News From Around the Web
#1 Trump Calls on Republicans to Pass Third Reconciliation Bill That Includes Save America Act - Ashleigh Fields for The Hill, The Persistence, Eric Daugherty/DC_Draino, Seth Abramson, Doog, Right Scope, and NEWSMAX on X
President Trump on Wednesday endorsed a third $350 billion reconciliation bill, urging Congress to “IMMEDIATELY” pass it with the Save America Act included. “I am hereby calling on Republicans in Congress to IMMEDIATELY advance and pass the forthcoming $350 Billion Reconciliation Bill (Recon 3.0) — which, at the request of our Great Department of War — will include THE SAVE AMERICA ACT as well,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “No games, no delays, and no weak compromises! Do this ASAP,” he added. His comments come a day after Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chair Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) cast doubt on a third reconciliation package. Collins said a third bill was a “terrible risk” and is likely to create funding “instability” for defense efforts... The embattled head of a Democratic fundraising powerhouse is slated to face a grilling by House lawmakers as questions swirl about whether the group misled Congress about alleged donor fraud. ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones will testify before the House Administration Committee in a potentially explosive hearing Wednesday, as a years-long congressional probe into how the payment processor vets overseas donors comes to a head. Wallace-Jones’ testimony will be the first time she has publicly addressed the fraud allegations. Hours before the hearing was scheduled to begin, Wallace-Jones announced she would invoke her right against self-incrimination when questioned by lawmakers, in an op-ed for The Washington Post... A series of shocking videos show homeless residents on Los Angeles’ Skid Row claiming they were paid to vote for Mayor Karen Bass and councilwoman Nithya Raman. The California Post obtained copies of the videos after they were published Tuesday on the TikTok account LaneNeedsSpencerPratt. The footage, recorded near 7th Street and Flower Street in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday morning, has since been provided to the Department of Justice. It also follows The Post’s revelations that thousands of homeless voters were registered to shelters where they didn’t live. One shelter in Venice, where 185 Raman voters were registered, received $600,000 from taxpayers care of the socialist Raman. In one of the clips, a man who calls himself Kevin Shepherd claimed he received $4 to vote for Bass... Kenneth Bass is one of thousands of residents and business owners suing the city of Los Angeles and other entities over property loss and other damages suffered during the catastrophic Palisades fire. But unlike the other plaintiffs, he is suing a body led by his sister, who is in the midst of a heated reelection campaign where frustrations over her response to the inferno have taken center stage. Kenneth Bass, 78, and his wife, Cindy, filed their suit in L.A. Superior Court on May 18, according to court records first reported on by L.A. Material. The couple allege that they suffered smoke inhalation injuries, emotional distress and mental anguish as a result of the fire, which destroyed their Malibu home, according to the complaint... San Francisco’s public schools chief repeatedly refused to condemn an alleged ethnic studies comparison Wednesday when pressed by Republican lawmakers during a tense congressional hearing. Superintendent Maria Su was asked whether she agreed with curriculum that allegedly compared parents who opposed COVID-19 school policies to white families in the 1960s who avoided desegregation by moving their children into private schools. Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah), who is black, asked Su whether she believed opposition to public schools was “a problem only with white parents.”
Beginning July 1, the Department of Education will notify student-loan borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan of their deadline to transfer to a new repayment plan. It follows President Donald Trump's elimination of SAVE, which gave borrowers cheaper monthly payments and a shorter timeline to debt relief. An email SAVE borrowers received, reviewed by Business Insider, said that borrowers who do not select a new plan in the 90-day timeframe they are given will automatically be placed in either the standard repayment plan or the new tiered standard plan, both of which are more expensive than the existing income-driven repayment plans. "Your monthly payment amount will most likely go up if you are enrolled in either of these plans," the department's email said. How will Trump's student-loan changes affect you? Are you preparing for higher monthly payments or changing your educational plans? Share your story by filling out this form or reach out to this reporter at asheffey@businessinsider.com... Billionaire Bill Gates testified in a closed-door hearing before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the world's most prominent philanthropists, told members he had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes and that Epstein attempted to use information about his personal life to pressure him. During his opening statement, Gates said he exercised poor judgment in meeting Epstein and was "one of many people who regret ever knowing him". The BBC's Gary O'Donoghue breaks down the relationship between Gates and Epstein, and how lawmakers reacted to his testimony... That poses a challenge for the housing market, which has shown surprising resilience despite years of affordability pressures. If inflation remains stubbornly high, economists warn that mortgage rates could stay elevated for longer, putting further strain on buyers already grappling with high home prices and borrowing costs. In fact, rate cuts are becoming increasingly more unlikely this year—suggesting that mortgage rates, which have inched up since the start of the Iran war, will also probably not come down significantly. "The Fed’s next move may need to be a hike, and not a cut as many had expected coming into this year," Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Northlight Asset Management, said in a statement shared with Newsweek. A second night of unrest on the streets of Belfast saw masked men once again torch houses and vehicles in a hunt for anyone they believed to be an immigrant. A government minister labeled the violence “racist thuggery.” The rioters say they are motivated by the stabbing of a local man, Stephen Ogilvie, who lost one eye in the knife attack that also caused deep wounds to his face and neck. Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese man, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder, but did not enter a plea when he appeared in court Wednesday. Graphic video of the attack spread quickly and widely on social media. Ogilvie’s family have implored people not to use the attack for political gain or violence, while stressing the “valuable contribution” that migrants make to society... Three children in Connecticut have died in the past two months from apparent diphenhydramine overdoses, prompting state officials to warn parents about medication safety and the potential risks of misuse. The Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate confirmed the deaths in a public statement on Wednesday, saying it hoped to provide the public with clarification and information following "numerous media inquiries" on the matter. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine sold under several brand names, including Benadryl, according to MedlinePlus, an online health resource run by the National Library of Medicine...
#2 Actblue Chief Heads to Capitol Hill Hot Seat as Donor Fraud Probe Intensifies - Adam Pack for Fox News, Eric Daugherty, Wall Street Apes, Paul Sperry, Andrew Kolvet, and ActBlue on X
#3 Skid Row Homeless Claim They’ve Been Paid to Vote for Karen Bass and Nithya Raman - By Jamie Paige and Katie Jerkovich for New York Post, California Post, GRANDPA's FREE ADVICE, Eagle Wings, ConservativeKay1.0, Jakey, and Mark on X
#4 Mayor Karen Bass’ Brother Joins Palisades Fire Lawsuit Against City of L.A. - Clara Harter for Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Wall Street Apes, Mr. Star Spangled MAGA, TMZ, and L on X
#5 SF’s Woke Schools Boss Maria SU Cannot Answer ‘White’ Parents Question From Black Congressman - Titus Wu for New York Post, Homolander, Off the Press, RubiconCrosst, Erika Donalds, NBC Bay Area, and ABC7 News on X
#6 7 Million Student-Loan Borrowers Will Soon Need to Take Action — or Be Put On the Most Expensive Repayment Plan - Ayelet Sheffey for Business Insider, ED Under Secretary, The College Investor, hunter, Mary Lou/The Debt Collective, and Leslie Marshall on X
#7 What We Learned From Bill Gates’ Deposition on Epstein - BBC, British Intel, Ken McCafferty, Epiphany Valente, Laura Riggaro/Caroline, NWRain-Judi, and Judy on X
#8 Housing Market Warning as Inflation Rises to Highest Level in 3 Years - Giulia Carbonaro for Newsweek, The Hill, Acyn, Jack Wu, Economic Times, Daily Mail, and Texas Blue on X
#9 Elon Musk Under Fire for Stoking Anti-Immigrant Riots in Belfast - Alexander Smith for NBC News, JeanB, News Hub, Hanifseth/Channel 4 News, LBC/gtrr, and Neil the robin on X
#10 3 Connecticut Children Die From Apparent Diphenhydramine Overdoses, No Confirmed Link to Viral ‘Benadryl Challenge' - Shafiq Najib for ABC News, KPRC 2 Houston, Hölle auf Erden, FL Poison Control, and True Teller on X
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