A student opened fire at a high school outside Bangkok on Friday, killing at least five people and wounding more than 20, according to authorities, who said he also appeared to have killed his two grandparents at the family home earlier in the morning.

The 14-year-old shooter took his own life at the school, officials said.

Five school staff members, including teachers and administrators, died in the shooting around 10 a.m. at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province northwest of Bangkok, Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee said at the scene.

The boy also killed his grandparents at the home he shared with them prior to the school shooting, Polapee said.

Bangyai Hospital, about 3 miles from the school, said 23 people were wounded, of whom 10 were in critical condition, with most suffering gunshot wounds. Earlier reports gave conflicting casualty numbers.

A witness said students hid inside a classroom while they heard gunshots from another building before police officers knocked on the door and cleared a way for them to leave the building.

Amporn Niamfuang, who owns a restaurant 160 feet from the school, said there was the sound of a single gunshot and then a pause.

"And then there were multiple continuous shots," Amporn said, recalling the narrow road outside the restaurant filling with fleeing students. "Students were running scared and pouring onto the street. Young girls were holding each other's hands and crying. I went inside to hide."

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, speaking after touring the school, confirmed reports that the shooter was 14 and had killed himself. He said the student had shown signs of stress connected to school.

The gun, described by police as small and compact, was legally registered to his grandfather, he said.

Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia, second only to Pakistan and far surpassing its Southeast Asian neighbors.

Data collected in 2017 by the groups Small Arms Survey and GunPolicy.org in their last extensive international study found civilian gun ownership in Thailand was about 15.1 guns per 100 people, compared with less than one per 100 in neighboring Malaysia.

The Pentagon revoked former U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall's "eligibility" to access classified information and barred him from holding "any sensitive position," alleging Friday that he disclosed sensitive information about Air Force One's capabilities to the media.

"This action follows his unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Air Force One's capabilities to a media outlet," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a social media post.

It follows reporting last month, including from The New York Times, on security concerns over the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, including that it lacked the advanced antimissile capabilities of its predecessor.

Kendall told The Associated Press late Friday that he was "completely mystified" by the revocation.

"I've always been extremely careful to not say anything classified, and as far as I know I have not," Kendall said. "No one has said anything to me about what I'm asserted to have revealed and I can't imagine what it could be."

The plane underwent a $400 million retrofit and upgrade. It was put into service domestically and President Trump also flew on it to Turkey last month for the NATO summit. But he used an older model Air Force One jet to leave the NATO summit, as the U.S. launched airstrikes on Iran and Tehran attacked three Gulf Arab states.

U.S. officials previously told CBS News that Mr. Trump returned on the old Air Force One following a credible threat to the president from Iran and allied proxy groups. The officials told CBS News that the U.S. detected a credible plot to fire a missile at the plane. Upon receiving the intelligence, the U.S. Secret Service swiftly swapped to a backup strategy. 

The Secret Service suggested that the president take the old plane, which is equipped with secure communication systems and sophisticated military defenses, according to people briefed on the situation who spoke to CBS News last month.

The new plane donated by Qatar was hurried into service and is lacking some desired capabilities, U.S. officials told CBS News. 

Mr. Trump last month denied to reporters that the swap was due to security concerns, although he also said he is under threat "all the time" and is Iran's "No. 1" target.

The White House later announced that Mr. Trump would continue using the old Air Force One while the Qatari-donated plane receives "additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall which will take approximately one month to complete." 

In the Times article, Kendall, who served under President Joe Biden, is quoted as saying that the time for upgrades to the plane would not have been enough for "all the normal Air Force One modifications," and he was surprised that the plane was used outside the U.S.

Kendall said Friday, "I've been comfortable being on the record with reporters and on national television about the Qatari 747 because I'm confident that I haven't said anything classified."

In response to the reporting, the Justice Department subpoenaed the Times' reporters to try to compel them to out their sources, which stirred fears over press freedoms. The department, after criticism from the judge for sloppy legal work, grudgingly withdrew the subpoenas last month.

The Air Force has argued that the rapid conversion of the jet was done "without accepting any risk regarding security, safety, or secure communications," but it also has acknowledged the different capabilities. It said "several highly complex engineering modifications" required for the new U.S.-made Air Force One aircraft were intentionally excluded in the modifications to the plane from Qatar. The Air Force acknowledged it did not widen the doors leading out of the aircraft or include multiple stairs built into the hull of the plane.

Parnell didn't specify which media outlet Kendall was accused of sharing classified information with.

"Safeguarding classified information is a non-negotiable duty," he wrote. "Those who violate that trust forfeit the privilege of access and any role requiring it."

It's not the first time the Trump administration has revoked security clearances, including of 37 then-current and former national security officials last year. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also pulled security protections and clearance for Gen. Mark Milley, the retired Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, soon after the administration took office.

Parnell didn't say if Kendall was being referred for prosecution, and the Pentagon declined to provide more information. Typically, such accusations are partnered with referrals for prosecution over violations of the Espionage Act.

A well-known example was when the Obama administration filed charges against Edward Snowden, a former intelligence agency contractor who publicly disclosed a massive trove of secret documents about U.S. surveillance operations before fleeing to Russia.

More recently, a federal judge sentenced a Massachusetts Air National Guard member to 15 years in prison in 2024 for leaking classified military documents about the war in Ukraine. That was the most consequential national security breach in years.

President Trump on Friday announced more than $180 million in grants to boost educational and trade programs for the mining industry, part of a bid to increase critical mineral production.

Mr. Trump unveiled the plans at a roundtable at the State Department with educational leaders from universities like the Colorado School of Mines, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. 

CBS News was first to report on the educational grant programs early Friday.

The Department of Energy is launching a $100 million grant program aimed at expanding the mining and critical mineral workforce by dramatically increasing the number of people with degrees in those areas over the next two years. The program is expected to financially support scholarships and other programs, an official said. Universities, community colleges, trade schools, industry groups and other partners will be eligible to apply.

The military is also offering more than $80 million in additional funding to three universities. The Colorado School of Mines is expected to get $32.7 million for a tech development hub, the South Dakota School of Mines will get $25 million to set up workforce development programs, and Johns Hopkins University will get $23.6 million for a recycling-focused program.

The hub at the Colorado School of Mines will "test and scale new technologies for mineral processing, recovery, refining, recycling and advanced materials— and ultimately move those technologies into the domestic supply chain," the school said in a statement. 

During Friday's event, Mr. Trump said the grants were aimed at reversing a longstanding decline in the number of U.S. mining students. Fewer than 600 people were enrolled in mining engineering programs nationwide in 2023, down from just under 1,500 eight years earlier, according to data compiled by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration and the Society of Mining Professors.

"For years, mining schools and colleges that are essential to training the future leaders of this industry have been absolutely and sadly disappearing," the president said.

The White House also announced a series of investments by the military in mining companies, battery manufacturers and other firms that work with critical minerals.

The grants come as the Trump administration pushes to increase U.S. production of critical minerals like lithium, silicon, graphite and rare-earth elements. Those materials are essential for making semiconductors, aerospace equipment and many other modern technologies, but China mines and refines an outsized share of the world's critical minerals.

Mr. Trump has also sought to boost the coal mining industry. His administration pledged $700 million in grants to coal plants and a coal export terminal in June, and it has eased environmental regulations that restricted the coal industry.

"Critical minerals are the raw materials of American strength that power everything from advanced weaponry to automobiles. We want these essential products to be mined, refined and made right here in the USA," Mr. Trump said.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Rico's capital and surrounding communities woke up without running water as a massive rationing measure took effect Friday. It comes amid a severe drought on top of shortages due to infrastructure issues on the island.

"It's brutal," San Juan resident Gloriany Baba told CBS News in Spanish. "It's unbelievable to live through this today."

Residents were seen filling up jugs and buckets with water ahead of the rationing, which affects more than 180,000 customer accounts — meaning households and businesses — in San Juan and six other municipalities. Customers were divided into two groups that will alternate not having water for at least 48 hours at a time.

Government officials have not said when the rationing will end and have warned the outages could be extended to 72 hours at a time.

In San Juan, July was the driest month in more than 120 years and the second hottest on record. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, about 36% of Puerto Rico is facing a severe drought, and another 32% is in a moderate drought.

"It's not going to take one tropical system. It's going to take many tropical systems and the winter precipitation for us to get out of this drought crisis," said Ada Monzon, the chief meteorologist at local station WAPA-TV.

The drought has put even more pressure on a water system already strained by decades of underinvestment, deferred maintenance and aging infrastructure.

Puerto Rico's water authority says roughly 65% of the water it produces is lost or goes unbilled, much of it through leaks and aging pipes.

The island's governor, Jenniffer González, has acknowledged years of neglect, but blamed the current problem on the weather. 

Communities in San Juan have documented at least 118 days in 2026 with repeated water outages before the rationing measures began. Service has been intermittent and has shut off for full days and multiple days at a time. Residents have also complained about very low pressure.

Low-income Puerto Ricans are spending money on bottled water, and the elderly are relying on neighbors and family to carry water to them.

Puerto Rico previously implemented rationing measures in 2020 and in 2015, when some 400,000 utility customers received water only every third day.

The lessons Audrey Nath and Emily Roth are teaching their young children don't include 10 religious laws that are taught in the Bible.

"My kids are young and they don't have the concept of murder … and adultery and servitude," Emily Roth told CBS News. 

The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 10 last year, which requires all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. One of several federal lawsuits challenging SB-10 failed in April when the law was upheld by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. That case, however, could still be appealed to the Supreme Court. 

Nath, Roth and a third Houston area mother, Sanjam Sohal, filed a state lawsuit last week in Harris County District Court alleging SB-10 violates the 1999 Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which states that "a government agency may not substantially burden a person's free exercise of religion."

The lawsuit also argues the law violates the Parental Rights constitutional amendment, which was championed by conservatives and passed by Texas voters in November 2025.

That amendment states that parents have the "fundamental right to exercise care, custody, and control" of their children, "including the right to make decisions concerning the child 's upbringing."

"This is presenting the beliefs of one religion as rules on the wall," Nath said of SB-10. "And I think that implies that any kids that believe something different aren't following the right thing at school."

Added Roth: "There can be a place for religion in school, if it's being taught in an historical context with other religions … I feel like if the state of Texas is going to let Christian nationalists dictate what goes on our kids' walls, they're going to hear from Texas moms."

Supporters of the law, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, argue that Biblical texts are an important part of the country's heritage and history and should be taught.

"Parental rights are fundamental, but they're not a license for one family to rewrite that for every child in Texas and what they learn in public schools," said Jonathan Covey, director of policy for the nonprofit Christian advocacy group Texas Values, one of the organizations that supplies schools with posters of the Ten Commandments. 

Texas is one of four states that currently require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in schools, along with Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas. Nearly a dozen other states are considering similar legislation, including West Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Indiana. 

Roth said she sees this legislation as opening a door to more religious instruction in schools.

"I feel like the door is wide open," Roth said. "I feel like Texas is being a test case right now, and I don't want my kids to be the guinea pigs."

CBS News has reached out to the Texas Office of the Attorney General and the Texas Education Agency for comment on the lawsuit. Both Paxton and Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath are named in the lawsuit. 

When children in Texas return to school next week, some classrooms still won't be displaying the Ten Commandments, however. The Arlington Independent School District said in a statement provided to CBS News that it is waiting for the federal court system to resolve a separate federal lawsuit that was filed against the law back in September by a group of 15 families.

Attorneys for those families told CBS News they plan to petition the Supreme Court in the next few weeks.  

"District leadership maintains that federal courts must ultimately resolve the conflict between state law and federal precedent surrounding S.B. 10," the Arlington ISD said in a statement. "While Arlington ISD has received donated copies of the Ten Commandments, schools remain legally prohibited from displaying them while the litigation remains pending in any form."

In Buxton, a village on one of the barrier islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks, it's go time for Dare County Manager Bobby Outten and his crew in their efforts to restore several miles of eroded shoreline. 

"We have a huge economy that we need to protect, and the only reason anybody comes to Dare County is to either fish, buy a boat or go to the beach," Outten told CBS News.

His crew is in the process of taking 2 million cubic yards of offshore sand from the ocean bottom and pumping it onto a 3-mile stretch of badly weathered and eroded beaches.

"So we're building a beach," Outten, who also serves as the Dare County attorney, explained. "Our beaches and our dunes are our levee system. That's what keeps the water out from damaging our infrastructure, protecting tourism, infrastructure."

In the fall of 2025, several homes on this stretch of beach in Buxton were swept into the Atlantic as the region was pummeled by powerful tides and flooding from multiple hurricanes. At the time, ocean waves were crashing 70 to 100 yards inland. It's an issue worsened by climate change that has plagued the area for the last six years. 

Since 2020, 32 homes in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore area north of Buxton have collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean, according to numbers from the National Park Service.  

Residents hope this new Dare County-funded project saves this area and protects any sort of future developments from new storms.

The shoreline will be widened up to 75 feet in certain stretches and will create a buffer for roads and surrounding homes.   This is the area's third attempt at a beach nourishment project. It is also the most expensive for county taxpayers, with a price tag of $50 million.

"If you allow the ocean to continue to erode, it takes out the highway, it takes out the power lines, the water lines, the internet, all the things that you take for granted," Outten said.   This work won't last forever, though. In about five years, crews will have to return and do it again, a costly and temporary bandage on a never-ending cycle.

The U.S. economy unexpectedly shed 23,000 jobs in July, undershooting economists' expectations and signaling the job market may be slowing. 

By the numbers

Economists polled by FactSet forecast employers added 95,000 jobs in July.

Losses in local government education and retail dragged down last month's employment data, with the sectors losing 50,000 and 19,000 jobs, respectively. Healthcare, the main driver of payroll gains this year, added 22,000 jobs last month.

The Labor Department also revised down the May and June jobs numbers by a combined 103,000, a sign that hiring was weaker than previously reported. 

"Hiring has gone into reverse — the economy actually shed jobs last month — and it turns out many of the jobs we thought were there in previous months never really existed," Nic Puckrin, markets expert and former Goldman Sachs analyst, said in an email.

Unemployment rate falls as labor force shrinks

The unemployment rate fell to 4.1% in July from 4.2% the previous month, but not for the right reasons. 

Experts said the jobless rate dip last month was due to people exiting the workforce, rather than a boost in hiring. The labor force participation rate — which tracks the percentage of people working or actively looking for a job — fell to 61.4% in July, the lowest level since February 2021. 

Part of that decline is due to a statistical quirk. A recent analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis found that a change in how the Labor Department calculates population data has created a large drag on the labor force participation rate. 

Still, other factors help explain workers' retreat from the labor force. 

"People leave the labor force because they don't see opportunities for themselves in it, and so they're not actively looking for a job," said Elise Gould, senior economist at the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute.

People leaving their jobs to retire and stricter immigration policies could also be discouraging people from seeking work, Indeed Hiring Lab senior economist Cory Stahle told CBS News.

"We also know that the aging U.S. population will exert a gravitational pull on the participation rate over the next 5 to 10 years as baby boomers retire, suggesting the downward trend will continue," he said.

What the experts say

Hiring remains generally more muted than in the post-pandemic years, when the U.S. economy experienced an employment rebound. Kory Kantenga, the head of economics, Americas, at LinkedIn, described the job market as "slow," especially for young people.

"There's not a lot of action. Unemployment is holding steady, but we haven't seen hiring pick up meaningfully in years," he told CBS News before the release of Friday's jobs report.

July data from LinkedIn shows hiring and job postings remained essentially unchanged from June. At the same time, job-seeking intensity — measured by applications per applicant — increased, suggesting competition is increasing for a limited number of roles.

While hiring remains stagnant, layoffs recently hit their lowest level in two years, recent data shows. Separate data released Thursday shows weekly unemployment claims remain historically low. The four-week average of initial jobless claims dipped below 200,000 for the week ending Aug. 1, marking the first time it has fallen below that threshold since October 2022, according to PNC Economics. 

"Although the hiring rate is low, the unemployment rate remains steady because layoffs are also low," Fed Governor Lisa Cook said during an event at the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation on Wednesday.

Americans with jobs are facing their own set of challenges. A new CBS News analysis of Census data found that while the typical American's wages have steadily increased since 2019, those gains have largely been offset by rapidly climbing consumer prices.

What does this mean for the Federal Reserve?

The unexpected job loss in July could ease pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates at its next meeting, which is scheduled for Sept. 15-16, Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, said in an email. Inflation data expected next week will be the "deciding factor," she said.

"If those numbers come in hotter than expected, a cooler labor market may not be enough to quiet the calls for hikes inside the Fed, or lower expectations outside of it," Zentner said.

The central bank has held interest rates steady for five consecutive meetings. However, some Fed officials have signaled they are open to raising rates to tame inflation, which remains well above the central bank's 2% target rate. At the most recent Fed meeting in July, three Federal Open Market Committee members voted to raise rates, while nine voted to hold rates steady. 

Washington — Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana announced Friday that he will support Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general, clearing the way for him to lead the Justice Department in a permanent capacity.

"Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this, but the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche," Cassidy said in remarks on the Senate floor announcing his support. "It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche."

With Cassidy's backing, Blanche is expected to clinch his confirmation for attorney general, though by a narrow margin. While Republicans control the Senate, Blanche could only afford to lose the votes of two GOP senators and still win approval for the role of the nation's top law enforcement official given Sen. Mitch McConnell's absence. 

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska had already announced their plans to oppose Blanche's nomination, making Cassidy the decisive vote. All Democrats are expected to vote against Blanche for attorney general.

The Senate is planning to hold votes on a number of GOP priorities on Friday before leaving Washington for a five-week recess. It's unclear whether the chamber will vote on Blanche's confirmation as part of that sprint, since speeding up the process would require consent from Democrats.

In his Senate floor speech, Cassidy said the choice between Blanche and a different acting attorney general "puts at risk the progress made fighting violent crime, human and drug trafficking, and fraud."

"This does not serve the American people well," he said. "This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances. All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche."

Blanche's nomination

Mr. Trump announced Blanche as his nominee for attorney general in June to replace Pam Bondi, whom he ousted in April. Blanche, who was the president's former personal defense lawyer, has been serving as acting attorney general since Bondi's firing.

But his path to confirmation has been tenuous, as key Republican senators took issue with Blanche's role in establishing the $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund designed to provide payouts to people who alleged they had been unfairly targeted by the federal government.

Senators raised concerns that defendants convicted of assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol could be given taxpayer-backed payments. Cassidy was among the seven Republicans who voted to convict Mr. Trump on a charge of incitement of insurrection during his second impeachment trial in February 2021. The president, whose first term had already ended, was acquitted by the upper chamber.

The "anti-weaponization" fund was part of a settlement agreement the president reached with the IRS in May to resolve a $10 billion civil lawsuit he filed over the leak of his tax returns by a former government contractor.

In addition to the $1.8 billion program, the Justice Department also agreed to grant Mr. Trump, members of his family and affiliated entities sweeping immunity from tax audits and investigations.

Cassidy said Blanche demonstrated "poor judgment" by approving the "anti-weaponization" fund and granting the president immunity from tax probes. The Louisiana senator said that he is also "concerned" with prosecutions against Mr. Trump's perceived political enemies, though he added that "presidents of both parties have been guilty of this."

"It must stop. It should stop now," he said. "A never-ending cycle of prosecuting political enemies undermines the rule of law, degrades the public's trust in our institutions, and makes our politics more extreme when we need to unite to solve the big problems of our time."

Still, he said Blanche is "criticized for things over which he has no control," such as the president's pardons for defendants convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack.

Pushback to the "anti-weaponization" fund and the immunity deal threatened to derail Blanche's nomination, though he tried to assuage senators' concerns during his confirmation hearing.

While the acting attorney general told senators that the fund was "dead," the Justice Department negotiated for weeks with two key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, before securing their backing for Blanche earlier this week.

To earn their support, Blanche issued a new order rescinding a May directive that established the "anti-weaponization" fund and clarified the scope of the tax immunity deal for Mr. Trump.

Following the agreement, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines Tuesday to advance Blanche's nomination to the Senate floor.

But beyond the "anti-weaponization" fund and immunity deal for Mr. Trump, Blanche also came under scrutiny from senators for the Justice Department's handling of the release of more than 3 million pages of documents from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as his meeting last year with Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend of Epstein's who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.

Blanche acknowledged during his confirmation hearing that "mistakes were made" with some of the Epstein documents, which contained the unredacted names and personal information of victims of his sex-trafficking operation. He also met with survivors of Epstein's crimes at the Justice Department last month after Tillis said he would withhold support until Blanche did so.

But some of the survivors criticized Blanche for his conduct during the meeting, with one describing it as a "check-the-box exercise" designed to secure votes for his confirmation. They urged senators to reject his nomination.

Two-term Rep. Andy Ogles lost the Republican primary for his Tennessee House seat, The Associated Press projects, despite securing an endorsement from President Trump.

With virtually all of the vote counted in Thursday's primary, Hatcher led Ogles by just over six percentage points, according to unofficial results released by the state.

With just over 80% of votes counted in Thursday's primary, Ogles trailed former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher by just over six points, according to results compiled by The AP.

It marks the second loss this week by a congressional candidate backed by Mr. Trump, whose endorsement typically carries significant sway in Republican primaries. In a Michigan GOP House primary two days earlier, Trump-endorsed candidate Amir Hassan lost to Thomas Smith, who had suspended his campaign weeks earlier.

Mr. Trump brushed off Ogles' loss on Friday, calling him "a person who I remained loyal to even though he had virtually no chance of winning, and was running against a Great 'Trump' Candidate."

The president offered Hatcher his endorsement in the general election. Hatcher will face Democratic nominee Chaz Molder, the mayor of Columbia, Tennessee, in November. The district is deeply conservative.

A member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, Ogles secured the president's endorsement last November, and Mr. Trump again urged people to vote for the "Conservative Warrior" in an Election Day social media post. But Hatcher was endorsed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and former Gov. Bill Haslam.

Ogles has drawn controversy for incendiary rhetoric on social media, including posts stating that "homosexuality has no place in America" and that "Muslims don't belong in American society." He deleted the post about homosexuality, saying the "stupid" and "hurtful" post was written by a member of his staff who was later "reprimanded."

Ogles' phone was seized by the FBI in 2024 as part of a campaign finance-related investigation. The lawmaker pushed back on the move, and the Justice Department agreed to return his phone earlier this year. He was not charged with a crime.

Earlier this year, Ogles' district was redrawn as part of a broader redistricting effort that broke up Tennessee's sole Democratic-leaning seat. The district previously covered parts of Middle Tennessee near Nashville, but it now snakes more than 200 miles from the Nashville suburbs to Memphis.

Both Ogles and Hatcher have sought to align themselves with Mr. Trump while running in the deep-red district. But Hatcher has taken some jabs at Ogles' rhetoric, calling him a "show horse" and arguing: "Think what President Trump could do if our congressman spent less time talking and more time doing."

Ogles was also outspent in the race, raising $613,135 to Hatcher's $719,503, according to Federal Election Commission filings. And a pro-clean energy super PAC called the Invest In Tomorrow Coalition spent around $2 million to support Hatcher and oppose Ogles last month. The group's donors include tech billionaire Chris Larsen and several renewable energy companies.

Ogles criticized the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition in the final days of the race, accusing the national left-leaning group of "interfering in a Republican primary" and trying to buy his seat because he "openly fought against green energy subsidies in Congress." 

In a Thursday night statement, Invest In Tomorrow Coalition Chair Tom Matzzie vowed to "continue to punish members of either party who want to play politics with American jobs, energy security, and utility prices."

"Tennessee's 5th District just proved once again that standing in the way of America's energy future comes with a hefty political price," said Matzzie, who is also the CEO of electricity supplier CleanChoice Energy.

In an interview on CBS News' "The Takeout with Major Garrett," Hatcher said he was "as surprised as anybody" about the support from the Invest In Tomorrow Coalition. Noting that his campaign was not allowed to coordinate with the super PAC, he said he recognized the group's ads were "pretty good for me" but "didn't know anything about it."

"We need to be energy independent," Hatcher said. "I'm for all sources of energy. That makes sense to me."

Hatcher chalked up his victory in part to the fact that the district was so dramatically redrawn. A large number of new voters were shifted in, and much of the district is dominated by agriculture, which Hatcher — a dairy farmer and livestock veterinarian who ran on the slogan "hire a farmer" — viewed as an area of strength.

"In many cases, [voters] didn't know Charlie Hatcher or Andy Ogles, but if they were in an ag community, they knew Charlie Hatcher," the GOP nominee told CBS News.

In a victory speech Thursday night, Hatcher said Ogles had called him to concede and offered to help him transition into the job.

"I don't know what D.C. is going to be like. It's going to be a new environment for me," Hatcher told Nikki Hauser, a reporter for Nashville CBS affiliate WTVF. "I appreciate anybody that can mentor me and help me in that process ... He was nice enough to do that, and I accepted it."

American intelligence assessments indicate Russian President Vladimir Putin could be increasingly willing to authorize provocative actions that could extend onto NATO territory, U.S. officials briefed on the matter told CBS News.

Those actions could include hybrid operations, cyberattacks and other deniable measures short of a conventional military campaign, the officials said.

The assessments reflect a shift in Putin's risk calculus compared with just a few months ago, U.S. officials say. The likely goal would not necessarily be to trigger a broader conflict, but to test NATO's unity and the Trump administration's willingness to respond to an attack on a NATO ally, according to the officials.

The discovery earlier this week of an explosive-laden drone at an airport in Leipzig, Germany, is assessed by the U.S. to be of Russian origin, officials said.

Officials point to a pattern of other actions that have heightened concerns, including Russian drone incursions into Romania, a Russian missile that crossed into Poland last month and a broader uptick in suspected sabotage, cyber operations and other hybrid tactics across Europe.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other European leaders have long argued publicly that Russia is expanding its use of hybrid tactics. "We are Russia's next target, and we are already in harm's way," Rutte warned last December, adding Moscow could be ready to use military force against NATO "within five years."

The U.S. assessments come as Russia continues to absorb enormous losses on the battlefield in Ukraine. 

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said at a defense forum last month that U.S. intelligence is consistent with public battlefield estimates that newly arrived Russian recruits survive just 20 to 30 minutes before being killed or wounded, largely because of Ukraine's use of AI-powered attack drones. U.S. officials have said Russia is losing roughly 30,000 troops a month, or between 5,000 and 7,000 a week — losses that are outpacing its recruitment rate.

U.S. diplomatic efforts to end the war, meanwhile, have stalled, with no clear path to renewed negotiations.

The CIA declined to comment on the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies, and NATO has not yet responded to a request for comment. CBS News has reached out to the Russian Embassy in Washington for comment.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the assessment.

Under Article 5 of the treaty that created NATO, members of the 32-country bloc are expected to come to each other's defense, treating an attack on any member state as an attack on them all.

President Trump has expressed doubts about that arrangement at times, saying last year there are "numerous definitions of Article 5" and he isn't sure that NATO member states would come to the defense of the United States if needed. (Article 5 was invoked for the only time in history after the U.S. was targeted by al-Qaeda on Sept. 11, 2001.)

At other points, Mr. Trump has said the U.S. would protect NATO members.

Mr. Trump has lashed out at some NATO member states, accusing some allies of not spending enough on their own defense and criticizing them for not joining the U.S. war with Iran. 

His administration has also sought to shift more responsibility for defense to European states, and has weighed pulling thousands of troops from Germany, though the president called off plans to cancel a deployment of troops to Poland earlier this year.

This week, CBS News received another recording from inside the notorious Evin Prison in Iran with an update from U.S. citizen and journalist Reza Valizadeh.  

He last reached out in June, and he wants his most recent statement to be made public, as well, according to his attorney Ryan Fayhee.

Valizadeh is one of the five U.S. citizens still trapped in Iran, two of them at Evin. Three others are believed to be under exit bans, which means Iranian authorities are preventing them from leaving the country.

In this latest recording obtained by CBS News, Valizadeh shared updates about his condition and that of fellow American Kamran Hekmati, who was just ordered back to prison after having been granted medical leave that lasted under 30 days. 

Hekmati attempted to get medical care for what is believed to be a recurring cancer, according to his U.S.-based advocate, Kieran Ramsey, of Global Reach. He was unable to obtain chemotherapy treatment, however. Hekmati is a Jewish Iranian-American from New York, and about to turn 62 next week. He was arrested after the 12-day Israel-Iran war in 2025 on charges related to past travel to Israel. The State Department considers both Hekmati and Valizadeh to be wrongfully detained. 

Valizadeh is a dual Iranian American citizen who used to work for Radio Free Europe's Persian language service and has been imprisoned in Iran since 2024. He said that for the past five months, the Iranian authorities haven't allowed his family to visit, which he believes is punishment. 

He said he is also worried about exposure to a fellow prisoner who was suffering symptoms of tuberculosis, like coughing up blood, and says for more than a year now the prisoners have had little to no medical care. CBS News shared the remarks with the Iranian mission based at the United Nations, and was told it had no comment. 

Valizadeh's lawyer, Ryan Fayhee, said in a statement that it is essential that President Trump prioritize the release of wrongfully detained Americans in his negotiations with Iran. 

The Trump administration has never publicly confirmed that it has raised the specific cases of the American detainees in Iran during past months of negotiations. 

In June, a Trump administration official told CBS News in a statement that the administration is closely tracking Valizadeh's case, along with the other U.S. citizens currently detained in Iran, and is "working diligently" to secure their release. 

It is risky for Valizadeh to release this message, but he's desperate. 

Here is a transcript of the part of Valizadeh's voice memo from inside Evin Prison that CBS News received this week and that has been cleared for release by his attorney and advocate:

We, the prisoners of Evin Prison, have been denied access to the prison library and sport facilities for more than a year. Medical care in the prison is almost non-existent. Only the most basic medications are available.

Even worse, many medicines purchased and delivered by prisoners' families are stolen by prison staff before reaching the prisoners. The prison's doctors are rude, unmotivated and lack professional competence. As a result, most prisoners avoid seeking medical treatment unless they have no other choice.

Diseases that were eradicated decades ago have returned inside the prison, including pulmonary and gastrointestinal tuberculosis. One prisoner suffered TB symptoms, including coughing up blood and severe weight loss for six months. He was sent to a hospital outside the prison only when his condition became life-threatening. Before that, he had lived in close quarters with other prisoners for about 10 months. No one knows how many inmates may have been exposed to or infected with tuberculosis.

On the other hand, because of the poor quality of prison food, most prisoners refuse to eat the meals provided by the prison. Recently, authorities have started transferring non-political prisoners, mainly those convicted of financial crimes, from other prisons into our ward. This appears to be an attempt to weaken the unity of political prisoners and change the composition of our ward. Our ward already lacks the space and facilities to accommodate more prisoners.

Whenever prisoners raise even minor protests about prison conditions, they are punished by losing family visits and phone calls.

For example, I have not been allowed to see my family for the past five months. Part of this has been imposed as punishment, while the rest has been justified by the authorities due to the wartime situation…. Regarding other American citizens imprisoned in Evin, my knowledge is limited to Kamran Hekmati. Based on what I know, there are no other U.S. citizens in my ward, and they are most likely being held in another prison. 

Kamran Hekmati, an Iranian American prisoner, was guaranteed medical leave for cancer treatment. However, after only one month and before the end of his approved 45-day medical furlough, he was ordered back to prison. This happened, even though his leave should have been extended so he could begin chemotherapy.

Washington — A federal appeals court on Friday said the Trump White House lacks the authority to unilaterally construct a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom where the East Wing once stood, finding that the $400 million project requires congressional approval.

President Trump quickly said he would appeal the ruling directly to the Supreme Court, setting up a showdown before the justices over the ballroom's controversial construction.

In a 2-1 decision, a panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with a lower court in ruling that the White House "very likely" lacked authority to demolish and rebuild the East Wing. The judges said Congress has "full constitutional control over federal property and the funding of its maintenance and development," and noted an "absence of any express or implied authorization" that grants President Trump the ability to construct the ballroom.

"Each President is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its Executive Residence. The President has no — and claims no — constitutionally assigned authority over that property, which is designed and maintained for the use of all Presidents, current and future, and for the American people," the judges wrote in their opinion.

"We are aware of no instance in American history in which a President unilaterally and using privately collected funds demolished substantial portions of the White House that Congress authorized to be built and American taxpayers paid for," the judges said. "Until now."

Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia wrote the majority opinion. Judge Neomi Rao, who was nominated to the federal bench by Mr. Trump, dissented. Millett and Garcia were nominated by Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, respectively. 

The judges stayed their decision for 14 days to give the government the chance to appeal.

"This holding has nothing at all to do with whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or not, as a matter of policy," the majority wrote. "This ruling does not even necessarily mean that the Defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom. What it does mean is that the Defendants may not do so during the district court's expeditious litigation without securing Congress's authorization, as the Constitution and laws require."

In her dissent, Rao wrote that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sued in lower court to block Mr. Trump's project, did not have proper legal standing to bring the lawsuit. Rao accused the lower court judge who initially blocked the construction, and her colleagues, of "judicial overreach."

Reacting to the decision, Mr. Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that the administration "will be immediately appealing to the United States Supreme Court" and called the ruling "horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful."

"This unjust decision must be overturned by the Supreme Court in its entirety," the president wrote.

He claimed it "severely jeopardizes the lives and welfare of the people who work, and will be working, at the White House," because halting work on the ballroom would impact construction of the underground bunker that is part of the project. However, the lower court's ruling that the appeals panel upheld explicitly allows work on the presidential bunker to continue.

In a statement, Brent Leggs, the president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said he was "pleased" with the ruling.

"This decision is particularly meaningful as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and advocate for renewed protections for historic preservation," Leggs said. "The White House, a global landmark that symbolizes American identity and the ideals of democracy, belongs to the American people. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and its partners are proud to defend this irreplaceable monument on behalf of all Americans." 

The legal battle over the ballroom

In March, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that a legal challenge brought by a preservation group that sued to block Mr. Trump's construction project was likely to succeed on the merits, because "no statute" that the government used to justify the construction "comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have." Mr. Trump tore down the East Wing last October and began construction without congressional approval.

The administration contended in court filings that a statute permitting the White House to perform routine maintenance and repairs to the executive mansion provides a legal justification for the project. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also argued in court filings that the panel should order the resumption of construction because the recent attempted attack at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in April underscored the need for a secure ballroom on White House grounds.  

After the Trump administration appealed the initial ruling, the appellate judges ordered Leon to reconsider the possible national security implications of halting the construction. Weeks later, he amended his ruling, finding that above-ground work on the East Wing must stop, but underground construction could continue.

In April, the panel granted an administrative stay sought by the Justice Department that allowed all White House ballroom construction to continue while the court considered briefs and heard arguments last month. 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the administration late last year for allegedly failing to adhere to federal guidelines prior to demolishing the East Wing and breaking ground on a ballroom. The Trust also questioned the $400 million project's funding mechanism, which the president claims is largely from private donations.

The ballroom project came together quickly after Mr. Trump announced it last summer. A panel of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, filled with the president's allies, voted unanimously to approve the ballroom proposal in February. The National Park Service has said construction could wrap up by mid-2028.

The project has drawn scrutiny from congressional Democrats and preservation groups who argue that the Trump administration was making major changes to the White House without enough public input. The administration has defended the project, casting it as a useful addition to the complex and part of a long line of alterations to the White House.

Police released surveillance video footage Friday showing chilling moments from last weekend's deadly shooting that started at an Idaho In-N-Out restaurant.

Three people were killed in last Saturday's rampage in Twin Falls, Idaho. The gunman, 24-year-old Chad Williams, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said during a news conference Friday that investigators still don't know the motive for the shooting.

Security camera footage released Friday shows the shooting started in the In-N-Out's drive-thru. The gunman shot from his car through the payment window, hitting 23-year-old Ashley Garibay, of Stockton, California, who died later at a hospital, police said.

The gunman pulled up in the drive-thru lane and parked. He got out of his car and shot 59-year-old Christopher Claunch of Hagerman, Idaho, in his vehicle, who died at the scene, police said.

Austin James, a former Idaho State Police trooper and former Twin Falls police officer, ran toward the gunman and was shot, police said. He retreated to his car, drew his own weapon but pulled back because of his wounds, police said.

The gunman went back to the payment window and fired into the In-N-Out again as employees tried to help Garibay, police said. His handgun jammed and he went back to his car to get a rifle.

An unidentified off-duty state police trooper in the restaurant moved past workers toward the payment window and exchanged fire with the gunman.

The gunman then left the restaurant and walked toward a street, firing at vehicles stopped at a red light, wounding three people, police said.

At a nearby parking lot, the gunman went to a Tesla charging station and fired at three people in two Teslas, including the third person who died, 66-year-old Dale Schultz, of Salt Lake City, police said.

Outside the Twin Falls Visitor Center, the gunman came across workers who evacuated from nearby stores. One of them started talking with the gunman, which let others get away from him, police said.

"To that young man, you are a hero," Hicks said Friday. "Your courage, your composure, your selflessness in that moment likely gave others the time they needed to escape harm. In the middle of fear and chaos, you thought of others, and that kind of bravery deserves to be acknowledged."

Police didn't identify the worker.

Braxton Stuebe, who was working at a Dick's Sporting Goods store near the scene, told CBS affiliate KMVT-TV he came face-to-face with the gunman after running out of the store.

"I saw the gun and I kind of just froze. I put my hands up and that's when he pointed the gun directly at me," he said. "The only thing I was really thinking was, don't try and make any sudden movements, don't try and run. Just hopefully talk to him and hopefully he can change his mind."

"I said, I have a family. I said, you don't have to do this. I'll tell you whatever you want. I'll do anything," Stuebe said. Then, the gunman "just got like emotional, it seemed like. And he said to me, just get away from me, man." But a moment later, "He turns back around and kind of has a firearm on his hip. As he's walking backwards, he fires a shot towards me. Thankfully, he had missed me."

Washington — The Pentagon on Friday released a new batch of documents and images related to UFOs, also known as unidentified anomalous phenomena or UAP, including a military pilot's recollection of a huge, strange triangle that blocked out the stars over Afghanistan in 2002.

The 41 new files, posted on the Pentagon's UFO website, include a mix of documents, images and videos. The records come from the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, State Department and Executive Office of the President, with the oldest being from 1950 and the most recent being from this year. 

The disclosure is the fifth release under an executive order President Trump signed in January directing the military and other agencies to produce more documents related to UFOs.

What's in the new UFO files?

The bulk of Friday's release includes the type of grainy videos that have been the hallmark of past disclosures, showing flying objects captured by military sensors and cameras.

Six of the videos show different versions of the same incident — an encounter over the Gulf of Oman by Special Operations forces on an AC-130J gunship in September 2021. The clips are cellphone videos of screens on the gunship, showing objects picked up by its infrared and other sensors. 

An accompanying intelligence report sheds more light on the footage. The report said the forces onboard the gunship "observed approximately 25 instances of UAPs while conducting a live fire exercise in the Gulf of Oman."

"The UAPs were observed as cold orbs flying at lower altitudes between 250 to 1300 MPH in different formations as well as maneuvering aggressively. UAPs also appeared to react to the aircraft firing its main cannon," the report said. 

The encounter could not be resolved by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, the Pentagon's UAP investigative arm.

One clip submitted by U.S. Central Command shows footage captured by a military aircraft over a populated area in the Middle East in 2025. The video shows what appears to be an object zooming across the screen. The incident also remains unresolved.

Another video shows footage captured by a "U.S. Government Special Agent" in the western U.S. this year. The Pentagon said the video "features two, slow-moving 'black-hot' areas of contrast, visible in infrared imaging."

A partially redacted report about that encounter said the agent received a report about a radio frequency being detected and soon pointed a handheld infrared sensor in its direction. 

"He saw a black object in the sky. It was not moving fast. He took pictures using the optical device. While observing he saw a second object to the right of the first and took additional photos/videos. The objects were moving together at the same speed," the FBI report said. "Both were black hot. He lost view of the objects when they traveled a distance out of view. Total observation time was approximately 5 - 10 minutes."

Friday's release includes eight 302 forms, which the FBI uses to record the details of witness interviews. All eight include redactions to shield confidential information, and most are paired with artist renderings from the bureau showing the objects that the witnesses described. Others were released along video footage that the interviewees captured, showing what appear to be orbs and other light sources in the sky. 

One noteworthy 302 report records an interview with a former military pilot in 2024. The pilot told an agent that military pilots began seeing strange lights in the sky between midnight and 3 a.m. the year before. The pilot said he first saw the lights during a flight from Massachusetts to Ireland in October 2023.

"[Redacted] was at an elevation of 37,000 feet and believed the lights were higher than him, probably at 50,000 feet or higher. The lights were white in color, would start out as dim, and get brighter before they eventually faded out," the report said. "The full cycle of the lights would range from 10 seconds to one minute."

The pilot said he saw the lights roughly 10 times after that first experience. 

He also told the agent about something he saw while serving in Afghanistan in 2002. 

"At approximately 4:30 AM local time, [redacted] noticed that the stars were getting blacked out over Bagram. It appeared as if something huge went overhead, from west to east, and was an equilateral triangle shape. The object was moving silently, at a consistent speed and altitude, possibly 150 knots, with no lights visible," the agent wrote. 

The pilot "estimated it was 500 feet in size, but he could not fully see the shape of the object." He reported that the pilot he was with "also observed the triangle, and when it passed over stated, 'did you see that?'" 

The FBI produced this artist's rendering of the object:

The Pentagon said that Friday's document disclosure won't be the last under Mr. Trump's executive order, with a spokesman saying the department "will release additional files on a rolling basis."

The new liaison to local law enforcement for the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles is facing state criminal charges himself, and has a string of prior convictions for driving under the influence, public records show.

Shawn Christopher Lewis, who previously served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli's chief of staff when he was a California assemblyman, was hired by and now works for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California as a community resource specialist, a spokesperson for Essayli's office confirmed.

Lewis, the spokesperson added, "wears many hats" and will also help in public affairs, a role that entails drafting press releases, speaking with reporters and promoting the work of the office.

Lewis was hired even though he has been convicted for driving under the influence at least three times — in 2013, 2015 and 2021, according to public records obtained by CBS News. 

He is currently facing charges of misdemeanor batteryand taking property in Sacramento, after he allegedly repeatedly punched a man in the head and face and threw his cellphone onto the roof of a nearby building, preventing him from calling 911, according to police reports, court filings and an interview with the alleged victim. 

The May 12 police report shows Lewis was initially also booked on charges of resisting arrest and public intoxication, in addition to the battery charge he now faces in Sacramento Superior Court, records show.

Lewis was still on probation for his third DUI conviction when Sacramento police arrested him. On Wednesday, the Yolo County District Attorney's Office filed a violation of probation and an order to appear in court for that case too, records show. 

Lewis also previously violated probation after his first DUI in San Mateo County, according to court records.  

Jeff Raven, an attorney for Lewis, told CBS News in a statement that his client is innocent and presumed as such unless proven guilty.

"Mr. Lewis welcomes an opportunity to clear his name," Raven said. 

He added that Lewis was hired by the Justice Department earlier this year, but did not start until more recently.

Lewis applied for a position that was publicly posted, Raven said, and "in accordance with standard hiring and screening procedures, accepted an offer in February of this year." 

Raven said Lewis continued to work for the legislature through the beginning of July before beginning his new job with the U.S. attorney's office. "This transition had nothing to do with his pending legal matters," Raven said.

Essayli referred all questions from CBS News to the spokesperson for his office. 

Lewis "applied for a position in our office that was publicly advertised in late 2025," according to the statement provided to CBS News from the U.S. Attorney's Office. "In February 2026, he accepted an offer to join our office. We do not comment on personnel matters."

Former Justice Department officials said Essayli's decision to hire a former staffer with a criminal background to conduct outreach to law enforcement undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system.

"Courts and the public can't trust DOJ to enforce the law fairly and effectively when the administration hires lawbreakers to fill high-level positions," said Stacey Young, a former Justice Department attorney who founded the nonprofit advocacy group Justice Connection. 

Current and former Justice Department officials say that in past years, someone with a criminal history like Lewis' would not be able to pass a background check and gain employment in a U.S. attorney's office.

But as the Justice Department continues to see employees departing in droves and struggles to recruit new personnel, the pattern of hiring people with a history of criminal convictions, court sanctions or other professional discipline has become increasingly common.  

Some 16,000 employees have left the Justice Department since January 2025, according to recent data published by Justice Connection, and the department has started offering retention bonuses in some cases to try to lure in new talent.

Attorney General Todd Blanche's deputy chief of staff Shane Hedges, for example, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in a 2001 drunk driving incident that killed Montana's former majority leader Paul Sliter, according to media reports at the time. He was sentenced to community service and six months in a halfway house. 

Aakash Singh, an associate deputy attorney general who has been closely involved in many of the Justice Department's most politically sensitive investigations, was also arrested for drunk driving in September 2021, according to police and court records. 

At the time, he was serving as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of North Carolina. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to serve 24 hours of community service, pay $393, and undergo a substance abuse assessment, court records show.

A Justice Department spokesperson said that Singh's DUI incident, which occurred during Attorney General Merrick Garland's tenure, was delegated to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina to handle.

In a letter he received in early 2022, officials determined that while he had violated the law, he was ultimately "an asset to the office," the department told CBS News.

The department added his clearance was renewed when he started serving as associate deputy attorney general in 2025.

"I am surprised that DOJ hiring standards seem to have slipped so dramatically," said Michael Bromwich, who previously served as the Justice Department's inspector general — a job that entails investigating waste, fraud and abuse.

"All these officials should have had to pass what is supposed to be a rigorous background investigation. It is surprising that either the background investigation failed to learn of these issues or the person with final authority for hiring was willing to overlook or excuse these significant issues," Bromwich said. "Neither speaks well for the level of integrity currently acceptable to the leaders of the Department of Justice."

Hedges and Singh could not be reached for comment. 

A Justice Department spokesperson told CBS News that every employee "goes through a thorough background check and employment screening" and that politically appointed officials are vetted through the Presidential Personnel Office as well.

"These are well- and long-established standards," the spokesperson continued. "All employees go through the same clearance process, for which there is a baseline depending on the level of clearance, and the higher up, the more detailed it gets. Employees are also subject to regular re-investigations and to intense reporting standards." 

Battery charge against Lewis

The pending battery charge against Lewis stems from a confrontation with a former colleague and social acquaintance who previously worked with Lewis in the state Capitol in California.

The alleged victim told CBS News in an interview that on May 12, he went out with Lewis and a female friend of his who was dating Lewis at the time. At one point, he said, Lewis grew angry with his girlfriend and became "frustrated and physically imposing." 

In an effort to protect her, the alleged victim tried to intervene and de-escalate the situation, he told CBS News.

"He suddenly became extremely angry," the man said of Lewis, adding that out of nowhere, Lewis punched him in the head and face and pushed him to the ground. 

"He punched me multiple times," he said, adding that he also broke bones in his right hand as he sought to defend himself. 

During the skirmish, Lewis allegedly threw the victim's phone onto a roof, prompting the victim to flag down bystanders to call 911 because he couldn't call himself.

Lewis' previous convictions

Court records reviewed by CBS News show that Lewis has violated the terms of probation from several of his previous DUI convictions.

After he was convicted in San Mateo County for a DUI in 2013, court records indicate he violated the terms of his probation by failing to enroll in a court-ordered program for first-time DUI offenders. A judge revoked his probation and issued a bench warrant for his arrest. 

By then, Lewis had been arrested again. A CBS News review of court records shows Lewis was arrested in Sacramento County in February 2015, less than a year after his first conviction and while he was still on probation in the San Mateo case. 

Prosecutors charged him with drunk driving and with driving on a suspended license. He was convicted of a second DUI that March. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office confirmed that he was jailed twice that spring in connection with the case. 

In 2022, Lewis was convicted on his third DUI, this time in Yolo County, following a 2021 arrest, and pleaded no contest. Court records show his blood alcohol level was at least 0.15%, nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08%. 

He was sentenced to 120 days in jail and five years of probation, ordered to complete an 18-month program for repeat DUI offenders and required to have an ignition interlock device that prevents his car from starting if it detects alcohol on his breath. 

Records show Lewis completed the 18-month program in 2024.

He was still on probation for that case in May when Sacramento police arrested him for battery, resisting arrest and public intoxication, according to the arrest report. 

On Wednesday, the Yolo County District Attorney's Office filed a violation of probation and asked that his probation be revoked, a request that is awaiting a judge's approval. Lewis was sent a notice to appear in Yolo County Superior Court on Aug. 19.

Lewis is not the first person hired at the Justice Department during President Trump's second term who has been accused of assault in the past.

Last year, the Civil Rights Division hired Megan Frederick, a former Culpeper commonwealth's attorney who performed work for the voting section and more recently, the criminal section.

While she was a commonwealth's attorney, Frederick was accused of assaulting a probation officer and an IT systems administrator, according to local press reports from that time. In both cases, the incidents were triggered by a dispute between Frederick and then-Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins over access to information.

She denied both accusations. The IT employeelater filed a civil assault and battery case against Frederick, and a judge in Virginia found her liable and ordered her to pay $1,500 in damages, according to local press accounts and court records.

Earlier this year, her employment with the Justice Department ended, and she was escorted out of the building, according to several sources briefed on the matter. 

CBS News could not determine why her employment ended. Efforts by CBS News to reach Frederick for comment were unsuccessful. 

One official previously said her probation period was not being extended. But the probation period at the Justice Department is usually two years, and she was employed there for less than two years. Another official later told CBS News she resigned.

Before Frederick was escorted out, the rest of the prosecutors and other staff in the office were asked to leave the building and they waited nearly 90 minutes across the street inside a local coffee shop while the personnel issue unfolded, several of the sources said.

Updated suitability and fitness regulations at Justice Dept.

Last month, the Justice Department's top security officer issued a memo announcing that the federal government was updating its employment suitability and fitness regulations to apply to all department employees — and not just those with security clearances.

Under that new regulation, employees must self-report "major life changes" such as arrests, significant financial strain such as bankruptcy, criminal sexual behavior, "questionable judgment, dishonesty, or unwillingness to comply with rules and regulations," illegal drug use and "excessive alcohol use," the memo shows.

"Failure to report required information is considered a security violation," the July 29 memo said. "Eligibility and employment can be jeopardized for failing to report adverse information about yourself or another covered individual."