Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Iran’s 5 conditions for ending war Iran on Wednesday offered a counterproposal to end the war in the region after rejecting a ceasefire plan backed
Iran’s leaders are striking a note of defiance about ending the war waged against them by the United States and Israel, complicating President Trump’s apparent search for an off-ramp. The message being sent from Tehran over the past 24 hours has been unyielding. An unnamed
Conservatives in both chambers are sharply shooting down the idea of trying to advance key provisions of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act through the budget reconciliation process, arguing the strategy has little chance of succeeding. Senate
President Trump on Wednesday evening will address House Republicans, supporters and donors at the annual National Republican Congressional Committee fundraising dinner. The event, held at Union Station in Washington, will give Trump another chance to sell his agenda ahead of
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will now allow his country’s military to board Russian “shadow fleet” ships, according to a Wednesday press release from his office. Starmer said the interdiction of the Russian shadow ships, part of a network of tankers with obscure
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Wednesday railed against Republicans who are pushing escalation of the Iran war and reiterated her lack of support for boots on the ground. Her sentiments strongly oppose Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has urged President Trump to send Marines to
{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Meta, YouTube found liable in LA social media trial A California jury on Wednesday found social media giants Meta and YouTube liable in a landmark social media addiction trial, determining the companies were negligent in their
As President Trump sends more troops toward Iran, mobilizing the Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are unsatisfied with the amount of information provided in their briefings Wednesday, demanding the Pentagon be more forthcoming as the
{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story EPA OKs high-ethanol gas in the summer The Trump administration will allow high-ethanol gasoline to be sold this summer, lifting restrictions on the fuel that are typically in place to limit smog. © AP
Chevron said it is threatening to close its oil refineries in California due to overregulation, which the oil company said is contributing to price spikes amid the war in Iran. Due to California's taxes, emissions rules and other regulations, which hit gas costs harder than in
The Justice Department has settled a lawsuit over allegations that the Biden administration pressured social media companies to remove or suppress speech. The settlement, filed in a Louisiana federal court, will bar the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the
Presented by Alliance for Aging Research {beacon} Health Care Health Care PRESENTED BY The Big Story Hawley’s push to revoke abortion pill approval picks up steam Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has picked up three Republican allies in his endeavor to revoke approval of the
The White House has turned down billionaire Elon Musk’s offer to pay TSA agents salaries during the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown that affects the airport agents, citing legal reasons. DHS has been shut down for over a month, leaving tens of thousands of
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) plan to introduce legislation that would bar construction of all new data centers until “strong national safeguards are in place.” The pair announced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act on
The U.S. military struck an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean Sea on Wednesday, killing four “narco-terrorists.” The vessel was operated by a designated terrorist organization, which was transiting along “known narco-trafficking” routes in the Caribbean and was
One of the 22 men vying for reality star Taylor Frankie Paul's heart on the now-cancelled season of ABC's "The Bachelorette" was the driver in a 2014 crash that left former Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) paralyzed. Brad Ledford, 29, was set to appear in the franchise's 22nd
The Justice Department has reached an agreement to pay President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn about $1.2 million, after he sued the Department of Justice for what he claimed was an unlawful prosecution. The brief two-page settlement filed
The CEO of BlackRock warned of a “global recession” if the price of oil hits $150 a barrel amid continuing U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. In a Wednesday episode of BBC’s “Big Boss Interview” podcast, Larry Fink said it’s “too early” to know the long-term effects of this
“There's no way to get there without significantly weakening some districts,” one House Republican warned.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials on Wednesday warned lawmakers on the House Committee on Homeland Security about the impacts that the funding lapse that has stretched for 40 days has had on their workers. The hearing comes as financial strain on Transportation
The Democratic upset in two Florida state Legislature races on Tuesday is raising warning signs for Republicans as the party faces divisions ahead of November’s midterms. Democrats flipped two state House seats, including the district where President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
Immigration and Customs Enforcement lied about having the authority to arrest hundreds of lawful asylum-seekers and individuals seeking citizenship at immigration courts. In a court filing late Tuesday evening, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Oestericher of the Southern
Former CIA Director John Brennan said Tuesday that Israel, through its recent actions in Lebanon and its fighting alongside the U.S. against Iran, has inflamed tensions in the Middle East as the conflict against Tehran rages on. “At this point, I really think that we need to
More Americans believe U.S. military operations against Iran will diminish, rather than promote, global safety, according to a new survey released Wednesday. A Quinnipiac University poll found 42 percent of voters believe the conflict is making the world less safe, while 35
Republican Senate leaders are attempting to use the budget reconciliation process to force their warmongering and President Trump’s SAVE Act through Congress without any Democratic votes. “The purpose of the second reconciliation bill is to make sure there is adequate funding
Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) introduced legislation on Tuesday to rename Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) as “Donald J. Trump International Airport,” just after a month after Republicans in the Florida Legislature voted to do so. Mast, who represents the Sunshine State’s 21st
We took a look back at the 1970s OPEC embargo and the 2022 inflation crisis to see if we're better off – or worse off – today.
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) unveiled legislation on Tuesday that would give Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees who have been forced to work without pay during the shutdown a 10 percent bonus when the agency reopens. The bill would require that DHS employees,
Amid a rising number of unlawful kidnappings and deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, New Jersey has banned all law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from wearing masks. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed a bill Wednesday that
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt signaled on Wednesday the U.S. was winding down its military operation in Iran, but vowed to ramp up attacks against the country if it does not agree to U.S. terms. “We are very close to meeting the core objectives of Operation Epic
Prominent Republicans are bristling at the Trump administration’s opaque Iran war plans, particularly after a closed-door briefing of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on Wednesday. Alabama Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican chair of the House committee,
The next time White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wants to double down on one of Donald Trump’s dubious claims, she should really consult a dictionary first. During a press briefing Wednesday, Leavitt was asked about Trump’s comments the day before when he claimed that
Conservatives are descending on Grapevine, Texas, this week for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), but a smattering of notable names are expected to skip the event that’s long served as a pulse check for the GOP. President Trump is reportedly set to
The Arizona senator said the former attorney general was “willing to sacrifice our democracy” to protect the institution of the Justice Department.
Over half of American voters say they want Democrats to take control of the House, according to a new poll. In the Quinnipiac University poll, 51 percent of respondents said they wished for Democrats to take back the House in a hypothetical election, while 40 percent wanted it
The top official at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) warned Congress on Wednesday that staffing shortages tied to the partial government shutdown could force the agency to close small airports and undermine the country’s readiness for this summer’s FIFA World
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Wednesday that increased fertilizer prices amid the war with Iran will not impact the majority of U.S. farmers. Rollins told host Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Network's “Mornings with Maria” that 80 percent of farmers “had already
When journalists lose access, the public loses visibility. And when visibility shrinks, accountability soon follows.
President Trump claimed on Wednesday that “the public is loving ICE.” In reality, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s approval ratings are actually the lowest they’ve ever been. “I am so proud of our ICE Patriots! They were unfairly maligned by the Lunatic Democrats for
The gerontocracy is firmly in control of the U.S. government.
For weeks, we’ve been waiting for charges to emerge from Minnesota in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by masked federal agents during Operation Metro Surge. The investigation has gone conspicuously quiet. Now we know why. Minnesota prosecutors filed a lawsuit Tuesday
Iran on Wednesday threatened the safety of vessels attempting to pass through a key Red Sea strait amid the Strait of Hormuz’s closure. The Bab el-Mandeb strait, located approximately in between Yemen and Djibouti, is 1,200 miles off the Strait of Hormuz and could be subject
President Trump made his first public call for a clean extension of the nation’s warrantless spy powers Wednesday, pointing to the ongoing conflict in Iran as a rationale. Trump, through legislative channels, has called for an 18-month extension of Section 702 of the Foreign
President Trump on Wednesday praised U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers for their work at airports this week as lengthy security wait times stack up amid the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapse. “I am so proud of our ICE Patriots! They were
In a landmark ruling that could affect thousands of future cases, Google and Meta were found liable Wednesday for inducing depression and anxiety in a woman who obsessively used social media as a child. It was the first jury trial in which tech companies were sued over the
Democrats in Florida had a good night on Tuesday, flipping two state Legislature seats in districts President Trump carried two years ago to give the party a boost as it looks to make inroads in red states ahead of November. The party scored wins in contests for a Florida state
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is laying the groundwork for an expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas. The NBA board of governors voted to "authorize the league to formally explore potential team expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle," the league said in a Wednesday
A California jury on Wednesday found social media giants Meta and YouTube liable in a landmark social media addiction trial, determining the companies were negligent in their design or operation of the platforms. It caps off the nearly two-month trial against Meta, the parent
Iranian author and journalist Tara Kangarlou said Tuesday that Iranian citizens are concerned “their story will end like Afghanistan,” amid uncertainty about the country’s post-conflict future. Kangarlou told NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas that “ordinary Iranians” were currently