his rhetoric, calling Khamenei a “sick criminal” and hinting at more steps, while the U.S. imposed sanctions on officials linked to the crackdown.

Inside Iran, the government appeared to have restored some control through force, but reports suggested the anger runs deep across regions and age groups. Families of victims said authorities forced them to pay for the bullets used to kill their relatives, a practice described as both cruel and extortionate.

As more details surface, the events of January 8 and 9 are being described as proof of how far the state will go to keep power. Whether the killings mark a turning point for the Islamic Republic or another brutal chapter remains unclear, but the growing list of names and numbers is unlikely to fade from public memory.

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