News From Around the Web
#1 House Vote to End Israel Aid Divides Democrats, With 103 Voting to Cut Off Funding - Caitlin Yilek for CBS News, Thomas Massie, Cenk Uygur, Ana Kasparin/POLITICO, Ro Khanna, Shadow of Ezra, and Congressman Robert Garcia on X
House Democrats were sharply divided on whether to cut off aid to Israel during a floor vote on the issue Wednesday, marking the latest flashpoint in the party's rift over support for the U.S. ally. The amendment — which was introduced by GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has consistently opposed foreign aid — would have eliminated $3.3 billion in assistance to Israel. Massie submitted the amendment to the annual State Department appropriations bill that the House passed later Wednesday. The amendment failed in a 104-314-10 vote, with 103 Democrats voting in favor, 98 voting against, and 10 voting present. Massie was the sole Republican to support it.
#2 Dems Unite to Boycott Hearing on Emerging Threat Facing America: ‘Don’t Want to Know the Truth' - Charles Creitz for Fox News, James O'Keefe, dale sayotovich, Lilabby/RNC Research, Patti Dennis, United We Stand, and Owen Gregorian on X
The Democratic side of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee dais was empty Wednesday as Republicans questioned witnesses at a hearing on "Exposing Fraud in America," prompting GOP lawmakers to accuse the minority of ducking a politically uncomfortable issue. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the ranking member on the committee, was the only Democrat present for the hearing’s opening statements. He asked a handful of questions before appearing to leave sometime before Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., addressed witnesses Nick Shirley, James O’Keefe, and Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette. Otherwise, the Democratic side of the dais was vacant...
#3 Musk Says Le Pen Is ‘France’s Last Hope’ Ahead of 2027 Election - Victor Goury-Laffont for POLITICO, Elon Musk/Basil the Great, Eric Daugherty, Mario Nawfal, Gunther Eagleman, and Thierry Breton on X
The world’s richest man has given the leader of the French far right his quasi-endorsement ahead of the country’s crucial presidential election next year. “She is France’s last hope,” wrote Elon Musk, the owner of X, on the social media platform Wednesday, in a post referring to far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen’s favorable polling figures. Le Pen formally launched her fourth bid for president last week after being cleared to run by an appeals court despite being found guilty of embezzling funds from the European Parliament — a charge she continues to dispute and is challenging before a higher jurisdiction.
#4 R Kelly Asks President Trump to Commute 31-Year Prison Sentence - Liza Esquibias for USA TODAY, A Gene Robinson, TMZ, Variety, XXL Magazine, ABC7 Eyewitness News, and NBC News on X
R. Kelly is seeking commutation of his combined 31-year prison sentence from President Donald Trump. The 58-year-old singer, born Robert Kelly, has filed a petition for clemency with the Department of Justice, according to records reviewed by USA TODAY. He is currently serving time behind bars in North Carolina for his 2021 and 2022 convictions on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, child pornography, and enticement. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in federal court in New York in the first case and 20 years in federal court in Chicago in the second. Under the terms of the Chicago sentence, he will serve one additional year after completing the New York sentence, with the remainder running concurrently, leaving him with a combined 31-year prison term...
#5 Trump Attorney General Pick Grilled at Confirmation Hearing - NBC News/YouTube, Mr Producer, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, MEAWW News, Paul Hollis, and
Ted Sikkink/Headquarters on X
Todd Blanche faced tough questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee as he navigates a narrow path to confirmation as Attorney General. NBC News’ Hallie Jackson reports. Todd Blanche faces questions about Trump, the Epstein files, and more in his attorney general confirmation hearing. Friends of Nolan Wells called for help with their boat on the day the teen went missing, according to new audio. And some companies are starting to limit their employees’ use of AI products.
#6 Grassley Says Jack Smith Illegally Obtained GOP Lawmakers’ Texts - The National Desk News, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, Mila Joy/Riker2468, The Tennessee Holler/Adam Schiffylus, MarsColony, and Roger Landis on X
Republicans on Capitol Hill are accusing former special counsel Jack Smith of illegally obtaining the contents of lawmakers’ text messages and are calling for him to face consequences, including criminal charges. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, accused the Biden Justice Department and Smith of secretly obtaining text messages from more than 40 members of Congress. “Smith's operation cut corners and blew through constitutional stop signs instead of respecting them and having been advised about the constitutional troubles, Jack Smith's operation was a runaway political train that improperly obtained congressional information," Grassley said at the beginning of Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing...#7 Tom Cotton Furiously Ends Trump DNI Nominee’s Hearing As Democrats Ask For More Time - Alex Griffing for Mediaite, Serge Kovaleski/Reuters Legal, brescacinclement/Senator Mark Kelly, Fix-rigged-sys/Acyn, American Nightmare
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), the vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was fed up with both Democrats and protestors during the confirmation hearing of President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton. Clayton, who currently serves as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, received a tough grilling from Senate Democrats on the committee, including questions about Trump pardoning a drug kingpin he had proudly prosecuted and whether or not he believed Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. “Thank you, Mr. Clayton, for your testimony today,” began Cotton, ending the day’s proceedings.
#8 Trump Blasts New York AI Data Center Moratorium, Says State Should Change Policy ‘Immediately’ - CJ Haddad for CNBC, New York Post, USA TODAY, Tennessee Star, Politics & Poll Tracker, The Hill, and Paul A. Szypula on X
President Donald Trump slammed New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new data center moratorium on Wednesday, saying in a Truth Social post that the state should change its policy “IMMEDIATELY” after it became the first in the U.S. to impose a ban of its kind. “One of the biggest Driving Forces in the Future for Jobs, are Data Centers,” he wrote. “They are big, strong, bold, and Money Machines for the State in which they are built. Governor Kathy Hochul, for political reasons, has terminated all Data Centers being built, or to be built, in New York State.” The new state executive order, signed by the governor on Tuesday, bars for up to a year the construction of large-scale data centers that use 50 or more megawatts of power. “New York State has made a terrible decision,” Trump wrote Wednesday...
#9 Vance Says Admin 'Screwed Up' Epstein Files - NEWSMAX, John Solomon, The Indian Express, Newsweek, Axios, and Tabz on X
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged Wednesday that the Trump administration mishandled its public communications surrounding the release of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also made claims about Epstein's possible intelligence connections that he said were based on suspicion rather than publicly available evidence. During an appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, Vance said the administration's handling of the Epstein files created unrealistic public expectations and damaged confidence in its transparency...
#10 Massie Drops Epstein Files Transparency Act 2 to Compel Release of Records - Ashley Brasfield for The Daily Caller, Thomas Massie, Grabien, Publius, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, and Anne P. Mitchell Esq on X
Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie has announced he will introduce the second iteration of the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA). Massie announced in a Wednesday press release that the Epstein Files Transparency Act II (EFTA II) would give standing to state attorneys general, members of Congress, and victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators to sue the U.S. attorney general for unlawfully withholding, redacting, or failing to disclose Epstein-related records...
