By Natasha Bertrand, CNN

(CNN) — A complaint filed last year by a US intelligence community whistleblower that is now being scrutinized by lawmakers includes claims that the distribution of a highly classified intelligence report had been “restricted for political purposes” and that an intelligence agency lawyer had failed to report a potential crime to the Justice Department, a government watchdog told lawmakers earlier this week.

The Intelligence Community Inspector General provided the broad outline in a Monday letter to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees of the whistleblower complaint it received in May 2025 concerning Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

The letter from Christopher Fox was released by Gabbard’s office late Tuesday. Fox did not detail the substance of the intelligence report or the alleged crime referenced by the whistleblower. The intelligence report at issue is the “most sensitive to date” that has ever been received by the IC inspector general as part of an “urgent concern” complaint, Fox wrote, and would ordinarily only be briefed verbally to the Gang of 8 composed of the top Democrats and Republicans in each chamber of congress and the leaders of the intelligence committees.

The existence of the complaint was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and Gang of 8 lawmakers were given access to the complaint itself on Tuesday.

Upon reviewing the complaint last June, Fox’s predecessor Tamara Johnson determined that it would meet the “urgent concern” threshold if it were true, a determination meaning that the Gang of 8 would need to be briefed, Fox wrote. But Johnson was unable to determine the credibility of the claims at the time, according to the letter.

The whistleblower then elected to share their complaint directly with the congressional intelligence committees, an option protected under federal law. Before sharing a complaint, whistleblowers are required to get security guidance from ODNI to transmit classified complaints securely.

On June 9, 2025, Johnson issued a memo after receiving new evidence finding that while the first allegation by the whistleblower — that a report was withheld for political reasons — did not appear credible, she was unable to assess the credibility of the second allegation, that the IC had failed to report a crime to Department of Justice. The whistleblower still sought to transmit the complaint to lawmakers and the IG kept inquiring “at least monthly” to ODNI since June about how to do so securely, the letter says.

When he was confirmed in October, Fox says he was told by ODNI’s general counsel that “complexity in the classification” of the complaint had contributed to the delay in providing the whistleblower with the necessary security guidance to send it to Congress. Fox says he continued to push for the guidance, and that when he met with Gabbard in December she said she had been unaware of the issue “and committed to providing the guidance as soon as practicable.”

The whistleblower’s lawyer told CNN on Tuesday night that he has yet to receive security guidance on sharing the complaint with the broader intelligence committees, beyond just the Gang of 8.

“They’re also flagging executive privilege concerns, and for me, executive privilege concerns means that this somehow involves the White House,” Andrew Bakaj said.

The day after the Monday Wall Street Journal report on the whistleblower report, the Gang of 8 was given access to a copy of the complaint.

Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on House intelligence committee, told CNN after seeing the complaint that he had “ongoing concerns about both the contents and the delay in it

By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

San Jose, California (CNN) — In a mid-December game against the Buffalo Bills, Drake Maye took the snap, turned and tossed the ball to TreVeyon Henderson.

The rookie running back for the New England Patriots ran to the right and found his way blocked, so he switched directions and made a beeline for the opposite side of the field. The middle of the field was empty and the running back out of Ohio State sprinted down field.

All he needed was one more blocker to clear the way for him to get to the end zone. And he got it – from Maye.

The young quarterback out of the University of North Carolina, the youngest son of a family of prodigies who has gone from promising rookie to MVP-candidate in his second season, was sprinting right alongside his teammate as he broke loose down the field. Maye kept veering into the on-rushing Bills defender, giving his running back a better angle and finally threw a block at about the 20-yard line.

Henderson scored, putting the Pats ahead once again in a titanic battle of AFC East powerhouses. The Bills would go on to win, but that moment stuck with Henderson.

“That speaks for itself, the type of leader he is,” Henderson said on Monday.

Maye came out of UNC expecting to be a good professional quarterback. His rookie year reflected that promise, somewhat. He completed 66% of his passes and he threw for 15 touchdowns and a couple thousand yards as the Patriots suffered a dismal 4-13 season.

This year, the script has flipped. The Patriots finished the season 14-3, Maye passed for more than 4,000 yards, 31 touchdowns and – while his playoff performances haven’t exactly been outstanding – Maye has brought his team to the cusp of yet another Patriot Super Bowl title.

The on-field play has been great. But what his teammates have noticed is the change off the field.

“The leap he’s taken this year, I think, is the leadership role,” said veteran running back Rhamondre Stevenson. “He’s a great leader. He demands the offense to do certain things. He’s looking at how we practice then he has something to say about it the next day, whether it was good practice, great practice, or, you know, a not so good one. So he’s just a vocal leader, he commands offense well.”

The learning curve

Ultimately, Drake Maye is a simple dude.

“Faith, family, football. That’s me. That’s me to a T,” he said on Monday.

There’s a sort of vibe around him that makes it seem like he was destined to be here on the Super Bowl stage. His dad played quarterback at UNC in the 1980s. Two of his brothers won national titles in college basketball. Another brother played for the Tarheels too. He exudes the kind of humble confidence that comes with being talented, but in the shadow of extremely talented brothers.

But even still, that first year in the NFL will rock any rookie’s confidence. For Maye, that tough rookie season was a learning opportunity rather than a setback.

“After a year under my belt just of playing quarterback in this league, you know how special that is, but also how much responsibility comes with that, you know, on and off the field,” he said Monday.

That’s led to that stepped-up leadership role that Stevenson talked about, from speaking up in the team facility to getting his offense together in the off-season to get to know each other and get on the same page before hitting training camp.

DeMario Douglas, one of New England’s wide receivers, said the trust Maye has developed with his receiving corps has been vital to the Patriots’ success this year.

“Everybody respects him. But before the season, he got us together, his receivers, his running backs, tight ends, made sure we were all on the same page,” Douglas told CNN Sports.

“I f

The post Full Belly Files | Introducing Bob Wesley’s Pour Judgment appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.

The post Emily’s Eyeglass On Santa Barbara appeared first on The Santa Barbara Independent.

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - The Santa Maria City Council approved an official resolution on Tuesday night that expresses the city's support for immigrant residents of Santa Maria.

"It's a recognition that our immigrants play a central role in our cultural, social and economic fabric of the community," said Chuen Wu, Santa Maria Assistant City Manager. "It's a statement to the community, that they are important to us and that we support them."

The approval followed nearly 90 minutes of public comment that included several speakers who spoke about their concerns regarding immigration enforcement.

"There were many members of the community that showed up for public comment expressing, their concerns of immigration control and in particular, what they've seen as far as what ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers have done throughout the nation," said Wu.

"There were a lot of comments that were expressed and a desire for our council to take action. Our council, they had deliberation on the topic and ultimately voted to approve the resolution supporting immigrants and may not have addressed all of the issues and questions and concerns of those that provide a public comment."

During public comment, Santa Maria Police Chief Christopher Williams addressed the council and audience members to state and clarify the practices and policies of the department as they relate to immigration and the immigrant community.

"The Santa Maria Police Department values and enforces all the state laws," said Williams. "It's been well established, as I've mentioned before in previous council members, as well as putting out social media posts, and speaking at community groups, that the Santa Maria Police Department does not collaborate, work or enforce any immigration laws, nor do we ask anyone that we make contact with what their immigration status is.

"The Santa Maria Police Department is committed to serving our community with honor, and we want everyone to know that they can contact the Santa Maria Police Department and seek assistance if they're a victim of a crime. If they need our assistance, we will be there for them."

Williams continued by describing how the SMPD has taken an robust outreach effort to build a positive relationship between the department and the immigrant community.

"We have taken many, many steps to try to build a bridge with the community," said Williams. "Including going out to the fields and engaging with the community, partnering with local Mexican radio stations, going to community events, welcoming committee community members to our National Night Out, and demonstrating time and time again that we support our community and we do not care what their status is whether they're legal or illegal in the United States."

The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.

The post Santa Mari