Senators discuss tweaks to $1B request

Senators vote to block their pay during government shutdowns

The rule change will kick in after the midterm elections in November.

Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn't initially know what to believe. "There's a lot of misinformation about data centers," she said. "Google has denied taking that land."

Federal appeals court probes Trump's targeting of law firms

A federal appeals court panel on Thursday scrutinized President Trump’s executive orders targeting several of the nation’s top law firms, which claim they were retaliated against for representing his political adversaries. Sharp questions were asked of both the law firms and

Chance of a 'super' El Niño grows – and it's just around the corner

El Niño is waiting in the wings. An updated forecast released by the National Weather Service on Thursday gave the climate phenomenon an 82% chance of taking over at some point between May and July.

Is Obama's call for Justice Department independence an impossible dream?

Former President Barack Obama suggested that the attorney general should not be the president's "consigliere" and should instead be the "people's lawyer", in order to avoid the weaponization of the Justice Department, a problem that has been present in the Nixon and Trump

Trump: China has committed to withholding military equipment from Iran

President Trump said Thursday that Chinese President Xi Jinping committed to withholding military equipment from Iran during the bilateral meeting between the two leaders. "He said he’s not going to give military equipment. That’s a big statement. He said that today,” Trump

Justice Department sues DC authorities over efforts to discipline Jeff Clark, Ed Martin

The Justice Department (DOJ) is suing the Washington, D.C., Office of Disciplinary Counsel after it brought disciplinary proceedings against two of President Trump's allies, Jeffrey Clark and Ed Martin. Clark, the former DOJ official who urged the department to intervene and

Taiwan emerges as major tension in Trump-Xi summit

Presented by Google Cloud {beacon} PRESENTED BY Happy Thursday. Washington got hit with one of its first big thunderstorms of the season last night. That means summer is coming! The Council of the District of Columbia posted a cool video of the storm rolling in. Thanks

Israel to sue New York Times over Palestinian prisoner rape allegations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his country's foreign ministry said Thursday they will sue The New York Times, accusing the outlet of defamation after it published a column alleging that Israeli prison guards sexually abuse and assault imprisoned Palestinians.

MTG Freaks Out at MAGA Influencer Over Republican Who Defies Trump

The MAGA movement is splitting at the seams. Two of the faction’s biggest names—ex-Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and podcaster Benny Johnson—traded blows online Wednesday, airing one another’s rumored dirty laundry after Johnson attacked Kentucky Representative Thomas

Cuba out of fuel oil, diesel under US sanctions, energy minister says

Cuba’s energy minister said Wednesday that the country has run out of oil and diesel amid a sustained U.S. blockade that has choked off fuel supply and pushed the island’s energy system to the brink. “We have absolutely no fuel, and absolutely no diesel,” Vicente de la O Levy

China stole my sister. Trump can bring her home.

As President Trump sits across from Xi Jinping, I am not just asking for a diplomatic miracle; I am asking the leader of the free world to look a dictator in the eye and demand the return of my sister, a soul who has been stolen by the machinery of hate. Someone must stand

Federal Judge Blasts “Untrustworthy” DOJ Over Gender Affirming Care

A federal judge sharply rebuked the Department of Justice Wednesday, calling out a subpoena to a Rhode Island children’s hospital for having “under oath, misrepresented salient facts.” Judge Mary McElroy of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island said

Senate adopts measure to suspend senators’ pay during future shutdowns

The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) to suspend senators' pay during future government shutdowns, a new rule that could give lawmakers in the upper chamber a powerful incentive not to block funding bills ahead of key

Massie trails Trump-backed Gallrein in Kentucky House GOP primary: Poll

A new poll from Quantus Insights has Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) trailing challenger Ed Gallrein, just days before the May 19 Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. The survey, conducted Monday and Tuesday, found that 48.3 percent of 908 respondents backed

Ramaswamy should show Hinduism is much deeper than a political or racial identity

Hindu philosophy offers something greater than reactive nationalism wrapped in spiritual language.

Why US flags are flying at half-staff on Friday, and the proper way to lower yours

There's a specific way flags are to be lowered to the half-staff position.

Trump Secretary Keeps Bringing Up Biden When Asked What He’s Achieved

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner crashed and burned Thursday when trying to defend the Trump’s administration’s massive budget cuts to his department. Appearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Turner repeatedly rehashed his issues with former

How companies weaponize the terms of service against you

Today, I’m talking with Brendan Ballou, founder of the Public Integrity Project and author of a new book, called When Companies Run the Courts, about the rise of forced arbitration. Brendan’s actually been on the show before — his previous book, Plunder, was about private

Watch live: Vance gives remarks from Maine on Trump economy, anti-fraud efforts

Vice President Vance will give remarks Thursday morning from Maine as the Trump administration ramps up its efforts to combat fraud. The vice president, tapped by President Trump to be the "fraud czar," is also the chair of the White House task force on combatting fraud in

Americans do not want AI data centers in their backyards

Over 70 percent of Americans oppose AI data center construction in their area, according to a new Gallup survey. Just 7 percent said they were "strongly" in favor of new data centers. According to Gallup, data centers are so strongly disliked that Americans would prefer to live

Insurers shouldn't make healthcare decisions: There’s a better way

The system is broken — and it must be fixed now.

Max Miller sues ex-wife and her legal team for domestic abuse allegations

The Ohio Republican is alleging defamation and seeking no less than $25,000 in damages.

Giuliani returns to show after hospitalization: 'It is very nice to be back'

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) returned to hosting his eponymous show on Wednesday, after he was hospitalized earlier this month for viral pneumonia. During a recent episode of “The Rudy Giuliani Show," the former mayor said that he is “in the middle of making a

What is 'Thucydides trap,' mentioned during Trump-Xi meeting?

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday told President Trump in Beijing ahead of their high-stakes meeting that the major question that China and the U.S. will have to answer is whether they can avoid the "Thucydides Trap." Xi asked if both countries can overcome the

Trump Team Is Panicking About Plan to Issue Pardons on His Birthday

Donald Trump is planning to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with hundreds of additional pardons. Some people in the White House have expressed concerns that Trump’s heavy use of his pardon authority could bode poorly for Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, and

Miami residents sue over state land donation for Trump library

A group of Miami residents is suing President Trump and top Florida officials over a state land donation for Trump’s future presidential library and museum, alleging the transaction is unconstitutional. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the Southern District of Florida on

House aims for housing bill vote next week, setting up clash with Senate

The House is moving ahead with a vote next week on an amended bipartisan housing bill, even after President Trump pressured the lower chamber to pass the Senate version. House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill (R-Ark.) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the

Keep justice blind: Civil disobedience is an American right, regardless of party

If a single statute can be used aggressively against pro-life activists under one president and against anti-ICE protesters under another, the problem is not who is wielding the weapon, but that the weapon exists.

NAACP alleges new Tennessee congressional map intentionally discriminates on basis of race

The NAACP on Wednesday alleged in a lawsuit filed in federal court that Tennessee’s new congressional map intentionally discriminates on the basis of race. The legal action follows lawmakers’ decision to carve out the state’s only majority-Black district through a

The One Issue Trump Is Desperate to Avoid in China

Chinese leader Xi Jinping brought up the issue of Taiwan Thursday during President Trump’s visit to China, warning that the “Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.” “’Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and

Washington has had the anti-fraud blueprint since 1983: Tie it to emergency aid

Congress should make Green Book readiness a precondition for emergency disbursement authority across lending, grant and direct payment programs.

Ex-Prison Employee Reveals Ghislaine Maxwell’s Luxurious Lifestyle

Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted child sex trafficker, is enjoying a range of special privileges at the low-security prison where she was transferred after she played defense for Donald Trump. Noella Turnage, a former employee of the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, shared

Fetterman: Trump affordability remark was 'clipped'

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) on Wednesday defended President Trump's comment that he is not focused on the financial situations of Americans while negotiating with the Iranian government. “He said something that got clipped ... saying, 'I’m not thinking about [the] American

Republicans rack up redistricting wins ahead of midterms: Join the live discussion

Republicans are on a winning streak in the redistricting wars, but will that be enough to offset expected Democratic gains in the midterms? What to make of a new poll showing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) as front-runners in the 2028

Rubio: US, China agree Strait of Hormuz should not be 'militarized'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said the U.S. and China agree that the Strait of Hormuz should not be "militarized," as Iran has kept the waterway closed despite a ceasefire in its war with the U.S. and Israel. Rubio, who traveled with President Trump for his

Remains of 2nd US soldier missing in Morocco discovered

The remains of the second U.S. soldier who had been missing in Morocco since May 2 were recovered on Tuesday from a coastal cave. The deceased service member was identified as Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Taveres, Fla., the Army said in a Thursday press release.

Gabbard spokesperson pushes back on reported federal raid on office

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is pushing back on reporting of a CIA raid on the office. "This is false," Olivia Coleman, a spokesperson for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, wrote on the social platform X. She was referencing a now-deleted

In Beijing, Trump easily holds the winning hand

Xi thinks he can bluff with two pair, but Trump is holding a full house.

Watch live: McMahon testifies before House on education policies

Education Secretary Linda McMahon will testify Thursday morning before the House Education and Workforce Committee about the Trump administration's priorities for the department. Since President Trump returned to the Oval Office last year, the administration has whittled down

Watch live: Turner testifies before Senate on HUD budget request

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner will testify before a Senate Appropriations Committee panel on President Trump‘s fiscal 2027 budget request. The Trump administration is seeking $73.5 billion for HUD in 2027, focusing primarily on tackling homelessness

Watch live: US Central Command leader faces Senate panel on Iran, military posture

U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday morning about President Trump‘s fiscal 2027 budget request and posture of the defense agency amid the Middle East conflict. The hearing comes as the temporary

Fetterman: Democratic opposition to AI, data centers is ‘lunacy’

Centrist Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) is calling out Democratic opposition to the rapid development of AI and data centers around the country as “lunacy” and warning that taking a stance against AI is a “China first kind of policy.” “You know, people in my party are now becoming

Transcript: How Democrats Can Fix the Government in 2029

This is a lightly edited transcript of the May 13 edition of Right Now With Perry Bacon. You can watch the video here or by following this show on YouTube or Substack . Perry Bacon: We’re going to have a discussion that’s about democracy, but a little broader than the

Lindsey Graham Is Already Begging Trump to Derail China Talks

Senator Lindsey Graham wants Donald Trump to threaten to impose tariffs on China if they don’t drop their “dirtbag” friends. Speaking on Fox News’s Hannity Wednesday, Graham presented his own vision for the outcome of Trump’s two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Why penalizing partners like Germany would weaken U.S. power

The message sent by withdrawing troops from Germany will not land as intended.

Democratic Lawmaker, 83, Has Been Missing for a Month

Representative Frederica Wilson has yet to explain why she hasn’t voted on a single issue since April 17. The Florida Democrat has been missing in action for weeks, according to her documented voting record . She has so far failed to address her nearly four-week absence, though

Midsized cities' population steady as national growth slows: Census

Midsized cities in the U.S. saw their population steady as the national growth rate slowed, according to a Thursday release from the U.S. Census Bureau. Smaller cities outside of a high traffic metro areas outpaced their counterparts in residential gains. Places with

House leaders back bipartisan effort to combat sexual misconduct in chamber

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) are backing a bipartisan effort to come up with proposed reforms to combat sexual misconduct in the House. The effort, a partnership between the Republican Women’s Caucus and the Democratic Women’s