‘The original sin’: Hill Republicans blame White House for slow-walking FISA sales pitch

President Donald Trump is facing a GOP rebellion on Capitol Hill over a key spy powers reauthorization.

Democrats hang on to New Jersey House seat left open by Sherrill

Democrat Analilia Mejia has won a House seat in New Jersey, according to Decision Desk HQ, succeeding now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) and notching a win for progressives. Mejia, a top aide to Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) 2020 presidential campaign, defeated Republican Joe

Senate OKs CRA reversing Biden mining block

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Senate OKs CRA reversing Biden mining block The Senate on Thursday voted to repeal Biden-era protections for a contentious wilderness area in Minnesota, sending the question to President Trump’s desk. © Photo

Trump on public hearings with Epstein survivors: 'I'm OK with that'

President Trump signaled Thursday that he was open to the possibility of Congress holding public hearings with survivors of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “I’m OK with it,” he told reporters Thursday before departing the White House en route to Las Vegas for a

Rogan again slams US war with Iran: 'All of it’s terrifying'

Podcaster Joe Rogan is not letting up on his criticism of the joint U.S.-Israel conflict in Iran, commenting during his show on Thursday that he found the situation “terrifying.” “It’s f---ing terrifying,” Rogan responded after actor David Cross asked about his opinion on the

Gen George's ouster looms large over Driscoll hearing

Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Gen George's ouster looms large over Driscoll hearing Lawmakers from both sides questioned Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and the Army’s acting chief

RFK Jr. grilled over vaccines, MAHA in back-to-back hearings: Key takeaways

House members got their first opportunity Thursday to grill Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as he kicked off a marathon series of seven congressional hearings in seven days with back-to-back hearings in the Ways and Means and Appropriations

Jeffries says he’s 'deeply skeptical' of FISA extension without new privacy protections

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) suggested on Thursday that he’s ready to oppose an extension of the government’s warrantless surveillance powers unless it contains new privacy guardrails. Jeffries stopped short of saying he’ll oppose a clean extension of Section

AI tensions boil over

{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Tensions over AI reach new high after violent attacks Two violent attacks against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and a city council member are prompting new fears over whether the debate around the technology has turned dangerous. © Greg

Graham on Israel-Lebanon ceasefire: 'Last thing' US needs is to 'throw Hezbollah a lifeline'

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) responded on Thursday to the new short-term ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. “While I appreciate every effort to bring peace through diplomacy in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon, we have to be realistic about the situation

First candidate announces run for Wisconsin high court

Clark County Circuit Court Judge Lyndsey Brunette became the first candidate to announce a run for a spot on the Wisconsin Supreme Court — an announcement that came just one week after the Badger State held a contest for another seat on the high court. “Today, on the bench, I

Live results: Mejia, Hathaway duke it out to replace Sherrill in New Jersey House special election

Democrat Analilia Mejia is facing off against Republican Joe Hathaway in a Thursday special election to fill the House seat left open by New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Mejia's surprise primary victory earlier this year marked another win for progressives. She is widely

Trump Dodges Key Question on Strait of Hormuz Blockade

The U.S. seems ready to block Iran’s primary oil tradeway “indefinitely.” Donald Trump dodged questions Thursday about a lack of progress at the Strait of Hormuz, instead claiming that “no ship” was passing the blockade that the U.S. had imposed on the waterway at the beginning

Senate votes to repeal Biden-era wilderness protections in Minnesota, sending bill to Trump’s desk

The Senate on Thursday voted to repeal Biden-era protections for a contentious wilderness area in Minnesota, sending the question to President Trump’s desk. The Senate voted 50-49 to overturn a Biden-era move to block mining in an area around Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe

More young men than women say religion is important to them: Gallup

Young men are more concerned with religion than women in the same age group, according to new polling data from Gallup released Thursday. The survey found that 42 percent of adult men between 18 and 29 years old indicated that religion is “very important” in their lives during

France calls on US to release 86-year-old widow of veteran detained by ICE

The French government on Thursday called on the U.S. to release an 86-year-old widow of an American military veteran in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detention. Rodolphe Sambou, consul general of France in New Orleans, told The Associated Press that his country's

Democrats' fundraising dominates key midterm races: What we learned from the latest campaign filings

First-quarter campaign fundraising reports released this week offer new insights on midterm dynamics with the fight for control of Congress in full swing. Democrats boasted massive hauls in high-stakes House and Senate races over the last three months, according to the latest

Army chief firing hovers over Driscoll hearing: 5 takeaways

The recent firing of the Army’s well-respected chief of staff, Gen. Randy George, hovered over the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing Thursday, with lawmakers from both sides grilling Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and the Army’s acting chief of staff, Gen.

Trump says he held meeting on unconfirmed reports of missing scientists

President Trump told reporters on Thursday that he held a meeting on unconfirmed reports of missing nuclear scientists. “I just left a meeting on that subject,” Trump told reporters, referring to it as “pretty serious stuff.” Questions have grown in the scientific community

Trump picks former Deputy Surgeon General Erica Schwartz as new CDC nominee

President Trump on Thursday announced Erica Schwartz, who served in a senior health role in his first administration, as his third pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than six months after the last director was fired. "It is my Honor to

Bernie Sanders, labor leaders warn of AI risks for workers

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and the leaders of several major labor unions warned Thursday about the risks AI poses to workers amid concerns about the technology’s ability to replace jobs. Sanders, who is pushing for a moratorium on data center construction, argued that AI could

Hawley pushes bill to bar lawmakers convicted of sexual abuse from receiving pensions

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has introduced legislation to bar lawmakers convicted of sexual abuse from receiving federal pensions, a proposal that will get a lot of attention after former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) was accused of sexually assaulting a former staffer. "Right

Watch live: Trump hosts 'no tax on tips' roundtable in Las Vegas

President Trump will host a roundtable event Thursday in Las Vegas highlighting his administration's "no tax on tips" law, just a day after the IRS's tax filing deadline. The law, which was part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted last summer, covers more than 60 jobs,

Minnesota seeks arrest of ICE officer for pointing gun at citizens during surge

An arrest warrant is out for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer accused of brandishing a gun at two people on a highway during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, prosecutors said Thursday. Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. was charged with two counts of

Trump Starts Making Up Things the Pope Said as He Breaks With Reality

President Trump seems to be in some kind of spite-induced fugue state regarding Pope Leo XIV—insisting that he isn’t fighting with His Holiness ( he is ) and that the pope said Iran could have a nuclear weapon (he didn’t). “Why are you fighting with the pope?” a reporter asked

GOP, Democrats blast Vought for holding back cash: 'You don’t have the authority to impound'

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told the White House budget director that lawmakers "are not getting any answers" as to why hundreds of millions of dollars isn't flowing to states for anti-poverty programs.

Why the Xanax recall may not impact your prescription

The "limited scope" recall of the commonly-prescribed drug may not impact your prescription at all.

DOJ investigating Swalwell over sexual misconduct allegations

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) over allegations of sexual misconduct, a source familiar confirmed to The Hill. Five women have come forward so far with allegations of sexual assault or misconduct they said occurred over the

Europe will run out of jet fuel in '6 weeks or so,' key official warns

International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol on Thursday warned that Europe will run out of jet fuel in "six weeks or so" if the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drags on. Birol told The Associated Press that the strait's closure has caused "the largest

Trump says he won't meet Pope Leo, can 'disagree' with pontiff

President Trump defended his comments pushing back on Pope Leo XIV’s statements against the Iran war, saying he has a right to disagree with the pontiff and that he felt no need to meet to iron out their differences. “I have a right to disagree with the pope. I have no

White House budget director Vought declines to tell senators cost of Iran war

Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, declined to give senators an estimate of the cost of the military operations against Iran when pressed on the issue during a hearing Thursday. Vought said the White House is working on a request for

Trump says he may go to Islamabad if Iran war deal signed in Pakistan

President Trump told reporters on Thursday that he might visit Islamabad, Pakistan, if a deal is reached there between the U.S. and Iran. “I would go to Pakistan,” Trump said when asked if he would visit the country, which has played a mediating role between the U.S. and Iran,

FISA extension vote delayed

Mamdani, Hochul team up on second-home tax: What to know

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) have proposed a new tax on property owners who have second homes in New York City worth more than $5 million, in an effort to narrow the city's budget deficit by targeting the ultrawealthy. The

Hegseth shares air rescue group's 'Pulp Fiction' prayer at Pentagon service

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday repeated an air rescue group's prayer that borrows from a scene in Quentin Tarantino's film "Pulp Fiction." During a Pentagon service, Hegseth said the prayer — called CSAR 25:17, an apparent reference to Ezekiel 25:17 in the Bible —

Damon Jones expected to plead guilty in NBA gambling probe

Damon Jones, the former NBA player charged in connection with an illegal sports gambling ring, is expected to plead guilty to charges in New York. Jones, who played for 10 teams in 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009, is expected to plead guilty to charges of money laundering

Man detained, officer injured after attempt to scale White House fence

U.S. Secret Service agents detained a man on Thursday morning after he attempted to breach the White House perimeter on foot. Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi said the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. EDT, when the man jumped over a construction bollard

Greene slams evangelical leader's defense of Trump after AI Jesus post

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) slammed evangelical leader Franklin Graham on Thursday for defending President Trump’s since-deleted post depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure. Graham, a close Trump ally, said in a statement on the social platform X that he did

Republicans discuss boosting existing spy powers guardrails as FISA compromise

Republicans are discussing a year-long renewal of the nation's warrantless spy powers in exchange for strengthening current aspects of the law, multiple sources involved in the talks told The Hill. Such a package would scale back the 18-month timeline requested by President

Altman attack suspect suggested 'Luigi’ing some tech CEOs' in online chat

The suspect accused of attempting to murder OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed interest in “Luigi’ing” technology leaders in an online chat late last year, referring to Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. A team member of the podcast

Top woman in Congress says she 'did not even hear a rumor' about Swalwell, Gonzales

Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the House minority whip, said Thursday that she never heard a “rumor” about alleged misconduct by former Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.). “I personally did not even hear a rumor about Eric Swalwell or Tony Gonzales

10 Republicans help Democrats pass resolution extending TPS protections for Haitian migrants

The House on Thursday passed a resolution requiring the Trump administration to extend temporary legal protections for Haitian migrants after a small group of Republicans helped Democrats force it to the floor using a rarely successful maneuver. The lower chamber passed the

Judge Says White House Can Only Build Underground Portion of Ballroom

President Trump has been dealt another setback on his massive ballroom project. A federal judge ruled Thursday that construction can only proceed on the underground, national security–related parts of the project, and not on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom the president wants

Minnesota Charges First ICE Agent With Felony Assault

The first Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent has been charged in relation to President Trump’s brutal Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, was charged with assault in Minneapolis on Thursday for pointing his gun at two people in a car

Pope Leo rips those who 'manipulate religion' amid feud with Trump

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday criticized those who “manipulate religion” for political and military gain amid a feud with President Trump. “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is

Senate Republicans ‘syncing’ immigration funding plan with House GOP

The effort to align Republicans in both chambers follows the House GOP’s rejection of the DHS funding strategy the Senate hatched last month.

Johnson pursues a ‘modified’ FISA extension

Leaders are racing to get a deal before a scheduled Thursday afternoon vote.

Watch live: DHS officials testify before House on 2027 budget for non-immigration agencies

Officials from the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) non-immigration enforcement agencies will testify before the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday afternoon amid the record-long partial government shutdown. The heads of the Secret Service, Coast Guard,

Watch live: RFK Jr. testifies before House Appropriations panel on HHS budget

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify before the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday afternoon on the White House's fiscal 2027 budget request and the Trump administration's health policy. President Trump requested additional

Trump wants less spending. RFK Jr.’s ‘not happy’ about it.

At the first of several budget hearings, the health secretary said newly proposed cuts were needed because of the federal debt.