Congressional Republicans have adopted an unusual stance as the government shutdown unfolds, voicing concern about programs they typically criticize. Speaker Mike Johnson expressed worry about nutrition programs for women and children, along with FEMA services facing disruptions. This shift comes despite GOP-led legislation earlier cutting these same programs as part of tax reform measures.
Democrats have rejected the Republican messaging as an insincere political strategy. Representative Hakeem Jeffries noted the contradiction between Republican appeals for government services and their history of triggering shutdowns. The impasse continues as Democrats refuse to approve spending measures without additional healthcare funding, while...
Michael Ellis demoted a career attorney who served as the CIA's acting general counsel since January and assumed the legal role himself while keeping his position as deputy director. CIA Director John Ratcliffe authorized the unusual arrangement, which raised concerns among intelligence officials about potential conflicts of interest. A New York University legal ethics professor called the setup bizarre and said Ellis cannot ethically advise himself on policy matters he wants to pursue.
The CIA defended the temporary arrangement and noted that the Senate Intelligence Committee scheduled a confirmation hearing on Wednesday for Joshua Simmons, whom Trump nominated for the general counsel position. Ellis, 40, became the youngest deputy...
A man vandalized Washington State's Capitol Building on Sunday night, destroying statues and starting a fire before authorities arrested him. Gunnar Schubert, 29, broke through a ground-floor window using two hammers and damaged monuments of George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. He set fire to the State Reception Room, a formal space featuring Tiffany glass-bead chandeliers.
Officers responded within 30 seconds of the alarm and detained Schubert as he left the building. The Washington State Patrol stated the incident appeared unrelated to political motives, but rather stemmed from a mental health crisis. Schubert faces charges of first-degree arson, burglary, and malicious mischief.
Governor Bob Ferguson confirmed substantial...
A Harvard visiting professor faces criminal charges after firing a pellet gun near a synagogue on Yom Kippur, but police determined antisemitism played no role in the incident. Carlos Portugal Gouvea, a Brazilian law professor, told authorities he was hunting rats on Wednesday when security guards at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline heard gunfire and locked down the building. Officers arrested him at his home and charged him with illegally discharging a weapon, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and damaging property after a pellet struck a vehicle.
Justice Department civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon quickly responded on social media, warning against threatening houses of worship. Harvard placed Gouvea on administrative leave...
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Monday that the Essential Air Service program will exhaust its funds by Sunday if the government shutdown persists. The federal subsidy helps commercial airlines maintain flights to smaller airports that might otherwise lose connections. Duffy warned that approximately 175 communities nationwide depend on this service, with Alaska hosting 65 eligible locations.
Air traffic controllers have started calling in sick at higher rates, raising concerns about operational safety. Denver International Airport reported delays of roughly 40 minutes on Monday afternoon, while Newark Liberty International Airport experienced nearly hour-long delays due to staffing shortages. Duffy emphasized that...
A federal judge indicated on Monday that she may release Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia from immigration detention if the government fails to demonstrate immediate deportation plans. Judge Paula Xinis criticized Justice Department attorneys for their inability to answer fundamental questions about his case at a hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland. The judge questioned whether officials were using detention tactics to hold him indefinitely while claiming imminent deportation without actual preparation.
Government lawyers were granted a 30-minute recess to gather evidence of deportation coordination, but they produced only emails mentioning Eswatini as a destination. Attorney Ernesto H. Molina could not provide proof of active deportation...
President Trump addressed thousands of Navy sailors on Sunday at a 250th anniversary celebration, but he transformed the military event into what he described as a rally. He criticized election integrity, media outlets, and Democratic policies while discussing his deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago and Portland against state governors' objections.
Federal Judge Karin Immergut, whom Trump appointed, blocked the Portland deployment and warned against blurring civil and military power boundaries. The president boasted about military strikes and troop movements to the young sailors while advisers reminded personnel about their constitutional oath before his arrival. The crowd responded positively to promises of back pay and...
The White House canceled $8 billion in federal energy funding last week, and the cuts affected projects in 28 Republican House districts. Budget Director Russell T. Vought targeted the programs as part of a strategy to eliminate Democratic priorities; however, the cancellations also affected projects championed by vulnerable Republicans in competitive districts. Representatives Juan Ciscomani, Gabe Evans, Mike Lawler, Ken Calvert, David Valadao, and Young Kim represent areas where funded projects were eliminated.
The canceled initiatives ranged from a $1 billion Pacific Northwest hydrogen hub to battery systems and hydrogen manufacturing facilities. Representative Mike Lawler told CNN the cancellations demonstrated that Republicans...
Representative Wesley Hunt entered the Texas Republican Senate primary on Monday, challenging both incumbent John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton for the seat. Hunt, one of the first Black Republicans to represent Texas in Congress, criticized the race as a personal feud between Cornyn and Paxton, while positioning himself as an alternative focused on state priorities. His first legislative goal would be repealing the bipartisan gun control measure that Cornyn helped negotiate after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting.
The 43-year-old congressman represents a Houston district, but remains largely unknown statewide. Hunt described himself as a staunch Trump ally who could attract younger voters and expand the party's appeal among...
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