{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Brent briefly reaches four-year high Global oil prices surged to a four-year high overnight before retreating somewhat early Thursday as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and the prospect of a deal to end
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Thursday that the U.S. is “not at war” with Iran, as the 60-day mark since the conflict began approaches. “I don’t think we have an active, kinetic military bombing, firing or anything like that. Right now, we are trying to broker a
Democrats are coalescing around progressive political outsider Graham Platner and his bid to oust incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine after primary rival Janet Mills ended her struggling bid Thursday. Mills, who is term limited as governor, jumped into the race
{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Senators ban themselves from prediction markets The Senate unanimously agreed to a resolution Thursday barring its members from trading on prediction markets in the face of growing concerns about insider trading on the platforms.
The shutdown concluded after more than 10 weeks, as agencies prepared for more furloughs and missed paychecks.
Conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly said Wednesday he was "absolutely wrong" with his past defense of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel in the wake of remarks the host made before the White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting. O'Reilly told Chris Cuomo on
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez (D) slammed Meta on Thursday for threatening to shut down its social media platforms in the state following a jury's verdict against the company, calling it a “PR stunt.” In a court filing shared with The Hill, Meta said the state of New
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said Thursday that Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) deciding to move forward with the state's Senate primary election next month was “disappointing.” Landry signed an executive order earlier Thursday suspending the House primary elections in Louisiana, a
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tangled with Senate Democrats Thursday during his second day of hearings on Capitol Hill, sparring with lawmakers over President Trump’s war with Iran, the Pentagon’s massive $1.5 trillion defense budget request and potentially sending troops to
Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 death—ruled a suicide by a New York City coroner—has been poured over by conspiracy theorists. The financier was arrested for running a child sex trafficking ring, and was friendly with many politicians and celebrities. His trial could have led to the
It has been more than two months since the U.S. and Israel launched joint military operations on Iran at the end of February. Since the first strikes on Feb. 28, 13 U.S. service members have died in the conflict and hundreds more have been injured. Additionally, Iranian
A former Department of Justice (DOJ) official and federal prosecutor slammed former FBI Director James Comey’s recent indictment, saying the case “has zero merit.” “It makes no sense. This is something that brings stain and dishonor on the department, on its leadership, on the
During an April 17 congressional hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called for retraction of a new Danish study that didn't find a link between Tylenol and autism, repeatedly calling it “garbage” and baselessly suggesting that it was
Congress has reauthorized Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - but only for another 45 days. The extension is meant to give legislators more time to negotiate reforms to the controversial wiretapping bill. If the past few weeks are any indication of how
The way the White House is operating, it seems that the United States doesn’t want allies. Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Thursday that he’s open to the idea of pulling troops from other allies Italy and Spain due to the European continent’s lacking support for
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced a bill Thursday to ban minors from artificial intelligence companions and prevent AI chatbots from exposing children to sexual or harmful content. The Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Act,
Staffers who signed the “Katrina Declaration,” an open letter critical of the Trump administration, have been reinstated at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “We have been reinstated,” Abby McIlraith, one of the signatories, told The Hill in a Signal message.
The U.S. national debt crossed 100 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of March, with signs that it might cross the record of 106 percent of GDP reached immediately after World War II. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released data on the national debt reaching
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) on Thursday suspended the May 16 primary elections for the House in his state, a day after the Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana’s addition of a second majority-Black congressional district was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Landry
President Trump joked Thursday about the possibility of him wearing a bulletproof vest in the future in the aftermath of a third assassination attempt, joking that he does not know if he “can handle looking 20 pounds heavier.” The comment elicited laughs in the Oval Office
A federal indictment against former FBI Director James Comey hinges on the meaning of "86." The Department of Justice said it indicates a threat of physical harm, while the more common dictionary definition is to throw out or get rid of something. The post Definition of ‘86’
Republicans in Congress voted to fund the Department of Homeland Security Thursday, effectively ending the 76-day shutdown of the department. The bill, passed by a voice vote in the House, is a win for Democrats, as it still includes no money for ICE or Border Patrol , and is
The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday that new caps on federal loans for graduate school programs will go into effect July 1. The department said this decision is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the costs of postsecondary education and
“Being hated by idiots is the price you pay for not being one of them,” Sen. Thom Tillis wrote on X Thursday.
CNBC host Jim Cramer on Thursday slammed the newest inflation report signaling financial gloom for the coming months. The Personal Consumption Expenditures index, which reflects changes in the prices of goods and services purchased by consumers in the U.S., rose by 0.7 percent
The bonus payday months only happen a few times a year.
Close watchers of the Supreme Court knew that the conservative supermajority was about to murder what was left of the Voting Rights Act. Wednesday's decision in Louisiana v. Callais took down Section 2 of the law, clearing the way for racist gerrymandering, because it is now
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) accused Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) of making fun of President Trump, noting that the New York Republican “hated” the president. “He hated Donald Trump, made fun of him constantly, mimicked him, making fun of his voice,” Greene told
Susan Collins was the first Republican senator to change a vote on the Iran war.
Lawmakers now have until June 12 to hash out a long-term extension of the Section 702 surveillance program.
Now that he’s no longer eligible for the office, Donald Trump—a 79-year-old who routinely falls asleep in critical meetings—believes it’s pertinent for all future presidential candidates to undergo a cognitive examination. “Anybody running for President or Vice President should
The Senate unanimously agreed to a resolution Thursday barring its members from trading on prediction markets in the face of growing concerns about insider trading on the platforms. The resolution, which was introduced by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) last week, amends the
Centrist Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Thursday broke ranks with Republican leaders and most GOP colleagues by voting for a war powers resolution sponsored by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) to halt military actions against Iran, the first Republican senator to change her
Congress on Thursday passed a 45-day extension of the nation’s warrantless spy powers, ensuring the program doesn't go dark after midnight while teeing up more debate about how to reform it. The Senate on Thursday passed the 45-day reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign
President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that expands retirement benefits for employees who do not have access to such benefits through their employers. The executive order does not create a new government retirement plan, but it helps match workers with existing
President Trump said Thursday that he is removing tariffs on Scotch whisky after the visit from King Charles III and Queen Camilla. “I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) on Wednesday slammed the Supreme Court's ruling that Louisiana's addition of a second majority-Black congressional district was unconstitutional, which limited the scope of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, as "Jim Crow in new clothes." The court's
Democrats say they didn’t learn anything new; Republicans said Democrats just asked about Trump.
Meta says it may be forced to pull Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp from New Mexico if the attorney general gets his way. The state is demanding a host of changes that the company says are impossible to achieve. After winning a $375 million jury award against Meta in a trial
President Trump will sign an executive order expanding workers' access to retirement accounts in the Oval Office on Thursday, according to the White House. He is also expected to create a government website where they can compare private-sector accounts. The online marketplace,
Elon Musk is not availing himself well in court. The tech mogul and fascism enthusiast is suing Sam Altman and OpenAI, the organization he co-founded, for moving the nonprofit organization to a for-profit company. Musk took the stand three days this week in Oakland, and his
Comedian Jon Stewart said Wednesday the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the party's leaders were “lost” while discussing the Maine Senate campaign. Stewart was interviewing Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who said he had not been contacted by the DNC or
President Trump tapped Dr. Nicole Saphier on Thursday to be the next U.S. surgeon general. The president called Saphier a “STAR physician” in a Truth Social post, specifically commending her work on breast cancer treatment. “She is also an INCREDIBLE COMMUNICATOR, who makes
Nearly 30 Democratic senators warned two government agencies against taking “any illegal activity” to carry out a March executive order from President Trump seeking to force states to verify citizenship in order to vote. Voting is already limited only to U.S. citizens, and the
After a week filled with criticism — and even a promise from a lawmaker to shut them down — Camp Mystic's owners announced Thursday they will not reopen this summer amid multiple investigations and lawsuits.
The staffer received $6,000 in contributions to his legal expense fund stemming from the incident.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr said he was not pressured by President Trump or the White House to open an early review this week of several local broadcast stations owned and operated by Disney. "No, this was a decision that we made inside this
You can watch this episode of Right Now With Perry Bacon above or by following this show on YouTube or Substack Governor Janet Mills’s decision to suspend her campaign effectively hands the Democratic nomination for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat to Graham Platner. In the latest
Maine Governor Janet Mills’s decision to suspend her U.S. Senate campaign and effectively concede to upstart Graham Platner is a huge temporary victory for progressive Democrats in their ongoing fight with the party’s center-left establishment wing. But it will only be a true
The Voting Rights Act was born out of the Civil Rights Movement to open the ballot box to Black Americans who were systematically denied access. So when those protections get narrowed, even subtly, it raises a bigger question: Are we moving toward a system that prioritizes