Nearly $10 million in taxpayer funds spent on Trump ads after private-funding pledge

Federal agents searched Rep. Omar’s home in immigration-fraud allegations probe

NPR’s analysis of data from AdImpact found that nearly $22 million in taxpayer funds have been spent on ads promoting President Trump since the campaign began in late September. Of that total, almost $10 million was paid out after Trump pledged in an Oct. 5 Truth Social post to shift funding of the ads to his MAGA Inc. super PAC. A federal judge had ordered the ads taken down, yet they remained on air, NPR reported in its Up First newsletter published Tuesday.

The White House has characterized the ads as public service announcements. Common Cause and other plaintiffs have argued in their lawsuit that the ads were funded without congressional approval and violated restrictions on taxpayer-funded publicity and propaganda.

Trump has ramped up his campaign travel ahead of the midterm elections, rallying supporters in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday night and heading to Alaska on Tuesday, with additional events planned later in the week. He has told supporters to pretend he is on the ballot. NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben told the Up First podcast that Trump’s events resemble his presidential campaign rallies — he emphasizes his accomplishments while insulting Democrats — and that the appearances are intended to reinforce the message that the Republican Party remains his party despite declining approval. Candidates including Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) drew large, appreciative crowds, though Kurtzleben said the electoral benefit of appearing alongside Trump remains unclear.

In Washington, federal agents searched the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) around 4:30 a.m. on Monday. The Department of Justice told NPR in a statement that Homeland Security Investigations agents “executed a judicially authorized search warrant,” approved by the DOJ, as part of an ongoing federal investigation. Current and former federal officials with knowledge of the search who were not authorized to speak publicly confirmed the details to NPR, reporting that the multi-year probe includes whistleblower complaints and focuses on allegations of immigration fraud. One of Omar’s neighbors, 79-year-old Sharon Jackson, told NPR’s Luke Garrett she was awoken at around 4:30 a.m. by loud knocking and that vans and agents wearing gloves were walking to and from the congresswoman’s house.

Omar has said the search was politically motivated by the Trump administration. Vice President JD Vance previously accused Omar of immigration fraud, which she denies. Omar, an American citizen who left Somalia as a refugee, said on social media that the president has spent a decade targeting her with smear campaigns and vowed not to be silenced. Trump said he is not involved in the investigation into Omar.

The U.S. is experiencing its worst measles resurgence in decades, with more than 3,600 confirmed cases and two deaths reported as of late September. Outbreaks in several states and exposures in public places including bars, sports stadiums and public transit have raised concerns about travel safety, according to NPR. NPR’s travel guidance said that people who’ve had two doses of the MMR vaccine are considered protected against measles; the disease is highly contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, breathes or sneezes, with airspace that can remain contaminated for up to two hours. NPR advised checking with a healthcare provider about vaccination status; a booster may be recommended based on medical history and health. Immunocompromised individuals may be unable to receive vaccination and often rely on herd immunity for protection; for measles, the vaccination threshold for herd immunity is 95%. Symptoms — fever, cough and rash — typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure and can sometimes take as long as 21 days to surface.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new exhibition showcases the works of two 20th-century artists. Jackson Pollock is well-known for his drip paintings. His wife, Lee Krasner, has often been overshadowed by her husband. The show, with more than 120 pieces on display — 74 from Krasner and 48 from Pollock — frames Krasner as a titan of Abstract Expressionism.

Hectic early-morning traffic can make breakfast a luxury in Lagos, Nigeria, and akara is a roadside staple. For NPR’s Breakfast Around the World series, Emmanuel Akinwotu explores the savory snack’s deep roots in Nigeria and West Africa, and its spread around the world during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

In other news, the newsletter reported that Americans Robert Hall of Stanford University and Michael Woodford of Columbia University won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for their work on managing boom-and-bust cycles to reduce inflation and unemployment. Trump’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, was scheduled to hold her first briefing Tuesday; she has raised her profile by appearing on conservative outlets and promoting what NPR described as right-wing conspiracy theories.