What to know today
- President Donald Trump urged House Republican factions in a meeting on Capitol Hill this morning to unite behind a massive bill to advance his agenda.
- At the meeting, Trump warned conservatives against pushing for deep cuts to Medicaid and told blue-state Republicans to drop their effort to raise the cap on state and local tax deductions, known as SALT.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a grilling from Senate Democrats about cuts at his department during his testimony to the Appropriations Committee this morning about the administration's budget request.
Former Jan. 6 defendant who was arrested near Obama’s house is convicted on gun charges
A former Jan. 6 defendant who was arrested after he showed up at former President Barack Obama’s home in 2023 was convicted today of illegal possession of guns and ammunition.
Taylor Taranto, who was apprehended while he was livestreaming video near Obama’s house in Washington, D.C., was also found guilty of a false information and hoaxes charge related to a video he streamed a day earlier claiming he was on a “one-way mission” to blow up the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled on the case following a bench trial that got underway last week.
Lawyers battle over Trump administration's deporting immigrants to war-torn South Sudan
For the second time in less than two weeks, immigration lawyers have gone to federal court to try and stop the Trump administration from deporting a small group of immigrants from the United States to a war-torn country not their own.
Immigration attorneys told the court that at least two of their clients, from Myanmar and Vietnam, were deported this morning to South Sudan in violation of a court order, and they demanded their return.
“The Court should further restrain all flights carrying class members to South Sudan or any other third country,” the attorneys said.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and NBC News was not able to independently verify that a deportation flight to South Sudan had occurred.
Biden's 'last known' prostate cancer screening was in 2014, spokesperson says
A spokesperson for Joe Biden told NBC News today that the former president had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer before Friday and that his last known screening was more than a decade ago.
“President Biden’s last known PSA was in 2014. Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer,” the spokesperson said.
A prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test measures protein produced by the prostate, and a high number could indicate a potential malignancy, but the exam is known for a high proportion of false positive results. Some physicians do not conduct the exam on patients over 70 years old, following recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Biden turned 72 in 2014, making his last known PSA test consistent with the medical guidance.
Biden's prostate cancer has metastasized to the bone that has a Gleason scale of 9, meaning it is an aggressive form of the disease that medical experts say at this stage is incurable but treatable. Since Biden revealed his diagnosis, there has been speculation about whether the cancer developed recently or whether it could have gone undiagnosed during his time in office.
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist who did not treat Biden but served on his transition Covid advisory board, said on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" yesterday that the cancer had most likely been “growing there and spreading” for years.
What’s next for Venezuelans after Supreme Court allows Trump to revoke protected status?
A two-paragraph Supreme Court order is upending the lives of 350,000 Venezuelan migrants who have been allowed to live and work in the United States with special legal protection from deportation.
The court’s order yesterday allows the Trump administration to strip Temporary Protected Status from the group of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans as a legal case continues.
Attorneys representing the TPS holders said the Supreme Court’s brief order raises questions, including exactly when the 350,000 Venezuelans will lose their legal protections.
Here’s what we know about the order and what comes next in the case.
DOJ departed from standard protocol in charging Rep. LaMonica McIver, source says
Reporting from Washington
The Justice Department did not follow its standard practice of consulting the Public Integrity Section before it brought charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., according to a person familiar with the matter.
Under Justice Department protocol, consultation with the Public Integrity Section “is required in all investigations involving a Member of Congress or congressional staff member” and no investigative action is supposed to be taken without approval. The measure is meant as a check on the actions of politically appointed U.S. attorneys.
A Justice Department spokesman previously declined to comment on whether the section was consulted about the McIver case.
The Public Integrity Section has shrunk in size and stature since the beginning of Trump's second term, particularly in connection with the handling of the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat.
“It is removed from both local and to some extent national political pressures,” a former Public Integrity Section official said of the unit. “When you remove that kind of safeguard or source or subject matter expertise and guidance, you obviously lose that effort to provide an outside perspective to be a check on either inconsistent enforcement actions or enforcement actions that may in fact be or be widely perceived as politically motivated.”
The former official mentioned the public announcements of investigations into former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James and the investigation into Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., over five-year-old comments as falling outside the realm of standard Justice Department practice and said the handling of the McIver matter — which the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, announced on X last night — appears to continue that pattern.
“It seems consistent at part of an effort to reduce checks on DOJ enforcement actions in these kind of sensitive areas,” the former official said.
NBC News has reported that the McIver case is being prosecuted by Stephen Demanovich, who began serving this month as counselor to Habba, who previously was Trump’s personal attorney. Court records show that Demanovich has been involved in only two cases in federal court in New Jersey: the McIver case and the case against Newark’s mayor, which is being dropped.
Trump announces plans for ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system
Trump officially announced plans for the “Golden Dome” missile defense shield in the Oval Office this afternoon, saying it should be fully operational by the end of his term. Air Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, the vice chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force, whom he appointed to oversee the project, made brief remarks.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also spoke and called it a “generational investment in the security of America.”
Suprise! Senate unanimously passes No Tax on Tips bill
The Senate just quickly, and surprisingly, unanimously passed a bill to establish a new tax deduction of up to $25,000 for tips, called the No Tax on Tips Act, sending it to the House.
The move came relatively out of nowhere, as Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., sent the bill to the floor and moved to pass it by unanimous consent. No one objected, so it passed.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who introduced the bill, celebrated the move.
The bill now goes to the House, which would need to pass it and send it to Trump’s desk for his signature. The provision is also included in the House GOP megabill that lawmakers are considering, so it’s not clear whether the House will take up the bill the Senate just passed.
But, as Cruz mentioned, the move almost guarantees that some form of the policy will be implemented. Rosen supports the measure because so many workers in her state are paid with tips.
U.S. Capitol Police chief slams Trump administration's settlement with family of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger blasted the Trump administration today over a settlement it reached with the family of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt, whom police fatally shot as she tried to climb into an area near the House chamber during the 2021 attack on the Capitol.
“I am extremely disappointed and disagree with this settlement," Manger said in a statement.
Manger, who took over as the leader of the Capitol Police in the wake of Jan. 6, said a Justice Department investigation in 2021 determined "no wrongdoing by police."
"This settlement sends a chilling message to law enforcement nationwide, especially to those with a protective mission like ours," Manger warned.
Trump has expressed sympathy for Babbitt's family, even calling her mother this year, and has said police should not have shot her.
Bipartisan group of senators push Russia to release Ukrainian children in peace talks
Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., are introducing a resolution today that calls on Russia to return abducted Ukrainian children before any agreement to end the war is finalized.
In a statement, Grassley blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the “inhumane and unprovoked attack on Ukraine,” adding that Putin “kidnapped thousands of children to brainwash and Russify them in an attempt to destroy their cultural identity and heritage.”
“The United States ought to demand these children are returned before inking a deal to end the war in Ukraine,” Grassley said.
In April, 40 religious leaders sent a letter calling on Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure the return of thousands of children who were forcibly transferred to Russia, Belarus and territories under Russian control.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; and John Fetterman, D-Pa. It is not clear when the resolution will get a vote on the Senate floor.
The group pushed in March to seek renewed commitment from the administration to support efforts to investigate the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children. It is the first time have Republicans signed on to a resolution that includes stipulations for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Pope Leo XIV last week for his help bringing the children home to Ukraine.
Trump, who had a two-hour call with Putin yesterday, said the two countries will start “negotiations” for a ceasefire even though Ukraine has already agreed to one.
At the Capitol today, Trump said “we’ll see” when he was asked whether he would impose new sanctions on Russia after the European Union and Britain went ahead with their own.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem struggles to define habeas corpus at Senate hearing
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem mangled a response to a question about habeas corpus at a Senate hearing today, referring to the constitutional right of due process as a “right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country.”
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., asked Noem about the constitutional protection after she noted that White House adviser Stephen Miller told reporters this month that the administration was “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus, the right to challenge an arrest or imprisonment.
“I want to clarify your position,” Hassan asked. “What is habeas corpus?”
“Well, habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country, and suspend their right to ...,” Noem responded before Hassan cut her off.
“That’s incorrect,” she said.
Baraka targets Sherrill in new ad in N.J. governor's race
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has launched one of the first direct attacks on the airwaves ahead of next month's primary for governor in New Jersey, taking aim at Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
"Mikie Sherrill let us down," a narrator says in the 30-second ad. "Mikie took $30,000 from Elon Musk’s campaign fund while Trump attacked abortion access. She made millions on the stock market, tripling her net worth while in Congress, and was then fined for unreported trades."
The ad goes on to frame Baraka as the candidate for governor hopeful who "works for us."
Sherrill's congressional campaign had received donations from a PAC for Musk's company, SpaceX. After it initially suggested the funds had been spent, Sherrill's campaign said they had been donated to charity, according to the New Jersey Globe.
Some New Jersey Democrats have viewed Sherrill as the front-runner in the crowded primary on June 10, with Baraka among the top contenders. So far, the candidates have avoided directly attacking each other on the airwaves, in part because it has not been clear how such attacks could shake up the fractured field.
Trump to announce his point person on missile defense plan
Trump is expected to announce a new point man to shepherd his ambitious plan to build a comprehensive missile defense system to protect the American homeland.
Trump will tap Air Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, the vice chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force, to oversee the so-called Golden Dome missile defense system at a briefing expected at the White House today.
Trump has been briefed on options to create the Golden Dome, a multilayered missile defense system that he has made a priority for the Pentagon but will take several years to fully realize.
Trump isn’t expected to discuss specifics of his vision today at an Oval Office briefing, but he will name Guetlein, who is expected to be on hand for the announcement, and is likely to touch on why a missile defense system for the United States is an important counter to increasing threats.
Government officials and other experts believe the United States needs a system to protect it from missiles launched by adversaries such as China and even drones that could have nefarious purposes, like those in a series of incidents over Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, in December 2023.
Trump’s vision isn’t unlike that of President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, which came to be known mockingly as “Star Wars” and never fully became operational. Trump administration officials are trying to do the spadework necessary to build the system, which could cost tens of billions to hundreds of billions of dollars, depending on which system Trump decides to pursue.
Many believe Trump’s plan is more realistic than Star Wars, given technological advances since the Reagan era. But if Trump’s vision is to stop nuclear missiles fired from another continent, it could take years to complete.
NBC News reported in April that Trump’s proposal would most likely be a patchwork of systems designed to stop a wide variety of threats, including cruise missiles fired from ships off the U.S. coast, ballistic missiles launched from countries such as Russia or China and attacks from drones flying over the homeland. Such a system most likely would also be envisioned to counter state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles that can travel hundreds of miles in a single minute.
Karoline Leavitt hosts news briefing with reporters' and staffers' children
The White House allowed the children of reporters and staff members to ask the questions at today’s daily briefing to mark Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, whose infant son, Nicholas, was present, dubbed the children "future leaders" and answered their questions about things like the president's favorite food (steak), his favorite ice cream (sundae with chocolate sauce), his favorite president besides himself (George Washington) and whether he likes to give hugs.
One of the children asked Leavitt what her least favorite news outlet was, eliciting laughter in the briefing room.
"Honestly, it depends on the day" she answered.
Vance looks to cultivate the pope as a new diplomatic partner for the U.S.
Vice President JD Vance shuffled between presidents and prime ministers this week, tending to complicated relationships with U.S. allies and puzzling over two wars.
But it was his meeting yesterday with newly installed Pope Leo XIV that could prove to be most consequential on the world stage, Vance said in an interview with NBC News.
New survey highlights how local leaders try to keep political polarization at bay
Local officials are looking for ways to keep political polarization at bay as it continues to rage around them in the wider world, according to a new survey by the nonprofit research organization CivicPulse.
Just under a third of local government leaders who took part in the survey, which was commissioned by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and released today, said political polarization negatively affects their communities “a great deal” or “a lot” — matching the 31% who said the same in an earlier survey by the nonprofit groups before the 2024 election.
While their perceptions have held steady, local officials are seeking new ways to prevent what 83% of them called the substantial harmful impact of polarization on the nation from seeping into their communities.
House speaker says this is GOP's 'best chance' to pass budget package
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said after a House Republican Conference meeting with Trump that now was the "best chance" to pass the GOP's reconciliation bill.
“We’re on the verge of making history here, and everybody feels it in that room today with President Trump," Johnson said at his weekly news conference. "It was filled with standing ovations and high energy and high excitement because everybody senses what’s happening here."
Majority Leader Scalise, R-La., said, “Now it’s time for everybody to unify and come together and go pass the bill.”
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., told reporters that he hopes the Republican leadership is motivated by the “president’s presence” to agree to a state and local tax deduction increase that he can “sell back at home.”
The Rules Committee is scheduled to meet overnight, starting at 1 a.m. tomorrow, on how to proceed with the reconciliation bill.
RFK Jr. grilled on funding cuts in third hearing this month
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. returned to Capitol Hill today for his third congressional hearing in a week to face more heated questions from lawmakers about the drastic funding cuts his department has made as part of Trump’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government.
Today's hearing before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee centered on Trump’s 2026 budget request for the health agency, and within minutes, lawmakers expressed concerns about specific programs and funding that would see cuts if the proposed budget passes.
Liberal group launches ad campaign slamming Medicaid cuts in GOP bill
The Democratic-aligned group Families Over Billionaires is launching a six-figure ad campaign on TV and digital platforms slamming the Medicaid funding cuts that Republicans are eyeing in their sweeping domestic policy bill.
The new spot, shared first with NBC News, features a single mother named Amy saying she relies on Medicaid to care for her special-needs son.
“Republicans want to take away our health care so billionaires can get another tax break,” she says to the camera. “Say it to my face: Their wealth is more important than my health.”
The group said the ad campaign will launch this week on national cable TV, including Fox News in the Washington, D.C., area through May 27, as well as across streaming and digital platforms such as YouTube and Hulu though June 3. It includes a 30-second version and a 60-second version.
The new push comes as Republicans are seeking to pass a massive bill for Trump's agenda through the narrow House majority along party lines this week. It serves as a preview of how Democrats are trying to undercut it and make it a key issue in the 2026 midterm elections.
The director of Families Over Billionaires, Michael Linden, worked as a budget staffer in the Biden White House.
Five years after George Floyd’s death, calls to reform qualified immunity mostly fall silent
Reporting from Washington
The death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in May 2020 gave momentum to a cross-ideological effort to reform the legal defense known as “qualified immunity,” which can protect cops even when they have violated the Constitution.
Bills were introduced in Congress calling to abolish the defense. Multiple cases piled up at the Supreme Court urging the justices to intervene. Much ink was spilled. And then, nothing happened.
With the fifth anniversary of Floyd’s death approaching this weekend, Congress still has not passed any legislation seeking to even reform, let alone abolish, qualified immunity. The Supreme Court has rejected dozens of cases asking it to do the same.
Kennedy rips Democratic senator: 'You have not done your job'
An exchange between Kennedy and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., turned ugly, with Murray pressing him on whether he knew what was happening at his own agency and Kennedy accusing her of "presiding over the destruction of the health of the American people."
Murray said Kennedy had previously testified that cuts at his agency that had been reported publicly — and in some case had been confirmed at his agency — hadn't happened, including a pause in Head Start funding that led hundreds of children in Murray's state to lose services.
She asked if he was "lying" or is not the person making decisions — and then Kennedy went on the attack.
"Our people are now the sickest people in the world because you have not done your job," he said. "What have you done about the epidemic of chronic disease?"
Jack Ciattarelli touts Trump endorsement ahead of New Jersey primary
New Jersey gubernatorial hopeful Jack Ciattarelli launched a new TV ad today touting his recent endorsement from Trump ahead of next month's GOP primary.
"Just like President Trump is taking on the status quo in Washington, when I’m governor, we’re gonna do the same in New Jersey," Ciattarelli says in the 30-second spot. A narrator later says, "President Trump says Jack Ciattarelli is a winner and will fight tirelessly for New Jersey. That’s why Jack has President Trump’s complete and total endorsement."
Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker and businessman who was the Republican nominee in the last governor's election, is the front-runner for the GOP nomination, a contested race with five candidates on the ballot.
Ciattarelli's chief competition includes former radio host Bill Spadea and former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac, who have also aligned themselves with Trump, and state Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Trump critic.
New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states holding gubernatorial races this year. The Garden State primary is set for June 10.
Running for governor, former Atlanta mayor says she never had concerns about Biden during her work with him
Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Keisha Lance Bottoms, who worked in high-level positions in the Biden White House and campaign, told NBC News that she never had any concerns about Biden's cognitive abilities during her work with him.
Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta who announced her bid for Georgia governor today, spoke with NBC News ahead of her announcement and amid recent comments from anonymous Democrats that surfaced in recent books questioning the former president's fitness for office.
"My term in the White House ended in '23," she said. "I did not have any concerns about the president's cognitive abilities, that was not my experience in any of the interactions that I had with him. I can't speak to what other people say they have observed, only to what I observed, and I didn't have any concerns in my interactions with him."
'That was a meeting of love': Trump denies that he's frustrated with House GOP members
After meeting behind closed doors with the House Republican Conference at the Capitol, Trump denied to reporters that he had expressed frustration to rank-and-file members about the reconciliation process.
"That was a meeting of love. That was love in that room. There was no shouting," Trump said, adding that he never mentioned to House Republicans that he was losing patience.
Trump stressed again that people wouldn't lose health benefits as a result of the reconciliation legislation.
"They won't lose insurance," he said when asked about the possible impact of the legislation on working-class voters.
RFK Jr. calls his testimony ‘a fun game’ in tense exchange over canceled health grants
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., pressed Kennedy on a number of research grants that have been canceled, including tens of millions of dollars for research focused on combating Alzheimer's, cancer and rare diseases.
"Is funding for Alzheimer's disease centers DEI?" she asked. "Because you're holding up $65 million for 14 of those centers in nine states."
Kennedy said they were "cutting waste," prompting Baldwin to point to other research that had been cut. "The list goes on and on," she said, before noting her time had expired.
"This is a fun game we're playing," Kennedy responded, prompting Baldwin to tell him it was no game.
"Ask me questions and don't give me a chance to answer them," Kennedy complained.
New Republican congressman posts video of Trump inside meeting
Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., posted a nearly minutelong video of Trump from inside the House GOP conference meeting on X, offering a view not normally seen of a closed-door meeting.
The president can be seen walking into the room, where he received a standing ovation from lawmakers. He shakes the hands of several members of the leadership, including Majority Whip Tom Emmer, of Minnesota, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, of Louisiana, before being introduced by the Republican Conference chair, Rep. Lisa McClain, of Michigan.
Patronis is in his first term after winning one of the Florida special elections in April. Members normally do not post photos or videos from inside the conference's meeting room.
Trump pushes House GOP holdouts to get behind the massive bill for his agenda
Trump traveled to Capitol Hill this morning to deliver a message to House Republicans impeding a massive bill for his domestic agenda: Stop fighting and get it done as soon as possible.
In a closed-door meeting with rank-and-file Republicans, Trump took aim at a bloc of blue-state Republicans who’ve been pushing for a higher cap on the deduction their constituents can take for state and local taxes, known as SALT, while warning conservative hard-liners against steep cuts to Medicaid.
Trump told GOP conference to 'quit screwing around' on reconciliation bill, lawmakers says
Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, told reporters after the closed-door meeting with Trump that the president has become "frustrated" with the pace of the House Republicans' progress on the reconciliation bill.
"He made it pretty clear we need to quit screwing around, and we need to get one big, beautiful bill passed," Johnson said in the basement of the Capitol.
“The president is the world’s best salesman," he added. "You can tell that he did move the room. This was a powerful meeting.”
Musk, who spent a quarter of a billion dollars on the 2024 election, says he'll spend less in '26
Tech billionaire Elon Musk says he will spend "a lot less" on politics "in the future" than he did during the 2024 election.
Musk, a Trump adviser who is spearheading efforts to slash government through the Department of Government Efficiency, made the comments during an interview with Bloomberg at the Qatar Economic Forum.
"I think I've done enough," he said, adding, "If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I don't currently see a reason."
Musk spent a quarter of a billion dollars in the last election cycle, mostly to support Trump. Despite his new comments, he kicked off 2025 with a bang, vocally backing an unsuccessful conservative candidate for Wisconsin's state Supreme Court and spending more than $12.5 million through his super PAC to boost that candidate.
Trump says House Republicans will make 'tweaks' to reconciliation bill
After arriving on Capitol Hill this morning for a closed-door meeting with House Republicans, Trump said he would push for some modifications to the reconciliation bill that the House is expected to vote on this week.
"We're going to make a couple tweaks," he told reporters about the legislation, which has passed out of several committees.
Trump didn't spell out what those changes would entail, but he did suggest he wasn't a fan of state and local tax (SALT) deductions, saying Democratic governors want them to be included in the bill. A group of blue-state Republicans have also called for a higher cap on SALT.
The president repeatedly claimed the legislation wouldn't make cuts to Medicaid despite the inclusion of Republican provisions to place limits on the program, which could make it harder for people to obtain benefits.
Asked if he wants the legislation to include work requirements for Medicaid, Trump said, "We're not touching anything. All I want is one thing — three words, we don't want any waste, fraud or abuse ... Other than that, we're leaving it."
Trump to speak with House Republicans on the Hill
Trump is heading to Capitol Hill this morning to speak at the House Republican Conference meeting, the White House said.
GOP lawmakers are negotiating over aspects of the budget reconciliation package, which includes the Trump administration's priorities. The legislation would continue Trump's tax cuts, boost spending for the military and border enforcement, and make cuts to Medicaid and clean energy spending.
Some conservative holdouts have rejected the package because it would increase the budget deficit.
Rep. Jared Golden announces he'll seek re-election, setting up battleground district fight
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, announced this morning that he's seeking re-election.
"I have decided the best way to continue serving the people of Maine is to do my part to restore balance in Congress by helping to win back the House of Representatives," he said in a post on X. "My focus will remain on checking the extremes and putting working class families first."
Golden has been in Congress since 2019. He narrowly won re-election in 2024 in his district, which Trump won all three cycles he ran.
Golden has been willing to break with his own party, including on backing aspects of Trump's tariff agenda.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms launches run for Georgia governor
Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor who more recently served in top posts at the Democratic National Committee and in then-President Joe Biden’s White House and 2024 campaign, is running for governor of Georgia.
She announced her campaign this morning, releasing a video on social media that recounts her upbringing and tight-knit family, and criticizes Trump.
“These days, most Georgians are right to wonder: Who’s looking out for us? Donald Trump is a disaster for our economy and our country. From his failure to address rising prices to giving an unelected billionaire the power to cut Medicare and Social Security — it’s one terrible thing after another,” Bottoms says in the video.
DOJ says it has charged N.J. congresswoman with assaulting law enforcement at ICE facility
The Justice Department said it filed charges yesterday against Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., alleging she assaulted law enforcement this month at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark.
The acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, made the announcement on X, where she accused McIver of “assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement.”
McIver called the charges “purely political” in a statement and said she looks forward “to the truth being laid out clearly in court.”
“Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues to inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall in my district. We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short. Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka,” she said.
RFK Jr. to testify before Congress again after last week’s contentious hearings
Reporting from Washington
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee today, where he is likely to face questions about many of the issues he did during last week’s contentious congressional hearings.
The hearing centers on Trump’s budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services, but Kennedy is likely to be asked about his vaccine skepticism and support of fluoride bans and the massive DOGE-led cuts to his department.