House Democratic leaders won't whip against crypto bills

Hochul calls for heightened federal drone defense strategy

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has called for a heightened federal drone defense strategy, following reports of drone sightings in the Northeast towards the end of 2024 “I am writing to you with respect to the critical need for federal action regarding the threat posed by

NY man accused of using 'gold bar scam' to steal $555,892 from Pennsylvania resident

A New York man is accused of stealing $555,892 worth of gold bars from a Lancaster County, Pennsylvania resident using a scam that authorities say is becoming increasingly common nationwide.

Senate Democrats want probe of FEMA cost-control policy after Texas flood tragedy

Graham, Blumenthal hail Trump's new Russia sanctions plan

Trump threatened to impose 100% secondary sanctions on Russia within 50 days if Russia doesn't wind down its attacks on Ukraine, a move supported by Sens. Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, who have been pushing for legislation to impose harsher sanctions on Moscow.

Ice cream brands pledge to phase out artificial dyes

Dozens of ice cream manufacturers in the United States have pledged to eliminate artificial colors from their products by the end of 2027.

Would markets tolerate Fed chair Scott Bessent?

Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Would markets tolerate Fed chair Scott Bessent? The possibility that President Trump could replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell with Treasury Secretary

Jeffries urges release of all Jeffrey Epstein files

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Monday the Trump administration should release all of the files related to the disgraced late-financier Jeffrey Epstein, and Congress should intervene to force that release if the administration doesn’t act on its own.

Former NATO commander: Sending Ukraine offensive weapons 'could move Putin to the negotiating table'

Sending Ukraine offensive weapons could push Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, retired Adm. James Stavridis, the former NATO supreme allied commander, said on Monday. Speaking ahead of the announcement of the U.S.-NATO weapons deal for Ukraine,

FBI Deputy Director AWOL as Revolt Over Epstein Grows

Dan Bongino’s future as FBI deputy director is still up in the air on Monday after his no call no show on Friday, as the fallout from the Justice Department’s dismissal of the Epstein case continues into its second week. Bongino has apparently iced out all communications with

DHS pushes back on report of hungry detainees: 'FALSE'

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday pushed back on a new report from NBC News that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees are going hungry and being fed spoiled food. “FAKE NEWS! Any claim that there is a lack of food or subprime conditions at ICE

Supreme Court Gives Trump Power to Destroy Education Department

The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for Trump to destroy the Department of Education. In May, a federal judge in Massachusetts issued an injunction barring the administration from firing 1,300 of the just over 4,000 employees of the agency. On Monday, the high court,

Trump sets ticking clock for Moscow

Plus: Dem seeks to force vote on release of Epstein files {beacon} PRESIDENT TRUMP on Monday pivoted in favor of Ukraine, arranging for U.S. weapons to be delivered to Kyiv and threatening new sanctions on Moscow if Russia's war stretches later in the year. Speaking in the

Supreme Court allows Trump to resume Education Department layoffs

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed President Trump to resume efforts to dismantle the Department of Education in an apparent 6-3 vote along ideological lines, lifting a judge’s order to reinstate hundreds of employees terminated in mass layoffs. The administration’s victory

The safety and security of US judges must be a bipartisan priority

Congress must adequately fund the judiciary to ensure both the safety of judges and the health of our democracy.

House Dem will introduce resolution demanding Epstein files' release: 'Put up or Shut up!'

Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) said Sunday he plans to introduce a resolution demanding files be released in the case involving financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Either @realDonaldTrump and his acolytes fueled the rumors of the significance of these Epstein

Trump Is Bullying MAGA Influencers to Fall in Line on Epstein

Over the weekend, right-wing media figure Charlie Kirk hosted the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit , where the young conservatives in attendance were up in arms about President Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein affair. Now, after a phone call from the president

Cuomo to run as third-party candidate in NYC after loss to Mamdani

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) formally announced he is running as an independent in New York City’s mayoral race in November after losing to Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani in the party’s primary. “Only 13 percent of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general

New House food options start their rollout

Reports of DOGE’s demise are greatly exaggerated — it’s just getting started

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, which exposed wasteful and harmful spending, is now entering its next chapter, with the White House and Congress working to address the $160 billion in improper payments and $3 trillion in waste, fraud and abuse in the last

Musk’s Racist Grok AI Chatbot Is Now Part of the Defense Department

The Department of Defense will start using Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot to “develop agentic AI workflows.” Trump’s DoD awarded Musk’s xAI a $200 million federal contract to install “Grok for Government” into the national defense apparatus. “Announcing Grok for Government - a

Voters say Trump hasn't been tough enough on Putin: Poll

Sixty percent of surveyed voters say they do not believe President Trump has been tough enough on Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released on Monday. Those respondents consist of 58 percent independents, 73 percent Democrats and 48

Voters split on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill': Poll

Voters are evenly divided on President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” according to a poll. A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released Monday found 44 percent of respondents said they supported the Republicans’ major policy bill while another 44 percent said they didn’t support the

xAI scores Pentagon contract

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) company xAI has scored a contract for up to $200 million with the Department of Defense alongside three other major tech firms, the Pentagon announced Monday. xAI, Anthropic, Google and OpenAI all received contracts with the same

Watch: Republicans mark Trump assassination attempt anniversary

Members of the conservative Republican Study Committee held a news conference Monday afternoon marking the first anniversary of the assassination attempt against President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pa. Sunday marked one year since Trump was bloodied in the assassination

Vital questions senators must ask Trump’s top labor lawyer nominee

Senators considering Carey’s nomination must ask some fundamental questions about whether she believes in the mission, independence and very existence of the agency she seeks to lead.

Democrats underwater in new poll

The Democratic Party’s approval rating is underwater at 40 percent, according to a new poll, the latest troubling sign for a party still grappling with its losses from November. A Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll released on Monday found that only 4 in 10 respondents approved of the

Watch: Jeffries news conference

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will held a news conference Monday afternoon. Earlier this month, Jeffries commandeered the chamber floor to deliver a marathon speech hammering away at the GOP’s tax and spending cut bill. He stalled passage of the sprawling

Trump's immigration policies get strong backing in new poll

A majority of voters gave President Trump’s immigration policies high marks, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released Monday. Sixty percent of voters surveyed said they support Trump’s efforts to close the border, including 89 percent of Republicans, 55 percent of

Senate Democrat: Putin 'going to be celebrating' State Department layoffs

Sen. Chris Van Hollen criticized the State Department's decision to lay off 1,300 employees as it is seen as a retreat from global commitments and a victory for adversaries such as China and Russia.

Charlie Kirk: On Epstein, 'I'm going to trust my friends in the administration'

Conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk said Monday he is trusting the Trump administration to handle the files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. “Plenty was said this last weekend at our event about Epstein,” Kirk said on his show on

What to know about the US-NATO weapons deal for Ukraine

President Trump said Monday he had brokered a deal to send more weapons to Ukraine without burdening the U.S., while threatening Russian President Vladimir Putin with new sanctions if there is no deal to end the war in 50 days. Trump’s announcement marks a potential turning

Is ICE following rules for ID'ing itself in migrant arrests?

Some Democrats are pushing for more ICE transparency, but officials say officers and agents are at risk of assault

Trump insults former Texas governor, Energy secretary: Not 'the smartest bulb'

President Trump on Monday ridiculed former Energy Secretary Rick Perry and blamed him for suggesting the 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that eventually led to Trump's first impeachment. "I told that secretary, who wasn’t the smartest bulb — Rick

Trump's 'non-security council' is another ticking time bomb

Trump’s National Security Council process has become dysfunctional to the point of uselessness.

Trump Suddenly Turns on Putin With Nonsense Threat

Donald Trump unveiled his latest move to apply pressure to Russia—and surprise, surprise, it’s more tariffs. While speaking to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office Monday, Trump set a 50-day deadline for Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. The president said

Trump defends Pam Bondi — Bongino and Patel leaving?

The MAGA faithful are expecting more.

EU warns of 'countermeasures' after Trump announces 30 percent tariffs

European Union officials warned on Monday that countermeasures are still on the table if they cannot reach a trade deal with the United States to avoid the 30 percent tariffs that President Trump announced over the weekend would take effect on Aug. 1. The EU, which negotiates

Kerrville City Council extends disaster declaration; talks debris, threats

The Kerrville City Council met in an emergency session Monday morning, where they approved the indefinite extension of a local disaster declaration, and discussed ongoing rescue operations, threats made against the city, and donations.

Watch live: Hill Nation Summit

At his second inauguration, President Trump announced the start of “the golden age of America” and “a thrilling new era of national success.” Six months later, how has that momentum continued? What actions have we seen from the Republican-controlled Congress? What are the top

Ending the era of uncertainty: Congress delivers for crypto

House Republicans are moving forward with legislation to establish a clear regulatory framework for digital assets, with the goal of making America the "Crypto Capital of the World."

24 states sue over funding pause to after-school programs

Twenty-four Democratic states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging the Trump administration’s pause on education funding for after-school programs, along with other specialized instruction. The lawsuit argues the Trump administration has violated

China's success in cleaning up air pollution may have accelerated global warming: Study

Efforts to clean up air pollution in China and across East Asia may have inadvertently contributed to a spike in global warming, a new study has found. The decline in aerosol emissions — which can cool the planet by absorbing sunlight — have added about 0.05 degrees Celsius in

Nicotine poisoning rises in babies and toddlers: Study

Nicotine pouches have been the driving force behind the accidental poisonings.

Camp Mystic not accredited nationally, eight others in Kerr County are

The words "American Camp Association Accredited" is what some parent tells KXAN investigators they look for before deciding on a summer camp.

Newsom: Clean energy fuels two-thirds of California power grid

California's power grid is now fueled by 67% clean energy sources, despite federal pushback on renewable energy subsidies.

Dem report: China to seize global advantage from Trump international spending cuts

China will seize influence on the global stage as a result of the Trump administration’s major cuts to international spending, according to a report published Monday by the Democratic staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), the panel’s top

China’s Belt and Road 2.0: Smaller projects, bigger influence

China's Belt and Road Initiative has evolved to focus on smaller, smarter projects that are embedding the country in the infrastructure and energy ecosystems of dozens of nations, while also redefining global leverage.

Musk says he does not support Tesla, xAI merger

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Monday he does not support merging his electric vehicle (EV) company with his artificial intelligence (AI) firm, xAI, after the idea was floated last week by a prominent analyst. In response to a user on his social platform X who asked Tesla investors

Trump gives Russia ultimatum

It’s Monday. A year ago today, the Republican National Convention began in Milwaukee. This was right after President Trump’s first assassination attempt, and we were all on high alert. If you want a refresher, check out my reporting from that day. In today's issue: 🚨️ IN THE