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The Dictatorship

Foreign minister leaves Islamabad without meeting US envoys…

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Foreign minister leaves Islamabad without meeting US envoys…

Edited By  BRIAN P. D. HANNON and AISHA I. JEFFERSON

Today’s live updates have ended. Follow more live coverage on the Iran war.

Iran’s foreign minister will visit Pakistan again

That’s according to a report by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

It says Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will return to Pakistan after his current visit to Oman on his way to visiting Russia.

The report said he was expected to be back in Islamabad on Sunday and would join other members of his delegation who had gone to Tehran for consultations and “instructions on the topics related to the end of the war.”

US says it’s hunting for explosive mines in latest push to open the Strait of Hormuz

Trump says the U.S. Navy is clearing Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz. The vital sea route for Persian Gulf oil is closed to most ships, and that’s a strain on the global economy.

Experts say sweeping for underwater explosives could take months despite a tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

Any future claims that the U.S. cleared the waterway where 20% of the world’s oil typically passes might fail to convince commercial freighters and their insurers that it’s finally safe.

“There’s only so much the U.S. can do to give that confidence back to commercial shipping,” said Emma Salisbury, a scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s National Security Program.

Seeking out mines is among the latest tactics announced by the Trump administration to get traffic moving again through the strait as rising energy prices and wider economic effects pose a political risk.

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Trump says Iran presented new offers 10 minutes after he canceled US team’s trip

Amid the stalled negotiations with Iran, the president said the Iranians sent over a new peace proposal, but that it “could have been better,” and rejected it.

“They gave us a paper that could have been better, and interestingly, immediately when I canceled it, within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better,” Trump said to reporters on Saturday before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from Florida.

The President wouldn’t offer specifics about what was in the latest proposal other than saying “they offered a lot.” But he stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump said he cancelled the latest rounds of negotiations with Iran because it was “a lot of traveling” and because his negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, “weren’t meeting with the leader of the country.”

Trump said the U.S. will “deal by telephone and they can call us anytime they want” before adding that “we have all the cards.”

Israeli fire kills one Palestinian in Gaza, health officials say

The drone strike near a school in northern Gaza City wounded at least two others, according to officials at Shifa hospital, where the casualties arrived.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israel continues to carry out near-daily strikes across Gaza, where more than 800 Palestinians have been killed despite a fragile ceasefire with Hamas since October, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Pakistan PM, Iran president hold ‘warm’ talks on regional situation

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by phone on Saturday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, holding what he described as a “warm and constructive discussion” on the evolving regional situation.

In a post on X, Sharif said he appreciated Iran’s continued engagement, including the dispatch of a high-level delegation to Islamabad led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

He added that, with the support of friends and partners, Pakistan remains committed to serving as an “honest and sincere facilitator” to advance durable peace and lasting stability in the region.

Netanyahu orders ‘vigorous’ strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

Netanyahu orders “vigorous” strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

The statement by the prime minister’s office follows a string of rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel and on Israeli ground troops in southern Lebanon on Saturday. There were no injuries.

Also on Saturday, Israel launched multiple airstrikes in southern Lebanon while a fragile temporary ceasefire was in effect, killing at least six people it said were Hezbollah militants.

Netanyahu has instructed the army “to vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon,” the statement said, without providing further detail.

Iran’s top diplomat arrives in Oman

Abbas Araghchi has arrived in the capital, Muscat. He’s expected to meet about regional developments. Oman was a mediator for indirect talks before the war.

Iran says continued US naval blockade will trigger ‘powerful response’

Iran’s joint military command warned in a statement Saturday that if the U.S. continues its “naval blockades, banditry, and piracy in the region,” it will provoke a decisive military response from Iran.

The statement, carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, added that if the U.S. and Israel renewed their aggression, they would face more losses.

It remains unclear whether Iran and the U.S. will resume negotiations soon. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan, the key mediator in the negotiations between the two countries, a few hours ago, with no immediate word on possible resumption of talks. Shortly after, Trump said in a social media post that he called off sending U.S. envoys to Pakistan for negotiations.

Pakistan eases Islamabad restrictions after Iran delegation leaves

Pakistani authorities on Saturday evening began easing restrictions following the departure of an Iranian delegation and a U.S. decision not to send its delegation to Islamabad for potential talks, offering relief to hundreds of thousands of residents after nearly a week of near-lockdown conditions.

The developments signal a setback to Pakistan’s efforts to host a second round of talks.

The Islamabad administration said in a post on the social platform X that entry of all types of public and goods transport has been allowed. It added that bus terminals across the capital have reopened, except for a key terminal on the city’s outskirts, which will remain closed until further notice.

The move is expected to improve the supply of fruit, vegetables and other essential items in the capital.

Trump says he called off dispatching top U.S. envoys to Pakistan for negotiations with Iran

The president said in a social media post, “I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going is Islamabad.”

That came shortly after Trump told Fox News that he’d instructed U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner not to go.

He wrote in the subsequent post, which he signed misspelling his own name, “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!”

The president also repeated his past suggestions that the leadership of Iran remains unsettled, writing, “Nobody knows who is in charge.”

Trump’s post followed two Pakistani officials saying Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left Pakistan without meeting U.S. officials.

Trump tells Fox News he’s no longer sending Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan for Iran talks

Trump says he told top U.S. envoys not to travel to Pakistan to negotiate with Iran, telling Fox News that ”they can call us anytime they want.”

In a brief phone interview, Trump told Fox News that he told U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, “You’re not going to be making any more 18-hour flights to sit around talking about nothing.”

Trump also said of the U.S. side, “We have all the cards.”

His comments on Saturday came after the White House said Friday that Witkoff and Kushner would be heading to Pakistan for another round of negotiations with Iran.

JUST IN: Trump tells Fox News he’s no longer sending Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan for Iran talks

Lebanon’s top Sunni religious authority backs the president’s right to hold talks to end war with Israel

The Supreme Islamic Sharia Council, headed by Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim Grand Mufti Abdul-Latif Derian, said that the “constitutional right” of President Joseph Aoun to pursue diplomatic negotiations to end the war with the “Zionist entity” should be respected.

The council blasted Israel, saying it launched “a devastating and relentless war on Lebanon and committed the most heinous and dangerous crimes.”

Lebanon and Israel’s ambassadors to Washington held two rounds of talks this month, the first official meetings between the two countries in decades.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah group is opposed to direct negotiations with Israel and has blasted the meetings held in Washington.

Trump said this week that Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to meet in Washington in the coming weeks.

There has been no official confirmation from Lebanon that Aoun will attend such a meeting with Netanyahu.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry raises death toll to 2,496

The ministry added in figures released Saturday that 7,725 people were wounded in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out on March 2.

The war started after Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked its main backer, Iran.

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect on April 17. The ceasefire was extended by three weeks on Thursday.

Despite Lebanon ceasefire, Israeli strikes kill suspected militants and Hezbollah fires on Israel

The Israeli military said that in multiple strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, it killed six people that it said were militants. And several rockets and drones were launched at Israel from Lebanon, the army said, causing no injuries.

A 10-day ceasefire, in effect since April 17, has been repeatedly violated by both sides. On Thursday, Trump said Lebanon and Israel agreed to extend it by three weeks. Hezbollah has not been part of the ceasefire talks.

One strike, in the village of Yohmor, killed three people driving a truck that the army said was loaded with weapons. A second strike in that area killed a person on a motorcycle. A third strike, in the Litani area, killed two people that the army said posed a threat to Israeli ground forces.

Iran’s foreign minister leaves Islamabad without meeting US envoys, Pakistan officials say

Two Pakistani officials say Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left Pakistan without meeting U.S. officials.

Senior Pakistani officials were at an airport near Islamabad to see him off. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Araghchi had met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and other senior officials about matters including Iran’s red lines in negotiations.

JUST IN: Iran’s foreign minister leaves Islamabad without meeting US envoys, Pakistan officials say

Israeli airstrikes kill 4 people in southern Lebanese village

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that Israeli airstrikes on the village of Yohmor in southern Lebanon targeted a pickup truck and a motorcycle, killing four people.

Saturday’s airstrikes came despite a 10-day ceasefire in place since April 17.

Since the truce went into effect, it has been repeatedly violated by both sides.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Lebanon and Israel agreed to extend the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks.

Pakistan’s prime minister meets with Iran’s foreign minister

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday at the prime minister’s office in the capital, Islamabad.

Sharif’s office issued a statement saying the meeting was ongoing.

It said Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir were also present.

No further details were immediately available, and the statement only said the “current regional situation will be discussed.”

Iran’s top diplomat meets with Pakistan army chief to discuss mediation efforts

Iran’s top diplomat and Pakistan’s army chief have discussed efforts to launch a new round of talks with the United States.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Telegram that he met with Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir Saturday morning in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, and explained Iran’s views on ending the war between the Islamic Republic and the U.S.

Araghchi didn’t offer further details, but said Tehran will continue engaging in the Pakistani-led mediation efforts “until a result is achieved.”

Iran’s president calls on people to save electricity

Iran’s president has urged people to reduce their use of electricity after American and Israeli strikes damaged the county’s energy infrastructure, state media reported.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government aims to “control consumption” of electricity, according to the Iranian state television.

“Instead of turning on 10 lights at home, turn on two lights. What is wrong with that?” he said.

He said the U.S. and Israel “destroyed our infrastructure,” and noted that the U.S. imposed a blockade on Iran’s ports.

Commercial flights resume at Tehran’s airport

Commercial flights resumed Saturday at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran for the first time since the war with the United States and Israel started about two months ago.

Iran’s state-run television reported the airport has flights to Istanbul in Turkey, Oman’s capital Muscat and the Saudi city of Medina.

Flightradar24, a flight tracking platform, showed at least three Istanbul-bound flights departed Saturday morning.

Iran partly reopened its airspace earlier this month during a ceasefire with the U.S.

JUST IN: Commercial flights resume at Tehran’s international airport for first time since the war, Iranian state media report

Germany to deploy minesweeper ships

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said his country plans to deploy minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean, which later could be transferred to the Strait of Hormuz.

“We will deploy a minesweeper to the Mediterranean and provide it with a command and supply ship,” Pistorius told the Rheinische Post newspaper Saturday.

He did not say exactly when the ships are scheduled to depart.

After an end to hostilities between the U.S., Israel and Iran, the German minesweepers could be deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, though such a mission would need to be approved by Germany’s parliament.

“To save time, we have decided to deploy part of the German units to the Mediterranean early on so that — once the mandate is approved — we do not lose any further time,” Pistorius said.

Islamabad locked down before talks

Pakistan’s capital Islamabad appeared to be in a near-lockdown Saturday morning, hours after Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived on a closely watched visit as Pakistan attempts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran.

The weeklong security restrictions have disrupted daily life, with hundreds of thousands of residents struggling to commute even short distances. Checkpoints, road closures and diversions have become routine sights, particularly around sensitive zones.

The usually busy arteries leading to the airport and the heavily fortified Red Zone were largely deserted early Saturday, with movement tightly restricted. Soldiers and police were at key intersections while helicopters circled overhead.

The measures were reinforced over the past 24 hours on the city’s outskirts with additional forces stationed along key airport access routes. Soldiers were visible on rooftops overlooking major approach roads, particularly near the airport where the Iranian delegation arrived late Friday.

Iran executes another man over alleged ties to Mossad

Iran hanged a man Saturday over alleged ties to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and his participation in anti-government protests in January.

Erfan Kiani was the latest in a series of executions in Iran following the war and nationwide protests.

The Mizan news agency of Iran’s judiciary announced Kiani was convicted of charges including attacks on security forces in the city of Asfahn in January.

The agency claimed he was on a “mission for Mossad” without offering evidence.

Human rights activists long have said Iran convicts people in closed-door trials without allowing defendants to properly defend themselves.

There recently have been multiple executions of alleged spies, as well as protesters and those affiliated with an Iranian exiled opposition group.

Pakistan president will travel to China

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is expected to travel to Beijing on Saturday to begin a weeklong visit at the invitation of the Chinese government.

Discussions will include economic and trade cooperation and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

China has played a role in facilitating Pakistan as a host for ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran. Zardari is expected to discuss his country’s efforts to host a second round.

The visit is part of a longstanding tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China and holds special significance as they mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said.

“It reflects the deep commitment of both countries to further strengthening the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,” the ministry said.

Read more here.

Iran foreign minister arrives in Pakistan

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met late Friday with Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir shortly after arriving in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, officials said.

On Saturday morning Araghchi met with Munir and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, officials said.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the Iranian delegation will hold talks with Pakistan’s senior leadership on the latest regional developments and efforts to promote peace and stability.

The visit comes as Pakistan also is preparing to receive U.S. envoys, although officials have not specified when Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due in Islamabad.

Egyptian and Pakistani officials discuss the Iran war

Egyptian and Pakistani foreign ministers late Friday discussed efforts to launch a new round of talks between the United States and Iran.

Badr Abdelatty of Egypt spoke by phone with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said the diplomats affirmed that negotiations are the best way to end the war.

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The Dictatorship

Opening of Canada-US Gordie Howe bridge in Detroit is delayed

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Opening of Canada-US Gordie Howe bridge in Detroit is delayed

DETROIT (AP) — The opening of a Canadian-U.S. bridge across the Detroit River, which President Donald Trump had previously threatened to block, was delayed Thursday due to unresolved issues.

In a statement released before a scheduled Friday ribbon-cutting ceremony at the bridge, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said that “Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues.” It didn’t elaborate on what those issues are or how long the delay would last.

The 1.5-mile-long (2.4-kilometer-long) Gordie Howe International Bridge spans the Detroit River and connects the Motor City with Windsor, Ontario. The bridge is jointly owned by Canada and Michigan and was expected to open to traffic later this month.

But the opening had been thrown into question after Trump in February demanded in a social media post that Canada turn over at least half of the bridge’s ownership to the U.S. federal government and agree to other unspecified demands in one of the Republican president’s many salvos over cross-border trade issues.

Michigan officials and the White House had been in contact for months about the bridge following Trump’s post, with the understanding that the opening would move forward Friday. Invitations for the bridge’s opening went out this week following a conversation between Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.

“This project is a powerful example of bipartisan and international cooperation, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony when it happens,” a statement from Whitmer spokesperson Bobby Leddy said.

New bridge a “long-term play”

Internal disagreements within the Trump administration threw those plans into question, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pushed back on the opening, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday evening, “At the request of the United States we agreed to delay the opening and take the necessary time to resolve outstanding issues.”

He added, “There are some things that have been raised, a series of technical aspects, which we will work through with the United States.”

Even with the delay, officials remained optimistic that the bridge — a roughly $4.4 billion project — is still expected to open.

“We need to keep this very much in perspective,” said Sandy Baruah, president of the Detroit Regional Chamber and former U.S. assistant secretary of commerce. “Our organization, the state of Michigan and others have been working on this bridge for 20 years. If it opens July 1, Aug. 1 or Sept. 1, I’m not going to get overly agitated about it. This is a long-term play.”

Named after the late Canadian Hockey great Gordie Howe, who spent 25 seasons leading the Detroit Red Wings, the bridge is expected to be another vital economic artery between Canada and the United States.

The construction project was negotiated by Rick Snyder, the former Republican governor of Michigan, and paid for by Canada to help ease congestion at the existing Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Work has been underway since 2018.

U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, said she’s taking people at their word that the holdup is “a minor hiccup.”

“This is probably the most bipartisan issue in the state of Michigan, so it’s ridiculous that we can’t just seal the deal,” Slotkin said.

Commerce and border crossings

Detroit and Windsor have been neighborly for generations, with residents in both countries frequently crossing the shared river border for entertainment and shopping. Windsor’s population in 2021 was about 230,000. Like Detroit, the Canadian city’s economy has a strong focus on manufacturing and the auto industry.

Commercial trade between the two cities primarily has been across the nearly century-old and privately-owned Ambassador Bridge, which is closer to downtown Detroit than the Gordie Howe Bridge.

The Ambassador Bridge had been the busiest commercial border crossing between the United States and Canada until last year, when truck traffic along the Blue Water Bridge connecting Port Huron, Michigan, to Sarnia, Ontario, surpassed the Ambassador Bridge’s numbers, according to the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association.

In 2025, about 2.1 million trucks crossed the Blue Water Bridge compared to just over 1.8 million that used the Ambassador Bridge. About 3.5 million passenger vehicles used the Ambassador Bridge last year, while 1.6 million crossed via the Blue Water Bridge.

Combined, more than 9.2 million vehicles crossed the border on those two bridges in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

More than 3.7 million cars and SUVs also traveled between the United States and Canada last year via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

Both bridges and the tunnel are working at full capacity, and the new bridge will help improve the efficiency of commercial and personal traffic between the two countries, Baruah said.

“This is what government is supposed to do, make it easier for business to conduct commerce,” he said.

___

Cappelletti reported from Washington.

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$60M and 7 federal agencies required to stage UFC fight at White House…

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$60M and 7 federal agencies required to stage UFC fight at White House…

President Donald Trump’s planned UFC fight on the White House’s South Lawn has required a monumental effort from more than seven federal agencies, hundreds of staff working onsite daily and at least $60 million, according to a legal filing that offers a glimpse into the preparations.

The event is part of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, and is scheduled for the weekend with the main attraction — seven mixed martial arts matches — on Sunday.

That is, if a judge doesn’t halt the proceedings, which is sought by two Virginia residents in a federal lawsuit against the National Park Service, which oversees the South Lawn.

The agency filed a rebuff of the request Tuesday in court, and, in it, laid out the operations for the event.

“Well over $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been expended,” the document read, adding that the money came from the UFC and groups affiliated with it.

The Octagon

It’s the eight-sided cage that surrounds the sometimes bloodied combatants and sits at the center of the constructed arena on the South Lawn.

The arena is expected to hold 4,000 spectators, with another 120,000 visitors — who swung tickets from an online lottery — anticipated to watch from the nearby Ellipse.

The installation began May 20, and the Secret Service worked with the UFC to screen between 20 and 30 trucks of equipment — as well as between “700 and 900” staff — that came in daily for the installation.

The document did not specify the extent of government resources spent on the project, but said seven agencies, including Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration, have “allocated significant resources and manpower.”

The schedule

It’ll kick off Saturday with a ceremonial weigh-in at the Ellipse, followed by a concert by country musicians The Zac Brown Band.

A UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest will be ongoing through the weekend, with “interactive experiences,” live shows, celebrity appearances, “exclusive on-stage moments,” meet and greets, live music and interviews with the athletes.

Sunday night is when the seven bouts kick off. At the close, Trump is scheduled to fly to France for the G7 summit.

Disassembly of the installations will begin the next day, and they are expected to be entirely removed by June 23.

The athletes’ Epsom salt baths

There are 14 athletes competing, and their training is rigorous.

Preparations start months in advance, working toward more intense weight cutting and diet alteration in the final week that can include fasting, extreme sauna use and hot Epsom salt baths.

They could be shaving as many as 20 pounds before weigh-ins, which are designed to keep the competition fair between similarly weighted combatants.

Lawsuit calls it ‘corrupt’

It was filed Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of the two Virginia residents and argues that Trump’s authorization of the event violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands.

One of the attorneys, Brendan Ballou, characterized it as a “corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain.”

The National Park Service pushed back on that claim, but also detailed the event’s preparations to make a point.

“All these hopes could be dashed at the very last moment,” it read, “by the whim of two people who believe they have superior taste and want to spoil the event for everyone else.”

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FBI raids Ohio voting-rights organization

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FBI raids Ohio voting-rights organization

FBI agents on Thursday raided the Cleveland offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a pro-democracy organization that helps register voters in that state, according to three people briefed on the search.

Agents also fanned out across the state, showing up at the homes of the group’s leaders and staff members, carrying some subpoenas and seeking information and electronic devices, according to the people, two of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive ongoing investigation. Members of the group had made contact with lawyers on Thursday to determine their legal options, the people said.

Prentiss Haney, a board member for Ohio Organizing Collaborative, told MS NOW Thursday night that agents approached people with connections to Ohio Organizing Collaborative, including some who had performed basic canvassing and volunteer work for the group, and began pressing them for information.

Agents were “basically trying to fish for information,” said Haney.

“They had agents all across the state going to civil rights leaders and community leaders’ doors intimidating them, coming and demanding that they talk about literally anything they would ask,” Haney said, adding that agents “asked them if they’re committing voter fraud, just on their doors, in front of their houses with their children, and just following them to work and school.”

Haney said some of the people said the agents approached without warrants.

“Just straight-up intimidation tactics,” he said.

Spokespeople for the FBI and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Thursday night.

Those sources familiar with the investigation said they are concerned this new effort in Ohio is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to sow doubt and distrust in voting integrity in key swing states ahead of the midterm elections.

Federal agents have in recent months launched inquiries and investigations into voting protocols in Georgia and Wisconsin, have subpoenaed voting records in Arizona and sought reviews of voting machines in Puerto Rico.

According to its website, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative facilitates statewide voter registration through grassroots, community-led programs, including its “Democracy Builders” initiative. This collaborative works in Ohio’s major metropolitan areas, such as Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, to help underrepresented communities register to vote and provides other support.

The group has also joined lawsuits challenging redistricting efforts that it argues reduce Black voters of representation. These lawsuits also “stand your ground” laws that allow a person to shoot someone if they feel threatened.

Haney said the Cleveland raid and harassment of staff are unjustified and that investigators lack any evidence of wrongdoing.

“How can they distract and intimidate civil rights leaders and voters and community leaders who are helping people get registered to vote and create a national spectacle about it?” he said.

“That is the only reason why they would choose to do that, do it now, in the middle of a contested political election in the state. There’s no other reason. They have no evidence of that.”

Carol Leonnig is a senior investigative reporter with MS NOW.

Will McDuffie is a reporter for MS NOW.

Alex Tabet is a reporter for MS NOW.

Laura Barrón-López covers the White House for MS NOW.

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