Republicans come to grips with midterm reality: Trump won’t be doing them any favors

GOP lawmakers fear a self-interested president is needlessly risking their party’s majorities.

US targets Sinaloa fentanyl distribution with new sanctions

The U.S. is targeting fentanyl distribution for the Sinaloa Cartel with new sanctions, according to the Treasury Department. In a Wednesday press release, the Treasury Department said that its Office of Foreign Assets Control had sanctioned over 12 entities and people

US aircraft carrier arrives in Caribbean amid tensions with Cuba

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its strike group arrived in the Caribbean this week amid U.S. tensions with Cuba and as President Trump has threatened to invade the island. The Nimitz-class battleship; its air wing made up of F/A-18E Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers and

5 things to know about the Raúl Castro indictment and the Cuba crisis

The United States on Wednesday indicted the former president of Cuba, Raúl Castro, on charges including murder and conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens. Castro, the younger brother of the late Fidel Castro, will turn 95 next month. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday

Groceries just had the biggest price hike in years. It's about to get even worse, experts warn

Unfortunately, things may be about to get a whole lot more expensive, economists are warning.

Trump faces 'no hurry' to make deal with Iran

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Trump faces 'no hurry' to make deal with Iran President Trump said Wednesday he is not in a hurry to make a deal with Iran as any progress on a potential deal between the two countries remains elusive. ©

Gallego: GOP manufacturing 'reason for another regime change war' in Cuba

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) on Wednesday said GOP lawmakers are manufacturing a “regime change” in Cuba amid the Trump administration’s oil blockade and charges against former President Raúl Castro. “We’re seeing Republicans manufacture a reason for another regime change war

Trump taunts Fox News reporter over lawmaker fiancé's voting record

President Trump taunted a Fox News reporter on Wednesday over her relationship with a Republican congressman and his record of breaking with the president on key votes. In a gaggle with reporters, Trump responded to an unrelated question by taking a personal jab at Fox News

Trump $1.8B 'anti-weaponization' fund faces legal challenge, GOP criticism

The nearly $1.8 billion fund created by the Trump administration to compensate those who allege they were the victims of a weaponized Justice Department is facing its first legal challenge as well as criticism from some Republican lawmakers. Police officers who defended the

The Trump Administration’s Iran Plan Is Even Crazier Than We Thought

In October 2005, days after Israeli forces killed a commander of the Hamas-aligned militant group Islamic Jihad in the West Bank, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke out unequivocally. “As the imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map,” said Iran’s newly elected president, referring to

House Republican: 'We're gonna kill' Trump's nearly $1.8B 'anti-weaponization' fund

A $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund created by the Trump administration this week for individuals who believe they have been unfairly targeted by the federal government is facing some resistance from congressional Republicans. “We’re gonna try to kill it,” Rep. Brian

Senators consider taking legislative action on prediction markets

Lawmakers might, however, encounter opposition from industry heavyweights who don’t want more regulation.

Former prosecutor charged with emailing herself Jack Smith report, disguising it as cake recipe

A former federal prosecutor was indicted for emailing herself an unreleased volume of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report into President Trump, according to charging documents unsealed Wednesday. Carmen Lineberger, 62, faces four criminal counts over accusations she improperly

Children's advocacy groups ask FTC to investigate Roblox

Two child safety advocacy groups are urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the gaming platform Roblox, alleging the company is committing "unfair and deceptive" acts, risking kids' safety and well-being. In a complaint filed Wednesday with the FTC, Fairplay

Gas now tops $4 in all 50 states, DC: AAA

The average price of a gallon of regular gas is over $4 in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to AAA, as the U.S. war against Iran nears the three-month mark. Oil and gas prices have spiked as the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the oil industry, has been

Flying with marijuana? How a small update to TSA's guidelines may impact you

Flying with marijuana has long been complicated, but a quiet update from TSA may make it slightly easier.

Ballroom won’t be funded after Senate GOP drops $1 billion Trump security request

Multiple Republican senators objected to sending taxpayer dollars to the president’s East Wing revamp.

Massie: 'Dangerous when you shrink the tent'

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) issued a warning to President Trump after losing in the Kentucky primary on Tuesday evening to a challenger endorsed by the president. “I think it’s dangerous when you shrink the tent,” Massie told MS NOW after his concession speech. “I mean, I give

Try to Make Any Sense of This Trump Answer on the Future of AI

Donald Trump cannot be living the same reality as the rest of America. The president aggressively dodged questions about the future impact of artificial intelligence Wednesday, claiming that nothing but good has come from the technology’s rapid implementation across industry.

Disney sued over facial recognition at parks

A California woman is suing the Walt Disney Co. over allegations that the use of facial recognition technology at theme park entrances violates consumer privacy laws. The class-action complaint was filed in the Southern District of New York on behalf of Summer Christine

Trump marks Cuban Independence Day, slams island's regime

President Trump on Wednesday commemorated Cuban Independence Day while also slamming the island country's regime, the same day his administration indicted former President Raúl Castro on murder charges. Trump likened Cuba's "founding generation" that rose up against Spain to

Republicans Forced to Abandon Latest Tactic to Fund Trump Ballroom

President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom, which would boast lavish golden interiors and is totally needed for, uh, security reasons, is beginning to face backlash from Republicans as well as Democrats. On Wednesday, Republican Senator John Kennedy told Samantha Handler of

Judge Grants Emergency Order to Block Trump From Destroying Records

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that President Trump has to comply with the Presidential Records Act, overruling an opinion from the Department of Justice last month. The DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion in April claiming that the act was unconstitutional because

RFK Jr. fires 2 leaders of preventive services task force

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired the two leaders of an influential panel that determines which preventive medical services insurers must cover for free. Kennedy dismissed vice chairs John Wong and Esa Davis from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)

Raskin introduces bill to block Trump's $1.776B after GOP shoots down effort to subpoena Blanche

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, introduced a bill Wednesday to bar the Justice Department's (DOJ) new $1.776 billion compensation fund to be used for payouts to those who claim to have faced weaponization at the hands of the

Platner holds 7 point lead over Collins in new Maine Senate poll

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is leading Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in the race for her seat by 7 points, according to a new poll. In the Pan Atlantic Research poll, 48 percent of likely voters said they back Platner in a hypothetical matchup, while 41

Trump: 'We have Cuba on our mind'

President Trump on Wednesday told reporters that the administration has Cuba “on our mind” following the Justice Department's charging of former Cuban President Raúl Castro with murder. “It’s very important,” Trump said. “It was a very big moment for people, not only Cuban

Watch live: Doug Collins testifies before Senate on VA budget request

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins will testify before a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee panel on President Trump's fiscal year 2027 budget request for the department. The White House is seeking $144 billion in discretionary funding for the Veterans Affairs Department

Lawmakers scrutinize sportsbooks, prediction markets at testy hearing

Senators from both parties peppered officials from the gaming and prediction market industries with questions about their aggressive marketing strategies, integrity-monitoring practices and efforts to protect consumer safety during a sometimes testy hearing on Wednesday. The

US military boards Iranian-flagged oil tanker in Gulf of Oman

The U.S. military on Wednesday boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman suspected of trying to violate the U.S. naval blockade by sailing toward an Iranian port. The Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/T Celestial Sea, which sailed under

'Normalized' partisanship, government shutdowns raise risks for aviation

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), the CEO of Airlines for America, on Wednesday warned about the impact on American aviation caused by partisanship and government shutdowns, with the latter seemingly becoming more frequent. "This is the

Mamdani rebuffs Bezos comment on raising taxes

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) pushed back on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Wednesday after the billionaire businessman claimed that increasing his tax contributions would not “help that teacher in Queens.” “I know a few teachers in Queens who would beg to differ,” the

Trump Ropes Banks Into His Immigration Crackdown With Wild Order

Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will require U.S. banks to take a closer look at their clients’ citizenship details. The Tuesday order , titled “Restoring Integrity to America’s Financial System,” directs bank regulators and the government agencies to look into

James Murdoch buying half of Vox Media, including New York magazine

James Murdoch's media company is buying half of Vox Media, a purchase that will include New York magazine, Vox’s digital site and Vox Media Podcast Network, Vox Media announced on Wednesday. James Murdoch is the son of conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch, whose companies,

House GOP cancels war powers vote

County commission in Las Vegas approves Flavor Flav's request for parade honoring female athletes

A county commission in Las Vegas is giving the go-ahead to Flavor Flav to organize a parade and multi-day series of events in honor of female athletes. The 67-year-old rapper, who was born William Drayton, had personally pitched the idea for a "SHE Weekend" of events — poised

Democrats Move to Force Republicans on the Record on Trump Slush Fund

Democrats are moving quickly to force congressional votes on President Donald Trump’s ridiculously corrupt slush fund. After Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS resulted in the creation of a $1.8 billion pool of taxpayer money for him to essentially dole out to his

Transcript: Georgia May Elect America’s First Black Woman Governor

This is a lightly edited transcript of the May 20 edition of Right Now With Perry Bacon. You can watch the video here or by following this show on YouTube or Substack . This episode is part of Right Now ’s ongoing coverage of the midterm elections. Other recent episodes have

FDA vape guidance could endanger children, contradicting MAHA goals

When people inside your own administration are walking away over a policy, that tells you this isn’t just routine disagreement. This is a major fight over what public health is supposed to mean.

This Georgian Might Become America’s First Black Woman Governor

You can watch this episode of Right Now With Perry Bacon above or by following this show on YouTube or Substack . Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms overwhelmingly won the gubernatorial Democratic primary in Georgia on Tuesday, avoiding a runoff. If she wins in November,

Mace unveils amendment limiting Congress, judges to natural-born citizens

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is proposing a constitutional amendment that would prohibit foreign-born U.S. citizens from serving in Congress, becoming federal judges or holding Senate-confirmed positions. In a Wednesday statement shared to social platform X, Mace said she

Fed only crumbs: Children say man tortured, sexually abused them in Indiana basement

The man reportedly snapped a kitten's neck in front of the children, according to police.

Barry Moore and Jared Hudson head to runoff in Alabama GOP Senate primary

Hudson’s late surge helped him overcome Attorney General Steve Marshall, who fell short despite his long experience in local elected office.

TikTok star charged in LA murder-for-hire plot targeting boy band singer

A social media influencer, her father and one-time boyfriend have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot targeting a popular singer who she shares a child with.

At least 25 Trader Joe's stores expected to open this year: Here's where

America's favorite grocery store (at least according to a recent study) is experiencing a growth spurt.

DOJ indicts former Cuban president; Trump breaks with Federalist Society: Join the live discussion

President Trump publicly broke with The Federalist Society — but are Trump’s second-term judge selections really any different? Plus, the Justice Department increasingly eyes legal action against powerful individuals outside the bounds of U.S. borders. What's next as the focus

Read: DOJ's indictment of Raúl Castro

The Justice Department indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro on murder charges Wednesday, a move that coincides with Cuba's Independence Day and a threat from President Trump that he could invade the island. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche joined prosecutors in South

Shirtless fans become 'Tarps Off' stars at baseball stadiums

Joining in on the fun is simple: Go to the section where the party is happening, take off your shirt and start twirling it above your head.

Speaker Johnson says Massie was a ‘thorn in my side for a long time’

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) celebrated Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) defeat in the Kentucky GOP primary, calling the fellow GOP lawmaker a “thorn in my side for a long time.” “I have nothing personal against Thomas Massie, but he votes with the Democrats a lot of the time and

Raúl Castro charged with murder by Justice Department amid Trump threat to invade Cuba

The Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging former Cuban President Raúl Castro with murder Wednesday, a move that coincides with the country's independence day and a threat from President Trump to invade the island. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche traveled to